:ushc jhkmn wv vag tuv rat kfuu,t wv hf uhbst trhu
(d:yk ,hatrc)
In this week’s Parasha, Parashat Vayeishev, the Torah begins by relating to us the story of Yosef being sold and going down to Egypt. In doing so, the Torah tells us that with every stop Yosef made, he was promoted to a higher position. The Torah tells us (39:3) that the reason for this was, "that Hashem was with him.” Rashi explains, "Hashem was with him" meaning that the name of Hashem was normal in his mouth. An example of this is that when he was asked how he was, he would answer "Baruch Hashem."
The question is; the Pasuk should then say that Yosef was with Hashem, not that Hashem was with Yosef?
The answer is that by saying things like “Baruch Hashem,” Hashem became a part of him and then Hashem went with him!
As Chanukah arrives we should think about this idea and the call of the Maccabees - “Mee L’Hashem Eylay” (whoever is with Hashem is with me). This battle cry has been called many times to gather the people who had faith in Hashem together so they could stand up for what they believed in. The way that these people (like the Maccabees) were successful was because they had the name of Hashem “normal in their mouths.”
Each day in school we spend time making Hashem’s name normal in our mouths by Davening and learning Torah. We should learn from the story of Yosef and of the Maccabees that if we want Hashem to be with us...
…we need to be with Him
Shabbat Shalom
Classroom Check-in!
Questions about what we are learning in class
1) On Friday evening, why do we light the Chanukiah BEFORE the Shabbat candles?
2) What is the reason that children are given gifts on Chanukah?
3) Who is obligated to light a Chanukiah?
4) Why do we add a Shamash to our Chanukiah?
5) What do we add into Tefilah and Benching on Chanukah?
A number of families requested that some of the Parsha be sent home earlier in the week. Moving forward, I will be trying to upload the Parsha in 2 posts each week. This is part I.
Parsha Questions
1) How old was יוסף when he was sold by his brothers? (בראשית לז:ב)
2) והוא נער, what did יוסף do that made him like a child? (רש"י בראשית לז:ב)
3) Explainכי־בן־זקנים הוא לו . (רש"י בראשית לז:ג)
4) Was it good or bad that the brothers could not speak peacefully with יוסף? Explain why or why not. (רש"י בראשית לז:ד)
5) What were in יוסף‘s dreams? (בראשית לז:ה-ט)
6) How did יעקב react and feel about the dreams of יוסף? (רש"י בראשית לז:יא)
7) Who found יוסף wandering around the fields of שכם? (רש"י בראשית לז:טו)
8) Who suggested that יוסף be killed when he came into view of his brothers in דותן?
(מוסף רש"י בראשית לז:יט)
9) How does the פסוק tell us what was in the pit? What was in the pit? (רש"י בראשית לז:כד)
10) Who refused to be consoled over the “death” of יוסף? (רש"י בראשית לז:לג)
11) What are the names of the three sons of יהודה? (בראשית לח:ג-ה)
12) What was the name of יהודה‘s daughter-in-law? (בראשית לח:ו)
13) Whom did she marry? Explain? (בראשית לח:ו-ט)
14) What were the names of the children of יהודה and תמר? (בראשית לח:כט)
15) Which מצרי bought יוסף? What did this מצרי do in Egypt? (בראשית לח:א)
16) כי ה' אתו. What does it mean that Hashem was with יוסף? (רש"י בראשית לט:ג)
17) Why was the מצרי‘s house blessed? (בראשית לט:ה)
18) Why did יוסף tell אשת פוטיפר that being with her would be sin against Hashem?
(רש"י בראשית לט:ט)
19) What was done with יוסף after he was accessed by אשת פוטיפר? (בראשית לט:כ)
20) Who sinned against פרעה? (בראשית מ:א)
22) What did they do? (רש"י בראשית מ:א)
23) What was so unique about their dreams? (רש"י בראשית מ:ה)
24) What was the explanation of the dream of the chief butler? (בראשית מ:יב-יג)
25) What was the explanation of the dream of the chief baker? (בראשית מ:יח-יט)
26) How did the butler manage to forget about יוסף? Explain. (רש"י בראשית מ:כג)
Torah Math
In this week’s Parasha we are taught of Yosef telling over his dreams. The second dream was about the sun, moon, and stars and Rashi tells us that Yaakov said that this was not possible because Rachel (the moon) had already passed away. You can see this from the underlined words in this Pasuk:
This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.
Answer to last week’s Question:
Q: What is the only part of Davening is skipped when Davening with a Minyan???
A: When not Davening with a Minyan we add into our Tefila “Kel Melech Ne’eman” before saying Shema.
Question of the week:
Q: What was Mrs. Poteefar’s name?
A: Coming soon!
FOOD Section!
Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?
Southern Fruit Iced Tea
(Egypt is south of Kinahan)
Ingredients
Brew Tea Concentrate
- Put 5 tea bags into 4 cups (32 oz) of boiling water
- Leave to cool slightly
-Add:
1 cup of granulated sugar *
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1/2 cup of orange juice
Juice of one lemon
1/8 cup of cherry juice, optional
Lemon, orange or pineapple slices and/or Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Instructions
Squeeze tea bags and remove. To a 2-quart pitcher, add the warm tea concentrate and stir in the 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. Add the pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and cherry juice. Fill the pitcher with ice, top off with water, only if needed, to fill the pitcher, stir and serve. Garnish with a slice of fruit and a cherry, if desired.
* Notes: Keep in mind that different brands of juices have different levels of sweetness so you may need to make adjustments in the additional sugar.
