Winter Break #8

When a family member is sick, who else has to deal with challenges?

Winter break Day #6 - 10th of Tevet

While there is no Mitzvah for a child to fast (nor should they), it is important to know why the 10th of Tevet was dedicated as a fast say.

Who was Ezra HaSofer?

Who was King Yechaniya?

What was the Targum Shivim?

How bad was the siege of Yerushalayim (may it be rebuild in our days)?

Winter Break Day #5

1) What does it mean to be redeemed?

2) How can we achieve personal redemption?

Filmed winter break 2016

Winter Break day #4

1) What is "our Father"?

2) When do we use this term in Tefilah?

Video from winter 2016.

Winter Break #2

1) What is knowledge?

2) Why do we ask for this at the beginning of the Amidah?

Winter Break #1

1) What is Holiness?

2) How do we bring Holiness to the world around us?

Thanksgiving!

Back from the Dead?

1) What do you imagine is the greatest display of power for Hashem to do?

2) Have you ever seen such power?

Erev Thanksgiving!

What is the Tefilah that we call Shemoneh Esrei? 

1) What are the three parts of Shemoneh Esrei?

2) If the first Bracha is about the Avot, why do we only say Magen Avraham?

פרשת שופטים

Summer Torah for פרשת שופטים

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions on the week’s Parsha:

1) The תורה tells us that we need both שופטים and שטרים in each city. What is the difference between these 2 jobs? (רש"י טז:יח)

2) In What manner should the judges judge the people (טז:כ)

3) Once establishing a homeland, who should be appointed to lead? (יז:יד-טו)

4) Why should a king not have too many horses? (יז:טו)

5) What must a king write and keep close to them at all times? (יז:יח)

6) Since the כהנים and לויים do not have land ארץ ישראל, what are the people required to give them (יח:א-יד)

7) What mitzvah is there regarding the border of one's property? (יט:יד)

8) How many witnesses are needed in a Jewish court case to uphold any testimony? (יט:טו)


Bonus Question:

1) The תורה tells us תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם ה' אֱלֹקיךָ. What are the 2 ways to translate the word תָּמִים and how does each way apply to you? (יח:יג)

2) What are we עדים זומיהן? What happens to them?

Do you want to share your solar eclipse experience? Stop by my office and let me know where you were and it was! 

Looking forward to seeing you in school THIS WEEK!!! :)

פרשת ראה

Summer Torah for פרשת ראה

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) Why did משה use the word ראה when introducing the blessings and curses? (מלב"ם יא:כו)

2) What mountains should the blessings and curses be given on? (יב:כט)

3) Once conquering ארץ ישראל where is the only place that קרבנות should be sacrificed? (12:8-14)

4) What will happen if בני ישראל safeguard the תורה that we have been given? (יב:כח)

5) Why must the בני ישראל remove all of the nations of כנען from our homeland? (יב:כט-לא )

6) What are the signs of a false prophet? (יג:ב-ו )

7) What does it mean for בני ישראל to be a holy nation to Hashem? (יג:א-ב)

8) What types of foods can be eaten? (יד:ג-כא)

Bonus Questions:

1) What are the שלש רגלים? How and where should we celebrate them?

2) What was buried on הר גרזים many years ago?

3) Can you name a false prophet from Jewish history?

Celebrate the Solar Eclipse on August 21st safely at your local Montgomery County Library. Click here for details.

Remember to protect your eyes. What to make your own Solar Eclipse glasses? Click here! 

פרשת עקב

Summer Torah for פרשת עקב

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) Why does משה use the word עקב to encourage the בני ישראל to keep the תורה? Explain. (ז:יב)

2) In comparison to other nations of the world, how should the בני ישראל act? (ז:יד)

3) Why should the בני ישראל not be afraid of the other nations of the world? (ז:יז-יח)

4) The תורה says כל המצוה and not כל המצות. Explain. (רש"י ח:א)

5) What are the 7 special species is ארץ ישראל blessed with? (ח:ח)

6) What הלכה do we learn from this?

7) What did משה survive on while he was in heaven for 40 days and 40 nights? (ט:יח)

8) After receiving the לחת, what did משה build a ארון out of?

