[Par-reg.w] Bchukotei - questions for self study

Wed May 14 06:13:36 EDT 2014

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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             PARSHAT BECHUKOTAI

PART I - QUESTIONS FOR THE 'SHABBOS TABLE'

A 'GAN EDEN' ENVIRONMENT

1.  Vayikra 26:3-46 is commonly referred to
as the 'tochacha'

[rebuke], for it warns Bnei Yisrael of the
terrible

punishment, should they not follow God's
laws.  However, the

first eleven psukim describe the potential
reward, should Bnei

Yisrael keep those laws.

  As your review this 'positive side' of the
tochacha (i.e.

26:3-13), see if you can find any textual
parallels to the

Torah's description of the relationship
between man and God in

Gan Eden, as described in Breishit chapter 2.

     If so, can you suggest any thematic
similarities as well?

    [Are you familiar with any Midrashim that
find certain

    aspects of Gan Eden in the Land of
Israel?]

2.  Review 26:12, noting the phrase
've-hithalachti

betochachem...' and its context in this
entire section.  How

does this pasuk relate to Gan Eden?

     Relate your answer to Rashi's commentary
on this pasuk!

     See Ramban on this pasuk as well for a
very interesting

and important explanation concerning how the
Torah relates to

'olam ha-ba' [the world to come]!

3.  In what manner is the tochacha in Parshat
Bechukotai

similar to the tochacha in Parshat Ki Tavo
(i.e. Devarim perek

28)?  In what manner is it different?

     Based on their content, why do you think
that each

tochacha is included in its respective Sefer?
[In other

words, how does it relate to the theme of
each sefer?]

     Relate to Vayikra 18:24-29.

     See also Ibn Ezra on 25:1!

     Compare as well Vayikra 26:3-5 to
Devarim 11:13-17.

PART II - QUESTIONS FOR PREPARATION (for
weekly shiur)

1.  The opening pasuk of the tochacha relates
to the 'chukim'

and 'mishpatim' that Bnei Yisrael must keep
(less they be

punished).  Note as well 26:14-15, and how
the Torah refers to

both of these words as mitzvot.

     In your opinion, which specific chukim
and mishpatim (and

hence mitzvot) are these psukim referring to?

  Relate to the following possibilities:

    1.  Only the laws of shmitta & yovel,
i.e. Vayikra chapter

25.

       2.  All of the laws found in Sefer
Vayikra.

       3.  All of the laws of the Torah.

     Attempt to explain the logic behind each
of these

possibilities.

2.  From a 'technical' perspective, why
should chapters 25 and

26 in Sefer Vayikra be considered one unit?

  In your answer, relate to the new 'dibra'
that begins in

25:1, noting how it doesn't end until the end
of chapter 26.

[Note as well the next new dibra begins in
27:1.]

  Relate this to your answer to the above
question.

3.  In what manner does the tochacha (i.e.
chapter 26)

thematically relate to the laws of shmitta &
yovel in chapter

25?

     In your answer relate to 26:34-35, as
well as 26:3-5.

     [Note as well the last 7 psukim of Sefer
Divrei Hayamim!]

3.  How does the tochacha thematically relate
to Vayikra

chapter 18?  [Note especially 18:1-5,
18:24-30.]

     How does it relate to the theme of the
'second half' of

Sefer Vayikra?  Attempt to relate your answer
to 26:46!

4.  Considering that Sefer Vayikra is a 'book
of laws', can

you explain why the tochacha would have
formed an appropriate

conclusion for the entire Sefer?

     What does one usually find at the
conclusion of a set of

laws?

     [Relate in your answer to 26:46!]

5.  Is there a logical progression from
chapter 26 to chapter

27?

     If so, what is it?  If not, in your
opinion, where in

Sefer Vayikra do the laws in chapter 27
belong?

     Note 27:14-25.  Based on these details,
how does this

chapter relate to chapter 25?

     Based on that parallel, would it have
made more sense for

the Torah to record these laws within chapter
25 (or at least

before the tochacha in chapter 26)?

6.  Note 27:34.  What mitzvot does this pasuk
refer to?  How

does this pasuk relate to the final pasuk of
chapter 26?

     How do both these psukim relate to the
opening pasuk of

chapter 25?

7.  In what manner is Vayikra chapter 27
similar to Vayikra

chapters 1-3?  In what manner are these units
different?

8.  Can you explain why Sefer Vayikra prefers
to conclude with

chapter 27 instead of chapter 26?  Relate to
the primary topic

of each chapter.

     See Ibn Ezra at the beginning of chapter
27.

PART III - PARSHANUT

1.  Review 26:46, noting how it forms a
'summary pasuk'.  In

your opinion, what does it summarize?  In
other words, what do

the words 'chukim, mishpatim, & torot' refer
to?

     See the commentaries of Rashi, Rashbam,
Ibn Ezra, &

Sforno on this pasuk.

     Why do you think that each commentator
offers a very

different answer?

     See also Chizkuni to Shmot 24:7 ['sefer
ha-brit']!

What leads Chizkuni to his conclusion?

     Based on the previous shiurim on the
'two halves' of

Sefer Vayikra, can you suggest an alternative
interpretation?

2.  In 26:9, God promises that 'He will keep
His covenant'.

In your opinion, what covenant (brit) does
this pasuk refer

to?

     Compare this pasuk with Breishit 6:18,
9:1,7,11-12; 17:7-

8; and Shmot 6:2-5.  How do these sources
enhance your

understanding of 26:9?

     See now Ramban on Breishit 6:18,
especially towards the

end [from 've-al derech ha-emet...'].

In relation to 've-hakimoti et briti itchem'
in 26:9 -

     First, see Rashi's commentary on this
pasuk.

     What causes Rashi to explain that this
pasuk refers to a

new covenant, as opposed to a fulfillment of
the original

covenant?

     Next, see Ibn Ezra.  In your opinion,
why does Ibn Ezra

mention specifically 'kochvei ha-shamayim'
and 'afar ha-

aretz'.

     Relate this to the beginning of the
pasuk!

     Finally, see Seforno.  Note how he
refers to the psukim

of brit mila.  Can you explain why?

     In your opinion, what is the underlying
reason for this

three-way 'machloket'?

                         be-hatzlacha,

                         menachem

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