The Torah tells us when Yaakov came to meet Esav, "And he (Yaakov) got up... and his 11 children..." Rashi asks on this Pasuk (32:23); Yaakov went to meet Esav with only 11 of his children, where was his 12th child Deena? Rashi’s answer is that Yaakov was scared that if Esav saw Deena he would take her as a wife. Therefore, Yaakov hid Deena in a box so that Esav could not see her. Rashi continues to tell us that the reason for the kidnapping of Deena by Sh'chem (later in the Parsha, Perek 34) was a punishment for hiding Deena. A punishment, why? Rashi states had Deena not been hidden and Esav married Deena, she might have been able to turn him from being an evil person to a good person.
The question therefore is, can a person like Esav, who kills and steals, become a good person?!
Tosfot (an early commentary from the time of the Crusades) tells us (Ketubot 63a), the nature of a person is to be good. Sometimes we just need some help to get there. Deena might have been a little bit of help that Esav needed. Rashi is teaching us a very valuable lesson. No matter how bad a person is, or how much they might have done wrong, they can still change. It is never too late to do Teshuva and become a good person.
Shabbat Shalom!
Parsha Questions
1) Whom did יעקב send ahead of himself to his brother? Where did they come from?
(see רש"י בראשית לב:ד and בראשית ל:א-ג)
2) In his message to עשו, יעקב said אם לבן גרתי. Why was he telling his brother where he had been?
(see רש"י בראשית לב:ה)
3) Why did יעקב tell עשו that he had sheep and cattle (see רש"י בראשית לב:ו)
4) What report did the messengers bring back to יעקב? (see בראשית לב:ז)
5) Why was יעקב both “afraid” and “distressed”? (see רש"י בראשית לב:ח)
6) How did יעקב prepare his camp and family against the potential attack of עשו?
(see בראשית לב:ח-יז)
7) Why did יעקב think he was very “small”? (see רש"י בראשית לב:יא)
8) Why does it say he took eleven children when he also had דינה? (see רש"י בראשית לב:כג)
9) Did יעקב do the correct thing with דינה? Please explain. (see רש"י בראשית לב:כג)
10) Why did יעקב go back across the river alone? (see רש"י בראשית לב:כה)
11) Whom did he meet there? (see רש"י בראשית לב:כה)
12) What does the פסוק mean by “the sun came up for him”? (see רש"י בראשית לב:לב)
13) How do later generations remember this incident? (see בראשית לב:לג)
14) Why did עשו both hug and kiss יעקב? (see רש"י בראשית לג:ד)
15) Why did יוסף go before his mother to meet עשו? How was he rewarded for this act?
(see רש"י בראשית לג:ז)
16) Why did יעקב camp outside the city of שכם and not enter it? (see מוסף רש"י בראשית לג:יח)
17) How did שכם convince his entire city to agree to make a ברית מילה on themselves?
(see רש"י בראשית לד:כ-כג)
18) What did יעקב do with all the treasures that were captured from שכם?
(see רש"י בראשית לה:ב-ד)
19) Why does the פסוק tell us that ,דבורה the nurse of ,רבקה died? (see רש"י בראשית לה:ח)
20) What did רחל name her youngest son? Why? (see בראשית לה:טז-יחand רש"י יח)
21) What did יעקב call this child? Why? (see רש"י בראשית לה: יח)
22) Where did יעקב finally arrive? (see בראשית לה:כז)
23) How old was יצחק when he was נפטר? (see בראשית לה:כח)
24) Who buried יצחק? (see בראשית לה:כט)
25) Why do you think the תורה tells us all about עשו‘s family? (Thinking question)
In this week’s Parasha, we find the story of Yaakov returning home and meeting with his brother Esav. As Yaakov gets closer to his brother he sends gifts ahead of him with a messageעִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה -with Lavan I have lived and I have delayed until now. What was the point of this message, what was he telling his brother?
We know that the blessing that Esav got was that when Yaakov is not strong in Torah and Mitzvot, then Esav will have power over him. The word גַּרְתִּי is the numeric value of 613, the amount of Mitzvot. Yaakov was telling his brother not to try to attack since he and his family had followed in the ways of the Torah while living with the wicked Lavan and had not learned from his evil ways.
TORAH TRIVIA!
Super Stumper Question:
This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.
Answer to last week’s Question:
Q: On every Rosh Chodesh we say 1/2 Hallel. What exception(s) are there to this rule????
A: On every Rosh Chodesh we say 1/2 Hallel. What exception(s) are there to this rule????
Question of the week:
Q: What is the only part of Davening is skipped when Davening with a Minyan???
Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?
Crème-Filled Cupcakes
Make-Ahead Tip: The Chocolate Cupcakes can be filled with Crème Frosting and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Thaw cupcakes and apply Chocolate Ganache topping and swirl design before serving. Any leftover Crème Frosting can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum) 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup cold coffee or water 1/2 cup canola oil 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) cupcake pan with 14 cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.
Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
To assemble the cupcakes: Fit the piping bag with a small round or Bismarck tip and fill with the Crème Frosting. Insert the tip into the center of the top of each cupcake and squeeze the bag to fill with about 2 to 3 teaspoons frosting. There is no need to scoop out any of the cake. Spread the top of each cupcake with a thin layer of Chocolate Ganache and pipe a 4-loop design with the Crème Frosting.
CRÈME FROSTING 1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening 3 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 to 5 tablespoons soy, almond, or rice milk 1 piping bag, fitted with a small round or Bismarck tip
To make the Crème Frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the shortening until smooth. With the mixer running on low, add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon nondairy milk at a time, as needed, until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. You may not need to use all of the nondairy milk. Beat on high for 2 more minutes until light and fluffy.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)¼ cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring 2 tablespoons canola oil
Melt chocolate chips and coconut milk in a double boiler or microwave. Whisk in oil until smooth.
