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Last answer posted on: 2 Sep 2010

Questions answered to date: 1675

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Showing Questions in 'Tanach (Bible Topics)'

Question No.	1708
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	10 Feb 2010
The Question	Dear Rabbi Zev, > > Thank you so much for your message. I bless Hashem for your teachings and it would be my honor if is could study Torah with you online. May the Almighty keep you well for many days to come, so that you can spread His light to the world. Shalom to you. > > Janusz Daszuta p.S. I was listening to your message on a web page Torahanytime. —Janusz Daszuta, Kielce, Poland
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1655
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	11 May 2009
The Question	If Dovid HaMelech "sinned" with Batsheva and got severely punished for it, why did Batsheva need to be punished by her baby dying if she didn't chose to be with Dovid? —Anonymous, Far Rockaway, NY USA
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1629
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	9 Mar 2009
The Question	If it is considered a tragedy that Ptolemy forced the 72 sages to translate the Torah into Greek (so much so that some hold that 8 Tevet should be a fast day), even though the sages made identical changes in 13 places (where they each felt that a literal translation would constitute a corruption of the Torah's true meaning), then it seems completely bizarre that it is a mitzvah (or widespread custom?) to read the weekly Torah portion twice each week -- and once in translation! Can you please explain this? —Anonymous, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1618
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	12 Feb 2009
The Question	B'kavod Ha'Rav, Why did G-d choose Moshe to be the leader of klal Yisroel? —Anonymous, United States
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1607
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	4 Feb 2009
The Question	If we knew that we were leaving Egypt for at least four days beforehand, and as of midnight we were told to leave, but we didn't go until morning, why is it that we didn't have time to make leavened bread? Thank You —Aaron, Ramat Beit Shemesh
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1575
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	10 Dec 2008
The Question	We find that Yaakov was punished for not returning to his father right away when he had the opportunity. I was curious if the Rav has any insight into why Yaakov chose to first go to Sukkos and Shechem, and not just go straight back to Yitzhak. —Anonymous, Ramat Beit Shemesh
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1552
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	25 Nov 2008
The Question	L'kovod Harav Leff - There is a small letter 'chuf' in the begining of parshas chayei sarah. Many commentators indicate because Avraham gave her a small hesped or had minimal public mourning over Sarah's death. However, the Baal Haturim's second pshat seems to indicate (based on a Gemorah in Bava Kama 93a) that Sarah was considered to have brought upon her own death by having Hashem judge Avraham (similar to suicide, the Baal Haturim says). It is hard to understand - how we can view our matriarch like this? Can you give some insight into this perspective? Thank you for all your work. —Chaim Austein, Teaneck, NJ
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1530
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	30 Oct 2008
The Question	Lichvod Harav. I have learnt that the reason the fish were spared from the flood is they were not affected by man. As well, I noticed when Hashem told Adam to name all the animals he left out ones that live in water. It seems that they are out of the domain of man (goes along with the mashal of r'akiva of the fox and the fish, and why Yaakov's bracha to Ephraim and Manasha was to be like fish. Does the rav know any sourcing on such an idea? As well, it appears to contradict the fact that Hashem commands adam to rule over the all animals including fish in Bereshis 1:28. Does the Rav know of any meforshim that speak on such a topic? —Yaakov, Toronto Canada
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1517
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	25 Aug 2008
The Question	Abraham had 2 sons, Ishmael and Issac. The Bible always discounts Ishmael as the first born and makes Issac the only/first born son, because of their mothers, Sarah and Hagar.What does Jewish law say? —crystal, PHILADELPHIA, PA
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Question No.	1439
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	19 Dec 2007
The Question	B'Kavod Ha'Rav, I recently heard a drasha in which the speaker claimed that Yoseph Ha'Tzaddik was a Ba'al Teshuva. Are there mephorshim who say he was a Ba'al Teshuva or was this speaker a da'as Yachid? —Anonymous, United States
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1424
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	11 Oct 2007
The Question	Why was Adam Harishon punished if G-d knew this was going to happen? —Anonymous, San diego
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1414
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	7 Oct 2007
The Question	I'm under the impression that the snake mentioned in the begining of Beraishis was the yetzer hara in a physical form. If so why was he punished? Seemingly his job is to try to get us to do Avieros and thats what he did? Thank you —Aaron, Ramat Beit Shemesh
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1411
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	3 Oct 2007
The Question	How do we explain to teenagers that Yakov kissed Rachel at the well before they were married, and in a public place? (Without using a kabbala explanation that is hard for teenagers to understand.) —Anonymous, Canada
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1407
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	2 Oct 2007
The Question	Is sexual intercourse prohibited on Sabbath? —Gener C. Pito, Philippines
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1390
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	13 Aug 2007
The Question	We learn in Parshas Vayeitze that Rochel was jealous that Leah had many children and she had none about which Rashi tells us that Rochel was certain that Leah merited this because of her maasim tovim and her tzidkes which was greater than her own. Was this really the case, or was it simply an outlook that she decided to take on in order to cope with the situation? There are always people around us who have more but it doesn't necessarily mean they are greater in tzidkus, or does it? —Anonymous, Brooklyn NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1354
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	8 Jun 2007
The Question	How do we explain to students of high school age the idea that Yakov kissed Rachel before they were married (i.e. why wasn't he "Shomer Negia") without going into the mystical reasons. —Anonymous, New York NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1339
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	20 Mar 2007
The Question	Does the original Hebrew for Job 19 verse 25 support the view that "my Redeemer" is anything more than perhaps a brother of Job that would ransom him at the end. —Anonymous, Houston, Texas
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1334
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	17 Mar 2007
The Question	Parashat Va Yakhel; Was the giving of precious metals, stones and cloth such a great gift by the people for the Tabernacle? Of what value were they in the desert? From where did we recieve the wood and Dophin skins and other material not natural to that area we travled in? —Dov Silverman, Ra'anana, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1326
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	7 Mar 2007
The Question	How is it possible to sell one's birthright, as Esav did to Yaakov? Can this be done today? What are the benefits of a birthright? —David Shachar, Matityahu
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1322
Category	Tanach (Bible Topics)
Date Posted	27 Feb 2007
The Question	Can the Rav please tell me what power each stone of the Choshen (High Priest's breastplate) has (e.g., wearing a ruby helps women pregnancy) kol tov —Daniel F., Monsey, NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

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