One of our amazing tutors recently heard from a former student. They hadn’t learned together since the student switched schools, but she was on break and wanted to use some of that free time to learn with her TorahTutors tutor. Because of course she did. Because that’s how great our tutors are. 😉 Although their…
Natanya Mann, TorahTutors tutor extraordinaire, writes: Last Thursday, I had the great opportunity to participate in a siyum, a celebration at the end of a unit of Torah study, with my wonderful student, Tamar, marking the completion of our study of Pirkei Avot. Every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, Tamar has been taking time from her…
One of our tutors shared some poignant and timely real Torah thoughts just after yesterday’s real TorahTutors session: In the book of Yehoshua, the character of Pinchas ben Elazar (known for his violent zealotry in Bamidbar 25) re-emerges onto the scene in the role of a mediator, and successfully averts a civil war amongst different…
Over the first days of Sukkot, a TorahTutors student read an original poem, in the style of Dr. Seuss, about the rules of Sukkot and the building of a sukkah, which included the following lines: …You can build it in an alley You can build it in a valley (You shouldn’t build it in a…
A Tuesday TorahTutors tidbit for the upcoming holiday of Sukkot; real Torah, from real TorahTutors sessions. Many Jewish thinkers have offered many beautiful ideas to explain the meaning of the mitzvah of the Four Species. One TorahTutors tutor shared this one with her students: The lulav represents the spine, which connects to our brain and…
It’s Tuesday, and we have a brand-new #TuesdayTorahTutorsTidbit for you! Real Torah, from real TorahTutors sessions. One of the great things about individualized learning is seeing how the same body of Torah can be adapted and enjoyed with so many different individuals, on different levels. One tutor recently took two students – one a pre-teen,…
Any biblical passage has multiple layers of meaning – or meanings – to uncover. A teenage TorahTutors student saw one example in the middle of Eicha, which will be read on Tisha B’Av tomorrow night. Chapter 3 verses 37-38 contain the following words – presented without punctuation: Who this said and it was God didn’t…
Every day – or rather, on the days when I let my kids have some time to play computer games or watch videos online (not quite every day) – they start their computer time by checking what “Day” it is. I’m not sure how it happened that so many days are Days – National Day…
A special Tuesday TorahTutors tidbit in honor of July 4th – Independence Day in the United States, where many of our students and tutors live or have lived. Real Torah, from real TorahTutors sessions. A number of TorahTutors students have spent time with us learning the book of Shoftim (Judges), whose themes include the need…
It’s Tuesday, and we have a TuesdayTorahTutorsTidbit hot off the WebEx class! Real Torah, from real TorahTutors sessions. A TorahTutors student learning Mishna discovered recently that Berachot 5:1 says not to interrupt while saying the Amidah: “Even if the king greets him, he should not respond; and even if a snake is wrapped on his…