Parashat Toldot

I am very excited to say we have reached Parashat Toldot!  I really hope to finish before the end of the year and be able to have one more celebration.
Next week we will begin Perek 25:19-28.  Yaakov and Esav are born.  They are described very differently as babies and they become very different adults.

1. What is the connection between how they were as babies and how they were as adults?
2. Why did Rivka love Yaakov and Yitzchak love Esav?
3. Does that mean Rivka did not love Esav and Yitzchak did not love Yaakov?

Kol tuv,
Rabbi Rapoport

Rivka meets Yitzchak (24:60-67)

This week Rivka meets Yitzchak.

1. What was Yitzchak doing in the field in the late afternoon?

We will also be doing a lot of review that will most likely take us into next week.
Some of the ideas we have learned:

A. Eved Avraham chose Rivka because:

1. She was from Charan not Canaan.
2. She was from Avraham's family.
3. She cared about the camels.
4. She did chesed (extra kindness) by giving water to the camels.
5. She welcomed guests.
6. She was confident.

B. The Rabbis learn that Yitzchak prayed mincha.

C. From eved Avraham we can learn:

1. to keep our promises.
2. to pray to Hashem to help us.
3. to thank Hashem for helping us.
4. to do things quickly and on time. 

Lavan (24:21-33)

This week we are introduced to Lavan and Eved Avraham retells everything that happened since the beginning of the perek.

1. How can we tell that Lavan is not such a good guy?
2. Why does the Torah repeat Eved Avraham's story in complete detail (making this the longest perek in the Torah) instead of just saying, "and so he told him the story"?

Rivka (Perek 24:1-20)

This week we begin perek 24.  In this perek, which will probably take two weeks, we will learn about how the Eved  Avraham (the servant of Avraham, most say this was Eliezer) was sent to find a wife for Yitzchak.

1. Why was it so important that Yitzchak's wife not be from Canaan?
2. What was the sign that Eved Avraham used to find a wife for Yitzchak?
3. Why was that a good sign?

Maarat HaMachpela Continued

This week is parent teacher communication week.  I look forward to talking with each of you.  This week we will continue learning about Avraham's purchase of Maarat HaMachpela to bury Sarah.

Kol tuv,
Rabbi Rapoport

The Purchase of Maarat HaMachpela--23:3-20

This week we will be learning about Avraham's purchase of the field of Ephron and Maarat HaMachpela.

Some questions to think about:

1. Why was it so important for Avraham to pay for the field and the cave?  Why wouldn't he accept Ephron's offer to give it to him for free?
2. Why did Ephron say how much the cave was worth?

This reading will probably take two weeks.

Kol tuv,
Rabbi Rapoport

Perek 23

This week we begin the 23nd perek of B'reishit--the first perek of Parashat Chayei Sarah.  


Sarah lived 127 years.  For some reason the Torah records this information in a strange way it says:
א וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃
And the life of Sarah was 100 year and 20 years and 7 years--the years of the life of Sarah.
Why does it record her age in such a strange way?
Think about why and when you say things with as many words as possible.
We will be learning Rashi who has a beautiful explanation.  Ask your child what Rashi says.


Kol tuv (All the best),
Rabbi Yehuda

שמחה גדולה התחלנו פרשת חיי שרה

I am so excited to announce that we began learning Parashat Chayei Sarah.  After reading the first two verses of the new Parasha we celebrated with with food, music, dancing and words of Torah.  A big thanks to our classroom parents, Jodi and Jo for making this event possible.  Here is a link to where you can read and hear the beginning of Chayei Sarah.  Rabbi Peromsik will send out a new reading sheet at the beginning of next week.

Some questions you can ask your children:
1. Do you notice the parallel between the first verse of Chayei Sarah and the beginning of Megillat Esther?
2. Can you find Chevron on a map?

Kol tuv (All the best),
Rabbi Yehuda

Perek 22 - עקידת יצחק

This week we begin the 22nd perek of B'reishit--the last perek of Parashat Vayera.  This story is known as עקידת יצחק, The Binding of Yitzchak.  This is the tenth of the famous ten נסיונות, tests, of Avraham.  Here is a link to the beginning of chapter 22.  Here is a link to the same chapter on Chabad.org with Rashi.

