lists in the Torah

Found 5 Search results

1. The Long and Winding Road

   Rabbi Yair Kahn | 13 minutes

   At first glance, Parshat Mas'ei appears to contain a summary of Bemidbar in list form. But it is not merely a summary or list. Rather, it is a narrative about nationhood, which we discover through analyzing the structure and apparent internal inconsistencies of our parsha.

2. Sons and Genealogies - Selection and Rejection

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell

   תאריך פרסום: 2006 | | 30 minutes

   Why do the generations of Yishmael appear in the Torah in addition to the genealogies of Yitzhak, the son selected to be Avraham’s successor? The lists are there partly as a contrast. Stories recur throughout Bereisheet with motifs of dynasties and transmission: There are two sons who can follow in their father’s footsteps—one is chosen and described in greater length, and one is sent away. In this shiur, we look at the pattern of selection and rejection throughout the various occurences of the lists of descendants.

3. Seventy Souls

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The list of the seventy souls who accompany Yaakov to Egypt represents a celebratory climax to the story of Yosef and his brothers, and is located at an important point in the development of the plot – in between the news transmitted to Yaakov to the effect that his son Yosef is still alive and the actual meeting between them in Egypt. At the same time, this list represents the "watershed" in the history of Yaakov's family, dividing between what happens to the family in Canaan and their experiences in Egypt. The sensitive reader therefore recognizes that this list is a point of elevation in the story, an emotional expression of the story's themes and messages.

   There are also aspects of the list that are hidden from those who suffice with a cursory review of its names and numbers. Within our list there are hints of important issues pertaining to the family of our forefathers and the future of the Jewish nation. There are also difficulties and contradictions that require explanation.

   The article with a general impression of the list and its purpose, followed by a closer look at some of its details.

4. Chushim - Son or Sons of Dan?

   Rabbi David Silverberg

5. Erev Shabbat Parshat Va-eira Excerpt - A Quick Look at Moshe's Lineage

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 5 minutes

   What accounts for the apparently repetitive geneaological list in the Parsha? The list here provides context, and a message about how Moshe's approach must recognize his rootedness in Bnei Yisrael. One needs to be rooted in the people one is trying to help.