Did King David Sin with Batsheva?
The Biblical narrative in Samuel records one of the most controversial encounters in the entire Bible—the story of King David and Bat Sheva. This is precisely the question I put to my Bible study group, which has taken several sessions to work out, or rather, to work through.
A prefatory remark is in order. This discussion is based on the Abravanel’s
lengthy and thorough treatment of the subje...
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Parashat Tzav: An ExcerptAbarbanel’s first Aliyah to Parashat Tzav, an excerpt from Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan
“And God spoke to Moses saying: Command Aaron and his sons saying. This is the law of the burnt offering…”
‘Recall that in the earlier section of Leviticus, Moses addressed the Hebrew general assembly. That was because the section dealt with and focused on categories of the populace needing t...
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Abarbanel Asks: Parashat TzavParashat Tzav, First Aliyah, based on Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan
Bible Studies with Don Isaac Abarbanel and the Ramban. Sacrifices in the Tabernacle: Sin offerings, guilt offerings, and peace offerings. Abarbanel asks: Does God even want sacrifices? What does the Torah’s sequence of the offerings teach about God?
“And God spoke to Moses saying. Command Aaron and his sons sayin...
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Parshat Vayikra :An Excerpt“And God called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the Tent of the Meeting. Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you brings an offering unto God, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or the flock.”
‘Heaven acknowledged how priests deserved the Jews’ financial support. Through a system of tithes and gifts, their needs were taken care of...
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Parashat VayikraAbarbanel’s introduction to Leviticus based on Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan
“And God called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the Tent of Meeting. Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you brings an offering unto God, you shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or of the flock.”
In the Book of Leviticus (Vayikra), Abravanel l...
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Abarbanel asks: Parashat Vayakhel,“And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel and he said to them: These are the words that God has commanded to do them.”
Abarbanel asks : When did Moshe make the appeal to fund the Tabernacle?
‘After Moshe descended the mountain, he addressed the entire nation. His call, naturally, reached out to men and women. A gathering took place in the prophet’s personal Tent of Me...
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Parashat Vayakhel“And Moses assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel, and said unto them: These are the words which God has commanded, that you should do them.”
Abarbanel notes that the lead verse requires explanation. If Moshe gathered the Hebrews for the purpose of issuing a command to build the Tabernacle, as it says, “These are the words which God has commanded, that you should do them”, why...
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Parashat Ki Tasa: An ExcerptParashat Ki Tisa, First Aliyah, an excerpt from Abravanel’s World of Torah by Zev Bar Eitan
“And God said to Moshe saying: For the sake of your taking a census of the Children of Israel according to their count, each man shall give atonement for his soul to the Almighty in reckoning them so that plague does not befall them by dint of having been numbered.”
"Divine wisdom foresaw that the Hebre...
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Abarbanel asks: Parashat Ki Tisa“And God spoke to Moshe saying. When you take the sum of the Children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto God, when you number them, that there be no plague among them, when you number them.”
Our section speaks about a census for soldiers. The count is associated with a “ransom”, in efforts to ward off pestilence. The means to tally the...
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Parashat Tetzaveh: An Excerpt“And you shall command the Children of Israel, that they bring unto you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting…Aharon and his sons shall set it in order, to burn from evening to morning before God…”
‘This section’s opening paragraphs seem disjointed because they switch theme tracks. Note that the lead verse talks about lighting the menora...
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Abarbanel asks: Parashat Tetzaveh“And you shall command the Children of Israel, that they bring unto you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting…Aharon and his sons shall set it in order, to burn from evening to morning before God…”
Isaac Abravanel contends that it is curious for our section to start with a divine command regarding the priests arranging the lights of the...
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Parshat Terumah: An Excerpt“And God said to Moshe, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and collect a separated portion. From those who are generous you shall take a separated portion for Me.”
‘In a general Torah sense and here in this section in particular, Heaven’s modus operandi comes out in full splendor. That is, Hashem desired to increase both the Hebrew people’s merit and Moshe’s prominence. In our context, it m...
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Abarbanel asks: Parashat Terumah“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”
Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437-1508) asks on this Torah section of Terumah: Why did God command the Hebrews to build a sanctuary? As it says: “That I may dwell among them?” One might deduce that the Maker has physical properties and that a sanctuary can fully contain Him.
Preposterous. Hashem is non-corporeal. Thus, no chamber – no ma...
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Parshat Mishpatim : An Excerpt"In sum, tight linkage between the Utterances (10 Commandments) and accompanying laws convincingly persuades readers that Parashat Mishpatim conveys divine directives unlike any manmade moral code."
