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by Dr. Avigdor Bonchek

Introduction

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Parashas Re'eh

Devarim 12:7

6) And you shall bring there your whole offerings and your feast offerings your tithes and what you lift up with your hands, your vow offerings and your free-will offerings and the first born of youir cattle and your flocks.

7) You shall eat there before Hashem, your G-d and you shall rejoice with your every undertaking, you, your households as Hashem your G-d has blessed you.

RASHI

As Hashem … has blessed you: Rashi: According to the blessing, bring.

It is not apparent what Rashi is telling us. Or better, why he is telling us anything. Isn't the verse clear enough?

QUESTIONING RASHI

What is bothering Rashi here?

Your Answer

WHAT IS BOTHERING RASHI?

An Answer: if we read verse 7, it seems to say that anyone who is blessed (financially, because of your "undertakings") should bring an offering. But this is not so. Even if you win the lotto you are not obligated to bring an offering. We are taught in Koheles (5:4) that : "It better not to vow at all than to vow and not fulfill the vow."

So Rashi wonders what is the verse telling us?

Can you see his message?

Hint: See verse 6.

Your Answer:

UNDERSTANDING RASHI

An Answer: The clue to understanding Rashi is to see the last word in his comment. It is "bring." See verse 6 it also uses the word "bring" it begins with " And you shall bring…"

Verse 6 includes several types of offerings. The only ones that are not obligatory are, "your vow offerings and your free-will offerings". Rashi sees the words "which G-d has blessed you" and concludes that the only offerings that stem directly from G-d's blessings are the vow and free will offerings. Only these are determined by how much you want to give; the other offerings are fixed and cannot be added to.

Shabbat Shalom
Avigdor Bonchek

Avigdor Bonchek has published a new book on Rashi called "Rashi: The Magic and the Mystery" published by Gefen. Look for it at Jewish book stores.


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