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We never cease to be amazed by the sheer brilliance of the Baal HaTurim (which was written when the author was seventeen years old). Concerning the word, b’kirbecha, “in your midst,” he writes: The gematria, numerical equivalent, of b’kirbecha navi is zu ha’ishah, “This is the woman.” It is difficult to understand, since the numerical values do not coincide. B’kirbecha Navi equal 387, while zu ha’ishah equals 324. As a result of the difficulty in understanding his statement, many girsaos, versions, of the Baal HaTurim have deleted this. In his Kerem HaTzvi, Horav Tzvi Hirsh Ferber, zl, quotes Torah Shleimah…

The Torah instructs us to destroy the idols and the places where they were worshipped. Actually, halachah dictates that only the idol itself is destroyed – not the place upon which the idol was set. Furthermore, if a hill, mountain, or tree attached to the ground was designated as an idol, it did not have to be destroyed. What is the meaning of the Torah’s exhortation to “destroy all the places”? Horav Michel Feinstein, zl, explains that, obviously, idols have no power whatsoever. They consist of nothingness; they are simply a ruse to fool their worshippers. One of the methods…

The Talmud Kiddushin 20a teaches that the eved Ivri, Jewish bondsman, enjoys the same standard of living as does his owner. Imcha b’maachal u’b’mishteh, “With you in food and drink. You should neither eat white bread while the eved eats black bread, nor should you sleep on cushions while he sleeps on straw.” This teaches us that one who purchases an eved is actually purchasing an adon, a master, for himself. Tosfos question why the bondsman becomes the master, on a higher level than the owner. Why does the owner not simply have equal status with the eved? Why would…