Parsha discussion

Question:  In the incident of בעל פעור, why does nobody listen to the instructions of הקב״ה or משה? Approach: We can suggest that even before משה could get the word out to the people, the incident of the "man and woman" occurred, stunning everyone into paralysis, except for פינחס. And once that incident ended, the women quickly ran off and there was no need to take further drastic action - as evidenced by the ending of the plague. As such, the purpose of the instructions was met, even if not in the originally intended manner.

Question:  Why do we need to know about the song of the מושלים regarding the conquest of מואב by סיחון? Approach: We can suggest that the glee with which the מושלים sing shows just how mighty סיחון was and that just increases our appreciation of the miracle of the Israelite victory over סיחון.

Question:  18:17 If these בכורים need to be קורבנות, why does 18:15 allow them to be redeemed? Approach : we could understand that the reference to the בהמה טמאה in 18:15 is the donkey, as per the rules in פרשת בא. Alternatively, we can explain the reference is indeed to ox, sheep and goats - but they can only be redeemed if טמאים (or, more realistically, since live animals cannot become טמא, otherwise unfit for a קורבן).

Question:  Why are the חטאות not mentioned together with those in פרשת ויקרא? Approach: We could suggest that this particular ritual relates to the חטא המרגלים that precedes the command and relates specifically to that sort of transgression. And perhaps the nation as a whole needed כפרה in this manner for going against the command to go up to ארץ כנען when commanded, but were considered שוגגים since they themselves hadn't been to the land and come to their own conclusions.

Question:  11:30 implies that משה and the זקנים had been outside the camp. Yet previously they had gathered outside the (אהל (מועד? Approach: the simplest explanation appears to be that the term מחנה relates to the area where the various tribes camped, excluding the inner circle of the אהל מועד and where the לויים lived. As such, משה and the זקנים had indeed been in the inner circle, and were now returning to the rest of the tribes, presumably to start their jobs of assisting to lead the people.