Parshas Re'eh: Rabbi Akiva Eiger Unmasks The Baal HaTurim's Mystery Women
"Ki Yakum BiKirbicha Navi; When there will be among you a False Navi who will tell you to worship Avodah Zara...This False Navi shall be put to death." The Baal Haturim states on the words," BiKirbicha" - It is the same Gematria as "Zeh HaIshah" - "This is referring to the woman". What's the pshat in this puzzling Baal Haturim?
Rabbi Akiva Eiger explains that in the time of the Baal Haturim there were many missionaries who were trying to convince the Jews that Christianity was the correct religion. They even went as far as bringing proofs from the Torah. To refute this, the Baal Haturim said that the words "BiKirbicha Navi" has the same Gematria as "Zeh HaIshah UBnah" - in the parsha of Navi Sheker (A False Navi) it alludes to "The woman and her son" - referring to Yoshkeh and his mother. The censors got a hold of this Baal Haturim and took out the word "UBnah" and that's why it only said, "Zeh HaIshah". Later this whole Baal Haturim was removed and can only be found in old manuscripts.
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