Shemot: Sinai Rules, page 464
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Bible Studies with Don Isaac Abarbanel: Parashat Mishpatim“Now these are the statutes which you shall set before them.”
This section pertains to Jewish law, a cornerstone of Judaism. Let us provide a brief introduction to this all-important subject. The Torah has three distinct categories of commandments or mitzvot. At present, we are only interested in statutes or mishpatim, divine laws which comprise Jewish jurisprudence. At root is what is commonly...
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Parashat Yitro: An Excerpt“Now Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael His people, how God brought Yisrael out of Egypt.”
‘Before delving into our passage’s narrative, it is important to determine where it fits into the broader chronology scheme. When did Yitro arrive on the scene and advise Moshe to set up a multi-tiered court system? Textual sequence...
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Parashat Yitro“Now Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael His people, how God brought Yisrael out of Egypt.”
The verse creates a curious conundrum: After we read that Yitro “heard of all that God had done for Moshe, and for Yisrael”, which really represents a catch-all, it then offers a slimmed down version of that grander observation: “ho...
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Bible Studies with Don Isaac AbarbanelSplitting the Red Sea
“And God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night departed not from before the people.”
‘The Almighty also provided these travelers with a pillar of fire. This flaming entity, too, was ethereal,...
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Parashat Bo: An Excerpt“So that I might place these signs of Mine in his midst.”
‘Pharoah was a lost cause but God aimed to instill lessons of eternal faith within His people. When they looked around them and saw God’s hand everywhere, it would be a boon. Belief would spring eternal. A better approach to these verses is that Moshe was taken in by Pharoah’s post-hail promise to liberate the Jews. The Almighty’s messeng...
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Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah“And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Yaakov, as God
Almighty, but by My name [Hashem] I made Me not known to them.”
Classic commentators struggled to make sense of our verse. Some hold that it means that God had not
revealed Himself to them via the Ineffable name. Others posit that Hashem made promises to them, but
did not fulfil them. Both positions are weak, as we shall...
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The Neglected Prophet: Moses"“And Moshe (Moses) spoke thusly to the Children of Israel but they did not heed Moshe on account of
exasperation and overexertion.” Work rendered the Hebrews emotionally drained and physically
overtaxed. They had neither patience nor time for Moshe’s assurances. His words fell on deaf ears.
Yes, they believed in the shepherd from Midian’s clarion call for deliverance, but these wearied
wo...
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The Ten Plagues of Egypt Parshot Bo:“And Moshe and Aharon went in unto Pharoah, and said…let My people
go, that they may serve Me….Else, if you refuse to let My people go,
behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts unto your border…”
We ask: Why did the Torah’s arranger of the parshiyot begin this parashah with the plague of locusts?
After all, it is not the Torah’s launch into what would eventually stretch out to...
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The Neglected ProphetParashat Va’era, First Aliyah
“And Moshe spoke thusly to the Children of Israel but they did not heed Moshe on account of
exasperation and overexertion.” Work rendered the Hebrews emotionally drained and physically
overtaxed. They had neither patience nor time for Moshe’s assurances. His words fell on deaf ears.
Yes, they believed in the shepherd from Midian’s clarion call for delivera...
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Prophets and Prophecy
“And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Yaakov, as God
Almighty, but by My name [Hashem] I made Me not known to them.” Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah
Classic commentators struggled to make sense of our verse. Some hold that it means that God had not
revealed Himself to them via the Ineffable name. Others posit that Hashem made promises to them, but
did not fulfil them. Bo...
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Bible Studies Commentary : Jacob and JosephFor Yaakov (Jacob), a bitter famine coupled with his sons’ insistence comprised formidable tailwinds propelling him to Egypt. Still, he might have braved hunger and stayed put in beloved Canaan. Perhaps he could have resisted their incessant appeals had it not been for one irresistible magnet. Its force tugged and jerked mercilessly. Uppermost in the mind and heart of the aged patriarch was an ima...
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Introduction to the Book of ExodusExodus (Shemot in Hebrew) segues from Genesis (Bereshit), for good reason.
Here are four rationales that explain what takes us from the Torah’s first to second book.
1) Bereshit dealt with individuals of great personal stature. To name some of the moral giants, we
list: Adam, Noach, Shem, Eiver, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and his sons. There were other
outstanding personalities, as well...
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SeforimchatterWith Zev Bar-Eitan discussing his English series, "Abravanel's World of Torah"
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From Parashat VaychiOne gets the distinct impression that Yaakov's final seventeen years - spent in Goshen, Egypt - were his golden years. Reunited with his beloved Yosef, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, it was for all intents and purposes the epitome of Sabbas and Savtas call Yiddishe nachas.
