We have been speaking about the Development of Halacha Today. We have begun learning One New Practical Halacha every day in Class. Additionally, we have started speaking about how the Torah She'B'Al Peh Transferred down from generation to generation, which led the way to the composition of the Halacha Seforim we have today.
We spent time in the Library looking inside the Books of the Rif, Rosh and Rambam.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
7th Grade Chumash Class
Welcome Back Everybody once again! We have had a very exciting week back this week! We began the week with a special treat: After the 7th graders had spent so much time working and constructing their Mishkan for the Mitzvah Fair way back when, they were able to see with their own eyes what the ACTUAL construction of the Mishkan Looked like!
Artscroll recently came out with a new program called "The Mishkan" which has 3-D Models of how the Mishkan was created as well as the opportunity to do a 3-D walkthrough of the Mishkan itself! For a preview of the program, you can go to www.artscroll.com.
Artscroll recently came out with a new program called "The Mishkan" which has 3-D Models of how the Mishkan was created as well as the opportunity to do a 3-D walkthrough of the Mishkan itself! For a preview of the program, you can go to www.artscroll.com.
Review of Vayechi
• After 17 years in Mitzrayim, Yaakov sensed his days drawing to a close and summoned Yosef. Yosef was summoned in an emergency by his son Efrayim and rushed over with Menashe straight from the palace. This is possibly the only time that Yaakov saw his grandchildren in their Egyptian royal clothes.
• Yaakov sat up when Yosef came in out of respect for royalty (even though Yosef was his son). Yaakov asked Yosef to swear that he will not allow him to be buried in Mitzrayim (but rather in the Me’aras haMachpela cave. There were three reasons for this: Yaakov did not wand to become an Avodah Zara like the other mummies in the pyramids, Yaakov did not want his body to be infested with lice during the Makka of Kinnim. Yaakov wanted to avoid tunnel traffic. At the time of Techiyas Hameisim all dead people will roll in tunnels to Eretz Yisroel.)
• Yaakov then bowed toward the head of his bed. This was a way of thanking Yosef because he was the only one capable of the favor that he needed. This was the fulfillment of Yosef’s dream and we learn from here that even someone “lower” than us can sometimes be more important in certain ways.
• Yosef stood his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe before Yaakov. The rule is that the first born always gets a portion equal to twice the portion of the other sons. Yaakov elevated Ephraim and Menashe to the status of his own sons, thus giving Yosef a double portion of shvatim and taking away the status of Bechor from Reuven.
• Since Yaakov was very old, Yosef led his sons close to their grandfather. Yaakov kissed and hugged them. He told Yosef that he had not thought that he would ever see his son Yosef again, let alone Yosef's children. Yaakov began to give them a bracha, but put his strong hand on Ephraim, the younger son. Yosef interrupted him and tied to switch Yaakov’s hands hinting that Menashe was the elder son. Yaakov explained that he intended to bless Ephraim with his strong hand because Yehoshua will descend from him, and Yehoshua will be both the conqueror of Eretz Yisrael and the teacher of Torah to the Jewish People.
• Yaakov summoned the rest of his sons in order to bless them as well. Usually we think of a Bracha as “good wishes” but Yaakov's brachos reflected the unique character and ability of each tribe, directing each one in its unique mission in serving Hashem. Sometimes Yaakov’s bracha sounded more like a criticism, but that was also a bracha because he was showing them how they could become even bigger tzadikim.
• Yaakov was niftar at the age of 147. A tremendous procession, a Levaya, accompanied his funeral up from Mitzrayim to his resting place in Me’aras Hamachpeila in Chevron. At the funeral there was a big fight between Eisav and the Bnai Yisrael. There was only one spot left and Eisav (getting old) seemed to have forgotten selling the spot to Yaakov. During the argument Chushim Ben Dan, who was hard of hearing, asked what was holding up the funeral. When he was told that Eisav was causing trouble, he drew his sword and removed Eisav’s head, which rolled into the cave. We see from here that Eisav’s head was actually good - he just didn’t use it very often.
• After Yaakov was niftar, the brothers were concerned that Yosef would take revenge on them. Yosef reassured them, even promising to support them and their families. He never did actually tell them that they were forgiven and the grandchildren of the shvatim have suffered because of it.
• Yosef lived out the rest of his years in Mitzrayim, and even saw Efraim's great-grandchildren. Before he was niftar, Yosef told to his brothers that Hashem would redeem them from Egypt. He made them swear to bring his bones out of Mitzrayim with them at that time. Yosef passed away at the age of 110 and was mummified.
• Yaakov sat up when Yosef came in out of respect for royalty (even though Yosef was his son). Yaakov asked Yosef to swear that he will not allow him to be buried in Mitzrayim (but rather in the Me’aras haMachpela cave. There were three reasons for this: Yaakov did not wand to become an Avodah Zara like the other mummies in the pyramids, Yaakov did not want his body to be infested with lice during the Makka of Kinnim. Yaakov wanted to avoid tunnel traffic. At the time of Techiyas Hameisim all dead people will roll in tunnels to Eretz Yisroel.)
• Yaakov then bowed toward the head of his bed. This was a way of thanking Yosef because he was the only one capable of the favor that he needed. This was the fulfillment of Yosef’s dream and we learn from here that even someone “lower” than us can sometimes be more important in certain ways.
• Yosef stood his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe before Yaakov. The rule is that the first born always gets a portion equal to twice the portion of the other sons. Yaakov elevated Ephraim and Menashe to the status of his own sons, thus giving Yosef a double portion of shvatim and taking away the status of Bechor from Reuven.
• Since Yaakov was very old, Yosef led his sons close to their grandfather. Yaakov kissed and hugged them. He told Yosef that he had not thought that he would ever see his son Yosef again, let alone Yosef's children. Yaakov began to give them a bracha, but put his strong hand on Ephraim, the younger son. Yosef interrupted him and tied to switch Yaakov’s hands hinting that Menashe was the elder son. Yaakov explained that he intended to bless Ephraim with his strong hand because Yehoshua will descend from him, and Yehoshua will be both the conqueror of Eretz Yisrael and the teacher of Torah to the Jewish People.
• Yaakov summoned the rest of his sons in order to bless them as well. Usually we think of a Bracha as “good wishes” but Yaakov's brachos reflected the unique character and ability of each tribe, directing each one in its unique mission in serving Hashem. Sometimes Yaakov’s bracha sounded more like a criticism, but that was also a bracha because he was showing them how they could become even bigger tzadikim.
• Yaakov was niftar at the age of 147. A tremendous procession, a Levaya, accompanied his funeral up from Mitzrayim to his resting place in Me’aras Hamachpeila in Chevron. At the funeral there was a big fight between Eisav and the Bnai Yisrael. There was only one spot left and Eisav (getting old) seemed to have forgotten selling the spot to Yaakov. During the argument Chushim Ben Dan, who was hard of hearing, asked what was holding up the funeral. When he was told that Eisav was causing trouble, he drew his sword and removed Eisav’s head, which rolled into the cave. We see from here that Eisav’s head was actually good - he just didn’t use it very often.
• After Yaakov was niftar, the brothers were concerned that Yosef would take revenge on them. Yosef reassured them, even promising to support them and their families. He never did actually tell them that they were forgiven and the grandchildren of the shvatim have suffered because of it.
• Yosef lived out the rest of his years in Mitzrayim, and even saw Efraim's great-grandchildren. Before he was niftar, Yosef told to his brothers that Hashem would redeem them from Egypt. He made them swear to bring his bones out of Mitzrayim with them at that time. Yosef passed away at the age of 110 and was mummified.
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