Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

Ki Tavo - 5766

דברים כו:יח

וַה' הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְלִשְׁמֹר כָּל מִצְוֹתָיו:

Deuteronomy 26: 18

And the LORD has affirmed this day that you are, as He promised you, His treasured people who shall observe all His commandments.

S’FORNO

Treasured People. So that He will achieve through you, that which He aspired to achieve from the whole Human race, as it is written: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”. Genesis 1:26

QUESTIONS

1. Compare to S’forno’s commentary to Exodus 19:6

A kingdom of Priests – to understand and to teach to all of Mankind, so that all will call out in the Name of God, and will worship Him together … as it says “for out of Zion shall come forth Torah”.

What big issue is S’forno addressing, and what does He say about it?

Answers to last week’s question:

1. Ramban Is addressing several different questions in this commentary. What are they?

The questions are:

· Why is the commandment given in Exodus chapter 23 repeated here?

· What is added in the commandment in Deuteronomy that was not stated in Exodus (thus making the repetition necessary)? He does this by carefully analyzing each of the items mentioned in the verse: sheep, ass, lost property etc.

· Why are many different kinds of lost property listed? What does each add to our understanding of the commandment?

2. Explain the words: This is an explanatory commandment?

It means that this verse comes to explain a commandment found elsewhere in the Torah. Specifically, the verses in Deuteronomy come to explain and clarify the commandment found in Exodus.

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

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Join me for a weekend in

Troyes, France

19-22 October, 2006

In the Footsteps of Rashi

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