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<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
SEFER BREISHIT - Intro</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> There's a big difference
between simply reading the<BR>Bible, and studying it. To help encourage
and facilitate the<BR>study of Chumash, each week the Tanach Study Center
provides a<BR>battery of questions on the weekly Torah reading in addition<BR>to
[and in preparation for] several shiurim [lectures] that<BR>discuss its theme
and content.<BR> Our introductory set of questions will
begin with a short<BR>explanation of why it makes sense that Chumash should
be<BR>'studied' (and not just read), followed by a discussion of
the<BR>methodology that we employ which forms the backbone of these<BR>study
questions and shiurim.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>NOT JUST A 'STORY BOOK'<BR>
Before opening a book of any sort, the reader will<BR>usually have certain
expectations based on the type of book<BR>that he has chosen. For example,
the reader of a history book<BR>expects to find historical information; while
the reader of a<BR>science book expects to find scientific facts; and
certainly<BR>someone who picks up a novel expects to find drama,
etc.<BR> But what should we expect when we open a
Chumash? Is it<BR>a 'history book' - the story of Jewish people? Is
it a book<BR>of 'halacha' - laws that govern our life? Is it book
of<BR>philosophy that discusses the relationship between man
and<BR>God?<BR> As Chumash is a book of 'nevu'a'
[prophecy], it would<BR>only be logical for the reader to assume that each book
will<BR>carry a prophetic message. Therefore, to get a better idea
of<BR>what to expect when we read Chumash- we must first discuss<BR>what the
word "nevu'a" means.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>WHAT IS NEVU'A<BR> The
popular translation of nevu'a - prophecy - is often<BR>misleading, for it is
usually understood as the ability to see<BR>(or predict) the future.
However, in Tanach, 'predicting the<BR>future' is rarely the primary mission of
the prophet.<BR> In Hebrew the word 'niv' [nun. yud.
bet] means a saying<BR>(or technically speaking - the movement of lips).
For<BR>example, in Yeshayahu chapter 57, God is described as 'borei<BR>niv
sefatayim' - He who created [or performs acts of Creation]<BR>with the movement
of His lips. [See Yeshayahu 57:19 and<BR>its context,
see also Mal'achi 1:12.]<BR> Therefore, technically
speaking, the word nevu'a relates<BR>to speech, and hence it makes more sense to
understand a navi<BR>as a 'spokesman' for God. In this sense, when a navi
speaks<BR>to the people, he is delivering God's message.
Certainly,<BR>there may be times when his message may include a prediction<BR>of
certain events, however his primary job is to deliver God's<BR>message to
man.<BR> Similarly, a 'navi Ba'al' - is a spokesman for the Ba'al<BR>god
(see Melachim Aleph 18:22); while a 'navi sheker' is one<BR>who claims to be
speaking in the name of God, but instead is<BR>making it up himself (see
Yirmiyahu 27:14-15!) .<BR> In other words, the Bible uses the word "navi"
in<BR>reference to anyone speaking on behalf of any god.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>AHARON - the 'NAVI' of
MOSHE<BR> To clarify (and prove) this point, let's bring
an example<BR>from a very interesting usage of the word "navi", found at
the<BR>beginning of chapter seven in Sefer Shmot.<BR> Recall from the
story of the 'burning bush' (see chapters 3<BR>thru 6)) how God had commanded
Moshe to deliver His message to<BR>Pharaoh. After failing his first
mission (in chapter five),<BR>God commands him to confront Pharaoh once
again:<BR> "And God said to Moshe, I am God - go speak to
Pharaoh<BR> King of Egypt everything that I speak to you."
(Shmot<BR> 6:29)<BR> <BR> In other words, God has charged
Moshe with the job of<BR>begin His 'spokesperson'. Then note how Moshe
explains why<BR>he thinks that he is not fit for this job:<BR> "But Moshe
appealed saying: 'hen ani aral sefatayim' -<BR> Behold I am of
uncircumcised lips [i.e. impeded speech],<BR> and how shall Pharaoh listen
[or understand
me]?"<BR>
(see Shmot 6:29-30).<BR> <BR> To solve Moshe's problem, God provides
Moshe with a<BR>solution, where Aharon will becomes Moshe 'spokesman'!
