118.12.17
ושלום אהבא , Family and
Friends.
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
...
These
are the Torah Trivia questions for Parashah Shoftim.
In
reviewing the questions for this parashah, I experience a considerable amount
discomfort. Being a “Peacenik”
practitioner of Ahimsa (abstinence from violence), many of the passages
regarding war and animal sacrifices are challenging for people such as
myself. As you may previously observe, I
often attempt to include some brevity and humour amidst the facts within the
Torah trivia questions. However,
particularly with this parashah, I notice a considerable amount of sarcasm (and
what may be perceived as heavy passive aggressiveness). And I attempt to adjust the questions and
devise new questions. Yet, amidst being
an Ahimsic Peacenik, I am also rather stubborn;
a lesson my far (father) repeatedly teaches me, during his lifetime, is
to “face the monster head-on.” As such,
it seems appropriate to abstain from “shying” away from these challenges, and
to address the difficulties that are experienced. And thus, I generally maintain the questions
as I originally prepare these. And you are
welcome to respond accordingly.
The
Torah Trivia question for Parashah Shoftim asks what forms of governance are
specifically referenced and/or “emphasised” within this parashah: monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, Theocracy
(and/or additionally)?
The featured
Hebrew terms for Parashah Shoftim are: “ שפטים ושטרים ” (“shoftim v’shetarim,” meaning: “magistrates and priests”), as is found within
the opening of this parashah (Devarim 16:18), as well as “מלך”
(“melech,” meaning, “king”), which can be found in Devarim 17:14.
On
another note, I previously describe the intention of continuing within the next
year, B’ezrat Hashem, with either 1 or both of the weekly Torah study
themes: Hebrew terms from each parashah,
and/or a contemporary economic consideration from each parashah. I am working to complete an outline of the
general economic consideration for each parashah. It is also appropriate for me to communicate
that I am participating within a long-term campaign that involves some civil disobedience
(what we refer to as, “Civil Transcendence”);
thus, there is some uncertainty regarding my continual availability to
provide such studies, amidst the risks of incarceration, abduction, forced
detainment in psych wards, and/or additionally.
I am actually serious J.
Although, ironically, my experience is that such circumstances actually
provide increased opportunities for such studies. I intend to keep you informed; and if you are interested in checking on me
amidst a prolonged silence, you are welcome to contact our friend, Jacob Kabb,
at: taxikabb.kabb@gmail.com.
,ושלום אהבא
Peter
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
...
Shalom
(Hebrew). Namaste (Sanskrit). Samadhi (Thai/Pali). Pax (Latin). Salaam
(Arabic). Peace (English). Sat Nam (Punjabi). Solh (Persian). Kwey (Lakotah).
Amani (Swahili). Barish (Turkish). Erieni (Greek). Pache (Italiano). Paz
(Espanol). Paix (Francais). Fred (Scandinavian). Frieden (Deutsch). Siochana
(Irish). Mir (Russian). Amin (Urdu). Heping (Mandarin). Heiwa (Japanese).
Pyeonghwa (Korean). Aloha (Hawai’ian). Peace (Common Symbol). Peace (Common
Sign). Peace (General American Sign Language). Peace (American Braille).
ૐ.אמן
(Om. Amein)
--
Torah Trivia for
Parashah 48. Shoftim (Questions Only)
1.) Can you describe what systems of governance
are specifically referenced and/or “emphasised” within Parashah Shoftim: a.)
monarchy; b.) oligarchy;
c.) democracy; and/or, d.)
Theocracy?
2.) When a man is convicted of praying to a
foreign idol, Sun, Moon, and/or a similar object, can you describe who is
commanded to cast the 1st stone:
a.) the man’s children; b.)
the man’s wife; c.) the man’s parents; d.) the man’s teachers; e.) the
High Priest; f.) the witnesses against the man; g.)
the man’s debtors; and/or,
h.) the appointed king?
3.) Can you describe: 1.)
which of the proceeding specific “possessions” the appointed King of
Israel is commanded to maintain in earnest modesty; and, 2.)
of which of these “possessions” the appointed King of Israel is
commanded to maintain a minimum: a.) wives;
b.) horses; c.)
silver; d.) gold;
e.) land; f.)
slaves; g.) debt;
h.) Torah scrolls; and/or, i.)
Levi teachers?
4.) Within the passage of 18:9 – 18:11, there are
specific prohibitions described for Israelis when entering Eretz Israel; can you describe which of these activities
are explicitly prohibited within this passage:
a.) cutting one’s self; b.)
acquiring tattoos; c.) committing adultery; d.)
selling children into harlotry;
e.) sacrificing children with
fire; f.) sorcery;
and/or, g.) consulting ghosts,
spirits, and the dead?
5.) Can you describe the sign Israelis are given
to distinguish a “false Prophet”?
6.) Within Parashah Shoftim, there is reference
to the 3 refuge cities within Eretz Israel:
“When the LORD your
God has cut down the nations whose land the LORD your God is assigning to you,
and you have dispossessed them and settled in their towns and homes, you shall
set aside three cities in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to
possess. You shall survey the distances,
and divide into three parts the territory of the country that the LORD your God
has allotted to you, so that any manslayer may have a place to flee to.” (Devarim 19:1 – 3)
Can
you name these 3 refuge cities within Eretz Israel?
7.) Can you describe which of these scenarios is
utilised to illustrate the distinction between a malicious murder and an
unintended homicide:
a.)
An axe falls upon a friend whilst a man is chopping a tree in the
woods;
b.) A man drives his slave too harshly;
c.) A man refuses to provide a poor man with
emergency sustenance;
d.) A man fights another man on the battlefield;
e.) A man provides the wrong medicine to another
man intended for healing; and/or,
f.) A false witness stones a man wrongfully
accused of idol worship?
8.) Can you describe how many witnesses are
necessary to convict someone of a crime?
9.) Can you describe the penalty for a false
witness who provides dishonest testimony in attempting to wrongfully convict
another person:
a.)
The tongue of the false witness is amputated;
b.) The false witness is forced to pay 1/10 of
his income in restitution;
c.)
The false witness is imprisoned according to the discretion of the
falsely accused; and/or,
d.)
The penalty intended for the falsely accused is imposed upon the false
witness?
10.) Can you describe which of the proceeding
circumstances are sufficient in excusing a soldier from going into battle: a.)
excessive fear; b.) the recent construction of a new house; c.)
the recent planting of a vineyard;
and/or, d.) engagement to be
married?
11.) This question has 3 parts:
א.) Can you describe the Terms of Peace that are
to be offered to a foreign nation, living outside of Eretz Israel, before
Israel imposes war upon that nation:
a.) The foreign nation is to provide 1/10 of its
produce as a tribute to Israel;
b.) The foreign nation is to participate within a
communistic commonwealth system with Israel, whereby all produce is equally
shared with everyone living within this amalgamated political construct;
c.) The foreign nation is to establish an
international democratic pact with Israel wherein political leaders are elected
by the aggregate of all populations, and continuing cooperation maintains Peace
and cooperation amongst all the nations;
d.) The foreign nation is to establish a “free
spirit” society and continue lifestyles of a carefree utopia with
Israelis; and/or,
e.) The foreign nation is to completely surrender
and become enslaved to Israelis?
ב.) Upon the Peace Treaty being refused, can you
describe how Israelis are commanded to respond to the foreign nation:
a.) The instruction involves retreating from the
foreign nation, and abstaining from ever speaking about the situation
again;
b.) The instruction involves killing all the men
of the foreign nation;
c.) The instruction involves enslaving all the
women of the foreign nation;
d.) The instruction involves enslaving all the
children of the foreign nation; and/or,
e.) The instruction involves taking all the
cattle and treasures from the foreign nation?
ג.) Can you describe what Israelis are commanded
to do regarding the foreign nations that previously reside within Eretz
Israel? And can you describe what
Israelis are commanded to preserve?
12.) Can you describe what living beings or items
are sacrificed when an unsolved murder is committed: a.) a
cow; b.)
a bull; c.) a calf;
d.) a lamb; e.) an
ewe; f.)
a goat; g.) a kid;
h.) a chicken; i.) an
egg; j.)
flour; k.) seeds;
l.) wine; m.)
fruit juice; and/or, n.) oil?
Torah Trivia for
Parashah 48. Shoftim (with Answers)
1.) Can you describe what systems of governance
are specifically referenced and/or “emphasised” within Parashah Shoftim: a.)
monarchy; b.) oligarchy;
c.) democracy; and/or, d.) Theocracy?
Answer: The answer is arguably: e.)
