A TorahTutors student was going on an extended family vacation and in lieu of a session, her parents requested material she could learn independently while away, to review with her tutor upon their return. (Note: This one is a throwback tidbit, pre-pandemic and travel concerns.) They were learning Parshat Re’eh at the time, and the…
What is the proper frame of mind with which to approach the Days of Awe, from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur? Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are both holidays that fit the Talmudic criteria to recite Hallel (Arakhin 10b); however, the joyous prayer is deemed inappropriate for the time of judgement. Rabbi Abahu relates, “The…
It’s the last Tuesday in the Jewish month of Elul; time for a TorahTutors Teruah* Tidbit! (*teruah = shofar sound that starts with a “t”) A young student and her tutor began reviewing laws and customs of Rosh Hashanah by discussing the symbolic foods they each eat on Rosh Hashana, such as apple and honey…
Recently, a new adult student joined TorahTutors with the goal of exploring the weekly parsha in more depth. He prefaced his first learning session last week by sending his new tutor two questions he was struggling with after reading that week’s parsha (Ki Tavo) on his own. His questions, paraphrased, were: (Deut. 26:10) “A land…
A young TorahTutors student was interested in connecting more deeply with Jewish prayer, and asked her tutor if they could explore the meaning of Shema. After clearing the topic with the girl’s parents, the tutor guided her to read through each of the three Torah passages recited as part of Kriyat Shema and to find…
The Talmud (Bava Batra 91a) records a view that Ivtzan, a lesser-known leader from the Book of Judges (12:8), is actually Boaz, of Book of Ruth fame. One TorahTutors session included discussion of how different commentaries relate to this tradition on different levels. Ralbag, for instance, suggests simply that the tradition is rooted in the…
TorahTutors was pleased to be a silver sponsor of the 2020 Torah Home Education conference this past Sunday. Jewish homeschooling has long been popular with many families, and the option is seeing increased interest because of the uncertainties surrounding school reopenings during the Covid-19 pandemic. TorahTutors has the tools to provide valuable support to families…
A TorahTutors student learning Parshat Shoftim explored the conflicting views of Rambam and Ramban regarding the prohibition of various forms of sorcery and fortunetelling. As a fan of Rick Riordan who had recently read a series of his that emphasized the importance of oracles, she related particularly to Ramban’s portrayal of understandable human interest in…
Rambam stresses in the fifth chapter of Shemoneh Perakim that one should always be focused on the goal of contemplating God to the best of human ability, directing all of one’s pursuits towards that goal. On one hand, this single-mindedness might imply a sparse, minimalist existence, cutting out any type of physical enjoyment. On the…
Finding deeper meaning in calendrical and geographic technicalities: The Mishna in Taanit (1:3) records two opinions about the appropriate date on which to begin praying for rain in Israel: The first view is that prayers should begin on the 3rd of Marcheshvan, the official start of the rainy season; Rabban Gamliel, however, says to wait…