Note<BR>how the Torah uses the word navi in this description:<BR> "And God
responded to Moshe, see - I have appointed you<BR> as Elokim to Pharaoh,
but Aharon your brother will be<BR> your navi" [i.e. Aharon will
become Moshe's navi!]<BR> You will say [to Aharon] everything that I
command you, and<BR> Aharon your brother will speak unto Pharoah…" (see
7:1-2).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Because of Moshe's
[legitimate] complaint, God offers a<BR>very logical solution. Moshe will
remain God's spokesman, but<BR>now due to his 'speech problems', Moshe himself
needs a<BR>spokesman! Towards that purpose, God appoints Aharon
to<BR>become Moshe's navi, i.e. he will speak to Pharaoh on behalf<BR>of
Moshe.<BR> In the usual case of nevu'a - God has a
message that must<BR>be delivered to the people, and hence need a navi as
His<BR>spokesperson to deliver that message. Now, Moshe himself<BR>needs a
'spokesman' to deliver his words to Pharaoh, hence he<BR>will be like 'Elokim'
and Aharon will be his navi.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In summary, the word
nevu'a implies a message from God to<BR>man, and the navi becomes the person who
delivers that<BR>message. Hence, a sefer of nevu'a must be a book
that<BR>delivers a message from God to man, delivered by His<BR>spokesperson -
the navi.<BR> Therefore, when we study a book of nevu'a,
we should<BR>expect it to contain a message from God to man.<BR> However,
when we read Chumash, that message is often not<BR>very explicit. Instead,
we often find that Chumash delivers<BR>its message in a more implicit manner,
through a set of<BR>stories - and not necessarily through an explicit set
of<BR>commands.<BR> The problem then becomes: how do we decipher that
message<BR>from those stories, and how can we be sure that our<BR>interpretation
is correct!<BR> Through the centuries, it has been the
goal of the Rabbis<BR>and the great commentators to attempt to the best of
their<BR>ability to decipher God's message. Even though there have<BR>been
many approaches, and wide variances of opinions, most all<BR>commentators began
their study and base their commentary on a<BR>critical reading of the text
(while taking into consideration<BR>the commentaries of the previous
generations, sometimes<BR>agreeing and sometimes
arguing).<BR> Our contention is that to best appreciate
the works of<BR>those commentators, and to be able to the best of our
ability<BR>to understand God's message, we too must first undertake
a<BR>critical reading of Chumash. By sharing the same experience<BR>of
carefully reading every story, and attempting to understand<BR>the flow of topic
and the underlying theme that unfolds, we<BR>increase our chances of properly
comprehending the<BR>commentaries of previous generations, and hopefully can
reach<BR>a better understanding of God's message to us via His
"nviim"<BR>[prophets].</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> For example, as we study Sefer Breishit, we
must assume that<BR>purpose of the Torah's presentation of the story of
Creation<BR>and all of its subsequent stories, must relate (in one form
or<BR>other) to a message that God wishes to convey to
man.<BR> The goal of our questions for self study will
be to raise<BR>certain points that may facilitate that study, and enhance
the<BR>appreciation of the interpretations suggested by the
classical<BR>commentators.<BR> We conclude our
introduction with an explanation of a<BR>methodology of study that relates to
'parshiot'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE IMPORTANCE OF 'PARSHIOT"<BR> One of the
most significant - but often overlooked - ways<BR>that Chumash conveys messages
is through its division into<BR>parshiot.<BR> First of all, don't let the
word parshia (small 'p') confuse<BR>you with the name Parshat Ha-shavu'a
(capital 'P')!<BR> In our shiurim, we use the word "parshia" in reference
to<BR>the 'paragraph' like divisions of the text that are found in<BR>the Sefer
Torah. In contrast, the word Parsha [with a capital<BR>'P'] is used in
reference to the weekly shabbat Torah portion,<BR>e.g., Noach, Lech Lecha,
Vayera, etc., through which we<BR>complete the entire Torah once a
year.<BR> From a thematic perspective, the parshia divisions are
very<BR>important, for they were given by God to Moshe Rabbeinu<BR>together with
the Torah! Therefore, if God found it necessary<BR>to provide us with
parshia breaks to aid us in our study of<BR>His Torah, it only makes sense that
