Masei

  1. “These are the travels,” etc. Why are they all written here? (Give the opinions of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshon and Rabbi Tanchuma.)

  2. “On the morrow of Pesach the Jews went out” (33:3) But didn’t they leave on Pesach itself?

  3. Why does it mention here that the Egyptians were “burying their dead,” etc.?

  4. The original name of Midbar Paran is changed here to Risma (33:18). Why?

  5. How old was Aharon when he passed away? How did he die?

  6. “And the Cnaani King of Arad heard,” etc. Why is it mentioned here?

  7. How many stations along their travels are mentioned here?

  8. posuk 49 mentions the space occupied by the camping tribes. Why?

  9. Why is the warning to drive out the nations from Eretz Yisroel repeated here?

  10. Yehoshua repeated the same warning to Bnei Isroel. Where? Why?

  11. What will happen if the Jews don’t drive out their enemies?

  12. What is the purpose of describing the borders of Eretz Yisroel?

  13. Why does it say, “This is the land that will fall to you,” etc?

  14. At the time of the Exodus what could have been the shortest route from Mitzrayim to Eretz Yisroel? Why weren’t they taken along this route?

  15. Into how many tribes was Eretz Yisroel divided? Why?

  16. The Torah enumerates the heads of tribes that will parcel out the land for their tribe members. Which tribes are not mentioned?

  17. The open spaces around the towns of the Levi’im were allowed to be used only for some purposes, but not for others. Which?

  18. What purpose did these towns serve besides residences for Levi’im?

  19. Even though Moshe set aside three cities of refuge (arei miklot), they didn’t function until later. When? Why then did Moshe set them up for this purpose?

  20. The two-and-a-half tribes on the east side of Yarden (Jordan) got the same amount of cities of refuge (three) as the entire land of Israeli Why?

  21. What might have happened if they didn’t set aside cities of refuge?

  22. “And if he killed him with an iron tool,” etc. What kind of a murder is meant here?

  23. Why is it not mentioned here how big the iron tool has to be, as it says for stones and wood?

  24. In a case of unintentional killing, sometimes the killer is not exiled. When? Proof?

  25. If the avenger of the blood (goel hadam) kills the murderer outside of the cities of refuge, is he punished? Why?

  26. When can the murderer leave the city of refuge? Why? (Two reasons.)

  27. What type of murderer has to wait until the death of two Kohanim Gedolim to get out? Proof?

  28. Can a murderer be punished (killed) on circumstantial evidence? Proof?

  29. In what connection is ransom mentioned in this subject?

  30. Did they have a Sanhedrin outside of Eretz Yisroel? When?

  31. Why is there such a strong warning against making the land impure?

  32. The heads of the Gil’ad family approached Moshe with certain concerns. What were they?

  33. What was Moshe’s response about Bnos Tzlafchad and other daughters that inherit parts of the land?

  34. “And if the Yovel will come,” etc. What did Rabbi Yehuda learn from this?

  35. According to Rashi, in what order are the daughters of Tzlafchad listed here and elsewhere?

  36. Can you find a contradiction between this statement of Rashi and his comments in parshas Pinchas? How can it be resolved?

  37. The prohibition that a daughter inheriting a share of the land may not to marry out of her tribe, was not a permanent one. Explain. (Check the Rashi in parshas Pinchas for this halacha.)

  38. When is Rosh Chodesh? What special period starts then?