BIB 378 Advanced Bible Study Guide PDF

BIB 378 Advanced Bible Women in the Torah and the lessons we learn from them Study Guide About the Course: The Bible 378 course seeks to bring deeper understanding of the main female characters of the Pentateuch and of numerous Torah laws pertaining specifically to...

BIB 378 Advanced Bible Women in the Torah and the lessons we learn from them Study Guide About the Course: The Bible 378 course seeks to bring deeper understanding of the main female characters of the Pentateuch and of numerous Torah laws pertaining specifically to women. The course will examine the relevance of the female characters as interpreted by the rabbis from the composers of the midrash through current times, as well as the lessons gleaned by contemporary female Torah teachers. A major focus will be the lessons learned from the women of the Torah as they apply to Jewish women today in daily life and spiritual growth. Some of the specific topics will include analysis of Chava, the Matriarchs, and Miriam. Laws examined will include family purity and divorce. Exam protocol:  Time given for test: two hours  Write legibly in black ink  Write the answer to multiple choice questions in the blank space to the left of the question  If unsure of an answer, make a note to yourself and come back to it later if you have time  Wrong answers receive no credit, but no loss of credit  Passing grade: 70%  The test consists of  20 multiple choice questions (worth 2 points each, altogether 40% of the exam grade)  15 open ended questions (worth 3 points each, altogether 45% of the exam grade)  3 essay questions (worth 5 points each, altogether 15% of the exam grade) List of sources to study: M. Bodner-Lankry. (2016). Parsha in Pink. Weekly inspiration from the Parsha to ignite the lives and Hearts of Women Today. Feldheim Publishers: NY, NY. Additional sources (all are cited below): Targum Onkelos, Breishis 27:13 Breishis Rabbah, 63:6 (with Eitz Yosef commentary), 70:16 Rashi, Breishis 12:17, 16:5, 21:12, 23:!, 25:22, Shmos 19:3 1 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide Ramban, Breishis 29:31 Chizkuni, Breishis 30:1 Rabbeinu Bachaye, Shmos 19:3 Ohr HaChaim, Breishis 29:31 Likutei Mahartza. R’ Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov. 5761. Shmos 1:15 Kol Simcha. R’ Simcha Bunim of P’shic’cha. 5757. Breishis 30:1 Mishulchan Gavoah. ed. Rabbi Dov Eliach. 5753. Shmos 1:15 Yad Yechezkel. R’ Yechezkel Levenstein. (ed. R’ Moshe Ginsberg). 5753. Breishis 29:31 Chidushei HaLev. R’ Henach Leibowitz. (ed. Rabbi Binyamin Luban). 5752. Breishis 16:5, 18:1, 30:8, Shmos 35:5, Bamidbar 16:1 L’sitcha Elyon. ed. C.S. Rosenthal. 5778. Breishis 11:29, 24:19, Shmos 1:15, 15:21, 19:3 Zeh HaShaar. R’ Moshe Shapiro. (ed. E. Kinnreich) p. 271-272, 280 The Pleasant Way, adapted from the Teachings of HoRav Avrohom Pam. Rabbi Sholom Smith. 2002 p. 45-46 Yemima Mizrachi Speaks. Yemima Mizrachi. Artscroll. 2016. p. 30, 56 The Crown of Creation. Chana Weisberg. Mosaic Press. 1996. p.31, 41, 52, 60-61 Outline for review: Based mainly on Parsha in Pink  This book symbol represents additional sources added by the developer 1. Breishis  Creation of Man and Woman  Unlike other creations, the Torah does not state “it is good” after man was created; only after woman was created  Rav S.R. Hirsch - a wife is called “ezer k’negdo” (“a helper opposite him”) because through their differences they come to shape each other and unite into a complete whole being; this can only come about if both subordinate their energies and aspirations to Hashem  Hence, the creation of man was “good” only when it was completed with the creation of Chava 2. Noach  Noach’ wife, Na’ama  Most men of Noach’s generation had two wives. Noach seems to have been an exception as his main wife who accompanied him in the ark also seems to have bore his children.  There are different views as to whether Na’ama was saved based on her own merit or the merit of Noach; perhaps her unique merit was being a true “ezer k’negdo” to an “ish tzadik”  Sarah is introduced with the name Yiskah (Breishis 11:29) 2 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide   Rashi - Yiskah is Sarah because she saw (sochah) with Divine Inspiration and everyone saw (sochim) her beauty  Rav Shmuel Weintraub of Novhardok (cited in L’sitcha Elyon) - these two explanations are not a contradiction; the great praise of Sarah is that even though people looked at her beauty, she paid no attention to this, and rather turned her attention to spirituality  Rav Zeidel Epstein (cited in L’sitcha Elyon) - why only here is Sarah referred to by this name? Even though she had beauty and Divine Inspiration and this was important in the house of Haran (which is the context here), the Torah puts more value on what the name Sarah represents, which is her royal character traits through which she helped Avraham spread faith in G-d (her Divine Inspiration was just a consequence of her good character traits) 3. Lech Lecha  Sarah’s beauty  Upon descending to Egypt, Avraham says to Sarah “Behold, now I know that you are a woman of beautiful appearance.”  