📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi Acharei Mos Kedoshim Revi’i: List of Mitzvos

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 18:22–30

18:22 — Male Same‑Sex Relations

Q1. What is meant by “כְּמִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה”?

A: Relations in the manner of intercourse, as defined elsewhere regarding a woman.

18:23 — Relations with Animals

Q2. What does “תֶּבֶל הוּא” mean according to Rashi?

A:

• It denotes depravity involving prostitution, incest, or adultery, or
• The unnatural mixing of human seed with animal seed.

18:24 — Defilement of the Nations

Q3. Why are Israel warned not to defile themselves with these acts?

A: Because the nations of Canaan were defiled by all these actions.

18:25 — The Land Becomes Defiled

Q4. What does it mean that the land “became defiled”?

A: The land cannot tolerate such sins and therefore expelled its inhabitants.

18:28 — The Land Vomits

Q5. How does Rashi explain “וְלֹא תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם”?

A: Like a prince who eats something disgusting and vomits it out, so too the Land of Israel expels sinners.

18:29 — “The Souls Who Do These”

Q6. What is learned from “הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָעֹשׂוֹת”?

A: It includes both the male and the female participants.

18:30 — Safeguarding God’s Charge

Q7. Why is “וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּי” added?

A: To oblige the court to enforce these prohibitions.

Q8. What does “וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם” imply?

A: If you become defiled by them, you undermine your special relationship with God and incur annihilation.

📘 Rashi Q&A — Vayikra 19:1–14

19:2 — “You Shall Be Holy”

Q9. Why was this passage said to all Israel assembled?

A: Because most fundamental principles of the Torah depend upon it.

Q10. What does “קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ” mean according to Rashi?

A: To be separated from forbidden relations and from sin generally.

19:3 — Fear of Parents and Sabbath

Q11. Why does Scripture say “אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ”?

A:

• Simply: each person must fear both parents.
• Midrashically: women are also obligated, but men are emphasized because they are more able to fulfill it.

Q12. Why is the mother mentioned before the father here?

A: Because a child naturally fears his father more.

Q13. Why is the Sabbath mentioned next to fearing parents?

A: To teach that even a parent may not command violating Shabbat.

19:4 — Turning to Idols

Q14. What does “אַל־תִּפְנוּ אֶל־הָאֱלִילִם” mean?

A: Do not even turn your thoughts toward idol worship.

Q15. What does “אֱלִילִים” imply?

A: Things that are nothing, worthless.

19:5–8 — Peace‑Offerings

Q16. What is taught by “לִרְצֹנְכֶם תִּזְבָּחֻהוּ”?

A:

• Plain meaning: slaughter it to gain God’s favor.
• Rabbinic: slaughter must be intentional, not accidental.

Q17. To what case does verse 7 “וְאִם הֵאָכֹל יֵאָכֵל” apply?

A: A sacrifice slaughtered with intention to eat it outside its permitted place.

Q18. What does “פִּגּוּל” mean?

A: Something despicable or contemptible.

19:9–10 — Gifts to the Poor

Q19. What is “פְּאַת שָׂדְךָ”?

A: The corner of the field that must be left unharvested.

Q20. What defines “לֶקֶט”?

A: One or two stalks that fall; three together are permitted to collect.

Q21. What are “עוֹלֵלוֹת”?

A: Undeveloped grape clusters lacking both shoulder and drip.

Q22. Why does the verse end “אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם”?

A: To warn that God exacts punishment personally for oppressing the poor.

19:11–13 — Theft and Falsehood

Q23. What kind of theft is prohibited by “לֹא תִּגְנֹבוּ”?

A: Theft of money, not kidnapping.

Q24. Why are denial, lying, and swearing listed together?

A: Because theft leads to denial, denial to lying, and lying to false oaths.

19:14 — The Deaf and the Blind

Q25. Why prohibit cursing a deaf person specifically?

A: To show the ban applies even when the victim cannot hear, and only to the living.

Q26. What does “לִפְנֵי עִוֵּר” mean according to Rashi?

A: One must not give misleading advice to someone unaware of the situation.

Q27. Why does the verse say “וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶיךָ”?

A: Because only God knows the true intention behind such actions.