פרשת וירא

Dvar Torah

All for others

:ouhv ojf kvtv j,p cah tuvu trnn hbktc wv uhkt trhu

(t:jh ,hatrc)

The Torah tells us (18:1) that after Avraham performed the Brit Milah, he was sitting outside his door. Rashi explains that Avraham was doing so to see if anyone would pass by so he could perform the Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim (inviting guests).  However, Hashem had made it a very hot day so no one would come out and Avraham would be able to rest.  This pained Avraham since the Mitzvah that he exemplified was caring for guests.  But why did Avraham make this his priority?  Were there no other Mitzvot that he could do?

The Medrash tells us that Avraham once asked Shem, one of the sons of Noach, "tell me, in what merit did Hashem keep you alive in the ark?"

"We survived because of our acts of charity" Shem answered.

"What do you mean? there were no poor people with you in the ark!" asked Avraham.

"I refer to the charity to the animals," explained Shem.  We stayed awake entire nights giving them food."

If this is so, how much more important is it to sustain human beings!" Avraham answered. We see from this, that caring for others is very important.  We are taught "Olam Chessed Yibone" this means: "the world is built through acts of kindness.  Now we can understand why Avraham needed guests to care for.

From this we can learn how important it is for us to try and help other people and perform the Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1) The פרשה begins וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא, why did Hashem come to see אברהם? Why that day? (see רש"י בראשית יח:א)

2) Why was אברהם sitting at the entrance to his tent? (see רש"י בראשית יח:א and בבא מציעא פו:)

3) Why were there three מלאכים? (see רש"י בראשית יח:ב)

4) Why did אברהם bring water to wash their feet? (see רש"י בראשית יח:ד)

5) What do you think we can learn from this? (This is a thinking question.)

6) What did one of the מלאכים promise אברהם and שרה? (see בראשית יח:י)

7) Why did שרה laugh? (see בראשית יח:יב)

8) When Hashem related שרה’s thoughts to אברהם, He did not relate them precisely. Why?

(see רש"י בראשית יח:יג)

9) Why does the פסוק tell us וְאַבְרָהָם הֹלֵךְ עִמָּם לְשַׁלְּחָם? What מצות do we see אברהם fulfilled when he had guests? (Hint: אשל)

10) Why did Hashem tell אברהם what he planned to do in סדום? (see בראשית יח:יז-יט)

11) When אברהם asked Hashem to consider sparing the cities of סדום and עמרה, why did אברהם stop at ten צדיקים? (see רש"י בראשית יח:לב)

12) What possessed לוט to break the laws of סדום and invite the מלאכים to come to his house? (see 2 parts from רש"י בראשית יט:א)

13) Why was לוט sitting at the gates of the city? (see רש"י בראשית יט:א)

14) What did the מלאכים do to the men of סדום who were trying to get into לוט‘s house?

(see 2 רש"י בראשית יט:יא)

15) Who went along with לוט when he ran away from סדום? (בראשית יט:טז)

16) Why weren’t they allowed to look back? (see רש"י בראשית יט:יז)

17) In what merit did Hashem save לוט? (see רש"י בראשית יט:יז)

18) What happened to לוט’s wife? Why? (see רש"י בראשית יט:כו)

19) Why did אברהם move locations from where he had been? (see רש"י בראשית כ:א)

20) What can we see from this about how we serve Hashem? (This is a thinking question)

21) What happened to אבימלך and his people when they took שרה? (see רש"י בראשית כ:ט)

22) Why does the תורה tell us that Hashem remembered שרה? Explain. (see רש"י בראשית כא:א)

23) What promise did Hashem make to אברהם regarding יצחק? Explain why this is SO important. (see בראשית כא:יג)

24) Where was אברהם supposed to take יצחק? For what? (see רש"י בראשית כב:ב)

25) Who went along on this trip? Why? (see רש"י בראשית כב:ג)

26) What happened as אברהם was about to sacrifice יצחק? (see רש"י בראשיתכב:י-יא)

27) What did אברהם see caught in a tree? From when was it there? (see רש"י בראשית כב:יג)

Classroom Check-in!