Rashi- until then, Avraham had not noticed her beauty due to the modesty of both of them  Midrash - it was when Avraham saw Sarah’s reflection in the Nile that he became aware of her beauty  Previously, Avraham only saw Sarah’s inner beauty; when he saw her reflection in the Nile, he realized she also possessed raw physical beauty and became concerned that the Egyptians might take her  Rashi - When Sarah was taken to Paroh’s palace against her will, Paroh was stricken by a skin disease which made intercourse impossible; whenever Sarah would say “strike,” an angel would strike Paroh or his servants  Sarai complains to Avraham when Hagar conceives and disparages Sarai (Breishis 16:5)  Rashi - Sarai complains that Avraham had prayed that he not remain childless, but did not pray for her to have a child; furthermore, she complained that Avraham is quiet when Hagar is disparaging her as a fraud in her righteousness for having not been able to bear a child  Rav Henach Leibowitz - surely, Avraham did not purposely refrain from praying for Sarah; yet Avraham was held accountable because he should have prayed for her but didn’t think about it  Rav S.R. Hirsch (cited in Crown of Creation, p.52) - Sarah’s anger at Hagar was mainly because Hagar was showing independence, and Sarah intended to keep her as a dependent so that Sarah could raise the child born to Hagar and Avraham based on the faith of Sarah and Avraham so that he would continue that legacy 3 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  Name change from Sarai to Sarah  Rashi - the name change reflects a change from “my princess” to “princess of all mankind”  By the verse saying “Sarah is her name” it implies that she already possessed this status  Unlike Avraham, Sarah does not need a formal covenant or action along with the name change  Rav S.R. Hirsch - a woman, by virtue of her lineage from Sarah, has the ability to subordinate herself to everything that is pure and holy 4. Vayeira  G-d said to Avraham, “don’t feel bad about the child (Yishmael) and the maidservant (Hagar); all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice… (Breishis 21:12)  Rashi - we learn from here that Sarah was greater in prophecy than Avraham  Crown of Creation (p. 60-61) – Sarah had greater prophecy because she achieved a foretaste of the future world, where the true essence of the body will be revealed and the body will be on a higher level of G-dliness than the soul (this explanation of the future world is based on a maamar of Rav Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch, 5659)  Hagar casts Yishmael under the bushes when she sees he seems about to die  Rav S.R. Hirsch - Hagar behaved in a cruel manner, focusing on her own feelings of not wanting to see the boy die; throwing him “beneath the bushes” could have subjected him to needless pain of being pricked by thorns  Rav S.R. Hirsch - The Torah says Hashem heard Yishmael’s crying, and not Hagar’s - because Hashem is not “moved” by tears of an egotist who makes no effort to alleviate the suffering of another  Yitzchak is born in Sarah’s old age  Sarah gave birth after she had reached an age when she was no longer naturally able to conceive  This is a lesson never to give up hope  The Jewish people survive through miracles; the prophet (Yeshayahu 51:2) tells us to look to Avraham and Sarah - we can learn that just as G-d rejuvenated them, enabling them to have children, so too, He will restore Yerushalayim 5. Chayei Sarah  And the years of Sarah’s life were 100 years and twenty years and seven years; the years of the life of Sarah (Breishis 23:1)  Rashi - adding “the years of the life of Sarah” at the end of the verse comes to teach “all of them equal for good” 4 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide   Sfas Emes (quoted by Yemima Mizrachi, p. 56) - Rashi’s words can be understood to hint that whatever happened in Sarah’s life, she saw it as good  Eliezer discovers Rivkah at the well…  Rivkah shows kindness by drawing water for Eliezer and his camels  Rav Eliyahu Dushnitzer (L’sitcha Elyon, p. 194) - her greatness was in realizing on her own that although Eliezer asked for water for himself, she should also provide for the camels, though giving them water would require a lot of hard work  Rav Yechiel Michel Feinstein (L’sitcha Elyon, p. 195) - Eliezer decided that if Rivkah had such great character traits, she would be willing to adapt to Yitzchak’s lifestyle and belief system  Rav Avraham Pam (The Pleasant Way, p.45-46) - it might seem surprising