9) What does Hashem expect of us? (י:יב - See video)

Bonus Question:

1) This week’s Parsha begins with the words והיה עקב תשמעו. How many time in ספר דברים do we find the root word שמע - hear? Why do you think this is?

פרשת ואתחנן

Summer Torah for פרשת ואתחנן

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) When battled סיחון and עוג, what did משה do? (רש"י ג:כג)

2) According to the ספר החנוך, what mitzvah is this referring to? (ספר החנוך)

3) What is the outcome of keeping the תורה and מצות that ה gave us? (ד:א)

4) When the תורה says לא תספו, what מצות is this? (ד:ב and רש"י)

5) What are the names of the ערי מקלת that משה set up? (ד:מא-מג)

6) If the ערי מקלת would not give able protection to anyone until after the Jewish people conquered ארץ ישראל, why did משה set 3 up now? (רש"י ד:מא)

7) What difference is there in the עשרת הדברות found here from the ones found in earlier? (ה:ו-יח  and   רש"י יב)

8) What does it mean to "love ה with all your heart"? (ו:ד and רש:י, and the video below)

9) How shall we answer or children when they ask why we have תורה and מצות to live by? (ו:כ-כא)

Bonus Question:

1) This שבת is known as שבת נחמו:
     A: why is it called this?
     B: what connection is there between שבת and being comforted?

פרשת דברים

Summer Torah for פרשת דברים

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) In the beginning of ספר דברים who is משה addressing? (א:א)

2) Why did משה gather this entire group? (רש"י א:א)

3) On what date did משה begin this message to the Jewish people? (א:ג)

4) What promise did משה reiterate from Hashem? (א:ח)

5) If the spies came back with awesome fruit from ארץ ישראל, how did the Jewish people see this as bad? (See video)


Bonus Questions:

1) What special name does this שבת have?

2) What other שבתות have names for the same reason as this week?

3) Who's birthday is ט' אב (Midrashically speaking)?

4) If ט' אב is such a sad day, why do we not say תחנון at all?

פרשת מטות-מסעי

Summer Torah for פרשת מטות-מסעי

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) What did שבט ראובן and שבט גד have too much of? (לב:א)

2) What land did they want to inherit? (לב:א-ה)

3) Who did the Jewish people capture this land from? (רש"י לב:ג)

4) Under what conditions would the שבט ראובן and שבט גד be granted their request? (לב:כ-כד)

5) What other שבט joined on the other side of the Jordan River? (לב:לט-מב)

6) According to רש"י, why does the תורה need to remind us of all of the places that the בני ישראל camped out during the 40 years in the desert? (רש"י לג:א)

7) How many places in total did the בני ישראל camp out during the 40 years in the desert?

8) How would the land be divided once entering Israel? (לג:נד)

9) What is a ער מקלט? When is it used? (לה:יא-יב)

10) How many such cities where there? (לה:יג-יד)

Bonus Questions:

1) In the beginning of the Parsha, Moshe tells the Jewish people that all spoils of war are to be split almost the Jewish people. Who else in Tanach had to establish a Halacha about spoils of war? (2 answers)

2) Based on your knowledge of Chumash, why were שבט ראובן and שבט גד concerned about their animals living in the land of Israel? (Hint: think Avraham and Lot - See מדרש הגדה)

3) Besides for accidental murderers, who lived in a ער מקלט regularly?

פרשת פינחס

Summer Torah for פרשת פינחס

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) Why was פינחס not originally a כהן, after all his father and grandfather were? (רש"י כה:יג)

2) For standing up for the honor of Hashem, what reward did פינחס receive? (כה:יב-יג)

3) What were the names of the people that פינחס killed? (כה:יג-יד)

4) Whom should the בני ישראל oppress? Why? (כה:יז-יח)

5) Why did Hashem ask that the בני ישראל be counted again? (כו:א-ג also see רש"י, אבן עזרא, and others)

6) Did every שבט get the same size land? (כו:נג-נה)

7) How was the division of land done? (כו:נג-נה)

8) What complaint did the daughters of צלפחד have? (כז:א-ה)

9) What did the daughters ask of משה? (כז:א-ה)

10) Who was their father? Why did he die? (רש"י כז:ג)

11) What did משה ask of Hashem? (כז:טו-יז)

12) What did the בנות צלפחד really want? (See video below.)

