Dvar Torah Parshat Chayei Sarah

Dvar Torah Parshat Chayei Sarah

In this week’s Parsha, Chayei Sarah, Avraham purchases Ma’arat Hamachpela as a burial place for his wife Sarah. He buys it from Efron Hachiti. Why does Avraham want

Ma’arat Hamachpela specifically? And why does the Torah also mentions that Ma’arat Hamachpela was in Chevron? 

The answer lies in the fact that Chevron, the special place where Ma'arat Hamachpela was located, has another name, Kiryat Arbah. Arbah means four. It's called this because there were four couples who were buried in Ma’arat Hamachpela: Adam and Chava, Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka and Yaakov and Leah. Avraham knew this and he wanted to make sure his family would be buried in Ma’arat Hamachpela. That’s why this week so many people go to visit Chevron and daven at Ma’arat Hamachpela.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Yoni Rosenberg

Grade 5

 

פרשת וירא דבר תורה

 iPad, iHome, selfies etc. We live in a world and a generation where our whole world revolves

around what we want and what we’re doing.

In this week’s parsha, Parshat Vayeira, we are reminded time and time again about Avraham’s selflessness.Avraham is tested over and over, but each time he puts aside the human instinct to think about himself. In those moments he chooses to think about the greater good and the impact that his actions can have on the world.

At the end of last week’s parsha, Avraham, at the age of 99, is commanded to give all the members of his household a  Brit Milah. He does this to everyone and to himself. In that moment, Hashem gave him every opportunity to take care of himself. Avraham was sick and Hashem made it hot outside, so that Avraham would be inclined to remain in his tent and relax. Avraham does the exact opposite. He sits outside in the scolding hot weather and waits for people to pass by. He longed to do Hachnasat Orchim, the mitzvah that he so famous for doing. Hashem, seeing how eager Avraham is to do this mitzvah, sends three angels to come visit Avraham. Each angel comes with his own message. The first one comes to heal Avraham. The second comes to bring the great news that in a year’s  time, Sarah will give birth to a son. And the last was a messenger to tell Avraham that Sodom was going to be destroyed.Each comes with an important message, but which one does Avraham spend the most energy thinking about? He is thinking about the one who said that Sodom was going to be destroyed. He was just told that he was going to have a son, after waiting all this time, and he is concerned for the possible Tzaddikim in Sodom. He even begins bargaining with Hashem, trying to make deals to save the people that live there. Again, Avraham puts his own happiness aside to think about the plight of others. Lastly, Hashem asks Avraham to bring his precious son as a Korban. We all know how the story goes, he does this without hesitating. He gets up early and quickly goes to fulfil the word of Hashem. Again, the natural instinct to think about himself in this moment is not even a thought for him.

Avraham designated his life to serving Hashem and helping the people around him. If we could take one message from this week’s Parsha, it should be to think about our lives and see if we can find appropriate opportunities to do this. Is  there anyone that we could help even if we have something of our own to do? Can we put our own agendas on the side for a couple of minutes and do something which could have an impact on others?

שאלות פרשת וירא

Grades 1 and 2


1. How did Avraham greet the  3 visitors? (18:2) 

2. What news did the three strangers bring with them? (18:10)

3. What argument did Avraham use to try and save Sodom? (18:23-30) 

4. What did Lot say to the two visitors in Sodom? (19:2) 

5. What Mitzvah did both Avraham and Lot perform in this week’s Parsha? 

5. How old was Avraham when Yizchak was born? ( 21:5)  

Grades  3- 5

1. How did Sarah react to the news the three strangers brought? Why did she react that way?(18:12)

2. Who prayed to God on behalf of Sodom? What did he ask of God? (18:23-30)

3. What command did the messengers give Lot and his family when they were leaving Sodom? (19:17)

4, Why did Sarah ask  for Yishmael to be sent away? (21:9-10)

5. To which place was Avraham commanded to take Yitzchak for the Akeida? (22:2) 

6. What was used at the Akeida instead of Yitzchak? (22:13)

Parshat Lech Lecha - Dvar Torah

Parshat Lech Lecha

In this weeks Parsha we read about an escapee that reports to Avram that his nephew, Lot, was taken captive. After hearing this, Avram quickly gathers his forces to liberate Lot and save Sodom. He ends up successful on both accounts. 