REMINDER: THERE IS A MISHNAH QUIZ ON THIS TUESDAY

click here to visit the Mishnah blog.

Questions about what we are learning in class

1) Why would a person have bundles on their sukkah?

2) What materials are acceptable to be used as schach?

3) Can beams be used a schach?

4) List the 6 books of Mishnah?

Torah Math

In the story of the Akaida (sacrifice of Yitzchak), the theme "ירושלים" is repeated over and over.  The place of the actual Akaida, we are taught, was the top of Har Hamoria which is Yerushalayim:

1) When telling where to bring Yitzchak the Torah says to the land of Moriah.

  אל הארץ המריה =  בירושלים     

 (בראשית כב:ב)

2) When telling us that Avraham saw the place that Hashem had sent them to.

  את המקום = זה ירושלים  

 (בראשית כב:ד)

Go ahead and check the numbers!

 TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s Question:

Q: What people on TANA”CH became angels? (list at least 2)

A: Two people in Tana”ch that became angels are Chanuch and Pinchas (who became Eliyahu).

Question of the week:

Q: In the upcoming Parsha Avraham says a eulogy for Sarah, what did he say?

A: Coming soon! 

Kollel Quiz 

#1 Who Am I?

1. I am not Talmud Bavli.

2. I was turned upside-down.

3. I was home to cruelty.

4. I was one of five.

#2 Who Am I?

1. I was a bris.

2. Yet, I was not on the eighth day.

3. I caused sleep.

4. I caused splitting.

Submit this answer by clicking here

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Angel Food Cake

Original recipe makes 1 - 10-inch cake Change Servings

 1 1/4 cups cake flour

 1 3/4 cups white sugar

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1 1/2 cups egg whites

 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Check All Add to Shopping List

Directions

1) Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then add cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

2) Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Repeat five times.

3) Gently combine the egg whites with the dry ingredients, and then pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

4) Place cake pan in a cold oven. Turn the oven on; set it to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cook for about one hour, or until cake is golden brown.

5) Invert cake, and allow it to cool in the pan. When thoroughly cooled, remove from pan.

פרשת לך לך

Dvar Torah

For the sake of the Mitzvah

:ltrt rat .rtv kt lhct ,hcnu l,skunnu lmrtn lk lk orct kt wv rnthu

(t:ch ,hatrc)

 We are taught that Avraham had ten tests to pass that would prove his loyalty to Hashem. Each of these tests was a great challenge that needed much strength and faith to fulfill them.  The Torah tells us in this week’s Parasha (12:1) that Hashem told Avraham Lech Licha this means "go for you."  Rashi tells us that Hashem told Avraham that going would be for his good; until now he has had no children, and he will have a child and become a great nation. Being told by Hashem to leave his home was a test to Avraham, but what was the test? Why is it a challenge to do an action that is guaranteed to be good for you? Hashem told Avraham that if he would go it would be in his favor!?

 The answer is that once we know the reward sometimes we might only do a good deed just for the reward and not because of the goodness of the deed. Avraham was being tested on whether he would go for the reward or if he would go because Hashem told him to go.

Often, we find that we only want to do good if we will get something out of it. The lesson of this test of Avraham is that we should do good just because that is the right thing to do, and we will gain from it even if we do not know that we will.  Let us try to find good to do in school, at home, and everywhere, just because...

Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Questions

1) Who was אברם’s father? (בראשית יא:כז)

2) Why did אברם leave the country where he was born? What reason was he given? 

