Dvar Torah
Respect Others Mitzvot
(בראשית כט:יא) וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת־קֹלוֹ וַיֵּבְךְּ:
The Torah tells us that when Yaakov arrived at the home of Lavan and saw Rachel, he cried. Rashi tells us (29:11) that the reason for his tears was because Yaakov had nothing to give her. Where was his money? Rashi explains that when Esav found out that Yaakov had received the Brachot from Yitzchak he wanted to kill him. Esav sent his oldest son Elifaz to chase after and kill Yaakov. Elifaz was a student of Yaakov and when he caught up to Yaakov he did not want to kill him, but his father had told him to.Elifaz asked Yaakov what to do since he had a Mitzvah of honoring his father. Yaakov told him that a poor person is just like a dead person, so Yaakov gave Elifaz all that he had.
The Halacha is that a person needs to listen to everything which their parent tells them except if the parent tells them to do a sin. Killing is a sin. Why did Yaakov not just tell Elifaz that he did not need to listen to his father?
Yaakov’s response shows us the love that Yaakov had for the Mitzvot. He would even give his own things to help someone do their Mitzvah the best way possible.
From this story we can learn many things; one is how important listening to one’s parents is. If an evil person like Esav and his children could do this Mitzvah, then, for sure, we could. Also, we see how important it is to do Mitzvot right, from the fact that Yaakov gave everything he had, and it was not even for his Mitzvah!
With this in mind how should we treat each Mitzvah that comes our way whether it is us who is doing it or help and giving an opportunity for others to fulfill a Mitzvah?
Shabbat Shalom!
Parsha Questions
1) From where did יעקב leave? To where did he go? (see בראשית כח:י)
2) When יעקב traveled to חרן, the תורה stresses that he departed from באר שבע. Why?
(see רש"י בראשית כח:י)
3) When יעקב was traveling he stopped to rest. Where did he lie down? (see רש"י בראשית כח:יא)
4) What made יעקב need to stop there? (see רש"י בראשית כח:יאא)
5) What did יעקב see in his dream? What was he told? (see בראשית כח:יב-טו)
6) When יעקב awoke and realized where he was, he says אין זה כי אם־בית אלקים וזה שער השמים. Explain what is meant by וזה שער השמים. (see רש"י בראשית כח:יז)
7) What did יעקב promise to Hashem? Why? (see בראשית כח:כ-כב)
8) When יעקב arrived at the well, what did he see that he did not approve of? (see בראשית כט:ז)
9) What explanation did the shepherds give to יעקב? (see רש"י בראשית כט:ח)
10) While יעקב was speaking with the shepherds who came to the well? Why? (see בראשית כט:ט)
11) What was יעקב able to do when he saw רחל? (see בראשית כט:י)
12) Why did יעקב cry when he met רחל? (see רש"י בראשית כט:יא)
13) Why did רחל tell her father that she met יעקב? (see רש"י בראשית כט:יב)
14) Why did לבן run to greet יעקב? (see רש"י בראשית כט:יג)
15) For whom did יעקב work (to marry) originally? (see בראשית כט:כ)
16) What was his attitude toward this work? (see רש"י בראשית כט:כ)
17) If יעקב planned to marry רחל how did he end up marrying לאה? (see רש"י בראשית כט:כה)
18) Who felt hated? Did יעקב really “hate” her? What words in the פסוק show us this?
(see בראשית כט:ל-לא)
19) What did Hashem do to make לאה feel more loved? (see בראשית כט:לא)
20) List all the children of לאה and why she gave them each name? (Explain each name)
(see בראשית כט:לב-ל:כא)
22) Seeing that she had no children, what did רחל do? (see בראשית ל:ג)
23) List all the children of בלהה and why she gave them each name? (Explain each name)
(see בראשית ל:ו-ז)
24) Why did לאה give זלפה to יעקב to marry? (see בראשית ל:ט)
25) List all the children of זלפה and why she gave them each name? (Explain each name)
(see בראשית ל:י-יג)
26) What did Hashem remember about רחל that allowed her to have a child?
(see רש"י בראשית ל:כב)
27) What did רחל name her son? Why this name? (see בראשית ל:כב-כד)
28) Why after יוסף was born was יעקב now able to go home? (see רש"י בראשית ל:כה)
29) What did לבן accuse יעקב of taking from his house when he left? (see בראשית לא:כו-ל)
30) After his meeting with לבן, what מלאכים met יעקב? (see רש"י בראשית לב:ב)
Classroom Check-in!
Questions about what we are learning in class
This week the 5th grade completed Mishnah Sukkah Perek 1!!! Please click here for videos to help review Mishnayot.
1) In Mishnah 9 we discussed walls that are not covering the entire area of the wall. If one has space at the BOTTOM of the wall that is more than 4 Tefachim what would that Hahlacha be?
2) What is a דופן עקומה, a leaning wall?
3) What is the deal with a teepee Sukkah?
4) Would it make a difference if a bamboo mat was made to be a bed, shade, or Schach? Explain.
Torah Math
As Yaakov is leaving, he stops to sleep. As he is laying there Yaakov has a dream with a latter and angels going up and down. We are taught that this dream was actually telling Yaakov the future, but how, was it a prophecy?
Actually, within the word we can see that it was, check this out!
חלום=זהו בנבואה
Totally AWESOME!
TORAH TRIVIA!
Super Stumper Question:
This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.
Answer to last week’s Question:
Q : In Tana”kh, how many and which pieces of land in Eretz Yisroel were purchased? Which? By whom????
A: The 3 places in Eretz Yisrael that were purchased were Me’arat Hamachpela-by Avraham, Shchem-by Yaakov, Har Hamoria-by Dovid Hamelech
Question of the week: On every Rosh Chodesh we say 1/2 Hallel. What exception(s) are there to this rule????
A: Coming soon!
Kollel Quiz
#1 Who Am I?
1. I could be meet.
2. I could be pray.
3. I hint to quick travels.
4. I referenced Yaakov’s Maariv.
#2 Who Am I?
1. I could be round.
2. I could be straight.
3. A stick caused me.
4. I went to Yaakov.
FOOD Section!
Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?
Rock Candy
Gather the following supplies:
* Measuring cup and spoon
* Large sauce pan
* Long wooden spoon
* Clean glass jar (a tall, strong one)
* Clean piece of cotton string
* Popsicle stick, pencil, or wooden skewer
* Paper clip
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups of granulated sugar
* A few drops of your favorite candy flavoring (optional)
* A few drops of food coloring (optional)
Step 1: Tie the piece of string around the middle of the stick or pencil. The string should be a little shorter than the jar.
Step 2: Get the string damp a little water and roll it in the sugar. Put the paper clip on the end of the string. Place the stick over the top of the glass jar. The string should be hanging down inside the jar, but shouldn't be touching the bottom.
Step 3: Cook the candy mixture.
a. Boil the water.
b. Stir in the two cups of sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved.
c. Remove the pan from the heat, add flavoring and/or coloring, if using.
d. Pour hot mixture into the jar.
Step 4: Put the jar in an out of the way spot where it won't be disturbed. The crystals will start growing on the string in a couple of hours.
Let the crystals grow for 3-10 days. The longer they grow, the larger they'll be. Letting them grow longer will result in bigger crystals.
Step 5: Remove the string from the jar, and eat your candy! Store leftovers in an airtight container.
