Difference between revisions of "Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Masei/0/en"
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<h1>Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Masei</h1> | <h1>Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Masei</h1> | ||
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<category>Calling for Peace | <category>Calling for Peace | ||
| − | <p><a href="Bemidbar33-51-56" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 33</a> is one of several sources which speak of | + | <p><a href="Bemidbar33-51-56" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 33</a> is one of several Biblical sources which speak of wiping out the nations of Canaan. Was there really no possibility for peaceful co-existence?  Medieval commentators debate the issue. While <multilink><a href="RashiSotah35b" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiSotah35b" data-aht="source">Sotah 35b</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink> maintains that it was prohibited to call for peace and war was inevitable, <multilink><a href="RambamHilkhotMelakhim6-14-5" data-aht="source">Rambam </a><a href="RambamHilkhotMelakhim6-14-5" data-aht="source">Hilkhot Melakhim 6:1, 4-5</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Maimon (Rambam, Maimonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Maimon</a></multilink>claims that the Israelites were obligated to offer terms of peace before waging war against the Canaanites.</p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li>How does each side of the debate read the verses of Devarim 20 (where the main directive is found)?  What other verses could support each position? How does the story of the Gibeonites' deceit in Yehoshua 9 shed light on the issue?</li> | + | <li>How does each side of the debate read the verses of <a href="Devarim20-10-18" data-aht="source">Devarim 20</a> (where the main directive is found)?  What other verses could support each position? How does the story of the Gibeonites' deceit in <a href="Yehoshua9" data-aht="source">Yehoshua 9</a> shed light on the issue?</li> |
<li>According to <multilink><a href="RashiSotah35b" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiSotah35b" data-aht="source">Sotah 35b</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, the reason for the decree of obliteration is religious in nature, lest the nations sway Israel towards idolatry.  Sometimes a zero-tolerance policy is necessary.  Do you agree?  In what circumstances are compromises not an option?</li> | <li>According to <multilink><a href="RashiSotah35b" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiSotah35b" data-aht="source">Sotah 35b</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, the reason for the decree of obliteration is religious in nature, lest the nations sway Israel towards idolatry.  Sometimes a zero-tolerance policy is necessary.  Do you agree?  In what circumstances are compromises not an option?</li> | ||
<li>According to <multilink><a href="RambamHilkhotMelakhim6-14-5" data-aht="source">Rambam</a><a href="RambamHilkhotMelakhim6-14-5" data-aht="source">Hilkhot Melakhim 6:1, 4-5</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Maimon (Rambam, Maimonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Maimon</a></multilink>, what would have happened had the nations actually accepted the terms of peace and surrendered to Israel?  Could the land have sustained both populations?  How might the course of our history have changed?  For more, see <a href="Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan" data-aht="page">Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan</a>.</li> | <li>According to <multilink><a href="RambamHilkhotMelakhim6-14-5" data-aht="source">Rambam</a><a href="RambamHilkhotMelakhim6-14-5" data-aht="source">Hilkhot Melakhim 6:1, 4-5</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Maimon (Rambam, Maimonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Maimon</a></multilink>, what would have happened had the nations actually accepted the terms of peace and surrendered to Israel?  Could the land have sustained both populations?  How might the course of our history have changed?  For more, see <a href="Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan" data-aht="page">Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan</a>.</li> | ||
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</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Cities of Refuge or Exile? | <category>Cities of Refuge or Exile? | ||
| − | <p>Bemidbar 35 speaks of the creation of ערי מקלט (cities of refuge) as places to which an inadvertent killer might flee from a גואל הדם (blood avenger). </p><ul> | + | <p><a href="Bemidbar35-10-28" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 35</a> speaks of the creation of ערי מקלט (cities of refuge) as places to which an inadvertent killer might flee from a גואל הדם (blood avenger). </p> |
| − | <li>What does this law suggest about the Torah's view of blood avengers?  On one hand the very existence of such cities attests to the fact that the Torah does not want the unintentional killer to die.  On the other hand, this institution simultaneously | + | <ul> |
| − | <li>The flip side of the question relates to the Torah's evaluation of the unintentional murderer.  How culpable does the Torah hold him?   Is he totally innocent, and sent to the cities only for his own good?  If so, though, why is he | + | <li>What does this law suggest about the Torah's view of blood avengers?  On one hand, the very existence of such cities attests to the fact that the Torah does not want the unintentional killer to die.  On the other hand, this institution simultaneously attests to the fact that the Torah did not outlaw avenging of blood. If the גואל הדם is a negative institution, why allow it at all?  If it is legitimate, why protect the unintentional murderer from them?</li> |
| − | </ul><p>See <a href="Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge or Exile" data-aht="page">Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge or Exile</a> for more.</p> | + | <li>The flip side of the question relates to the Torah's evaluation of the unintentional murderer.  How culpable does the Torah hold him?   Is he totally innocent, and sent to the cities only for his own good?  If so, though, why is he allowed to leave the city only at the death of the high priest and not at his own discretion?  Does this suggest that perhaps he, too, is somewhat deserving of punishment, and that the cities are a form of mandatory exile rather than a safe haven?</li> |
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | <p>See <a href="Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge or Exile" data-aht="page">Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge or Exile</a> for more.</p> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>More... | <category>More... | ||
Latest revision as of 10:01, 8 September 2019
Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Masei
Calling for Peace
Bemidbar 33 is one of several Biblical sources which speak of wiping out the nations of Canaan. Was there really no possibility for peaceful co-existence? Medieval commentators debate the issue. While Rashi maintains that it was prohibited to call for peace and war was inevitable, Rambam claims that the Israelites were obligated to offer terms of peace before waging war against the Canaanites.
- How does each side of the debate read the verses of Devarim 20 (where the main directive is found)? What other verses could support each position? How does the story of the Gibeonites' deceit in Yehoshua 9 shed light on the issue?
- According to Rashi, the reason for the decree of obliteration is religious in nature, lest the nations sway Israel towards idolatry. Sometimes a zero-tolerance policy is necessary. Do you agree? In what circumstances are compromises not an option?
- According to Rambam, what would have happened had the nations actually accepted the terms of peace and surrendered to Israel? Could the land have sustained both populations? How might the course of our history have changed? For more, see Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan.
Cities of Refuge or Exile?
Bemidbar 35 speaks of the creation of ערי מקלט (cities of refuge) as places to which an inadvertent killer might flee from a גואל הדם (blood avenger).
- What does this law suggest about the Torah's view of blood avengers? On one hand, the very existence of such cities attests to the fact that the Torah does not want the unintentional killer to die. On the other hand, this institution simultaneously attests to the fact that the Torah did not outlaw avenging of blood. If the גואל הדם is a negative institution, why allow it at all? If it is legitimate, why protect the unintentional murderer from them?
- The flip side of the question relates to the Torah's evaluation of the unintentional murderer. How culpable does the Torah hold him? Is he totally innocent, and sent to the cities only for his own good? If so, though, why is he allowed to leave the city only at the death of the high priest and not at his own discretion? Does this suggest that perhaps he, too, is somewhat deserving of punishment, and that the cities are a form of mandatory exile rather than a safe haven?
See Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge or Exile for more.
More...
For more, see: Parashat Masei Topics.