we should pay careful<BR>attention to them when we study. In fact, in his
opening<BR>commentary to the book of Vayikra, Rashi himself provides us<BR>with
a very similar insight:<BR> These short breaks were given [together with
the Torah by<BR> God] to allow Moshe Rabbeinu the opportunity to<BR>
contemplate from one parshia to the next, [in order] to<BR> understand the
flow from one topic to the next, [and if<BR> this was necessary for Moshe
Rabbeinu] then even more so<BR> - we who study Chumash must pay attention
to these<BR> breaks!<BR> (see Rashi's commentary to
Vayikra,1:1).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In contrast, the 'Parshat Ha-shavu'a"
division of Chumash -<BR>i.e. the weekly sedra (technically speaking, Sedra is
the<BR>proper name for what we call Parsha) - reflects a tradition<BR>that began
during the Babylonian exile, over a thousand years<BR>after the Torah was first
given.<BR> With this in mind, it's important to clarify an
important<BR>point. Should one speak of the 'theme' of a certain
Parsha,<BR>(e.g., the theme of Parshat Noach), this statement can
be<BR>misleading, for God never composed Parshat Noach (or Parshat<BR>Lech Lecha
etc.) by itself. Instead God gave an entire Sefer<BR>(book) to Moshe
Rabbeinu. Hence, when someone speaks of the<BR>theme of a certain Sedra,
he is simply explaining why Chazal<BR>chose to group together a certain set of
psukim together (over<BR>others) to compose that weekly Torah reading.<BR>
On the other hand, when we speak of the theme of a Sefer<BR>(e.g., the theme of
Sefer Breishit, Shmot, etc.), we attempt<BR>to uncover God's underlying message
in that Sefer. In other<BR>words, that fact that God chose to include all
of the stories<BR>in Sefer Breishit into one complete book implies that
it<BR>should carry one basic underlying theme. In fact,
many<BR>commentators (e.g. Ramban and Seforno in their introductions<BR>to each
Sefer) attempt to uncover that theme.<BR> This assumption is important for
it provides the basis for<BR>the methodology that we employ in our weekly
shiurim. Our<BR>analysis of parshiot will be helpful in our attempt to
uncover<BR>the primary theme (or themes) of each Sefer; and in turn we<BR>will
use those themes to help appreciate the detail of its<BR>various stories (and/or
mitzvot).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ptuchot & Stumot<BR> As you are probably
familiar, there are two types of parshia<BR>divisions<BR>1. 'ptuchot' =
open.<BR> Indicated by a gap of blank spaces until the end of a<BR>
line; the next parshia begins at the start of the next<BR> line. See
board</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. 'stumot' = closed<BR> Indicated by a gap
of at least nine spaces; the next<BR> parshia can begin on that very same
line. See board 2</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> As a rule of thumb, a parshia ptucha usually
indicates a<BR>major change of topic, while a parshia stuma indicates a
more<BR>subtle one. As we will see, however, there are
many<BR>exceptions.<BR> These parshia breaks are so important that a Sefer
Torah<BR>without them is 'pasul' (not valid). In this regard,
I<BR>recommend that you read chapter eight in Rambam's Hilchot<BR>Sefer Torah
where he not only explains the importance of these<BR>parshia breaks, but even
lists each and every one of them to<BR>make sure that sofrim [scribes] will
write their Sifrei Torah<BR>properly!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> So what are the chapter divisions that we
are so familiar<BR>with?<BR> To the surprise of many students, even though
just about<BR>every Chumash in print today uses a chapter/verse system,
this<BR>division of Chumash into chapters is not a Jewish tradition.<BR>It is,
however, a very useful convention, as this system has<BR>been used by just about
every publisher of the Bible<BR>(regardless of religion or language) since the
invention of<BR>the printing press (15th century).<BR>Therefore, as we study
Chumash, its division into chapters is<BR>a very useful convention, and a
helpful reference that<BR>reflects how other people may have understood
(or<BR>misunderstood!) its topics, but it certainly does not carry<BR>any
prophetic significance.<BR> In contrast, the division of Chumash into
Seforim [books]<BR>and parshiot is of paramount prophetic significance.
Hence,<BR>their consideration will often be a primary focus in our<BR>shiurim.