that the Torah tells us that matriarchs like Rivkah were very beautiful in appearance since Mishlei (31:30) teaches “grace is false and beauty is vain;” the answer could be that beauty is like the number zero - it has no intrinsic value, but when put together with something of value (good character traits and fear of Hashem), then it has worth  Rav Moshe Shapiro (Zeh HaShaar, p. 280) - true beauty is when one’s inner beauty is able to express itself outwardly  Rivkah continues in the ways of Sarah  Under Rivkah, three miracles of Sarah’s time resumed: her candles burned from one Shabbos to the next, her dough was blessed, and a cloud signifying the Divine Presence hovered over tent; this gave Yitzchak much consolation over the loss of his mother  Significance of Shabbos candles: to bring peace in the home; being able to see prevents fights; Maharal - light allows differentiation between things; so too, peace can only exist when boundaries are distinguishable  Sarah and Rivkah’s candles staying lit all week may symbolize the unique ability of the imahos to differentiate and view things with clarity; this may be the meaning in “eishes chayil” of “her light does not go out at night”  Examples: Sarah recognized the negative influence of Yishmael and requested that Avraham send him away; Rivkah also recognized that it was Yaakov who was deserving of the blessings  Shem MiShmuel, (cited in The Crown of Creation, p.41) - each week, Sarah enhanced the Shabbos lights by supplementing rather than replacing the spiritual growth and strength of the previous week  Sarah dies upon hearing of the akeidah  Midrash - the time had come for Sarah to pass anyway; but because her mind was focused on the Shechinah, her life could not be taken until the Satan distracted her with the shocking news of the commandment of the akeidah 5 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide   Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel - Sarah’s soul departed at the knowledge that she had fulfilled her life’s work, giving birth to a son who was deemed worthy to be a perfect sacrifice; thus, she did not die of anguish but of an intense emotional realization of a lofty goal 6. Toldos  Yitzchak and Rivkah are childless for many years  Talmud - the avos and imahos were barren because G-d loves the prayers of the righteous  Perhaps the idea behind this is that the pain of their infertility was necessary to bring forth prayer so intense that it would produce extraordinary offspring  Rivkah has a difficult pregnancy (Breishis 25:22)  Rashi - when she would pass a place of Torah, Yaakov would rush to come out, and when she would pass a place of idolatry, Yaakov would rush to come out  Rashi - Rivkah asked “lamah zeh anochi,” meaning why did she pray to get pregnant if it was going to cause such suffering  Breishis Rabbah (63:6, based on Etz Yosef; cited in Chidushei HaLev, Breishis 18:1) - Rivkah was worthy to bear the 12 tribes, but she did not because she complained about her pregnancy  Rav Henach Leibowitz (Chidushei HaLev, Breishis 18:1) - Rivkah lost the merit to bear the 12 tribes because she should not have regretted praying for children, because no matter how it ended up, that was the proper thing to do at the time and a person should trust in Hashem that doing the proper thing will lead him in the right direction  Rivkah urges Yaakov to pose as Eisav and receive the blessings from Yitzchak  Onkelos (Breishis 27:13) - Rivkah says she received a prophecy that no harm will come to Yaakov through carrying out this plan 7. Vayetze  “Leah’s eyes were tender…” (Breishis 29:17)  Rashi - her eyes became tender because she was crying since she thought she was destined to marry Eisav  Breishis Rabbah (70:16) - Leah would cry and say “may it be Your will that I don’t fall to the portion of the wicked one.” Rav Huna: prayer is so powerful that Leah’s prayer broke this decree and she was able to marry Yaakov even before Rachel did  Rav Yechezkel Levenstein (Breishis 29:31) - Leah prayed not to marry Eisav rather than pray to marry Yaakov because the more a prayer comes from a place of absolute truth, the more it is likely to be answered - Leah was sure that her fear of marrying Eisav was completely true, whereas she wasn’t sure if the desire to marry Yaakov would be coming from a completely true feeling 6 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  Leah gives thanks upon the birth of Yehudah, her fourth son (p. 121-122)  Talmud - from the day the world was created, no one gave thanks to Hashem until Leah  Didn’t tzadikim like Noach, Avraham, and Sarah surely give thanks to Hashem?  