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 –…
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…
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…
A young TorahTutors student met his new tutor and got right to work on the Hebrew alphabet and sounds of the letters. His tutor designed interactive ways to build letter recognition and even wrote an original story about how Aleph, sad without a discernable sound of its own, met Patach and learned to say “aahhh.”…
A small group of TorahTutors students concluded their study of Mishna Berachot with a series of rules in mishna 9:5, including the concept of invoking God’s Name when greeting others. Though this practice could be said to disrespect the Divine, the mishna finds precedents in Boaz’s greeting to the harvesters he passed (“God is with…
A TorahTutors student learned three explanations for Avraham’s journeys at the beginning of Parshat Lech Lecha. The first is from Bechor Shor, who suggests that God wanted Avraham to tour the country and see what a tremendous gift He was giving him by promising “I will give this land to your offspring.” She also learned…
After several weeks of Tuesday holidays, TuesdayTorahTutorsTidbits are back with more real Torah from real TorahTutors sessions. A TorahTutors student learned that Chizkuni raises a question he thinks answers itself: “One should not question and say, ‘Since everything is disclosed before Him, how could He create [Man] to sin?’ Behold, fear of Heaven is not…
Judges 10:6 opens what seems like just another round of the cycle that runs through much of the book: sin, punishment via foreign oppressors, crying out to G-d, salvation via a new “Judge,” repeat. However, several commentaries suggest that the cries to God in this instance fall short of the sort of true repentance that…
A TorahTutors student explored the question of what attitudes a bent or straight posture might convey and which would be more conducive to getting into the mood of Rosh Hashanah. The Shulchan Aruch (siman 586) rules that a shofar used on Rosh Hashana should be from a ram and should be bent. Under extenuating circumstances,…
We are now in the month of Elul, when there is a widespread custom to recite Psalm 27. This psalm is one of many that states explicitly it was written by King David, poet and musician extraordinaire – among other qualities. One TorahTutors student, a recent high school graduate with an affinity for music herself,…