Friday, July 29, 2022

פרשת מטות-מסעי

 


Reminder: Today is Rosh Chodesh Menachem-Av. This begins the nine days 😢.

The times listed are for the Greater Washington D.C. Area.
Candle lighting:     8:04 pm                                     Havdalah:             9:07 pm


Questions from this week’s Parsha:

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

2) What land did שבט ראובן and שבט גד want to inherit? (במדבר לב:א-ה)

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

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

5) What other שבט joined on the other side of the Jordan River? (במדבר 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? (במדבר 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? (במדבר לג:נד)

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

10) How many ערי מקלט were there? (במדבר לה:יג-יד)


Bonus Questions:

1) At 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?








Friday, July 22, 2022

פרשת פינחס

 


Shabbat times are for the Greater Washington D.C. area:
Candle Lighting: 8:10 pm          Havdalah: 9:14pm

This week is Shabbat Mevarchim Menachem-Av. Rosh Chodesh is on Friday.


Questions from this week’s Parsha:

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

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

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

4) How was the division of the land in ארץ ישראל to be done? (במדבר כו:נג-נה)

5) Who was צלפחד and what did he do? (רש"י במדבר כז:ג)

6) What complaint did the daughters of צלפחד have and what was their request? (במדבר כז:א-ה)

7) Who did Hashem say would be the next leader of the Jewish people after משה would pass on? (במדבר כז:יח)

8) When was the קרבן תמיד to be brought? (במדבר כח א-ח)

9) According to the תורה, which month is considered the first month? (במדבר כח:טז & שמות יב:א-ב) 

10) Name the holidays that are listed in this week’s Parsha. 

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? (Look at a map below)









Thursday, July 14, 2022


Shabbat times are for the Greater Washington D.C. area:
Candle Lighting: 8:15 pm          Havdalah: 9:20 pm


Questions from this week’s Parsha:

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

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

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

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

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

6) After בלעם chose not to follow the exact words of Hashem, the donkey בלעם was riding gave him a hard time. What happened? (במדבר כב:כא-כז)

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

8) Each time that the donkey went off the path בלעם hit her. After the third time, the donkey did something unusual for an animal to do. What did the donkey do? (במדבר כב:כח-ל)

9) What did the donkey say to בלעם at that point? (במדבר כב:כח-ל)

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

Bonus Questions:

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

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

3) What changed that caused the nations of the world to want to try and curse the Jewish people NOW?







What is the 17th of Tamuz? 
From Matmidim

1) The walls of Jerusalem were breached leading to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

2) Moshe broke the 1st set of Luchot.

3) In the First Bet Hamikdash, the Korbanot were stopped before the destruction.

4) The Roman general burned a Torah scroll in the streets.

5) An idol was placed in the Kodesh Hakodashim.


17 Tamuz
(Observed on Sunday 7/17/22)
For adults, the fast begins: 4:44 am
For adults, the fast ends:    9:10 pm

1) Why do we fast on 17 Tamuz, what events took place on or around this date?

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?


Friday, July 8, 2022

פרשת חקת

Shabbat times are for the Greater Washington D.C. area:
Candle Lighting: 8:18 pm          Havdalah: 9:27 pm


Congratulations to MATAN for winning 1st place in last week's Kahoot!


Amazon Prime Day! A great day to shop for school supplies. 



Parsha Questions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8) What consequence did משה receive for not following Hashem's instructions as they were given? (במדבר כ:יב)

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

10) Who passed away at הר ההר? Who took over this important position? (במדבר 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? (See the Artzenu video below.)

3) Where is the well of מרים today? (See the Artzenu video below.)

Where is the rock the Moshe hit today?

Where is the Well of Miriam today?


Kever of Aharon HaKohein in Jordan.
If you are visiting Israel this summer, 
PLEASE let us know where you are going by emailing 
pepperav@mjbha.org so we can share your adventure! 

In case you missed it: