TorahTutors.org Blog

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

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph כ״ח באייר ה׳תשפ״א (May 10, 2021)

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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Learning Our Way to Shavuot: Pirkei Avot Chapter 5

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph כ״ה באייר ה׳תשפ״א (May 7, 2021)

**May our Torah study serve as a merit for the speedy recovery of those injured over the past week and for the souls of those lost. ** There is a widespread custom to study a chapter of Pirkei Avot – a popular and particularly accessible tractate of Mishna – each week between Pesach and…

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A Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit About Mothers, Prayer, and Boots

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph כ״ב באייר ה׳תשפ״א (May 4, 2021)

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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Learning Our Way to Shavuot: Pirkei Avot Chapter 4

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph י״ח באייר ה׳תשפ״א (April 30, 2021)

**May our Torah study serve as a merit for the speedy recovery of those injured last night in Meron and for the souls of those killed. ** There is a widespread custom to study a chapter of Pirkei Avot – a popular and particularly accessible tractate of Mishna – each week between Pesach and…

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A Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit About Grammar and Sheep

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph ט״ו באייר ה׳תשפ״א (April 27, 2021)

An adult TorahTutors student was interested in building skills to learn biblical commentaries on her own but had very limited Hebrew, so her tutor found ways to incorporate both basic Hebrew language study and an introduction to classical commentaries. Part of the strategy involved finding examples of each Hebrew lesson in the text of…

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Learning Our Way to Shavuot: Pirkei Avot Chapter 3

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph י״א באייר ה׳תשפ״א (April 23, 2021)

There is a widespread custom to study a chapter of Pirkei Avot – a popular and particularly accessible tractate of Mishna – each week between Pesach and Shavuot. Known in English as Ethics of Our Fathers, Pirkei Avot contains many teachings that go beyond the letter of the law, offering guidance on character development that…

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A Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit About Connections

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph ח׳ באייר ה׳תשפ״א (April 20, 2021)

Whether learning in person or online, it’s important to help students connect to what they learn in a variety of ways. One TorahTutors tutor recently did just that. In the course of learning the story of Chana, including her prayers before and after the birth of Shmuel, the tutor shared a song with Chana’s beautiful…

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Learning Our Way to Shavuot: Pirkei Avot Chapter 2

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph ד׳ באייר ה׳תשפ״א (April 16, 2021)

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A Tuesday Torah Tidbit About Outlandish Cases

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph א׳ באייר ה׳תשפ״א (April 13, 2021)

The Gemara in Nedarim (45a) indicates that one can declare an item “hefker” (ownerless) only if there are three people present. (One to potentially take ownership of the item, and two to witness.) This rule raises questions about an aecdote in Bava Metzia 30b: R’ Yishmael, the son of Rabbi Yosi, encountered a man who…

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Learning Our Way to Shavuot: Pirkei Avot Chapter 1

UncategorizedBy Sarah Rudolph כ״ז בניסן ה׳תשפ״א (April 9, 2021)

There is a widespread custom in some communities to study a chapter of Pirkei Avot – a popular and particularly accessible tractate of Mishna – each week between Pesach and Shavuot. Known in English as Ethics of Our Fathers, Pirkei Avot contains many teachings that go beyond the letter of the law, offering guidance on…

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