|
 |
|
|
Back to This Week's Parsha | Previous Issues
Parashas Emor (70)This week's sedra teaches us more laws of the priests; also the laws of the Holy Days and at the end of the sedra we are told of the case of one who blasphemed G-d and his punishment.The last verse in the sedra is our focus here. Leviticus 24:23 And Moses spoke to the Children of Israel and they took the blasphemer beyond the camp and they stoned him with a stone. And the Children of Israel did just as Hashem had commanded Moses.
RASHIAnd the Children of Israel did: Rashi: The complete commandment which it says regarding stoning, elsewhere [in the Torah] - casting down, casting stones, and hanging.
QUESTIONING RASHIA Question: Why does Rashi comment here? What is bothering him? Hint: Compare the two parts of this verse. Your Answer:
WHAT IS BOTHERING RASHI?An Answer: The verse says that the Children of Israel stoned the blasphemer and then it says they did what they were commanded to do. They were commanded to stone him! So we know that from the first part of the verse, which stated this. Rashi is bothered by this apparent repetition here. How does his comment deal with this repetition? Your Answer:
UNDERSTANDING RASHIThe following explanation is a shortened version of the Lubavicher Rebbe's commentary on this Rashi. An Answer: There is a little noticed fact in this mitzvah which must be pointed out. Above in verse 14 it says: And all those who heard him shall lay their hands on his head and the whole congregation shall stone him. So we have two groups "those who heard him" and the "whole congregation." Those who heard him placed their hands on his head and the whole congregation stoned him. Our verse has a curious phrase. It says "And they stoned him with a stone." The word "a stone" is strange; did they only throw one stone? What if that didn't kill him? The Rebbe explains this as follows: Those who heard him -They are the first to punish him - they place their hands on his head. They were to throw one stone, perhaps just symbolically. Then later the whole congregation threw stones in order to kill him. Notice that our verse which says they were to stone him with a stone - does not mention death. While verse 16 above says "The entire shall stone him and he shall be put to death" Amazing! We see that when the small group who heard threw a stone it need not kill him but when the congregation stones him after that it must kill him.
A FULLER UNDERSTANDINGWe can now better understand Rashi. The verse "And the Children of Israel did what Hashem commanded Moses" refers to the stoning that they did (as opposed to the one -stone- stoning done only by those who heard the man curse G-d.) and all the other relevant laws that they were to fulfill. This is why Rashi says the three acts they did were casting off, stoning and hanging. Rashi adds "stoning" even though the verse already said he was stoned. But now we realize the answer to all the puzzles. The first part of the verse refers to what the witnesses did (one-stone-stoning) the second part of the verse refers to what the whole congregation did - casting, many-stone-stoning unto death and then hanging. So there is no redundancy here. According this explanation each of Rashi's words makes perfect sense.
Shabbat Shalom
"What's Bothering Rashi?" is produced by the Institute for the Study of Rashi and Early Commentaries. The five volume set of "What's Bothering Rashi?" is available at all Judaica bookstores.
Back to This Week's Parsha | Previous Issues
This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network For information on subscriptions, archives, and http://www.shemayisrael.co.il |
