Chronological Order of the Torah

Found 21 Search results

1. The Main Monologue of Sefer Devarim

   Rabbi Yehuda Rock

   Moshe's monologue is finally complete. Rishonim are divided as to when Moshe actually heard the content of this speech from God. Specifically, the Rishonim discuss the many commandments that appear within this monologue: did Moshe receive these commandments at Sinai or did he receive them only in The Fortieth Year?

2. The Mishkan - Ideal First Choice or After-the-Fact?

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

   One of the major areas of disagreement concerning the effect of the sin of the Golden Calf concerns the Mishkan. Would there have been no Mishkan according to Rashi had the nation not sinned?

3. The Two Dibburim of Behukotai

   Rabbi Yehuda Rock

   God speaks to Moshe twice in Behar - Behukotai. This lesson will discuss the time and location of the two instances. Apparently these parshiyot were displaced from their chronological location; we will explain why the parasha was removed, and why it was placed here.

4. Parshat Teruma - Of Sequence and Sanctuary: The View of Rashi (Audio)

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman |

   What compels Rashi to insist that the stories of the command to build the Mishkan and the Sin of the Golden Calf are not presented in chronological order? Is the mikdash merely an after-the-fact response to the sin of the Golden Calf? Or could the textual and thematic parallels between the mikdash and the Revelation at Sinai provide significantly different reasons and implications for Rashi’s sequencing?

5. 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.

6. Parshat Vayakhel- Pekudei

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 29 minutes

   Why are the parshiot of Teruma-Tetzveh repeated while the actual building of the mishkan took place in parshiot Vayakhel-Pekudei? Wouldn't it suffice to just state that Moshe built the mishkan as God commanded? An analysis of these questions contributes to an exploration of the dual nature of the mishkan and a deeper understanding of the nature of the relationship between Am Yisrael and Hashem. 

7. Chronicle vs. Composition - An Example from Sefer Bamidbar

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

   תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

   Is the Tanach a chronicle or a composition? Does the Tanach merely list historical events, or is there a deeper message to be gleaned from the way it is written and organized? By examining the books of Shoftim and Bamidbar, we can gain a new understanding of Tanach as a composition. Each book has a prophetic agenda which teaches us a deeper lesson about the goal and message of the book, and understanding this message allows the reader to see the book in a whole new light. 

8. The Turning Point of Sefer Bamidbar

   Rabbi Yair Kahn

   תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

   What is the turning point in Sefer Bamidbar? Although there could be various answers to that question, by exploring the story of Korach from a new angle we can notice its key role in shaping the rest of the book. The story teaches us about the role of the Kohanim within the nation, and what it means for every person to have their own mikdash within them. 

9. Moshe: National Leader and Divine Representative

   Rabbi Yair Kahn

   The story of the beginning of Moshe's leadership in the beginning of sefer Shemot seems to be interrupted by the list of the family lineage of Moshe and Aharon, which seems entirely out of place. However, a close examination of the verses in question will reveal a sharp difference regarding the role of Moshe Rabbeinu, as described at the beginning and the end of the chapter, and Moshe's lineage is critical specifically for the role described at the end. By noticing these differences we can gain a new understanding about Moshe's leadership and his unique role as the representative of God. 

10. You Shall Dwell in the Land in Security

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    The Torah begins the parsha with the laws of Shmitta, noting that they were given at Har Sinai. This prompts the commentators to ask the famous question: “Mah inyan shemitta etzel Har Sinai?” Why is shemitta found alongside Har Sinai? By examining the nature of the laws of shemitta and yovel, we can understand that they describe a religious ideal of human faith reciprocated by divine providence. They contain a promise of a relationship between God and Am Yisrael. Shemitta and yovel are more than just commandments – they are a context for attaining the blessings of the covenant of Sinai. 

11. You Shall Dwell in the Land in Security (Audio)

    Rabbi Yair Kahn | 11 minutes

    The Torah begins the parsha with the laws of Shmitta, noting that they were given at Har Sinai. This prompts the commentators to ask the famous question: “Mah inyan shemitta etzel Har Sinai?” Why is shemitta found alongside Har Sinai? By examining the nature of the laws of shemitta and yovel, we can understand that they describe a religious ideal of human faith reciprocated by divine providence. They contain a promise of a relationship between God and Am Yisrael. Shemitta and yovel are more than just commandments – they are a context for attaining the blessings of the covenant of Sinai. 