“all of the above”:
a.) There is explicit
reference to monarchical rule:
“If, after you have
entered the land that the LORD your God has assigned to you, and taken
possession of it and settled in it, you decide, ‘I will set a king over me, as
do all the nations about me,’ you shall be free to set a king over yourself,
one chosen by the LORD your God. Be sure
to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one
who is not your kinsman.” (Devarim 17:14
– 15);
b.) However, the explicit instructions for
establishing “magistrates” and “officials” may be considered a form of judicial
oligarchy (perhaps similar to the oligarchic distribution of authority amongst
Israeli elders):
“You shall appoint
magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD
your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due
justice.” (Devarim 16:18);
c.) Within both of these passages, there is the
description of the people selecting such leadership, and that may be considered
as a form of democratic self-governance;
d.) And, it may be further considered that all
these instructions exist within the Divine mitzvot that Adonai commands from
Israelis, effectively establishing a “Theocracy.”
2.) When a man is convicted of praying to a
foreign idol, Sun, Moon, and/or a similar object, can you describe who is
commanded to cast the 1st stone:
a.) the man’s children; b.) the
man’s wife; c.) the man’s parents; d.) the man’s teachers; e.)
the High Priest; f.) the witnesses against the man; g.) the
man’s debtors; and/or, h.) the appointed king?
Answer: The answer is: f.)
the witness against the man is to cast the 1st stone against
the man:
“A person shall be
put to death only on the testimony of two or more witnesses; he must not be put to death on the testimony
of a single witness.—Let the hands of the witnesses be the first against him to
put him to death, and the hands of the rest of the people thereafter. Thus you will sweep out evil from your
midst.” (Devarim 17:6 – 7).
3.) Can you describe: 1.) which of the proceeding specific “possessions”
the appointed King of Israel is commanded to maintain in earnest modesty; and, 2.)
of which of these “possessions” the appointed King of Israel is
commanded to maintain a minimum:
a.) wives; b.)
horses; c.) silver;
d.) gold; e.)
land; f.) slaves;
g.) debt; h.)
Torah scrolls; and/or, i.) Levi teachers?
Answer:
1.) The king is commanded to be modest in
maintaining the proceeding “possessions”:
a.) wives; b.)
horses; c.) silver;
and, d.) gold; there is an absence of an explicit
description regarding land, slaves, and debt;
and,
2.) The king is commanded to maintain at least 1
Torah scroll from which to study on a daily basis; there is an absence of an explicit
description regarding Levi teachers (although there is the description of the
Torah scroll being provided by Levis):
“Moreover, he shall
not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt to add to his horses, since
the LORD has warned you, ‘You must not go back that way again.’ And he shall not have many wives, lest his
heart go astray; nor shall he amass
silver and gold to excess.
“When he is seated
on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching written for him on a
scroll by the levitical priests.”
(Devarim 17:16 – 18).
4.) Within the passage of 18:9 – 18:11, there are
specific prohibitions described for Israelis when entering Eretz Israel; can you describe which of these activities
are explicitly prohibited within this passage:
a.) cutting one’s self; b.)
acquiring tattoos; c.) committing adultery; d.)
selling children into harlotry;
e.) sacrificing children with
fire; f.) sorcery;
and/or, g.) consulting ghosts,
spirits, and the dead?
Answer: The answer is e.) sacrificing children with
fire; f.) sorcery;
and, g.) consulting ghosts,
spirits, and the dead:
“When you enter the
land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the
abhorrent practices of those nations.
Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the
fire, or who is an augur, a soothsayer, a diviner, a sorcerer, one who casts
spells, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits, or one who inquires of
the dead.” (Devarim 18:9 – 11);
The prohibition
against a.) cutting one’s self, is found
in Parashah Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:28);
against b.) acquiring tattoos, is
found in Parashah Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:28);
against c.) committing adultery,
is found in Parashah Yitro (Shmot 20:13);
and against d.) selling one’s
daughters into harlotry, is found in Parashah Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:29).
5.) Can you describe the sign Israelis are given
to distinguish a “false Prophet”?
Answer:
“And should you ask
yourselves, ‘How can we know that the oracle was not spoken by the LORD?’—if
the prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the oracle does not come (True),
that oracles was not spoken by the LORD;
the prophet has uttered it presumptuously; do not stand in dread of him.” (Devarim 18:21 – 22).
