Torah Teasers
Parshas Matos/Maasei

1. “Nikom Nikmas Bnei Yisrael MeiEis HaMidayanim Achar Tei’asef El Amecha,” (Matos 31:2). Hashem tells Moshe that he must take revenge against Midyan before he dies. What is this imperative before Moshe dies? Could Pinchos or Yehoshua not have led the war? ANS…The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that after a person dies, if he reaches his perfection, he goes to a special place called “Amav”, his nation. Without perfection, he will not be admitted until he rectifies his wrongs. The story of Zimri was a blemish on Moshe which needed rectification. When Zimri presented Kosbi and his ultimatum before Moshe, Moshe was speechless and did not react. It was only Pinchos who saved the day. Moshe needed to rectify this by waging war on Midyan, and only then would he pass on and be admitted to the place waiting for him in Shamayim.
2. After Bnei Yisrael returned from the war with Midyan with the spoils, Moshe taught them the Halachos of Hagalas Keilim, kashering the utensils through boiling water and fire. The parsha begins with the words, “Zos Chukas HaTorah,” (Matos 31:21). What is so special about the Halachos of Hagala that the Torah uses the strong words, “Chukas HaTorah?” ANS…Rav Moshe Feinstein answers that from the ability to make treif utensils kosher by boiling them we learn that a person who sullies his neshama with aveiros, can also kasher it and cleanse it as if he never sinned. This is a pillar of the Torah, as it teaches people never to give up, no matter how far they have gone away from the Torah. Moreover, we see that keilim used in fire need to be kashered with fire, and keilim used in boiling water become kasher with boiling water. This teaches us that we must do tshuva the same way we did the aveira. If a person sinned with the burning desire of taava, so too must be the tshuva. And if the taava was done with less passion, then the tshuva can be done on the same scale.
3. “And Moshe wrote their going forth to their journeys… and these are their journeys to their going forth.” Why does the pasuk start by saying, “Motza’ayhem LiMasayhem,” and then at the end of the pasuk in the reverse, “Masayhem L’Motza’ayhem” ANS…Kli Yakar explains, “Klal Yisrael traveled 42 journeys during their 40 yrs in the Midbar. Most of them were traveling forward in the direction away from Mitzrayim towards Eretz Yisrael. However, there were times that Klal Yisrael sinned and set out to head back in the opposite direction, towards Mitzrayim. The term, “Motza’ayhem,” in the pasuk is referring to leaving their place of origin – Mitzrayim. And the term, “LiMasayhem,” is referring to the place of their destination – Eretz Yisrael. The pasuk starts by saying that these were their journeys – “Motza’ayhem LiMasayhem,” – which most of them were going in the direction from their place of origin – Mitzrayim, “Motza’ayhem,” to, “LiMasayhem,” their destinantion – Eretz Yisrael. This was all, “Al Pi Hashem,” (as the pasuk says). However, when they sinned, they went backwards – “Masayhem L’Motza’ayhem,” – going in the direction from Eretz Yisrael back to Mitzrayim. – This was not, “Al Pi Hashem,” therefore, the pasuk does not write it.
4. V’Yashav Ba Ad Mos Kohen HaGadol Asher Mashach Oso” (Masei 35:25). The gemara explains that this means that the murderer remains in the Arei Miklat until the death of the Kohen Gadol who was anointed in his day. Why does the Torah use language that sounds like the murderer anointed the Kohen Gadol? ANS…The Meshech Chochma explains that justice from Shamayim is perfect. When a Kohen Gadol dies and a new one must be chosen, Hashem takes into account the future Rotzchim who will leave the Arei Miklat upon the Kohen Gadol’s death. A Kohen Gadol will be chosen whose life will end at the exact moment each murderer’s kapara has been achieved. That being said, in effect, it is the murderers who anoint the Kohen Gadol, suited to their needs.
5. The pasuk tells us that 3 Arei Miklat were set up in Eretz Canan and 3 on the other side of the Yarden, in the land of Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven. If there were 9 Shvatim in Eretz Canan and only 2 1/2 on the other side of the Yarden, why should the number of Arei Miklat be the same? The Gemara answers that in Gilead (which was on the East side of the Yarden) there were many killers. They therefore needed as many cities of refuge as the 9 Shvatim. But the cities of refuge were specifically for unintentional killers. Why would a city that has many intentional murders need more cities of refuge? ANS…The Maharal in Gur Aryeh answers that the fact that there were many intentional murderers in Gilead, indicates that human life was not sufficiently valued there. It stands to reason, that even those who were not murderers, tended to be negligent. There were thus many unintentional killings there, as well.

This week’s Torah is b’zchus: the courageous among us. The nine days begin, Bnei Torah in Eretz Yisroel face serious takonos, Klal Yisroel face more health issues, more poverty, more challenges…and shudder as yet another shield of protection is taken away from Klal Yisroel. The courageous ones cry, but then davin more and learn more Torah because they know that Hakodosh Boruch Hu has us in His arms and He will answer our tefilos.
Distributed by the Chevra Marbits Torah D’NMB

Created By Allen Sherman