Some say Leah was the first to thank Hashem for something that seems natural, as opposed to miracles  Some say Leah’s thanks was special because it would continue whenever she called her son’s name  Her thanks may have been unique because she changed her feeling of suffering and being unloved to joy, and focused instead on her love and connection to Hashem  Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Yaakov and she was jealous of her sister and she said to Yaakov ‘give me children, and if not, I am dead.’ (Breishis 30:1)  Rashi - Rachel was envious of Leah’s good deeds, reasoning that if Leah was not more righteous than she, Leah would not have merited bearing children  Rav Henach Leibowitz - although envy of good deeds is considered a good trait, it can also lead to depression and despair; therefore, a person should realize when his envy of the righteous is getting him depressed and before it reaches that point, focus instead on one’s own positive traits  Rav Simcha Bunim of P’shis’cha - Rachel was jealous of Leah being hated, because she saw that being hated caused Leah to have children; therefore she made the comment of “give me children” which she knew would aggravate Yaakov so that she too could become hated  Chizkuni - Rachel only became jealous after Leah had 4 children because this was more than her share of the 12 tribes that would be born among the 4 wives  Rachel and Leah replied and said to him “Do we still have a share and an inheritance in our father’s house? Are we not considered as strangers? For he has sold us and totally consumed all our money.” (Breishis 31:14)  Rachel and Leah agree to flee the home of their father Lavan, together with Yaakov  Rav Henach Leibowitz (Shmos 35:5) - even though they would anyway feel the necessity to go because of the Divine command (Breishis 31:13) to return to Eretz Yisrael, they gave a more practical reason to make the challenge of fulfilling G- d’s will easier in their minds and guarantee that they would follow it since it also fulfilled their self-interest  Rav Moshe Shapiro (Zeh HaShaar, p. 271-272) - the main aspect of binah is to clarify the details and establish them properly; this is the job of the mother; Sarah did it by sending away Yishmael, Rivkah by ensuring that Eisav not receive the 7 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  blessings, and now Rachel and Leah by separating from Lavan by calling themselves “strangers” to him; this is the concept taught in the gemara (Niddah 45b) that Hashem gave women binah yeseirah, (more binah); this is the only way to build, hence boneh (build) is related to the word binah 8. Vayishlach  Dinah abused by Sh’chem  Rashi - Dinah was slightly lacking in modesty for going out among these people  Midrash - because Yaakov hid Dinah from Eisav, this tragedy befell her; Yaakov deprived Eisav of a kindness in not allowing him to marry Dinah  With the right guidance and influence, women can encourage growth and greatness in their families  The deaths of Devorah (Rivkah’s nursemaid) and of Rivkah  Rashi - had the Torah mentioned Rivkah’s death explicitly, people would have cursed her for being the mother of Eisav  Devorah was important enough to be mentioned - perhaps because she gave Yaakov’s wives and children a small sample of who Rivkah was; thus the loss of Devorah was directly linked to the loss of Rivkah; it is important to expose our children to holy individuals of the older generation 9. Vayeshev  Tamar and Yehudah  Tamar was a descendant of Noach’s son, Shem  Talmud - Tamar went to Avraham’s tomb (in Chevron) to pray for the privilege to marry and bear a child to this holy family  Tamar was willing to give up her life rather than directly shame Yehudah 10. Miketz  Yosef marries Osnas  Dinah conceived Osnas from Sh’chem, Yaakov sent Osnas to Egypt, fearing Shimon and Levi might kill her; Yaakov wrote her a special amulet to put around her neck; she grew up in Potifar’s home  When Yosef saw the amulet written by his father which identified Osnas as a descendant of Yaakov, he found and married Osnas, who had remained pure and holy despite growing up in Egypt  We can learn from here that G-d guides every person to find a proper marriage partner 11. Vayigash  Serach bas Asher informs Yaakov that Yosef is alive  Midrash (Sefer HaYashar) - Serach broke the news gently while playing the harp; Yaakov promised that in reward for informing him of this happy 8 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  information, she would not taste death  Serach is the only daughter of the shvatim listed when the family members are counted  Before the exodus, Serach confirmed the signs presented by Moshe and Aharon “pakod pakadti,” establishing them as legitimate redeemers  Serach identified the place in the Nile from which Yosef’s bones would rise to be brought to Eretz Yisrael  Da’as Z’keinim - in the census in the desert, the verse says “the name of the daughter of Asher was Serach:” by mentioning the word “name,” the Torah is hinting that she was known for her