`</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tanach Koren<BR> To easily identify these
important parshia breaks when<BR>studying Chumash, it is very useful to use
either a 'Tanach<BR>Koren', or (what is known as) 'Rav Breuer's
Tanach'.<BR> The Tanach Koren (named for its beautiful Hebrew
font<BR>designed for that publication) was first published in the<BR>sixties,
and is probably the most widely used Tanach in Israel<BR>today, both in schools
and shuls. More recently Mossad ha-Rav<BR>Kook also published a complete
Tanach based on the famous<BR>manuscript of the Keter Aram Tzova, and edited
after<BR>exhaustive research by Rav Mordechai Breuer, one of Israel's<BR>most
renowned Bible scholars. Both publications provide the<BR>reader with a
very accurate and clear printing. [Which Tanach<BR>is 'better' has become
a 'hot topic' in the Yeshiva world, and<BR>therefore, I refrain from taking a
stand.]<BR> It is difficult to explain why, but rest assured that
once<BR>you become accustomed to studying with this style of Tanach,<BR>you will
quickly find how useful a tool it becomes for<BR>analytical study of Chumash,
especially in regard to<BR>appreciating parshiot.<BR> In some Chumashim,
and quite often in Mikra'ot Gedolot<BR>versions, the parshia divisions are noted
by letters instead<BR>of spaces. Usually the Hebrew letter 'peyh' notes
where a<BR>parsha ptucha should be (see board 3), and the Hebrew
letter<BR>'samech' notes where a parsha stuma should be (see board
4).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Long parshiot and short ones!<BR> Even though
we have noted that parshiot act more or less<BR>like paragraph breaks, we find
numerous exceptions - that are<BR>thematically very significant. We will
demonstrate this by<BR>undertaking a quick analysis of the parshiot found in
the<BR>first five chapters of Sefer Breishit.<BR> Using a Tanach Koren,
take a quick glance at the story of<BR>Creation in chapter one. Note how
each day of Creation forms<BR>a single 'parshia'. This reflects a very
logical 'paragraph<BR>like' division.<BR> Next, take a look at what
happens in chapter two! A new<BR>parshia begins with the story of Gan Eden
in 2:4 and continues<BR>for some forty psukim - all the way until 3:15, and
there we<BR>find parsha stuma!<BR> Then, we find another parsha stuma, but
this one (to our<BR>surprise) is only one pasuk long! The next parshia is
also<BR>stuma and continues for five psukim until 3:21.<BR> At first
glance, this division seems to be rather absurd!<BR>Why should some forty psukim
continue without any parshia<BR>break, even though there are plenty of spots in
between that<BR>would easily qualify for a paragraph break? Then,
immediately<BR>afterward we find a mere pasuk that becomes its own
parshia<BR>(i.e. 3:16).<BR> Clearly, these examples prove that a parshia
break is not<BR>always the equivalent of a paragraph break.
Instead,<BR>sometimes the Torah will intentionally group numerous
psukim<BR>together without any parshia break to emphasize a certain<BR>point,
and sometimes, the Torah will intentionally provide a<BR>parshia break at a spot
that does not necessarily require one.<BR>However, when the Torah does this, we
should assume that it<BR>carries some thematic significance.<BR> Let's
return now to this example and attempt to understand<BR>why. Note that the
lengthy parshia (2:4-3:15) contains not<BR>only the story of God's creation of
man in Gan Eden (i.e. 2:4-<BR>25, and hence the chapter break at 2:25), but also
the story<BR>of the 'nachash' and man's sin (3:1-15).<BR> The lack of a
parshia break between these two stories<BR>already alludes to the intrinsic
connection between them, i.e.<BR>between the story of man's sin in Gan Eden
(chapter 3), and<BR>the very creation of Gan Eden (in chapter 2).<BR>
Immediately afterward we find a one line parshia that<BR>describes Eve's
punishment, and then another very short<BR>parshia that describes Adam's
punishment, and then yet another<BR>parshia that describes mankind's punishment
(i.e. the<BR>banishment from Gan Eden in (3:22-24)!<BR> Clearly, the fact
that the Torah delimits each form of<BR>punishment with its own parshia break
alludes to the thematic<BR>importance of aschar va-onesh' [Divine retribution]
in Chumash<BR>- the concept that God holds man responsible for his deeds.<BR>As
we should expect, this will emerge as a primary Biblical<BR>theme, and these
short parshia breaks help emphasize its<BR>importance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Let's return now to Parshat Breishit.
Note that chapter<BR>four - the story of Cain and Abel - forms its own
parshia.<BR>Then in chapter five, we find a separate parshia for each one<BR>of
the ten generations from Adam to Noach. Note, however,<BR>that all of
these parshiot from man's exile from Gan Eden (see<BR>3:22) until the story of
Flood (see 6:5) are parshiot stumot<BR>(see board 11)! As we shall see,
this too will be<BR>thematically significant.<BR> We will return to these
topics in our shiur on Parshat<BR>Breishit, but to help you prepare for that
shiur (and for all<BR>the remaining shiurim on Sefer Breishit), we conclude
with<BR>some pointers for self-study that will apply what we have<BR>discussed
thus far, and as usual, some more questions for<BR>preparation.<BR>
======<BR> <BR> <BR>QUESTIONS FOR SELF STUDY -
Intro:<BR>==================================<BR>Finding the Theme of Sefer
Breishit: A self-study guide</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> With this background in mind, I'd like to
introduce you to a<BR>methodology that I have found very useful when
teaching. For<BR>the most basic level of preparation for class, I ask
the<BR>students to scan through an entire Sefer (or at least one<BR>section at a
time), noting its division into parshiot. Then,<BR>we take a sheet of
blank paper, and along the left margin, we<BR>prepare a long list of short blank
lines.<BR> Then, after reading (or scanning) each parshia, we
attempt<BR>to summarize its primary topic in four words or less!
