The biblical narrative

Found 8 Search results

  1. Between Law and (the Meraglim) Narrative: Ch 15 in Sefer Bemidbar

    Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot

    תאריך פרסום: תשעג | | Hour and 5 minutes

    This shiur will examine the relationship between the narrative of the spies in Numbers 13-14 and the subsequent chapter of legal material that is found in Ch. 15. We will build on the insights of the classical commentators as well as new readings of these chapters using literary techniques and thematic connections that underlie the various sections.

  2. But WHY didn't Ahab kill Ben-Haddad?

    Rabbi Gad Dishi

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | | Hour and 5 minutes

    Why is Chapter 20 of Melakhim located where it is? It appears to be a battle narrative that is out of place with the surrounding chapters. And why is there such an emphasis on Ahav building up Yeriho (Jericho)? Why is God displeased by the end of the story in Chapter 20?


    Rabbi Gad Dishi brings the perakim to life through an interdisciplinary approach. Literary and linguistic tools, Ancient Near East studies, and archeological findings all enhance our understanding of Tanakh and of the important theological message within. Linguistic and thematic parallels to other parts of Tanakh and to other texts call into question whether these stories are meant to be read as battle narratives -or whether they are a different genre: a satirical polemic with an important message.

  3. Bei'ur Ha-Torah

    Rabbi Yehuda Rock

    Each of the three verses that open the book of Devarim can be viewed exclusively. In this lesson, we will focus on the third verse, which sheds light on the significance of the first speech in the book, and a broader perspective on the significance of the Torah.

  4. There is no Earlier and Later in the Torah - Is This True?

    Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish

    תאריך פרסום: תשס"ט | |

    It is well established that biblical narrative frequently departs from the chronological order of the events it is describing. This principle was first enunciated by Talmudic sages in the well-known, "there is no earlier and later in the Torah". However, classic commentators such as Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Ramban sharply debated the proper application of this principle and the textual conditions which warrant its utilization. In this lecture we will survey many of the better-known and some of the lesser-known instances in which this principle has been employed, and in each case we will examine its legitimacy, its necessity, and its ramifications.

  5. The Young Moshe

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    Moshe's young adult life in Midyan is a mystery to us. The Torah does not tell us very much about Moshe's life there; the next mention of his life is when he returns to Egypt at the age of eighty. Why is the Torah strangely silent about all those years of Moshe's life, mid-narrative? The lack of noteworthy events is itself an event - one of withdrawal and seclusion. Moshe's disappearance and silence following his escape to Midyan tell us that he secluded himself in a crisis of morality and justice. It is only following this seclusion that Moshe is able to be extracted from his solitary existence and returned to the sphere of action on the historical-national level.

  6. The Number of Plagues in Egypt

    Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

    There is a Tannaitic dispute in the Pesach Haggada regarding the number of plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians. Is this merely an informative question, or is it a fundamental question regarding the number of plagues and its significance? Where does the "ten" come from regarding the ten plagues? How does the book of Psalms count and describe the plagues? Why are the plagues divided into groups of three? Is there a natural connection between the second and third plagues? 

  7. Why are There Stories in the Torah?

    Dr. Baruch Alster

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ה | |

    Rashi's first comment on the Torah famously asks why the Torah begins with creation and not with the mitzvot. In essence, he is dealing with the question of the Torah's genre - is it a history book or a legal text? This question is dealt with by other parshanim as well. In this lesson, we will compare three approaches - those of Rashi, Rashbam, and Ramban. We will see that each of the later parshanim saw the question as a dichotomy - the Torah is either law or narrative, while Rashi's view is more complex.

  8. Ki-Teze: What a Story!

    Rabbi Jay Kelman