good reputation  Serach’s greatness was not in how long she lived, but in how she lived  Yocheved is born as the Bnei Yisrael enter Egypt  Not one moment of exile could pass without Hashem first preparing the seeds of redemption (Yocheved was the mother of Moshe and Aharon who led the Jews out of Egypt much later) 12. Vayechi  Ephraim and Menashe receive a special blessing from Yaakov  The custom is to bless our sons to be like Ephraim and Menashe and our daughters to be like Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah  Ephraim and Menashe maintained their commitment to their family’s faith and traditions despite the allure of the Egyptian environment  So too, each of the imahos grew up in an environment of idolatry; in addition, Besuel, father of Rivkah, was known to have established the rule that he as king of the city of Nachor had rights to have carnal relations with any girl before she got married; Lavan was also notorious for dishonesty 13. Shmos  Miriam and Yocheved save the Jewish babies from Paroh’s decrees  Rashi - the Torah refers to them as “Shifrah” and “Puah” for their work in beautifying the infant and murmuring to the infant, respectively  Why do their names reflect seemingly small deeds and not the fact that they saved the Bnei Yisrael or their spiritual greatness?  This can be understood based on the teaching of Rav Yaakov Ruderman that true greatness lies in day-to-day actions; sometimes it is easier to rise to the occasion for a daring moment than to do low profile actions that reveal depth of character and commitment  Rav Shmuel Rozovsky (cited in MiShulchan Gavoah, p. 20) - despite their high spiritual levels, their main greatness was fulfilling their life’s mission as women  Rav Yerucham Levovitz (cited in L’Sitcha Elyon, p.36) - even the most minor work, when done for the sake of Heaven, is of great significance, and therefore 9 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  they are mentioned by the names that refer to their work  Rav Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dinov (Likutei Mahartza, p. 78) - Paroh gave them Egyptian names to try to make them identify with his agenda so that they would feel more comfortable carrying out his plot against the babies  Moshe is saved by Basya, daughter of Paroh  Talmud - Basya was going down to the Nile to finalize her conversion to Judaism when she saw baby Moshe  Only someone who truly thirsted for truth would want to become part of a suffering and persecuted nation  Rashi - Basya saw the Shechinah with Moshe (she must have been righteous and pure in order to discern the Shechinah)  Saving Moshe put Basya’s life in danger, but her compassion and righteousness helped her overcome this fear  Tziporah circumcises her son (p. 82-83)  Tziporah realized that when a serpent attempted to swallow her husband, it was a punishment for delaying to circumcise their son  She showed that sometimes a wife has to step out of her comfort zone to help her husband accomplish his spiritual goals 14. Va’eria  “Aharon took Elisheva daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon, as a wife…”  Talmud - mentioning Elisheva’s brother (the righteous leader of Shevet Yehudah) teaches us that one should look into a girl’s family before marrying her to see how the children will come out (the Steipler said this is because her immediate family influenced her the most; today, this might not be true as there are often other greater influences)  Elisheva is praised by chazal for responding to the tragedy of the loss of her sons Nadav and Avihu in a dignified way, understanding that this world is only a hallway to the eternal world; this is expressed in eishes chayil: “strength and dignity are her garments; she laughs to the last day.” 15. Beshalach  Miriam leads the women in praising Hashem for the splitting of the Sea  Rashi - The women took musical instruments from Egypt in anticipation of the miracles they trusted Hashem would perform  Miriam displayed this faith before as a child when she watched Moshe’s basket in the Nile, anticipating a miracle through which he would be saved  Rav Moshe Ahron Stern (cited in L’sitcha Elyon, p. 271) - Miriam’s response with the women focuses on the destruction of Paroh’s horses and riders in the sea - this displays the importance of women - just as the horse was punished for assisting the rider to attack the Jewish people, so too, women are rewarded for 10 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  helping men be able to learn Torah, which was the purpose of the exodus  Miriam is called “a prophetess, sister of Aharon”  her gift of prophecy came before Moshe was born, when she was only a sister to Aharon; she had prophesized that her parents would give birth to a child who would redeem the Jewish people, this encouraged her parents to be