4

In a recent Torah reading, it talked about the daughters of Zelophehad choosing to marry within their tribe, in order to keep their father's inheritance within his tribe.

The guest rabbi, whom I heard recently, mentioned something to the effect that that particular Torah command, of the women commanded to marry within their tribe, was only a mitzvah "for that generation and not to be repeated from generation to generation".

My question, which are directed to those who know the Gemara, Mishna, Halacha, etc., is:

What other Torah commands are there, if any, that were only meant "for that generation and not to be repeated from generation to generation"?

ninamag
  • 43
  • 10
  • 24
  • 2
    Putting blood on doorposts on erev pesach. Attacking the Midianites. The Miluim offerings. Speaking to rocks. – Double AA Aug 13 '17 at 20:01
  • I agree (my idea was also about the attacking the Midianites, as being only for that generation), but I would like a Jewish bibliographic source stating these. – ninamag Aug 13 '17 at 20:03
  • 1
    I don't have all the sources but Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvos Shoresh 3 lists some that didn't apply for all times, attacking the Bahag who lists some of them in his list of the taryag. – robev Aug 13 '17 at 20:25
  • 1
    While hard to understand, the Ramban in the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar claims that all the commandments in Sefer Bamidbar are either explanations of mitzvot given earlier, or only applicable to the generation in the Desert. – Menachem Aug 13 '17 at 21:32
  • The paradigmatic example of Binyan Av from two sources at the beginning of Sifra says that anything with the word "tzav" applies for all generations. Raavad (I think) understands it to mean all Torah laws, but the "pshat of the drash" limits it to "tzav" commandments. – Josh Aug 13 '17 at 22:58
  • @Menachem Thank you. Did Ramban in reference to Sefer Bamidbar say exactly which commands were "only applicable to the generation in the Desert"? Please put a link here where one can read your reference. – ninamag Aug 14 '17 at 04:30
  • @Josh Thank you. Please put a link here where one can read your reference. – ninamag Aug 14 '17 at 04:30
  • @robev Thank you. Please put a link here where one can read your reference on "Rambam in Sefer Hamitzvos Shoresh". – ninamag Aug 14 '17 at 04:40
  • here's the link to the Ramban: https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.1.1?lang=bi&with=Ramban&lang2=en – Menachem Aug 14 '17 at 04:53
  • also, this question is related to yours: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/61397/why-is-a-female-heiress-allowed-to-marry-out-of-the-tribe – Menachem Aug 14 '17 at 04:55
  • @Menachem Thank you for the links, both helpful. In regards to the link to the Ramban, would you kindly let me know under which Chapters and verses (or which Chapter and verse) can one read Ramban's commentary that suggests as you said, "Ramban in the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar claims that all the commandments in Sefer Bamidbar are ... only applicable to the generation in the Desert"? – ninamag Aug 14 '17 at 05:27
  • 1
    Ramban Bamidbar 1:1. I linked directly to it – Menachem Aug 14 '17 at 05:30
  • @Menachem Thanks. " ואין בספר הזה מצוות נוהגות לדורות, זולתי קצת מצוות בעניני הקרבנות שהתחיל בהן בספר הכהנים, " ("There are no mitzvot in this book that are customary for generations, except for a few mitzvot concerning the sacrifices that were instituted in the book of the Kohanim"). A powerful statement (if other authorities can back it up). Now I need to see the Taryag, how many of the 613 came from Sefer Bamidbar (minus the "few mitzvot concerning the sacrifices") and I suppose (if Ramban is not to be challenged??), then I got my answer (at least a big part of the answer). – ninamag Aug 14 '17 at 05:48
  • Which book in the Tanach is Ramban referring to when he wrote "Sefer HaKohanim"? – ninamag Aug 14 '17 at 06:31
  • Vayikra -- http://www.tanach.org/vayikra/vayik0.htm – Menachem Aug 14 '17 at 07:02
  • @ninamag You can find Raavad's long commentary on Binyan Av starting here: http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=38442&st=&pgnum=12 , and specifically, two pages later, he says דהא תנא לכל התורה יליף מנרות ושילוח טמאים, שיהו מיד ולדורות. ולא לאותם פרשיות בלבד שכתוב בהן "צו" אלא לכל המצות שבתורה שהן קרויין מצוות. – Josh Aug 22 '17 at 11:32
  • I think an interesting followup question would be "How do we know whether a Torah law is intended for all generations or just one?" – SAH May 04 '18 at 12:33
  • @SAH can you verify that this question has not been asked? And if you are hinting that I should ask such a question, I would be happy to. – ninamag May 13 '18 at 12:37

0 Answers0