A Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit About How Individuals Take and Are Taken

This week’s parsha opens with the enigmatic phrase “???? ???” – “and Korach took” (Bamidbar 16:1). Commentators and midrashic texts offer a number of approaches to understanding whether Korach was taker and/or taken, and if taken, who or what “took” him. Despite the challenging wording of the verse, a TorahTutors student learned how it could…

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A Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit About The Problem with Shimshon (and Shoftim)

After last week’s Shavuot hiatus, check out this Tuesday TorahTutors (Teen) Tidbit:   A teenaged TorahTutors student was asked to share thoughts on Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 67:12. She wrote (slightly edited):   This Midrash frames Yaakov in contrast with Shimshon. Basically, Yaakov listened to his father when he said not to marry foreign women, while…

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A “Tuesday” TorahTutors Tidbit on Monday – Special for Yom Yerushalayim

A TorahTutors student learned in the Gemara (Pesachim 117a; Steinsaltz translation/commentary from Sefaria): The Prophets among them established this hallel for the Jewish people, that they should recite it on every appropriate occasion; and for every trouble, may it not come upon them, they recite the supplications included in hallel. When they are redeemed, they recite it over their redemption, as hallel includes expressions of gratitude…

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A Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit About Mothers, Prayer, and Boots

It’s always special when family members share Torah learning. One mother-daughter pair learned about prayer with TorahTutors. They studied texts exploring the origins and experience of Jewish prayer, as well as technical details like the nature of the obligation to pray and the preferred structure of prayer: praise, request, and thanksgiving. Their tutor helped them…

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