together again despite Paroh’s decree, and through this Moshe was born  by being encouraging and showing faith from the beginning, it was fitting that Miriam lead the song of thanksgiving on the redemption 16. Yisro  Tziporah returns to Moshe  Rashi - When Aharon had told Moshe how hard it was for the Jews in Egypt, Moshe instructed Tziporah to return to her father’s house where she remained until after the exodus  To be the wife of a great Torah leader, a woman must be ready to step aside and allow him the freedom to do his important work  “So shall you say to the Beis Yaakov and relate to the Bnei Yisrael” (Shmos 19:3, in the preparation for the giving of the Torah)  Rashi - “Beis Yaakov” refers to the women who should be told in a soft way (“somar”), “Bnei Yisrael” refers to the men who should be told in a hard way (“saged”), including the punishments and details  Rabbeinu Bechaye - the loving nature of women is suited to their task of inculcating their children with love of Torah; hearing the commandments in a compassionate manner would be appropriate for their maternal nature  Midrash Shmos Rabbah (28:2) (cited in L’Sitcha Elyon, p. 326)- the women were told first because they have zrizus (alacrity) in performing mitzvos  Rav Moshe Chevroni (cited in L’Sitcha Elyon, p. 326) - success in Torah requires recognition of its great value; this recognition is shown by the alacrity of women in mitzvos, so they were told about the Torah first, to teach us that one can only acquire Torah if it is preceded by enthusiasm 17. Mishpatim  A man may sell his daughter as a slave  This may be for a positive purpose to get the daughter of a poor family married into a good family where she will be well-taken care of  When she reaches 12, the master or his son can marry her, and if he does so, he must treat her with all the respect given any wife; if they do not choose to marry her, she goes free  The prohibition to cause pain to a widow  Kotzker Rebbe - the pain of a widow or orphan is magnified by the fact that they 11 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  don’t have someone to stand up for them or unburden themselves to  We can learn from this to try to reach out to vulnerable people and provide them with advice or a sympathetic ear  Hashem promises to protect the widow and orphan and answer their cries; so too, each Jew sometimes feels alone and as a whole, the Jewish people is in galus, but they can rely on G-d to defend them 18. Ki Sisa  The kiyor is to be built of copper from the mirrors of the Jewish women  The women had used these mirrors in Egypt to beautify themselves when their husbands came home from long hours of slave labor, and thus helped ensure the continuation of the Jewish people  Although Moshe originally thought these mirrors were unfitting to be used in the mishkan, G-d told him that they were especially precious because of what had been done with them  The women refuse to use their gold to contribute to building the golden calf  The women trusted that Hashem would not leave the people without a leader  Chur was killed protesting against the golden calf; perhaps he got the passion to stand up for that which is right from his mother Miriam, who had admonished her father not to abandon her mother due to Paroh’s decree to kill Jewish babies and had refused to follow Paroh’s decree to the midwives 19. Vayakhel  The women bring their jewelry to donate to the mishkan  Rashi - “al hanashim” indicates that the women were leading the men to make the donations  The women were leading the men out of their greater enthusiasm  Ohr HaChaim - the verse says “al hanashim” indicating that the women were still wearing the jewelry when it was brought to Moshe for the mishkan; showing that they were bringing what was precious to them  Because the women did not give their gold for the golden calf, but eagerly gave for the mishkan, they were rewarded with the celebration of Rosh Chodesh on which women refrain from certain types of work; in the time of the revival of the dead, they are promised the reward of eternal youth  “All the women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom spun on the goats”  Rashi - to prepare materials for the mishkan, these women spun wool while it was still attached to the goats  Sforno - the benefit of this difficult method was to preserve the luster of the wool  These unique talents only came to those “whose hearts inspired them with wisdom;” they had to first be motivated to do something for the mishkan  We can learn from here that a person should not feel that he doesn’t have the 12 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  skills or resources to do something for Hashem; if he is motivated, Hashem will help him 20. Pekudei  The luchos were placed in the aron, which was covered by the paroches  A precious item like