A pre-teen TorahTutors student had a bit of a déjà vu moment when learning the story of Creation. After working through the six days, she and her tutor reached the seventh day and discussed the idea of active rest. The student read the pesukim about Shabbat slowly, while translating – and knew they sounded familiar,…
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A young TorahTutors student learning the weekly Torah portion saw the tribe of Levi demonstrate certain character traits in multiple contexts. In last week’s parsha (Vayechi), Yaakov cursed Levi’s anger and indicated that the tribe would be dispersed (Bereishit 49:7) – seemingly as punishment for Levi’s vengeance. At the same time, some see a positive…
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An adult TorahTutors student wanted to learn about hair-covering for women, straight from the sources, and to develop her textual skills. One of the primary sources is the Gemara’s discussion of whether the requirement is on the level of Torah obligation or of Dat Yehudit – a category of established practices that women have accepted…
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A TorahTutors session included study of a midrash (Sifra Kedoshim 9:12) that addresses the (or a) fundamental nature and perhaps even purpose of religious commandments, as well as more individual questions of what makes for true piety: “Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said: How do we know a person should not say ‘I do not want…
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The Gemara (Arachin 10a-10b) lists Chanukah as one of the occasions (8 of the days) on which Hallel is recited. Though the holiday is not distinguished in the way some others are – not by being called a “mo’ed” in the Torah (as it is a Rabbinic holiday) nor by an overall prohibition against doing “work”…
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A pre-Thanksgiving Tuesday TorahTutors Tidbit: Real Torah, from real TorahTutors sessions. A TorahTutors student learning the Song of Deborah (Judges 5), with the help of commentaries, followed the prophetess’s descriptions of who did and didn’t help in the battle against Sisera. Deborah commends the tribes who sent soldiers and reproaches those who didn’t, emphasizes how…
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The Mishna in Bava Metzia lists several types of finds that one would be allowed to keep, including scattered fruits or scattered money, small bundles of wheat, loaves made by a professional baker, and others (2:1). These are contrasted with parallel items listed in the next mishna (2:2), which one must publicize and return –…
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A TorahTutors student exploring the relationship between Yaakov and Rachel was intrigued to discover a range of ideas about the relevance of beauty in this and other biblical relationships. On one hand, the Midrash Tanchuma (Vayetze 6) states, “There is no one more beautiful than Rachel, and because of her beauty, Yaakov sought to marry…
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It’s Tuesday and time for another #TuesdayTorahTutorsTidbit: Real Torah, from real TorahTutors sessions. An adult TorahTutors student exploring various characterizations in Tanach learned that Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch has this to say about this week’s parsha: “That Isaac’s sympathies were more inclined towards Esau, Rebecca’s to Jacob can moreover easily be explained by the attraction…
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In this review that posted yesterday, Sarah Rudolph, Director of TorahTutors, commemorates the third anniversary of the Pittsburgh shooting with thoughts on a powerful collection of essays by local writers. This is not really a book about the victims, though most of the writers share at least something about at least some of them. It…
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