Some questions that you might want to discuss with your child (some of these questions will be discussed in class):
1. Why did Hashem have to test Avraham?  Hashem knows what is in Avraham's heart (check out the Ramban, Seforno, Ibn Ezra and Ralbag for some interesting approaches).
2. How did Yitzchak feel about what was happening?
3. How did Sarah feel?
4. Oh yeah, how did Avraham feel?

Kol tuv (All the best),
Rabbi Yehuda

Perek 21--The Birth of Yitzchak, The Casting out of Yishmael, The Berit with Avimelekh

This week we begin the 21st perek of B'reishit.  There is only one more perek left in Parashat VaYera.  A lot happens in the 21st perek as you can see from the title of this post.  Here is an outline:

a. (1-8)--The birth of Yitzchak

b. (9-13)--What Sarah said to Avraham about Hagar and Yishmael

c. (14-21)--What happened to Hagar and Yishmael after Avraham sent them away.

d. (22-32)--The berit between Avraham and Avimelekh

Please have your child read the first 8 pesukim of chapter 21 at home.
This is the link to 1-3, 4-7, and 8 (at Navigating the Bible II--Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation).

If you don't like that website here is a link (chabad.org) to another great resource that has all of the pesukim and it also has Rashi with English translation.

Here are some thought questions you can use to help discuss the pesukim with your child:

1. Notice that in Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation (that's the Navigating the Bible II translation) in the 2nd pasuk it says that Sarah gave birth "at the exact time Hashem had promised."  This is a translation of the word Moed which we use to refer to the holidays, as in "Moadim l'Simcha."  Why was it so important that Yitzchak was born exactly at the time Hashem had promised?

2. You can ask about the 6th pasuk: Why does Sarah say, "Hashem has given me laughter. All who hear about it will laugh for me.'

3. You can also ask about the 8th pasuk: Why did Avraham make a big/great feast/party when Yitzchak got a little bigger (maybe toddler size--from 2-5 years old--we don't know exactly)?

Remember these are just suggestions.  The main things is to talk with your child about what he or she is learning in Chumash.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Kol tuv (All the best),
Rabbi Yehuda

אבימלך מלך גרר and Homework

This week we began studying the 20th perek (chapter) of B'reishit. We are almost finished with Parashat VaYera (in class celebration to be announced).

I would like to share a great resource with you that will hopefully keep you more connected with what your child is learning. I would also like to tell you about the new homework--ongoing assignment.

The resource is Navigating the Bible II. It has two resources that are really great:

1. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's full translation and commentary of the entire Chumash: link to the translation of the 20th Perek--the story of Sarah and Avimelekh the King of Gerar

2. The reading (Ashkenaz trup) and transliteration of every Parasha: link to the beginning of our story (this is a link to the parasha read according to the Syrian (Halab) tradition--feel free to post any links to any other nuschaot)

The homework for this week and next is to read the pesukim from the 20th perek of B'reishit. I would also like you (the parent) to read the pesukim.  You can do this together with your child or do it separately--I understand the complexities of some people's schedules. You can use these online resources or any other resources you feel comfortable with. The main thing is that you know what your child is learning and that every student spend five to ten minutes a day at home going over the pesukim we are learning in class.

So, to be extra clear, here is what everyone should be doing:

1. Students should spend about 5 to 10 minutes reading the pesukim we are learning in class in Hebrew each night of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (and Sunday night if possible). On Shabbat students should be discussing the Parashat HaShavua they learn with Rabbi Peromsik.

2. Parents should find sometime at some point in the week to read the pesukim in English, Hebrew or both.

3. If you can find time to talk to your child about what she or he is learning in class that would be great. I will try and post some thought questions each week. For example, for this reading one thought question might be: When is it OK to lie?

If possible have your child use the Navigating the Bible II website (linked above) to do this assignment--have them listen to the reading too. I will post the link to the right pesukim each week on this blog. If your child won't be able to use this website (for whatever reason) and you don't have access to any other resources (e.g. a Chumash with translation) let me know ASAP and we can work something else out.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kol tuv (All the best),

Rabbi Yehuda