Reasons for Mitzvot

Found 9 Search results

1. Vayikra and the Minha Offering

   Vayikra

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman |

   Why, for meal offerings, are se’or and devash (grain and honey) forbidden? This shiur looks at explanations of commentators such as Maimonides, and then delves into a literary analysis of unleavened bread in Biblical narrative to demonstrate that unleavened bread symbolizes the moment of leaving Egypt, and the potential process of “becoming,” while leavened bread (and honey) symbolize arrival, or “being,” and why each are appropriate for different types of offerings (korbanot).

2. Tefillin- a Remembrance

   Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen

   תאריך פרסום: תשס"ז | | 30 minutes

   We now encounter something new. Until now, we have seen continuing narratives in the books of Bereisheet and Shemot, but in Parashat Bo we begin to find sections of mitzoth. Most of those in our parasha appear to be clearly connected to the Exodus from Egypt. Tefillin seems to be an exception. Drawing on traditional works of halakha and Jewish thought, we examine this mitzvah and contrast it with the mitzvoth of sukka and tzitzith.

3. Rationale for the Laws of Kashrut

   Dr. Ruth Walfish | Hour and 8 minutes

   What is the rationale behind the laws of Kashrut? This lecture closely analyzes the various Kashrut laws, and explores the deeper meaning behind the animals that are prohibited and permitted to be eaten, the prohibition against eating blood, and vegetarianism as an ideal in Judaism. Through this analysis we also delve into the broader topic of the purpose of mitzvot in general, and the value of searching for meaning within the laws. 

4. Leaven, Honey and the Altar of God

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

   Why, for meal offerings, are se’or and devash (grain and honey) forbidden? This shiur looks at explanations of commentators such as Maimonides, and then delves into a literary analysis of unleavened bread in Biblical narrative to demonstrate that unleavened bread symbolizes the moment of leaving Egypt, and the potential process of “becoming,” while leavened bread (and honey) symbolize arrival, or “being,” and why each are appropriate for different types of offerings (korbanot).

5. Mishpatim: Laws Placed Before Them - Like a Set Table

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 17 minutes

   Rashi, in a comment on the first verse of Parashat Mishpatim, explains the curious phrasing of the pasuk as a lesson from God: God sends Moshe a message that Moshe shouldn't let the thought even cross his mind that he is merely to  teach Bnei Yisrael what to do and then walk away without explaining the reasoning behind it. Rather,  he is to "place [the mitzvot] before them” like a set table.  Bnei Yisrael also have to know the reasons behind the laws. As in Parashat Yitro, there is an emphasis on empowering the people to deal with issues on their own, without having to run to Moshe each and every time something comes up.

6. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor

   Dr. Avigail Rock

   R. Yosef of Orléans, (northern France) was a 12^th-century exegete who has become known through the generation as Ri Bekhor Shor. He was a Tosafist, a student of Rabbeinu Tam, and he was influenced mainly by Rashi’s commentary and the commentaries of Mahari Kara and the Rashbam. Like his predecessors Mahari Kara and Rashbam, he was a member of the peshat school.  It appears that Ri Bekhor Shor forges a path that is a middle way between Rashi and the pursuers of the peshat. These are his major exegetical principles:

   • Ri Bekhor Shor aims to explain the verses without non-biblical information; however, when the derash is appropriate for explaining the peshat and for the general context of verses, or when one may explain it as being in keeping with biblical reality, he will not hesitate to bring a midrash.
   • The Torah does not provide superfluous information. All information provided is in fact essential.
   • Verses should be explained within their specific context, a reverse method to the foreshadowing principle of Rashbam.
   • Verses should be explained based on understanding the state of mind of the human actors.
   • Verses should be explained according to the reality of the biblical era.
   • God directs the world in a natural way as much as possible, and the use made of miracles is the absolute minimum.
   • An expansive and consistent approach to the question of the reasons of mitzvot.
   • In the Peshat vs. Halakha discussion, Ri Bekhor Shor is closer to Rashi’s approach with exception in which he explains the verses according to a Peshat that differs from Halakha.
   • A tendency to counteract Christian interpretations of the Torah.

7. Ritual Non-Consumption

   Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

8. The Chicken or the Egg?

   Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

9. The Sin of Missed Opportunities

   Rabbi Ben-Tzion Spitz