Who was this reporter? What ever happened to him? And is there a message that we can learn from his story?

According the Midrash, this person was Og, the King of Bahsan. He lived for many years after surviving the flood. This was the same King Og that Moshe was afraid of when the Jewish People were preparing to conquer Canaan. The Gemera explains that Moshe was afraid that the merit of saving Lot's life would protect Og when the Jewish People came to attack. 

Interestingly, the Midrash elaborates on the reason why Og reported to Avram about Lot. His plan was for Avram to hear his report, and then to go to war and die in the battle. This would leave Sarah without a husband and Og would marry her. We see that even though Og did it for a different reason there still was a reward. 

We can not understand how rewards are given out by Hashem. Things that we might see as small and minor might be really remarkable and great. Things that we might think deserve no reward or recognition might really deserve a great reward and high praise.  There is no way to know how Hashem works with reward and punishment. We can only choose to do the right thing  - big or small.  

שאלות פרשת לך לך

Grades 1 and 2 



1. Whose house must  Avram  leave and to where must he go? (12:1)

2. Who was Lot? (12:5)

3. Where did Avram go when  there was no food in the land of Cannan?  (12:10)

4.  Why did Lot move away from Avram ? (13:6-7)

5. Lot was taken captive. Who saved him? (14:14-18)

5. To what did Hashem compare Avram’s descendants, the Jewish people? (15:5)

6. What were the new names that Hashem gave Avram and Sari ( 17:5 & 17:15)

7. What Mitzvah did Avram receive in this Parsha? (17:10)

Grades 3-5

1. What promises did Hashem to Avram if he would leave Charan? (12:2)

2. Where did Avram go when a famine struck Eretz Cna’an? (12:10)

3. What did Avram ask Sarai to say about their realtionship? (12:13)

4. There was a war between the “Five Kings” and the “Four  Kings” , Who won the War? What person was  responsiblefor  this victory? (14:14-22)

5. Why did Avram refuse to accept a reward for saving Lot and S’dom ? (14: 22-23)

 6. What Mitzvah did Avram receive in this Parsha? (17:10) 

שאלות פרשת נח

Grades 1 and 2

1. What word does the Torah use to describe Noach?  (6:9)   

2. Why did God want to destroy humanity? (6:13) 

3.How many days did it rain?  (7:2) 

4. What was the first bird that Noach sent out of the Ark ?(8:8) 

5 What did God promise to NEVER do again? What in nature is the sign of  this promise?  (9:8-15)

6. How many languages did the people of the world speak before the story the Tower of Bavel? (11:1) 

Grades 3-5

1. According to Rashi, how many years did it take Noach to build the Ark (6:14)

2. How many pairs of animals did Noach take onto the Ark? (6:19) 

3. How many pairs of Kosher animals did Noach take onto the Ark? (7:1-3) 

4. How many days did the waters keep rising on the Earth? (7:24) 

5. How many times did Noach send out the Dove (יונה)? (:8-12) 

6. Give one reason, according to Rashi for building a tower to the heavens. (11:1 Rashi)

שאלות בהר-בחוקתי

Grades 1 and 2

1. What special year is the Torah speaking about at the beginning of Parshat Behar? (25:1-5)

2. How often does this special year occur?

3. What can the Jewish People in Israel NOT do during that year?

4. What is the name the Torah calls the 50^th year? (25:10-11)

5. What is the signal to mark the 50th Year? (25:9)

6. What three words do we say at the end of Parshat Bechukotai, since it is the last  Parsha in Sefer Vayikra?

Grades 3 - 5

1. What special year is the Torah speaking about at the beginning of Parshat Behar? (25:1-5)

2. List 2 laws of the ShmittahYear. (25:4-5)

3. What is the name the Torah calls the 50^th year? (25:10-11)

4. What is one law about the 50^th Year learned in Perek 25 Pasuk 10? 

5. What kind of work cannot be done by a Jewish slave? (25:39 Rashi)

6. What three words do we say at the end of Parshat Bechukotai, since it is the last Parsha in Sefer Vayikra?