the luchos needs respect and therefore should be concealed  So too, a Jewish woman is a valuable treasure and needs to be concealed - this is the idea of tznius  Nefesh David - a Jewish woman is compared to the aron kodesh; this could be for 2 reasons: 1) because she has the ability to carry children and create life, 2) the Jewish neshamah is transmitted to the baby from the mother - the mother’s Jewish status is what determines whether the child will be Jewish  Sensitivity to modesty comes with recognition of self-worth 21. Tazria  Childbirth  Talmud - there are three partners in creation of a child: Hashem, the father, and the mother  During pregnancy, a woman is very close to G-d, sustaining this new life together with G-d. After the birth, the separation is painful; the purification process helps fill this void and the korban involved helps the mother once again achieve closeness with Hashem 22. Emor  The blasphemer  The blasphemer was the son of Shlomis bas Divri  Rabbeinu Bechaye - by mentioning her name here, the Torah is saying that the cause of his terrible sin can be traced back to his mother; the mother has a major impact on the development of the child  “Divri” implies she was talkative (dibur= speech) 23. B’ha’alos’cha  Miriam’s lashon hara  Miriam commented that she thought it was wrong of Moshe to separate from his wife because he was a prophet; she was ever concerned about continued procreation and continuity of the Jewish people  Miriam was mistaken because Moshe’s prophecy was on a different and higher level and he needed to be in a constant state of preparedness  The nation delayed their travel in respect to Miriam until her tzara’as was healed 24. Shelach  The mitzvah to separate challah 13 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide   Sforno - the mitzvah of challah is written after the incident of the spies because Hashem wanted to give Bnei Yisrael this gift so that they would be worthy to have blessing come into their homes  Midrash - the world was created “Breishis” - because of “reishis” - this refers to challah, which is the first portion of the dough  Rabbi Yochanan Zweig - the mitzvah of challah helps us internalize that even what seems to be our “creation” belongs to Hashem, making it especially significant and unique compared to the tithes given directly from the produce  Ma’ayanah shel Torah - The letters of the word “challah” can be seen to represent key milestones for our children: ches for the bris milah, done on the 8th day; lamed for the pidyon haben, done on the 30th day; hei for age 5, when learning chumash begins  The spies  The punishment for listening to the spies and crying about the Land of Israel did not apply to the women because they did not participate in the sin; Rashi explains that that this is because the women had great love for the land 25. Korach  The wife of On ben Peles and the wife of Korach  At first, On ben Peles is mentioned with Korach’s insurrectionists; but he is not mentioned later when Korach’s group rebels and gets punished  On’s wife persuaded him that there was no benefit for him in this argument; he would either be subservient to Aharon or to Korach  Korach’s wife incited her husband against Moshe, making him feel that Moshe was taking power that Korach should have  By looking to the past and getting Korach angry over it, Korach’s wife led to destruction; On’s wife, on the other hand, focused on the future and consequences of actions - this makes her considered a wise woman who builds her house  Rav Henach Leibowitz - Why didn’t On realize from the beginning that his joining Korach’s insurrection was pointless? He had an illogical dream for power which pushed him to take action to realize that dream; his wife made him face reality and see that he had nothing to gain from the insurrection  Chanah’s prayers allow Korach a portion in the World To Come  Midrash - Chanah knew that a major factor in causing Korach to sin was that he saw that her son, Shmuel, would descend from him; she prayed that she and her son should not be responsible for Korach’s eternal punishment  Perhaps it was this extreme sensitivity of Chanah to not want to be at all responsible for someone else’s suffering that atoned for the appalling insensitivity of Korach 26. Chukas 14 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide  The passing of Miriam  Miriam died through a Divine kiss; this type of death does not cause ritual impurity according to some; this may be a reason that her death is juxtaposed to the laws of the parah adumah which brings purity from the ritual impurity of contact with the dead  The well in the desert dried up upon Miriam’s death because it had been in her merit  Rabbeinu Bechaye - Miriam merited the well because she stood by baby Moshe’s basket as it rested in the water; thus, she merited