Re: What if
Hillel E. Markowitz (hem@icf.hrb.com)
Thu, 12 Sep 1996 23:43:22 -0400 (EDT)
On Mon, 9 Sep 1996, SAK2120@aol.com wrote:
> I have been wondering about several "what ifs," in the Torah. 1) We find
that
> Moshe's Father-in-Law, Yisro (Jethro), gives Moshe advice about delegating
> authority since Moshe had been sitting alone & judging between fellow Jews
>
> 2) When the jewish people were told to keep Passover in the desert and
[deleted to save space]
> bring the korban Pesach (Paschal lamb), (of which only the 1st year of the
> which they'd bring their lamb a month later after being purified. What if
> they hadn't asked? Would there have been a Pesach Sheni or not? Would
there
> have been less than 613 mitzvos or would it have been given anyway?
>
> 3) Finally, the daughters of Tzlafchad approached Moshe in the desert and
told > him that their father died having sired only daughters. The law of
> inheritence up to that point stated that only sons would inherit the land.
I have seen commentaries who explain (especially in the last two cases) that
Hashem waited until the question was asked in order to reward the people
who came forward by attaching the mitzvah to their name. That is, the
mitzvah would have been given that way anyway. However, because the
people involved demonstrated their devotion, they received the reward of
having a mitzvah given through them.
| Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz | Im ain ani li, mi li? |
| H.E.Markowitz@hrb.com | V'ahavta L'raiecha kamocha |