( בראשית רש"י יב:א-גalso see בראשית רש"י יב:א)

3) Who went with אברם when he left his home and birthplace? ( בראשית רש"י יב:ד-הalso see בראשית יא:לא)

4) Why was there a famine in ארץ כנען when אברם arrived there? (see רש"י בראשית יב:י)

5) הִנֵּה־נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִשָּׁה יְפַת־מַרְאֶה אָתְּ . List at least one explanation. (see רש"י בראשית יב:יא)

6) Who took שרי? To where? (see בראשית יב:טו)

7) Why was there a quarrel between the shepherds of אברם and the shepherds of לוט (before they split)?

(see רש"י בראשית יג:ז)

8) Where did לוט choose to live? (see בראשית יג:י-יא)

9) After לוט moved away, why did Hashem repeat the promise to אברם that he would receive ארץ כנען? What was the point Hashem was making? (see רש"י בראשית יג:יד)

10) How many kings made a war with how many other kings? Explain why. (see בראשית יד:א-ד)

11) What happened to לוט during this war? (see בראשית יד:ח-יב)

12) Who came to tell אברם that לוט was captured? (see רש"י בראשית יד:יג)

13) What מצוה was אברם fulfilling by going to save his nephew?

14) Who was מלכי צדק? What did he do after the victory? ( בראשית רש"י יד:יחalso see רש"י)

15) Why did אברם not want to take anything from the kings? (see רש"י בראשית יד:כג)

16) Who was הגר - Haagar? (see רש"י בראשית טז:א)

17) Why did שרי tell אברם that he should marry her? (see בראשית טז:ב)

18) Why did הגר act in a disrespectful way toward שרי her master’s wife? (see רש"י בראשית טז:ד)

19) Who found הגר and where? (see בראשית טז:ז)

20) What was the name of הגר’s son? Why (see בראשית טז:יא)

21) What change did Hashem make in the name אברם? Why? (see בראשית יז:ה-יד)

22) What change did Hashem make to the name שרי? Why? (see בראשית יז:טו-יט)

Classroom Check-in!

Questions about what we are learning in class

1) What are the criteria for Schach?

2) If one adds more Schach over living vines, would the Sukkah be usable?

3) What is the main rule of Schach?

Torah Math

Hashem tells Avram (not yet Avraham) to leave his home and he will be blessed.  Avram is told to go to the land that “I will show you” - אשר אראך.  How was Hashem going to show Avram and Sara where to go? 

Hashem sent clouds to lead them on this journey, just look at the words in the Pasuk:

אראך  =  בעננים

Both words equal 222,

go ahead and check it!!!

 TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s Question:

Q: Who invented music???

A: The first instruments were created by Yuval the son of Lemech. (Barashit 4:21)

Question of the week:

Q: What people on TANA”CH became angels? (list at least 2)

A: Coming soon! 

Kollel Quiz 

#1 Who Am I?

1. My name is name.

2. I was a Rosh HaYeshiva.

3. I was king of Yerushalayim.

4. I got a tenth.

#2 Who Am I?

1. I was a Bris.

2. Yet, I was not on the 8th day.

3. I cause sleep.

4. I caused splitting.

Submit this answer by clicking here

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies

Apologies to those with allergies to nuts, you can use any sandwich cookie.

Since Avram and Sarai we on the go, they must have a picnic :)

Ingredients

8 oz creamy peanut-butter

· 6 tbsp butter

· 3/4 cup granulated sugar

· 1 egg

· 1 cup all purpose flour

· 1 tsp baking powder

· Your favorite jelly/jam/preserve

Instructions

1. Line two baking cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

2. Small dice the butter and put it into the mixing bowl.

3. Place it in a mixing bowl with the sugar and mix until creamy.

4. Add the peanut butter and mix until combined.

5. Beat in the egg.

6. Slowly add the flour combined with baking powder and mix until the dough forms a ball.

7. Divide the dough into 30 small balls. Place them on baking sheets, gently pressing with a fork.

8. Chill the cookies for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

9. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350F.

10. Bake the cookies in preheated oven for about 12 minutes. Leave them to cool completely on the baking sheets before sandwiching them.

Enjoy!