Moreover, the third patriarch's ruchniut churned most prolifically. Specifically, divine communications tha...
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From Parashat VayigashAfter Yaakov received the delightfully shocking news that his son Yosef was alive and well in Egypt (and gainfully employed!), the Torah records his gut reaction. 'And Yisrael said: How incomprehensible it is that Yosef is still alive. I will go down [to Egypt] and see him before I pass away." Sometime thereafter, the patriarch took a more thoughtful approach to his predicament, and a monstrous pr...
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From Parashat MiketzArguably, Parashat Miketz is Bereshit's most dramatic chapter. And that is saying quite a lot, especially considering the riveting subject matter contained in each and every one of Genesis’ twelve parshiyot. Do they not comprise episodes and narratives chock-full of esoterica, intrigue, and bafflement that stretch man's imagination, reason, and intellect?
Tucked into Miketz' seventh aliyah whe...
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From Parashat VayeshevThis parasha is the first of four parshiyot that deal with one of Tanach’s most protracted scandals: The Selling of Yosef by his brothers into Slavery. That single topic is at the very heart of these chapters. At root, perhaps one question towers above the rest. It is this.
If Yosef’s brothers’ deed ranks as egregious as it appears, then why doesn’t the Torah record their just deserts and puni...
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From Parasahat VayishlachIn this parasha, Yaakov’s long, anticipated reunion with his brother Esav unfolds. Building suspense makes it one of the most dramatic and tense narratives in Sefer Bereshit.
Yaakov’s preparation for the event was two-fold. On one level, a physical one, the patriarch readied his family and property for potential hostilities should Esav’s forces attack. A second additional tack employed by Yaako...
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From Parashat VayetzeBible students need not be put off by the fact that the Torah is written in fantastic shorthand. It does, however, mean that serious students are expected to do a fair amount of sleuthing and honest investigation if they are to properly apprehend its enduring wisdom.
While this observation is true in a general sense, it is equally as relevant when we try to get a better feel or read on major Bib...
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From Parashat ToldotThe Torah devotes three parshiyot to Avraham (Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayei Sara) and the balance of Bereshit (from Vayetze to Vayachi) deals with Yaakov and the twelve tribes. Toldot is the sole parasha that teaches us about Yitzchak's life. Q: Is Yitzchak the patriarch we never quite got to know? Why such scant and skeletal treatment for him? After all, Yitzchak, uniquely, is referred to as a p...
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From Parashat Chayei SarahQ: What was Avraham thinking when he made his public plea to procure in perpetuity Hevron’s multi-tiered cave (Ma’ara Hamachpela). To clarify, the question here is not why Avraham desired the Cave in the first place. That can be answered very simply enough. Namely, he badly wanted it on account of its association with Adam and Eve having been buried there. Jewish tradition attests to that. Rather,...
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Blog on Parashat VayeraVayera opens with “And the Almighty appeared to him [Avraham] in Elonei Mamre as he sat at the tent’s entrance in the heat of the day.” Q: If the Torah wanted to pinpoint the place or locale from where this prophetic vision emanated, then the verse only needed to state “in Elonei Mamrei” or “at the tent’s entrance.” Why was it important to add a prepositional phrase regarding this event’s timing “...
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Blog on Parashat Lech Lecha (based on Abravanel’s World of Torah)Below are two ideas on this week’s parasha. The first one comes to answer a famous question. Given that Avraham was spared Nimrod/Ur Kasdim's wrath and death by fire, why doesn’t the Torah mention that miracle explicitly? Instead, only an innuendo suffices, as the major commentators have noted.
To answer, let us provide a premise. Avram had been a well-known philosopher in his city. Moreover,...
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Parashat NoachCommentators question the sequence of Noach’s sons’ birth order. Who were the eldest, the middle, and youngest children? Several classics commentators have weighed in on this subject, bringing proofs from Scripture. Another particularly curious and quirky question is this one:
How many sons did Noach have? The quick answer is three but might there have been a fourth one as well? Fairly, studen...
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An Excerpt from Abravanel’s World of Torah, Bereshit, Parashat BereshitThere are, of course, many fundamental questions students must grapple with when they open a Chumash (Torah). One is: Are Tanach (Biblical) narratives literal, metaphorical, or figurative? Great commentators have weighed in on this subject when it comes to Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), in general, and the snake episode in particular. Fairly they ask: Is it for real? Did the snake – even generously al...
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