6.) Within Parashah Shoftim, there is reference
to the 3 refuge cities within Eretz Israel:
“When the LORD your
God has cut down the nations whose land the LORD your God is assigning to you,
and you have dispossessed them and settled in their towns and homes, you shall
set aside three cities in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to
possess. You shall survey the distances,
and divide into three parts the territory of the country that the LORD your God
has allotted to you, so that any manslayer may have a place to flee to.” (Devarim 19:1 – 3)
Can
you name these 3 refuge cities within Eretz Israel?
Answer: The 3 cities are: Kedesh (in the land of Naphtali), Shechem (in
the land of Ephraim), and Hebron (in the land of Yudah); (Yoshua 20:7).
7.) Can you describe which of these scenarios is
utilised to illustrate the distinction between a malicious murder and an
unintended homicide:
a.)
An axe falls upon a friend whilst a man is chopping a tree in the woods;
b.) A man drives his slave too harshly;
c.) A man refuses to provide a poor man with
emergency sustenance;
d.) A man fights another man on the battlefield;
e.) A man provides the wrong medicine to another
man intended for healing; and/or,
f.) A false witness stones a man wrongfully
accused of idol worship?
Answer: the answer is: a.) a
man inadvertently kills his friend, with an errant axe-head, whilst chopping a
tree in the woods:
“For instance, a
man goes with his neighbour into a grove to cut wood; as his hand swings the ax to cut down a
tree, the ax-head flies off the handle
and strikes the other so that he dies.
That man shall flee to one of these cities and live.” (Devarim 19:5).
8.) Can you describe how many witnesses are
necessary to convict someone of a crime?
Answer: At least 2 witnesses are required:
“A single witness
may not validate against a person any guilt or blame for any offense that may
be committed; a case can be valid only on
the testimony of two witnesses or more.”
(Devarim 19:15)
9.) Can you describe the penalty for a false
witness who provides dishonest testimony in attempting to wrongfully convict
another person?
a.)
The tongue of the false witness is amputated;
b.) The false witness is forced to pay 1/10 of
his income in restitution;
c.)
The false witness is imprisoned according to the discretion of the
falsely accused; and/or,
d.)
The penalty intended for the falsely accused is imposed upon the false
witness?
Answer: The answer is: d.)
the penalty intended for the falsely accused is imposed upon the false
witness:
“If a man appears
against another to testify maliciously and gives false testimony against him,
twe two parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests
or magistrates in authority at the time, and the magistrates shall make a
thorough investigation. If the man who
testified is a false witness, if he has testified falsely against his fellow,
you shall do to him as he schemed to do to his fellow. Thus you will sweep out evil from your
midst; others will hear and be afraid,
and such evil things will not again be done in your midst. Nor must you show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,
hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Devarim
19:16 – 21).
10.) Can you describe which of the proceeding
circumstances are sufficient in excusing a soldier from going into battle: a.)
excessive fear; b.) the recent construction of a new house; c.)
the recent planting of a vineyard;
and/or, d.) engagement to be
married?
Answer: The answer is: e.)
“all of the above”:
“When you take the
field against your enemies, and see horses and chariots—forces larger than
yours—have no fear of them, for the LORD your God, who brought you from the
land of Egypt, is with you. Before you
join battle, the priest shall come forward and address the troops. He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel! You are about to join battle with your
enemy. Let not your courage falter. Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in dread
of them. For it is the LORD your God
(Who) marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you
victory.
“Then the officials
shall address the troops, as follows:
‘Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not dedicated
it? Let him go back to his home, lest he
die in battle and another dedicate it.
Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but has never harvested it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in
battle and another harvest it. Is there
anyone who has paid the bride-price for a wife, but who has not yet married
her? Let him go back to his home, lest
he die in battle and another marry her.’
The officials shall go on addressing the troops and say, ‘Is there
anyone afraid and disheartened? Let him
go back to his home, lest the courage of his comrades flag like his.’ When the officials have finished addressing
the troops, army commanders shall assume command of the troops.” (Devarim 20:1 – 9).
