Reai

The first one is in Sheni, Perek Yud Bet, Pasuk Kafchet.

Shemor v'shamata et kol ha'devarim ha'ele asher ha'nochi metzaveka.

L'ma n'itav lecha u'lvanekha charechad olam, ki ta'aseh ha'to v'hayashar be'ynei Adonai Elohecha.

The first two words of that pasuk are shemar v'shamata, where v'shamata is milrah.

Ariella, you made a mistake and said v'shamata.

What's the difference between v'shamata and v'shamata?

That is a great question, and I'm going to pass the microphone back to you for a detailed explanation.

With verbs in the perfect, when we have the Vav consecutive, the stress moves forward.

Shamata becomes vishamata with the Vav consecutive.

The meaning changes accordingly.

If you said shemar vishamata, you mean observe and you listened, which of course doesn't make sense in context.

It's shemar vishamata, observe and listen.

Now back to you, Ariella.

Why is this a favorite Pasuk?

I like the ending of the Aliyah where it says, which I think is very different than a lot of times when we hear meaning doing what's right and only then do what's good versus here where it's flipped and it says do what's right and what's good in the eyes of God.

And I think that that's a really beautiful lesson to do also what's good and not only what's right.

Oh, that's really very nice.