Simply Deep

What’s the import of Zachor and Shamor being said by Hashem simultaneously ? And how does it relate to the other three examples of dibur echad that Rashi (Shemos 20:8) cites (musaf on Shabbos, shatnez in tzitzis, and yibum).

The Rambam describes the origin of Avoda Zara as giving honor to created beings as a means of giving honor to God. Isn’t this what we do when we honor our parents?

Why did Hashem tell Moshe to stop davening for the Jews when the Egyptians were chasing them? Rashi (Shemos 14:15) gives two explanations.

Why is the tefillin shel rosh called totafos ? Rashi (Shemos 13:16) has two pshatim.

Why is a donkey the only nonkosher animal that has a mitzvah with its bechor? Rashi (Shemos 13:13) gives two difficult answers.

The first Rashi in Vayechi gives two explanations why Parshas Veyechi is stuma (closed)—that is, it doesn’t start with a break as other parshios do. We analyze these two explanations and discover the sadness of Parshas Veyechi.

After being told Yosef was alive, Yaakov offered korbanos to “The God of his Father Yitzchak” (Breishis 46:1). Why not just say God or connect God with Avraham as well? Rashi explains that a person is obligated to honor his father more than his grandfather. This episode analyzes this cryptic Rashi.

Rashi in Sanhedrin 101b cited an Aggada about Moshe’s discussion with Hashem about removing a Jewish baby (who ended up becoming Micha) from a wall in Egypt. This episode analyzes this midrash and reveals its significance in Jewish history and in the development of Avoda Zara in klal yisrael.

This episode discusses two Rashis on the pesukim describing when Yosef met Binyamin.

Shabbos 23b discusses the reward for certain mitzvos and says the mitzvos of lighting candles (Shabbos and Chanukah) leads to children who are talmidei chachamim. We analyze this connection.

This episode takes up the Rashis that discuss the idea that each of the Shevatim was born along with a twin sister — and Binyamin was born along with two twin sisters.

We analyze Yaakov’s rebuke to the shepherds for not grazing their sheep.

Rashi (Bereishis 27:15) tells us that Yaakov wore the clothing that Eisav took from Nimrod. The Gemara in Psachim 54b says that these clothing originally belonged to Adam Ha‘Rishon and were created at Bein Hashmashos on Erev Shabbos.

This episode analyzes one expression of this enigmatic principle, perhaps shedding some light on the principle itself.

This episode discusses an apparent contradiction between two Rashis: In Bereishis 13:7 , he says that Lot had no right to take land in Eretz Yisrael because it wasn’t yet given to Avraham. But in Bereishis 23:4, he says that Avraham threatened to rightfully take land in Eretz Yisrael if they didn’t sell him a burial spot for Sarah.

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 65b describes Rava making a “man” and Rav Oshiya and Rav Chanina making a calf.

This episode surveys various writing of the Ramban to elucidate his theory on nisyonos—tests.

This episode discusses various ideas about Avraham’s Milah: (1) How and why Hashem helped Avraham do Milah? (2) The purpose of Milah acc to the Ramban; (3) How Milah completed the perfection of the remaining five of Avraham’s 248 limbs.

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 63a asks why the Jews spoke in plural when they said, “This is your god, O Israel.” Rav Yochanan says they hadn’t fully rejected Hashem—they included Him with the Egel. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai argues that joining Hashem with anything else is itself a terrible sin. We analyze this machlokes.

Rashi (Breishis 7:11 and 11:7) says that the words the Torah used to describe Hashem’s punishments of Dor Hamabul (rabba) and Dor Haflaga (hava) correspond to their sins. In explaining these strange examples of Midda knegged Midda, we uncovered fundamental ideas about the different sins of these two generations.

The Gemara in RH 16a cites a 5-way machlokes when/how often the world is judged. This episode analyzes this machlokes.

The Mishna in Yomah 85b tells us how fortunate we are: Before Whom do we purify ourselves and Who purifies us? Our Father in Heaven. This episode discusses the uniqueness of Teshuva during the days leading up to Yom HaKippurim.

The Gemara in Brachos 12b discusses whether saying Hamelech Hakadosh during eseres yemei teshuva is me’akeiv.

We start with trying to understand the Rambam in Teshuva 2:2 about a testimony of/before Hashem that a baal Teshuva won’t return to his sin. To do so, we analyze the Rambam’s proof text - Hoshea 14, the Haftora for Shabbos Shuva.

The Gemara in Eiruvin 13a describes Rabbi Akiva rejecting a student’s proposal while simultaneously praising it. We analyze this and discover nuances involved in teaching.