Torah Tidbits
Aliya by Aliya Sedra Summary
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p’tucha or s’tuma. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p’sukim in the parsha.
Continue ReadingBayamim Haheim, Bazman Hazeh
No, BAZMAN is not a super-hero or a super-villain; it is pronounced BAH-Z’MAHN - so forgive the way it first looks as an English word.
In those days, at this time. So goes the plain translation of the phrase that we find in two places - the SHE’ASA NISIM bracha for Chanuka candles and Megilat Esther, and at the end of the opening passage of AL HANISIM, again, on Chanuka and Purim.
In those days for Purim would be around 2370 years ago. For Chanuka, more recently - only about 2180 years ago.
The Chanuka Connection
The portion stops in the story of Yosef and his brothers to tell us about Yehuda and his family. In this section I actually found what I was looking for - some connection with this portion and the Chanuka story. This I found when I happened to look up the translation of a word in Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s The Living Torah and chanced on his translation for the words ZONAH (38:15) and K’DEISHA (38:21) that are used in this week’s portion referring to the “loose woman” (Tamar) that Yehuda met and then searched for. I at first didn’t even notice that two different words were used.
Continue ReadingThe Chanuka Connection
The portion stops in the story of Yosef and his brothers to tell us about Yehuda and his family. In this section I actually found what I was looking for - some connection with this portion and the Chanuka story. This I found when I happened to look up the translation of a word in Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s The Living Torah and chanced on his translation for the words ZONAH (38:15) and K’DEISHA (38:21) that are used in this week’s portion referring to the “loose woman” (Tamar) that Yehuda met and then searched for. I at first didn’t even notice that two different words were used.
Continue ReadingThe Chanuka Connection
The portion stops in the story of Yosef and his brothers to tell us about Yehuda and his family. In this section I actually found what I was looking for - some connection with this portion and the Chanuka story. This I found when I happened to look up the translation of a word in Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s The Living Torah and chanced on his translation for the words ZONAH (38:15) and K’DEISHA (38:21) that are used in this week’s portion referring to the “loose woman” (Tamar) that Yehuda met and then searched for. I at first didn’t even notice that two different words were used.
Continue ReadingTTriddles
TTRIDDLES…
are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout, usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT, they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section. The best solution set submitted each week (there isn’t always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal
Parsha Pix
Lower-left is the Davka Graphic of Yosef’s dreams. Davka has a great collection of Judaica graphics. Its word processor DavkaWriter is what Torah Tidbits are made with, and its Graphics collections are frequently tapped for ParshaPix duty.
Continue ReadingDivrei Menachem
In our parsha we confront the animosity of Yosef’s brothers to Yosef because of the lad’s dreams which indicated that he would, one day, rise above his siblings and that they would be subservient to him. No wonder then that when Yosef appears to the brothers in Dotan they conspire to kill him and to put an end to the potential fulfillment of those dreams.
Continue ReadingUterine Transplants - The Recipient
Last time we concluded discussing the halachic ramifications of uterine transplants for the donor. This procedure was recently reported with two successful transplants by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. This week we will start to examine the halachic questions related to the recipient.
Continue ReadingThe Chanuka Connection
The portion stops in the story of Yosef and his brothers to tell us about Yehuda and his family. In this section I actually found what I was looking for - some connection with this portion and the Chanuka story. This I found when I happened to look up the translation of a word in Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s The Living Torah and chanced on his translation for the words ZONAH (38:15) and K’DEISHA (38:21) that are used in this week’s portion referring to the “loose woman” (Tamar) that Yehuda met and then searched for. I at first didn’t even notice that two different words were used.
Continue ReadingThe Chanuka Connection
The portion stops in the story of Yosef and his brothers to tell us about Yehuda and his family. In this section I actually found what I was looking for - some connection with this portion and the Chanuka story. This I found when I happened to look up the translation of a word in Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s The Living Torah and chanced on his translation for the words ZONAH (38:15) and K’DEISHA (38:21) that are used in this week’s portion referring to the “loose woman” (Tamar) that Yehuda met and then searched for. I at first didn’t even notice that two different words were used.
Continue ReadingThe Chanuka Connection
The portion stops in the story of Yosef and his brothers to tell us about Yehuda and his family. In this section I actually found what I was looking for - some connection with this portion and the Chanuka story. This I found when I happened to look up the translation of a word in Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s The Living Torah and chanced on his translation for the words ZONAH (38:15) and K’DEISHA (38:21) that are used in this week’s portion referring to the “loose woman” (Tamar) that Yehuda met and then searched for. I at first didn’t even notice that two different words were used.
Continue ReadingParsha Points to Ponder
1) The Torah describes that Yaakov loved Yosef because he was a child born when he was older (BEN ZEKUNIM) HE WAS TO HIM (HU LO). What it is the purpose of the extra words HE WAS TO HIM? (37:3)
2) Why does Yosef use the word V’HINEI, BEHOLD, throughout the description of his dreams (37:7 and 37:9)?
3) What does the Torah mean when it relates that the butler both DID NOT REMEMBER Yosef and HE FORGOT HIM (40:23)?
CHIZUK and IDUD for Olim not yet Olim respectively
The most dramatic moment of the parsha is when Yaakov recognizes the torn, bloodied tunic of his son Yosef, and concludes that he was killed by wild animals. He spends the next 22 years in a constant state of mourning. According to the Netziv, during this time he literally did not stop crying.
Continue ReadingVebbe Rebbe
The Orthodox Union - via its website - fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli zt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah… and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah…
Continue ReadingIn This Issue of Torah Tidbits
- Lead Tidbit
- Candle A Day
- Gold from the Land of Israel
- Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
- Vebbe Rebbe
- Portion of the Portion
- Parsha Points to Ponder
- ParshaPix Explanations
- TTriddles "Report"
- Person In The Parsha
- The Trade and Commerce of the Talmid Chacham- Tamari
- Chizuk and Idud
- Divrei Menachem
- "From Machon Puah"
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