12. When Did Moshe Pass the Mantle of Leadership to Yehoshua?

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    The commandement for Moshe to ascend Mt. Avarim and to die there appears in parshat Pinchas. However, quite a few months and events transpire between Parashat Pinchas and the parashot of Ha'azinu and Ve-Zot Ha-Berakha, where Moshe is commanded once again to ascend Mt. Avarim to die, and he does so. It is therefore impossible that at this very early stage, with many very important tasks still awaiting Moshe, he would be told that his time has come to die, before completing his life's mission. What, then, is the point of the verses? The article explores various exegetical approaches, and suggests that this commandment is referring to the future, and is mentioned here within the context of Yehoshua's appointment. 

13. Yaakov's Travels: Shechem After Beit El

14. Chronology and Tithing Yaakov's Sons

    Rabbi David Silverberg

15. Yaakov Out of Sequence: Beit El, Hebron, Shechem?

    Rabbi David Silverberg

16. Yitro and Amalek

    Dr. Yael Ziegler | 33 minutes

    When does Yitro arrive? When does the meeting with Moshe take place? What was it that he heard that motivated him to see Moshe? And where does this meeting fit in chronologically- before or after Ma’amad Har Sinai? Why is it recorded here? There are astoundingly strong linguistic parallels between the Yitro and the Amalek story that precedes it. We look at these mirror image parallels, as well as the story of Yael and Sisra to see that the nearby nations are not monolithic when it comes to choices about the knowledge of God and the attitude toward Bnei Yisrael.

17. Parashat HaShavua Teruma - Rashi and Ramban

    Rabbi David Silverberg | 33 minutes

    This shiur examines the famous mahloket (debate) between Rashi and Ramban regarding the chronology of Parashat Teruma.
    Is the command to construct the Mishkan given before or after Het Ha-Egel (the Sin of the Golden Calf) takes place? Rashi views the Mishkan as part of the atonement process for the sin, while Ramban sees the Mishkan as perpetuating the experience of Ma'amad Har Sinai.
    
     

18. Two Essential Lessons Before Receiving the Torah

    Rabbi Yehuda Amital

    Two incidents appear in Parashat Yitro before the account of the giving of the Torah, yet their actual chronology is nonetheless unclear:  the arrival of Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law (Shemot 18:1-12); and Yitro's critique and improvement of the judicial system (Shemot 18:12-27).

    There is a classical dispute about whether these incidents occurred prior to the giving of the Torah, or whether they really happened after the giving of the Torah, and are for some reason written out of place.  

     Why do we need to hear of Am Yisrael's having a system of justice even before the giving of the Torah? In order to impress upon us that there is a morality, a basic system of right and wrong, even before the giving of formal commandments. 

     

    Based on a sicha by Harav Yehuda Amital (summarized by Ramon Widmonte)

19. R. Avraham ibn Ezra

    Part 2

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    Ibn Ezra describes his commentary as “the book of the straight,” - a reference to following the way of peshat. Ibn Ezra explains the work as a commentary based on the fundamentals of grammar, language, and stylistic sensitivity and conforming to the requirements of logic and reason.

    Ibn Ezra declares that he is not obligated to previous commentaries, referring both to Midrashic sources and the commentaries of his predecessors.  However, in his commentaries to the halakhic part of the Torah, Ibn Ezra sees himself as bound to the Sages’ exegesis.

    Similarly, Ibn Ezra distinguishes between two types of Midrashic sources: tradition and speculation.  The Ibn Ezra feels compelled to accept a tradition but not an interpretation that they concocted of their own accord.

     

    Ibn Ezra formulates a consistent set of linguistic and grammatical rules in his commentary:

    • The formulation of rules which are adequate for all circumstances. For example he explains the word "Na" as always meaning "now".
    • The meaninglessness of trivial changes; the verse uses synonyms frequently, and there need be no justification for interchanging them. Similarly, there is no reason necessary for variations in spelling. This is applied to differences between the Ten Commandments in Shemot vs. Devarim.
    • The verse will often use a word to refer to multiple items, even though it appears in the text only once.
    • The Torah is written generally according to chronological sequence. Despite this, sometimes there are some divergences from chronological sequence.
    • The juxtaposition of the passages in the halakhic sections of the Torah is significant, not a capricious sequence of laws.

20. Sefer Bemidbar: Let's Get This Straight

    Rabbi Gad Dishi | Hour and 5 minutes

    Why is the book of Bemidbar out of chronological order and where? What does this represent and what can we learn from this? This lecture analyzes whether there is a logical order to the sequence of the narratives in Sefer Bemidbar by conducting a structural analysis and exploring parallels in content and linguistics between the various parts of the book. This exploration leads us to an understanding of our relationship with God, and what it means to be His nation.

    Click here for a downloadable audio version of this lecture

21. Chronological Riddles in Bereshit

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom | Hour and 13 minutes

    Sefer Bereshit seems to be out of order chronologically. When did the events occur? When were Yaakov's sons born? What is the actual timing of the stories? A close analysis of the text leads to an exploration of these questions.

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com