11.) This question has 3 parts:
א.) Can you describe the Terms of Peace that are
to be offered to a foreign nation, living outside of Eretz Israel, before
Israel imposes war upon that nation:
a.) The foreign nation is to provide 1/10 of its
produce as a tribute to Israel;
b.) The foreign nation is to participate within a
communistic commonwealth system with Israel, whereby all produce is equally
shared with everyone living within this amalgamated political construct;
c.) The foreign nation is to establish an
international democratic pact with Israel wherein political leaders are elected
by the aggregate of all populations, and continuing cooperation maintains Peace
and cooperation amongst all the nations;
d.) The foreign nation is to establish a “free
spirit” society and continue lifestyles of a carefree utopia with
Israelis; and/or,
e.) The foreign nation is to completely surrender
and become enslaved to Israelis?
ב.) Upon the Peace Treaty being refused, can you
describe how Israelis are commanded to respond to the foreign nation:
a.) The instruction involves retreating from the
foreign nation, and abstaining from ever speaking about the situation
again;
b.) The instruction involves killing all the men
of the foreign nation;
c.) The instruction involves enslaving all the
women of the foreign nation;
d.) The instruction involves enslaving all the
children of the foreign nation; and/or,
e.) The instruction involves taking all the
cattle and treasures from the foreign nation?
ג.) Can you describe what Israelis are commanded
to do regarding the foreign nations that previously reside within Eretz Israel? And can you describe what Israelis are
commanded to preserve?
Answer:
א.) The answer is: e.)
the foreign nation is to completely surrender and become enslaved to
Israelis:
“When you approach
a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace. If it responds peaceably and lets you in, all
the people present there shall serve you at forced labor.” (Devarim 20:10 – 11).
ב.) The answer is: b.)
killing all the men; c.) enslaving all the woman; d.)
enslaving all the children; and
e.) taking all the cattle and treasure:
“If it does not
surrender to you, but would join battle with you, you shall lay siege to
it; and when the LORD your God delivers
it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword. You may, however, take as your booty the
women, the children, the livestock, and everything in the town—all its spoil—and
enjoy the use of the spoil of your enemy, which the LORD your God gives you.
“Thus you shall
deal with all towns that lie very far from you, towns that do not belong to
nations hereabout.” (Devarim 20:12 –
15).
ג.) Israelis are commanded to completely
annihilate all inhabitants (including women and children), and to preserve the
produce-bearing trees:
“In the towns of
the latter peoples, however, which the LORD your God is giving you as a
heritage, you shall not let a soul remain alive.” (Devarim 20:16);
“When in your war
against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you
must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut
them down. Are trees of the field human
to withdraw before you into the besieged city?
Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siegeworks
against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced.” (Devarim 20:19 – 20).
12.) Can you describe what living beings or items
are sacrificed when an unsolved murder is committed: a.) a
cow; b.)
a bull; c.) a calf;
d.) a lamb; e.) an
ewe; f.)
a goat; g.) a kid;
h.) a chicken; i.) an egg; j.)
flour; k.) seeds;
l.) wine; m.)
fruit juice; and/or, n.) oil?
Answer: The answer is: c.) a
female calf:
“If, in the land
that the LORD your God is assigning you to possess, someone slain is found
lying in the open, the identity of the slayer not being known, your elders and
magistrates shall go out and measure the distances from the corpse to the
nearby towns. The elders of the town
nearest to the corpse shall then take a heifer which has never been worked,
which has never pulled in a yoke; and
the elders of that town shall bring the heifer down to an everflowing wadi,
which is not tilled or sown. There, in
the wadi, they shall break the heifer’s neck.”
(Devarim 21:1 – 4).
--
Discussion Questions:
What
is intended nature of governance within Israel:
oligarchy, monarchy, democracy, Theocracy, and/or a melange of a number
of these philosophies? How do the
leadership examples of our patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzak, and Yaakov factor
within this intended governance (and perhaps the malleability of such a formal
construct)? Is the form of governance
inevitably a Theocracy; and if so, how
does the phenomenon of Prophethood factor within the temporal leadership of
such governance; and, how is Prophethood
intended to continue leading Israel in perpetuity? How do such philosophies of governance exist
amidst the phenomena of the ego and the philosophic approach of
“individualism”?
What
is the intended economic system for Levis?
What is the intended economic system for all Israelis, and what is the
intended balance amidst these 2 distinct and/or, perhaps “confluenced” economic
systems?
Is
there a domestic economic protective intentionality amidst the protocols
regarding younger soldiers to be excused to return to bourgeoning family life? Is this intended to increasingly secure
domestic economic productivity, particularly during military conflicts, and/or
this simply a means of tending to a military’s youthful population and
facilitating the adherence to mitzvot, therein?
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