12) Who did Hashem say would be the next leader of the Jewish people? (כז:יח)

13) When was the קרבן תמיד sacrificed? (כח:א-ח)

14) Which month is considered the first month (שמות יב:א-ב)?

15) For how many days do we eat Matzah? (כח:יז)

16) What is another name for Shavuot? (כח:כו)

17) Which month is called the seventh month?

18) What is the special מצוה of Rosh Hashana? (כט:א)

19) What יומים טובים are in the month of Tishrei? (כט)

Bonus Questions:

1) What is another name for פינחס?

2) What letter in the Torah (in this week’s Parsha) must be split in half? (Check it out this week in Shul!)

3) Where in Israel did the בנות צלפחד inherit land? (Look at a map)

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17 Tamuz

1) Why do we fast on 17 Tamuz?

2) What are some activities that we minimize during the 3 weeks?

3) On what date do the 9 days begin?

4) On what date was the Bet Hamikdash destroyed?

פרשת בלק

Summer Torah for פרשת בלק

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Questions from this week’s Parsha:

1) Who was the king of מואב at this time? (כב:ד)

2) Who were the people of מואב afraid of? Why? (כב:ב-ד)

3) Who did the king send messengers to for help? (כב:ה)

4) Why did בלעם ask the זקני מואב and the זקני מדין to stay overnight? (רש"י כב:ח)

5) ה' told בלעם not to join the זקני מואב and the זקני מדין. What reason did ה' give? (כב:יב)

6) After בלעם chose not to follow the exact words of ה', בלעם ‘s donkey gave him a hard time.

7) What was blocking the donkey from continuing on the road? (כב:כא-כז)

8) Each tine that the donkey went off the path בלעם hit her. What did the donkey say to בלעם about this? (כב:כח-ל)

9) Ultimately, what blessing did בלעם deliver to and about the Jewish people? (כד:ה)

Bonus Questions:

1) As a  נביא, who was בלעם compared to?

2) What other animals in תנ"ך spoke (or sang)?

3) Which angel was blocking the path of the donkey?

פרשת חקת

Summer Torah for פרשת חקת

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Parsha Questions of the Week

1) What is a חוק (a type of commandment)? (רש"י יט:ב)

2) When did the Jewish people arrive in מדבר צן (the desert of Zin)? (כ:א)

3) Who passed away in מדבר צן (the desert of Zin)? (כ:א)

4) What needed resource was missing from מדבר צן (the desert of Zin)? (כ:ב)

5) What is the connection between the passing of מרים and the lack of water? (רש"י כ:ב)

6) What did Hashem tell משה to do to get drinking water? (כ:ז-ח)

7) What did משה do to produce water? (כ:יא)

8) What consequence did משה receive for not following Hashem's instructions? (כ:יב)

9) Who did משה send a message to? What was this message? (כ:יד-יז)

10) Who passed away at הר ההר? Who took over for him? (כ:כב-כט)

Bonus Questions 

1) Where else was משה asked to hit the rock and bring forth water to drink?

2) Where is the rock that משה struck today?

3) Where is the well of מרים today?

Extra Videos that connect to this week's Parsha:

Moshe's Rock

Miriam's well

פרשת קרח

Summer Torah for פרשת קרח

Feel free to email any questions or comments to pepperav@mjbha.org

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Parsha Questions of the Week:

1) What is the name of this week’s Parsha?

2) Who disagreed with Moshe, insisting that he should be the Korein and not Aaron?

3) How did Korach convince others to join him? (רש"י טז:א)

4) Why does the Torah tell us what tribe Korach most influenced? (רש"י טז:א)

5) What challenge did Moshe offer to prove that everything that he had done was from Hashem? (טז:יז)

6) After the ground swallowed Korach and his followers, who was sent to collect the pans used?  (יז:ב)

7) Why did these pans need to be collected? (See video below)

8) After the staff of Aaron budded flowers, where was it left? (יז:כה)

Bonus Questions: 

1) What great leader came from Korach?

2) What other Biblical leader used a challenge like the one Moshe used to prove that Hashem is the true G-d?