One of the prayers was greeted with the Aliyah of the admonishment and a hassle broke out. David, one of the prayers, gave a solution, but was he right?
What can there be in common between the practical advice of a Midianite and the timeless words of Revelation itself? There is an intended contrast here and it is an important one.
May I pull teeth on Shabbos? Does clipping fingernails on Shabbos involve a Torah prohibition? On Yom Tov, may I dig up earth to perform the mitzvah of kisuy hadam?
Special clouds accompanied our ancestors already from the time of Avraham and Sarah. In the Exodus from Egypt, the accompaniment of the cloud takes on national significance, and in our parasha, the matter is specifically stressed.
In this week's Parasha we are commanded to honor our parents. The Torah promises a reward for those who will fulfill the commandment. The reward is to have longevity in the land of Israel. Why is it different in the land of Israel than out of the land?
The p’sukim that introduce the presentation of the Ten Commandments at Sinai (Shemot 19:3-9) caused the commentaries to work very hard. The order is as follows: Moshe went up the mountain, where Hashem told him the significance of Bnei Yisrael accepting the Torah and becoming a special nation. Moshe told the elders the words (devarim) of Hashem. The nation accepted the matter and Moshe informed Hashem (pasuk 8). Hashem told Moshe that He would be coming to speak to him in front of the people so that the people would believe in Moshe. It ends off: “Moshe told (vayaged) the words of the nation to Hashem” (pasuk 9).
