1) Ch. 1, v. 17: "Lo soguru mipnei ish" - Fear not a man - This is a warning for a judge to not fear a threatening litigant. When may a judge bow out because he fears one of the litigants?
2) Ch. 1, v. 17: "V’hadovor asher yiksheh mi'kem takrivun ei'lai ushmativ" - And the matter that will be difficult for you you should bring to my attention and I will hear it out - Rashi (Sifri) says that because of Moshe’s stating that he is capable of handling even the most difficult of cases the ruling of the inheritance of the daughters of Tzelofchod alluded him. The gemara Sanhedrin likewise says that Moshe was punished for this. The gemara then asks, "Why say that Moshe was haughty? He did not say 'V'ashmi'achem,' I will surely respond. He only said 'ushmativ,' I will hear it out. If I don't know the ruling, I will have to be taught." The gemara therefore concludes that it was in the merit of the daughters of Tzelofchod that the rulings of inheritance came through them.
At first glance this gemara seems to disagree with Rashi (Sifri). How can we reconcile this?
3) Ch. 1, v. 37: "Biglalchem" – Because of you – Although we are in the middle of words of rebuke, how can we interpret these words to be positive and beneficial?
4) Ch. 2, v. 17: "Va'y'da'beir Hashem ei'lai leimore" – Rashi d.h. "Va'y'hi/Va'y'da'beir" writes that it is only after the people mentioned in verse 16 died that Hashem communicated with Moshe with a caring expression, "va'y'da'beir.' From the time of sending the spies until their death the bnei Yisroel were reproved, and in turn the expression of communication with Moshe was also one of reproach, "va'yomer."
Rashi himself says the exact opposite on Bmidbar 12:1 in d.h. "Vat'da'beir." He says that "dibur" is a harsh expression, as in "di'ber ho'ish adonei ho'oretz itonu koshos" (Breishis 42:30), while "amiroh" is a soft expression, as in "va'yomar al noh achai to'rei'u" (Breishis 19:7).
5) Ch. 2, v. 27: "Ba'derech ba'derech eileich" – On the path on the path I will go – Why the repetition?
Important Numbers
