How Moshe killed the Giant I P’ Chukas

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Rabbi Aaron L Raskin’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

Does Judaism believe in giants? And how does one slay a giant? In the end of the portion of Chukas, we are told that Og Melech HaBashan, Og the king of Bashan, came out to wage war against Moses. And God tells Moses, "Al yirah Moshe amoisha." Verse number 34, "Al tira oiso." Do not be afraid of this giant. "Ki v'yadcha nasati oiso." Because I will place him into your hand. Verse 35, "Vayak oiso." And they smote him. "V'es banav v'es kol amav v'es kol artzo ad bil'ti hishir lo sarid." Until none remained. >> [clears throat] >> Now, in verse 35, it says, "Vayak oiso." They translate this in the English, "They smote him." But in truth, Rashi says something very different. Rashi says, "Vayak oiso." Who killed the giant? Says Rashi, "Moshe hargo." It was Moses alone that fought the giant and killed this giant. And he concludes, "K'dei is b'Brachos b'Roya." As we find in the tractate in the Talmud Brachos in the chapter of Roya. And if you want to look it up yourself, it's page 54 side B. And there the Gemara says, "Okar tura b'arba telasei parsi." That Og Melech HaBashan lifted up a mountain. And he wanted to throw this mountain and smash and kill every single Jew. That is what the Gemara says. So, Moshe Rabbeinu killed this giant. Yet, the verse says, "Vayak and they killed him." Comes the question to mind, why the verse says "Vayyakuhu" in the plural when really it actually tells us it's the singular. And he proves it from the Gemara.

Jump to a moment

1. 0:00Does Judaism believe in giants? And how does one slay a giant? In the end of…
2. 1:39Og Melech HaBashan lifted up a mountain. And he wanted to throw this mountain and smash…
3. 3:45going? We are told in the Torah that at the beginning of time there were angels…
4. 5:58He's afraid. Now, he wasn't afraid till now. He wasn't afraid of Sichon, he wasn't afraid…
5. 8:086 months before they actually entered into the land of Israel. And they need to conquer…
6. 10:20Rabbeinu killed him. How did he do this? The Gemara continues. Og Melech Bashan, this giant…
7. 11:53The letters Og, aleph, ayin, gimel, equals 73, implying that he had within him a tremendous…
8. 13:56released after torture and tremendous tremendous pain and suffering on the 13th day of the month…
9. 16:02he would take out the handkerchief around his hand because the soul can leave the body.…
10. 18:04That was the end of the story. The Hasidim got the hint that the Rebbe is…

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