Torah Bowl
Flashcard 1
Q: Why did Hashem command revenge against the Midianites and not the Moabites?
A: The Moabites acted out of fear, while the Midianites inserted themselves into a fight that was not theirs.
Flashcard 2
Q: What other reason is given for not taking revenge on Moav?
A: Two great people, Ruth the Moabite and Na’amah the Ammonite, were destined to come from Moav and Ammon.
Flashcard 3
Q: How did Moshe respond, knowing his death depended on completing this war?
A: He acted with joy and urgency, not delaying the mitzvah.
Flashcard 4
Q: What does "הֵחָֽלְצוּ" mean?
A: It means "equip and prepare for battle," as Onkelos translates it.
Flashcard 5
Q: What type of men does "אֲנָשִׁים" refer to in this context?
A: Righteous men, as seen in other places where important tasks require righteous individuals.
Flashcard 6
Q: Why is this war described as "נִקְמַת ה'"—"Hashem’s vengeance"?
A: Because attacking Bnei Yisrael is considered as attacking Hashem Himself.
Flashcard 7
Q: What does "לְכֹל מַטּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל" include?
A: Shevet Levi, even though they were usually exempt from military service.
Flashcard 8
Q: Why does the Torah say "וַיִּמָּֽסְרוּ"—"were given over"—instead of just saying they went to war?
A: Bnei Yisrael loved Moshe and did not want to go, since his death was linked to this war. They had to be "given over" against their will.
Flashcard 9
Q: Why was Pinechas sent to war instead of his father, Elazar?
A: He was completing the mitzvah he started (killing Kozbi) and avenging his ancestor Yosef.
Flashcard 10
Q: What are the "כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ"—"sacred utensils"—Pinechas took with him?
A: The Aron and the Tzitz, used to counter Bilaam’s magic.
Flashcard 11
Q: Why does the verse list the five Midianite kings and also say "חֲמֵשֶׁת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן"?
A: To emphasize that all five were equally guilty and punished equally.
Flashcard 12
Q: Why was Bilaam killed "בֶּחָרֶב"—by the sword?
A: He used Israel’s "weapon"—speech—against them, so they used the nations’ weapon—the sword—against him.
Flashcard 13
Q: What does "טִֽירֹתָם" refer to?
A: The dwellings of Midian’s priests or nobles.
Flashcard 14
Q: What does "וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת כָּל הַשָּׁלָל" teach about Bnei Yisrael?
A: The soldiers were righteous and took nothing for themselves dishonestly.
Flashcard 15
Q: What is the difference between "שָּׁלָל," "בָּז," and "מַּלְקוֹחַ"?
A:
שָּׁלָל: Movable items like clothing and jewelry.
בָּז: Movable items that are not jewelry.
מַּלְקוֹחַ: Living captives, both human and animal.
Flashcard 16
Q: Why did Moshe and Elazar go out to meet the returning soldiers?
A: They saw the young men of Yisrael running out to take from the spoils.
Flashcard 17
Q: Why did Moshe become angry with the officers of the army?
A: The leaders are held responsible for the sins of the generation because they have the power to protest and stop wrongdoing.
Flashcard 18
Q: Why did Moshe specifically ask if they had let all the females live?
A: The Midianite women were the primary culprits who seduced Bnei Yisrael, leading to the deadly plague.
Flashcard 20
Q: How did they recognize the Midianite women responsible for the sin?
A: They could point to each one and say, "This is the woman that so-and-so sinned with."
Flashcard 21
Q: What advice did Bilaam give to Moav to harm Bnei Yisrael?
A: He advised using immorality, as Hashem hates immorality, instead of military force.
Flashcard 22
Q: How did they determine which women were old enough for relations?
A: They passed them before the Tzitz (Forehead-plate), and those capable of relations turned green.
Flashcard 23
Q: Why does the verse repeat the command to kill?
A: To clarify that women capable of relations must be killed, not just the males.
Flashcard 24
Q: Why did those who killed or touched corpses have to stay outside the camp for seven days?
A: They needed to purify themselves from corpse impurity.
Flashcard 25
Q: How did those who became impure purify themselves?
A: With the waters of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer).
Flashcard 26
Q: Did non-Jewish captives require purification?
A: Not as non-Jews, but once they converted, they required purification.
Flashcard 27
Q: What does "any article made from goats" include?
A: Items made from goat horns, hooves, and bones.
Flashcard 28
Q: Why did Elazar, not Moshe, teach the laws of kashering utensils?
A: Moshe became angry and forgot the halacha, as happened before in other instances.
Flashcard 29
Q: Why does Elazar mention Hashem’s command?
A: To show respect by attributing the teaching to Moshe, his teacher.
Flashcard 30
Q: What extra halacha is taught by the word אַךְ in regard to metal utensils?
A: Even after purification from corpse impurity, they still need to be kashered for food absorption, and rust must be removed.
Flashcard 31
Q: How do you kasher utensils used for fire?
A: The same way they were used—boiling for water-used utensils, direct fire (libun) for those used directly in fire.