to be a provider of water for Bnei Yisrael 27. Pinchas  The daughters of Tzlafchad  Requested and received the right to inherit from their father since they had no brothers  They are recorded as having initiated the discussion of this law because they were righteous; they wanted the inheritance because they loved the Land of Israel 28. Matos  The husband is given the power to nullify his wife’s vows  R’ S.R. Hirsch - Women might make a vow in an impulsive manner due to their natural sensitivity; having to keep the vow could lead to friction in the family 15 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide Sample Test Questions Multiple Choice 1. When the verse states “Sarah is her name,” this implies that: a. her new status was already innate to her, unlike Avraham’s b. she had lost her prophecy c. she had been known to most people previously as Yiskah d. Avraham was being introduced to his future wife for the first time ANS: A 2. Rashi learns that Sarah had a greater level of prophecy than Avraham from: a. the name Yiskah b. Avraham’s decision to go down to Egypt c. the power Sarah demonstrated in the palace of Paroh d. G-d’s command to Avraham regarding the expulsion of Yishmael ANS: D 3. From the fact that the verse states that G-d heard the crying of Yishmael, whereas the crying of Hagar is not mentioned, Rabbi Shimshon Rephael Hirsch derives which lesson? a. G-d despises egotism b. women’s prayers are less effective than men’s prayers c. greater is the prayer of someone descended from a righteous person than someone descended from wicked people d. women’s prayers are more sublime and hidden and therefore are not mentioned ANS: A 5. Miriam spoke lashon hara about Moshe in the desert because: a. she misunderstood his relationship with G-d b. she was jealous of his power c. she wanted to warn Yocheved to separate from him d. she was asked to by Yisro ANS: A Short answer - free response 1. Since a miracle caused Sarah’s Shabbos candles to stay lit from week to week, what was the symbolism of her relighting them again each Shabbos? ANS: The Shem MiShmuel explains that each week, Sarah enhanced the Shabbos lights by supplementing rather than replacing the spiritual growth and strength of the previous week. 16 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide 2. Explain how it can be learned from the Matriarchs that it is sometimes better to give a personal reason than a religious reason for one’s actions. What is meant to be accomplished by this? ANS: Regarding the decision to leave Lavan’s house, Rachel and Leah replied to Yaakov “Do we still have a share and an inheritance in our father’s house? Are we not considered as strangers? For he has sold us and totally consumed all our money.” Rav Henach Leibowitz explains that even though they would anyway feel the necessity to go because of the Divine command to return to Eretz Yisrael, they gave a more practical reason to make the challenge of fulfilling G-d’s will easier in their minds and guarantee that they would follow it since it also fulfilled their self-interest. 5. The Torah states “All the women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom spun on the goats.” How can this be used as a lesson that a person should never feel that he doesn’t have the skills or resources to do something for Hashem? ANS: Rashi explains that to prepare materials for the mishkan, certain women spun wool while it was still attached to the goats. These unique talents only came to those “whose hearts inspired them with wisdom.” They had to first be motivated to do something for the mishkan. We can learn from here that a person should not feel that he doesn’t have the skills or resources to do something for Hashem; if he is motivated, Hashem will help him. Essay Question 1. Explain how a Jewish woman is compared to the aron kodesh and what responsibilities are associated with this. ANS: A Jewish woman is compared to the aron kodesh; this could be for 2 reasons: 1) because she has the ability to carry children and create life, 2) the Jewish neshamah is transmitted to the baby from the mother - the mother’s status determines whether the child will be Jewish. A Jewish father and non-Jewish mother produce a non-Jewish child, while a Jewish mother and non-Jewish father produce a Jewish child. A precious item like the luchos needs respect and therefore should be concealed, as we see with the luchos in the mishkan and the sefer Torah in the aron kodesh in the synagogue. So too, a Jewish woman is a valuable treasure and needs to be concealed - this is the idea of tznius. A woman needs to live a lifestyle of modesty, whether in covering physical beauty or emotional allure. This affects the clothing and jewelry she wears in public as well as her public attitude and persona. 17 Coopersmith Career Consulting BIB-378 Study Guide