For<BR>some parshiot this is very easy, for others it is quite<BR>difficult (but
try your best). As we proceed, you'll<BR>understand why it is so important
to be concise.<BR> Then, we record that brief (one phrase) summary on
the<BR>blanks lines on the sheet that we prepared; one line for
each<BR>parshia.<BR> Ideally, we should do this list for the entire Sefer,
but<BR>usually this is not very practical, so we choose instead one<BR>unit
within the Sefer at a time. For example, in Sefer<BR>Breishit, we begin
with the first twelve chapters.<BR> After our listing of the parshiot is
complete, we<BR>contemplate the list, looking to group together only the
most<BR>obvious units. For example, when studying Parshat Breishit,<BR>the
seven parshiot of the seven days of creation form a<BR>distinct sub-unit.
Similarly, the nine parshiot of toladot in<BR>chapter five also form a distinct
unit.<BR>To indicate these grouping on our list, we mark these units<BR>with
'greater than' signs. At the end of that sign, we write<BR>a short phrase
that describes that group.<BR> The following example will illustrate this,
as it shows the<BR>results of this method for the first three chapters of
Sefer<BR>Breishit .</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>day one \<BR>day
two \<BR>day
three \<BR>day
four --- 7 days of
Creation<BR>day five /<BR>day
six /<BR>day seven
/</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Man in Gan Eden \<BR>Eve's
punishment \__ Gan Eden<BR>Adam's punishment
/<BR>Expulsion
/</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Usually, you will quickly see how several
parshiot<BR>immediately group together, while many others stand alone.<BR>Again,
be careful to group parshiot together only according to<BR>the most obvious
groupings. If it's not obvious, then don't<BR>group it.<BR> For example,
the parshia of the Cain & Abel story (chapter<BR>four) would stand alone,
since it's not part of the Gan Eden<BR>narrative, nor is it part of the toladot
in chapter five.<BR> Upon completing this process for the entire list, we
reach<BR>the second level, for a new list has now formed towards the<BR>right,
reflecting the summaries of the most obvious sub-units<BR>from level
one.<BR> Now we treat the new level in the same way that we treated<BR>the
first level. We analyze our new list, again looking to<BR>group together
the most obvious units. When we finish level<BR>two, we proceed to level
three, etc.; and slowly, our list<BR>begins to look like a tournament.
However, as we proceed from<BR>level to level, we need to apply a bit more
creative thinking<BR>when grouping into sub-units, for the connection from one
unit<BR>to the next will not always be so obvious.<BR>
In essence, we begin by constructing a table of contents<BR>for the book, and
slowly (by taking theme into consideration)<BR>we attempt to turn this table of
contents into a structured<BR>[and titled] outline.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In case you didn't catch on yet, our
assumption is that if<BR>we continue this process, sooner or later there will be
a<BR>'winner' (on the right margin) - i.e. a short phrase that<BR>identifies a
common theme for all of the sub-units of the<BR>entire Sefer - and that 'winner'
is none other than the<BR>primary theme of the Sefer.<BR> This methodology
is far from an 'exact science', and it gets<BR>complicated at times (and doesn't
always work so smoothly);<BR>but it certainly helps the student follow the
thematic flow of<BR>a Sefer.<BR> As we will see in future shiurim, it
becomes an excellent<BR>tool to help appreciate not only what the various
commentaries<BR>say, but also to understand why they argue.<BR> As
preparation for our shiurim over the next three weeks,<BR>try to complete this
style of analysis for all of Sefer<BR>Breishit, or at least for the first twelve
chapters. Don't<BR>expect for everything to be easy, and don't expect to
find<BR>simple answers all of the time, but try your best. As
you<BR>study, be sure to relate to the questions for self study that<BR>will
follow in the next email.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
b'hatzlacha,<BR>
menachem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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