Flashcard 32
Q: What does "dashing water" refer to in purification?
A: It refers to purifying from corpse impurity, and the Chachamim derive that metal utensils need immersion in a mikvah.
Flashcard 33
Q: What utensils only require immersion in water for purification?
A: Those used only for cold, such as cups and jars.
Flashcard 34
Q: After purification, which camp could the soldiers re-enter?
A: The Camp of the Shechinah (Divine Presence).
Flashcard 35
Q: What was the command God gave Moses in Numbers 31:26?
A: God told Moses to take a count of the plunder of the captive people and animals, along with Eleazar the priest and the heads of the paternal houses.
Flashcard 36
Q: How should the plunder be divided, according to Numbers 31:27?
A: The plunder should be divided equally between the soldiers who fought and the entire community.
Flashcard 37
Q: What tax was levied on the soldiers' portion of the plunder?
A: A tax of 1/500 was taken from the soldiers' portion and given to Eleazar the priest as a gift to God (Numbers 31:28-29).
Flashcard 38
Q: How much of the Israelites' portion was given to the Levites, as stated in Numbers 31:30?
A: 1/50 of the Israelites' portion was given to the Levites, the keepers of the charge of the Tabernacle of God.
Flashcard 39
Q: What was the total number of sheep and goats in the additional plunder from the war (Numbers 31:32)?
A: The additional plunder consisted of 675,000 sheep and goats.
Flashcard 40
Q: How much of the plunder was tax for God from the sheep and goats?
A: The tax for God from the sheep and goats was 675 (Numbers 31:37).
Flashcard 41
Q: What were the total number of cattle, donkeys, and people in the additional plunder?
A: 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 people (Numbers 31:33-35).
Flashcard 42
Q: What did the officers do after the battle, as seen in Numbers 31:48?
A: The officers approached Moses and reported that not one soldier was missing.
Flashcard 43
Q: What offering did the army officers bring to atone for their souls?
A: The officers brought all the gold jewelry they had plundered, including anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and chastity belts .
Flashcard 44
Q: What was the total amount of gold given to the Tabernacle?
A: The total amount of gold given was 16,750 shekels .
Flashcard 45
Q: What did the tribes of Reuben and Gad request from Moses?
A: They requested to settle on the eastern bank of the Jordan, which had abundant pasture for their livestock.
Flashcard 46
Q: Why did Moses respond angrily to Reuben and Gad's request?
A: Moses feared they were following in the footsteps of the spies who discouraged Israel from entering the Promised Land.
Flashcard 46
Q: How did the Reubenites and Gaddites assure Moses regarding their commitment to Israel's conquest?
A: They promised to leave their cattle and families behind and fight alongside Israel until the land was conquered.
Flashcard 47
Q: What land did the Reubenites and Gaddites find suitable for their livestock?
A: The land of Ya’zer and Gilead, which was part of the lands conquered from Sichon and Og.
Flashcard 48
Q: What does the term "Kadesh Barnea" refer to?
A: It refers to a location where Moses sent the spies to explore the land, and also where the Israelites were delayed due to their disbelief.
Flashcard 49
Q: What was the outcome for the Israelites who doubted God's promise?
A: God swore that none of the men over 20 who came out of Egypt would enter the Promised Land, except for Caleb and Joshua.
Flashcard 50
Q: How long did the Israelites wander in the desert?
A: They wandered for 40 years until the entire generation that doubted God had died out.
Flashcard 51
Q: What did Moses command Reuben and Gad to do before returning to their families?
A: Moses commanded them to help conquer the land of Israel first and only return after the land was fully settled.
Flashcard 52
Q: How did the Reubenites and Gaddites offer to help in the conquest of Israel?
A: They pledged to lead the front lines in battle, while their families stayed in fortified cities for protection.
Flashcard 53
Q: What was the primary reason Reuben and Gad asked to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan?
A: They had an abundance of livestock and believed the land on the eastern side was ideal for grazing.
Flashcard 54
Q: What consequence did Moses warn Reuben and Gad about if they did not keep their promise?
A: Moses warned that if they did not help in the conquest, they would be sinning against God, and their sin would find them out.
Flashcard 55
Q: How did Moses propose that Reuben and Gad would fulfill their commitment?
A: He instructed them to build cities for their children and pens for their livestock, while also leading the battle to conquer the land.
Flashcard 56
Q: What did Moses say about the fate of the land once the Israelites conquered it?
A: Once the land was conquered and settled, Reuben and Gad would be free of their obligations to God and Israel, and the land would be theirs to possess.
Flashcard 57
Q: What was the significance of the phrase "we will not inherit with them" (referring to the Reubenites and Gaddites)?
A: It meant that Reuben and Gad would not inherit land on the western side of the Jordan but had already received their inheritance on the eastern side.
Flashcard 58
Q: What did Moses say would happen if Reuben and Gad did not fulfill their promise to help conquer the land?
A: He said they would be sinning against God and would suffer the consequences of their sin.