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Thought Questions on Parashat Yitro
The Salant Foundation is presenting questions prepared by the Rosh Yeshiva of Be'ar HaTorah, HaRav Gavriel Yoseph Levi. These questions come to stimulate us to ask straightforward questions that we should naturally ask as we learn the Parasha. We are not giving the answers in order to stimulate your thoughts to come up with your own answer. Please send your answers to salantorg@gmail.comB'ezrat Hashem, we will give our answers next week. Question One:
We find that the Torah mentions two holy places: one place is Har HaMoriah, the Temple Mount, and the other place is Mount Sinai. Har HaMoriah was holy from the beginning of time. HaShem created Adam HaReishon from the soil of Har HaMoriah and the Akeidat Yitzchak took place there. Mount Sinai is the place where HaShem gave us the Torah and also it is where Hashem appeared to Moshe Rabenu at the "burning bush." Yet, the Kedushah of Har HaMoriah is forever. Whereas the Kedushah of Har Sinai was only for the time that Klal Yisrael received the Torah there. Afterwards, Mount Sinai has no Kedushah at all. In fact, we don't even know its' exact location. Why is it that the Keduah of Har HaMoriah is eternal, whereas the Keduasha of Mount Sinai was only for a specific tme, In light of this, another question arises: why didn't HaShem give us the Torah on Har HaMoriah, the place that retains eternal holiness.
The answer to this question will reveal a fundamental principle of the Torah.
Question Two:
It says in the Torah, "So that you remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt all the days of your life" (Devarim 16:3). Chazal teach us that there is a Mitzvah to remember the departure from Egypt each and every day. In addition, there are many Mitzvot, like Tephillan, and Mezuzah, etc, whose purpose is to call our attention to remember the departure from Egypt. Also, there is a special Mitzvah on the Seder night to remember and tell the story of the miraculous departure from Egypt. On the other hand, in Parashat V'etchanon there is another Mitzvah of remembrance (Devarim 4:9), "Just beware for yourself and greatly beware for your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld and lest you remove them from your heart all the days of your life and make them know to your children and grandchildren -- the day that you stood before Hashem at Mount Sinai....". The Torah exhorts us to never forget the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Yet, there is no specific Mitzvah, to remember the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. What is the difference between the departure from Egypt, of which the Torah commands us to observe many Mitzvot to remember the departure from Egypt. Whereas, there is no specific Mitzvah dedicated to the remembrance of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai?
The answer to this question reveals a fundamental principle of trust in Hashem.
Answers to last weeks' questions:
1. The first time Hashem commanded Moseh to hit the rock because Klal Yisrael had just left Egypt. Therefore, they were like a young child who sometimes needs strict discipline. Whereas, the second time Hashem told Moshe to speak to the rock and not to hit it. This took place when Klal Yisrael was already in the desert for some time. They were like an older child. It is not appropriate to discipline an older child harshly. Rather, the Torah advices us to speak with the child, who is now mature enough to listen to reason.
2. HaShem sent the birds to eat the manna that Dosson and Aviram hid in the desert because due to their deception there would be a short period of time when the people would doubt that Moshe's word that no manna would fall on Shabbos. Even though the doubt would be short lived when the people would go into the desert and there would not be any manna on Shabbos, still even to cast doubt on Moshe for a short time would have a detrimental effect on Klal Yisrael's trust in Hashem and Moshe Rabenu.
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