פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן Pinhas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the Priest Numbers 25:11 Rashi comments: because the tribes spoke disparagingly of Pinhas, saying: “Have you seen this grandson of Puti, whose mother’s father used to fatten calves for idolatrous sacrifices? And he has dared to slay a prince of…

זאת חקת התורה This is the statute of the law Numbers 19:2 Rashi comments: Because Satan and the nations of the world taunt Israel, saying, “What is this command and what reason is there for it?” the Scripture therefore refers to it as “חקת” (statute), as if to say: “it is an enactment from Me,…

ויקח קרח Now Korah betook himself Numbers 16:1 In the Midrash it is written: What did Korah see that caused him to challenge Moses? He saw the chapter of the red heifer. This Midrash requires interpretation. Our master explains that Korah argued that, insasmuch as the whole congregation is holy and is close to the…

וראיתם את הארץ מה הוא And see the land, what it is  Numbers 13:18 Rashi comments: There are countries that raise strong people and there are countries that raise weak people. According to Rashi’s comment, the end of the verse clarifies the beginning. Whether the people dwelling on the land are strong or weak indicates…

דבר אל-אהרן ואמרת אליו בהעלתך את הנרת Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the Menorah Numbers 8:2 Rashi comments: Why does the chapter of the Menorah follow the chapter of the princes? Because when Aaron saw the princes participating in…

דבר אל בני ישראל איש איש כי תשטה אשתו If any man’s wife goes astray, and commits a trespass against him  Numbers 5:12 Rashi comments: What is written prior to this topic? “’ואיש את קדשיו לו יהיו איש אשר יתן לכהן לו יהי” (And every man’s consecrated things shall be his; whatever any man gives…

איש על דגלו באותות לבית אבותם יחנו בני ישראל מנגד סביב לאוהל מועד יחנו Every man of the people of Israel shall camp by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house; far from the Tent of Meeting shall they camp Numbers 2:2 In the Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 2:2): This refers to the…

אמור אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אליהם לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall be none defiled for the dead among his people Leviticus 21:1 In the Midrash (Leviticus Rabbah 26:1) it is written: R. Tanhum son of R. Hannilai opened his discourse with…

וידבר ה’ אל משה אחרי מות שני בני אהרן בקרבתם לפני ה’ וימותו And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near the Lord, and died Leviticus 16:1 In the Midrash (Leviticus Rabbah 20:1) it is written: R. Simeon began his discourse with the text…

אם בחקתי תלכו If you walk in my statutes Leviticus 26:3 Rashi, quoting the Sifra, comments: “שתהיו עמלים בתורה” (you should study the Torah laboriously). Rashi used the word “עמלים,” because of the verse (Numbers 19:14) “אדם כי ימות באוהל” (when a man dies in a tent), from which the Sages inferred “שאין דברי תורה…