Mefarshim 

📘 Parsha Insights – Rashi Commentary Q&A

📜 Covenant Assembly 1. Q: What does Rashi learn from “Atem nitzavim hayom” (You are standing today)? A: That Moshe gathered all of Israel on the day of his death to enter them into the covenant 📅🤝

👑 Order of Honor 2. Q: How does Rashi explain “Rasheichem shivteichem” (Your heads, your tribes)? A: It means “the heads of your tribes,” listing the most important first, then ending with “every Israelite man” 🏅📋

🪵💧 Woodcutters & Water-Drawers 3. Q: What does Rashi say about “From your woodcutter to your water-drawer”? A: That Canaanites converted in Moshe’s time, like the Gibeonites in Yehoshua’s time, and were assigned these roles 🪓🚰

🚶‍♂️ Passing Through the Covenant 4. Q: How does Rashi interpret “Le’avr’cha bivrit” (to enter the covenant)? A: It refers to the ancient practice of passing between two partitions or halves of an animal as part of a covenant ✂️🐂

🌅 Words of Comfort 5. Q: Why is “Atem nitzavim” placed after the curses, according to Rashi’s Midrash? A: To reassure Israel that despite angering Hashem many times, they still stand firm before Him, like the day that overcomes darkness 🌞🌑

🔄 Leadership Transition 6. Q: What other reason does Rashi give for assembling the people? A: Because they were moving from Moshe’s leadership to Yehoshua’s, and Moshe wanted to inspire them—just as Yehoshua and Shmuel did before their deaths 🪖📜

👶 Future Generations 7. Q: Who are “those who are not here with us today” in Rashi’s view? A: Future generations of Jews, who are equally bound by the covenant as those physically present 🍼📜

📦 Idolatry Awareness 1. Q: Why does Rashi say Moshe reminds them “for you know how we dwelt in Egypt”? A: Because they saw the idolatry of the nations, and someone might be tempted to follow them, so Moshe warns them with an oath 🏺⚠️

📦 Loathsome Idols 2. Q: What does “shikutzayhem” (loathsome idols) mean in Rashi? A: Idols are called “loathsome” because they are repulsive like disgusting creatures 🐍🚫

📦 Repugnant Idols 3. Q: How does Rashi explain “gilluleihem” (repugnant idols)? A: From “galal” (dung) — foul and disgusting like excrement 💩❌

📦 Wood & Stone vs. Silver & Gold 4. Q: Why were wood and stone idols seen openly, but silver and gold ones hidden? A: Non‑Jews weren’t afraid wood/stone would be stolen, but hid precious metals in chambers 🪵💎

📦 Perhaps There is Among You 5. Q: What does “pen yesh bachem” mean? A: “Perhaps there is among you” — a warning that some may turn their hearts away from the covenant 🕵️‍♂️💔

📦 Heart Straying Today 6. Q: How does Rashi explain “whose heart is straying today”? A: From accepting the covenant upon himself — already turning away 🚶‍♂️↩️

📦 Root Producing Bitter Herbs 7. Q: What is “shoresh poreh rosh v’la’anah” in Rashi? A: A root producing bitter herbs like wormwood — nurturing wickedness 🌱☠️

📦 Blessing Himself in His Heart 8. Q: What does “v’hitbarech bilvavo” mean? A: He imagines himself blessed with peace, thinking curses won’t touch him 🛌😌

📦 Following the Heart 10. Q: What does “b’shrirut libi eilech” mean? A: “I follow what my heart sees fit to do” — acting on personal desire 👁️❤️

📦 Adding Drunk to Thirsty 11. Q: How does Rashi explain “l’maan s’fot haravah et hatzme’ah”? A: Hashem will add unintentional sins (“drunk”) to intentional ones (“thirsty”) for punishment 🍷💧

📦 Drunk vs. Thirsty 12. Q: What are “haravah” and “hatzme’ah” in Rashi? A: “Drunk” = unintentional sins; “Thirsty” = deliberate sins 🍺🔥

📦 Hashem Will Not Forgive 13. Q: Why will Hashem not forgive such a person? A: Because of arrogant, willful rebellion — it provokes divine fury ❌🔥

📦 God’s Nose Will Smoke 14. Q: What does “ye’ashan af Hashem” mean? A: A metaphor — like human anger causing heat and “smoke” from the nose 🌫️😠

📦 His Zeal 15. Q: How does Rashi explain “kin’ato”? A: Fury — “enprenement” in Old French — taking up the attire of vengeance 🗡️

📦 Masculine vs. Feminine “This” 16. Q: Why is it “ha’zeh” here but “ha’zot” earlier? A: Earlier it referred to “Torah” (feminine), here to “Sefer” (masculine) 📖⚖️

📦 Foreign Deities 17. Q: What does “lo yeda’um” mean? A: They never saw any divine power in them — no true godliness 🛑🪆

📦 Not Assigned to Them 18. Q: How does Rashi explain “lo chalak lahem”? A: Hashem didn’t give them these deities as their portion; Onkelos — they gave no benefit 🎁🚫

📦 God Uprooted Them 19. Q: What is “vayit’shem” in Rashi? A: As Onkelos: “He banished them” — like “to pluck them up” 🌪️🏚️

📦 Hidden vs. Revealed Sins 20. Q: What does Rashi teach about “hanistarot laHashem… haniglot lanu”? A: Hidden sins are judged by Hashem alone; revealed sins are our communal responsibility — but only after entering the covenant at Mount Gerizim/Eival 🏔️