Righteous Mountain: Correspondence for Torah Trivia (Parshiot Behar v'Bechukotai); 118.9.7

118.9.7

אהבא ושלום, Family and Friends.

שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.Sat Nam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.

This week is another “double feature” with Parashah Behar and Parashah Bechukotai.

Parashah Behar describes the observance of יובל (“yovel,” “the Jubilee”), and specific factors regarding the Shabbat of the land, the return of Israelis to respective hereditary land, as well as guidelines regarding servitude and the release of servants. The featured Hebrew term for this Parashah is, indeed, “יובל,” and is described within Vayikra 25:10; another featured Hebrew term for this Parshah is, “ארץ,” (“eretz,” “land), which is utilised to describe the arrangements concerning the stewardship of the physical land. The Torah Trivia question of the week for this Parashah is: Can you describe the distinctions in treatment regarding the servitude of an ישראלי (Israeli), and the servitude of a גר (“ger,” stranger)?

Parashah Bechukotai conveys the blessing and the curse respectively pertaining to obedience and disobedience to the mitzvot that Adonai commands; this Parshah also describes instructions regarding the provision of vows and tithes to Adonai, that become the stewardship of the Levites. The Torah Trivia question of the week, for this Parashah, is: Can you describe where else, within the Torah, can this blessing and curse be similarly found?

The featured Hebrew term for this Parashah is, “ברית” (“b’rit,” “covenant”), and is utilised within this Parashah to communicate the manner in which, after the iniquities of ישראל בני (Israelis), Adonai continues to remember Adonai’s covenant with Yaakov (יעקוב את־בריתי), with Yitzak (יצהק את־בריתי), and with Avraham (אברהם את־בריתי), as well as ישראל ארץ (the land of Israel) and ישראל בני (the children of Israel).

ברית is also included within the term, “מילה ברית,” (“b’rit millah”) which refers to the ceremonial circumcision of a male baby, 8 days after he is born. And on that note, טוב מזל goes to Mick and Jamie for the birth of your son, Yaakov Yeekoom, יקום יעקוב, whose b’rit millah is performed earlier this week.

Additional Torah study resources include:

USCJ Torah Sparks: http://www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/WeeklyParashah/TorahSparks/Archive/Default.aspx;

Orthodox Union: http://www.ou.org/torah/index;

URJ: http://urj.org/learning/torah/;

Masorti Olami: http://masortiworld.org/molami/parashat_hashavua;

Reconstructionist: http://jrf.org/recon-dt;

Chabad: http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/jewish/Torah-Portion.htm; and,

Aish: http://www.aish.com/tp/.

שבת שלום

אהבא ושלום

Peter