Torah Trivia Study for
Parashah 52. Vayeilech 119.1.11 (Questions
Only)
1.) At the beginning of Parashah Vayeilech, Moshe
addresses Israel; can you identify the
number of previous occasions that a Parashah begins with Moshe directly
addressing Israel?
2.) Can you describe how old Moshe is when he
addresses Israel?
3.) Can you describe how old Moshe is when Israel
leaves Egypt?
4.) Can you match the 3 events/mitzvot (1 from
each column) that Moshe describes together?
א ב ג
a.) Matzah (Unleavened Bread); 1.) Yom Kippur; z.) Shabbat;
b.) Shmittah (Forgiveness of Debts); 2.) Pesach; y.) Rosh Chodesh;
and/or,
c.) Tz’dakah (Righteousness, Equity); 3.) Shavuot; x.)
Simchat Torah?
d.) Mikveh (Ritual Bathing); and/or, 4.) Sukkot;
and/or,
e.) Teshuvah (Repentance/Returning to Adonai); 5.) Rosh
Hashanah;
5.) What does Adonai specifically instruct Moshe
to write, within Parashah Vayeilech (and specifically within the passage of Devarim
31:19):
a.)
The Book of Devarim;
b.)
A Peace treaty with Esau;
c.)
A 3rd Official Census of Israel;
and/or,
d.)
A Prophetic Poem for Israel?
6.) Can you identify which specific items are
described as existing within Eretz Israel, for the enjoyment of Israelis: a.) Dates; b.) Olives; c.) Pomegranates; d.) Milk; e.) Water; f.)
Honey; g.) Animal Meat;
and/or, h.) Bread?
7.) What instruction does Adonai command to
Yoshua:
a.)
To find leaders and Scout the land of Eretz Israel;
b.)
To be brave and I will help you enter Eretz Israel;
c.)
To write a Peace treaty to the inhabitants of Eretz Israel;
d.)
To return to b’midbar, and wait to enter Eretz Israel; and/or,
e.)
To establish your dwellings here, before entering Eretz Israel?
8.) Can you describe what written item Moshe is
described as completing, after completing the written work referenced within Question
#5?
9.) Can you describe the command that Moshe
imparts upon Levis?
a.) You must clean yourself through
ritual cleansing of ordination;
b.)
You must accept the offerings from the Children of Israel;
c.)
You must present offerings to Adonai;
d.)
You must place this final Book, and the rest of the entire Torah, within
the Ark of the Covenant;
e.)
You must abstain from owning land;
and/or,
f.)
You must be absent from the ordinary census of Israel?
10.) Can you describe to whom Moshe is initially, explicitly
described as directly teaching the specific writing that is referenced within
Question #5:
a.)
Only Kohanim;
b.)
Only Levis;
c.)
Only Tribal Elders and Officials of Israel;
d.)
All Israel; and/or
e.)
All Israel and community of strangers living amongst Israel?
11.) Can you describe what Moshe accuses Israelis
of being: a.) Lazy;
b.) Ignorant; c.) Wicked; d.) Unproductive; and/or, e.)
Aloof?
12.) Can you describe what Moshe does at the end
of Parashah Vayeilech?
a.)
He leaves Israel and runs away to live within another city;
b.)
He climbs up Mount Nebo;
c.)
He crosses the Yordan River into Eretz Israel;
d.)
He negotiates a treaty with the Moabites; and/or,
e.)
He publicly recites his complete written works that are referenced
within Question #5?
Torah Trivia Study for
Parashah 52. Vayeilech 119.1.11 (with Answers)
1.) At the beginning of Parashah Vayeilech, Moshe
addresses Israel; can you identify the
number of previous occasions that a Parashah begins with Moshe directly
addressing Israel?
Answer: There are arguable 4 previous occasions in
which another Parashah similarly begins with Moshe addressing Israel:
Vayeilech (this
week’s Parashah): “(Moshe) went and
spoke these things to all Israel.”
(Devarim 31:1).
Vayachel: “(Moshe) then convoked the whole Israelite
community and said to them:” (Shmot
35:1);
Mattot: “(Moshe) spoke to the heads of the Israelite
tribes, saying: This is what the LORD has commanded.” (vB’midbar 30:2);
D’varim: “These are the words that (Moshe) addressed
to all Israel on the other side of the (Yordan)--” (D’varim 1:1);
(Shemini): “On the eighth day (Moshe) called Aaron and
his sons, and the elders of Israel.”
(Vayikra
9:1);
2.) Can you describe how old Moshe is when he
addresses Israel?
Answer: “He said to them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I
can no longer be active.” (Devarim 31:2).
3.) Can you describe how old Moshe is when Israel
leaves Egypt?
Answer: “(Moshe) was eighty years old and Aaron
eighty-three, when they made their demand on (Paraoh).” (Shmot 7:7).
4.) Can you match the 3 events/mitzvot (1 from
each column) that Moshe describes together?
א ב ג
a.) Matzah (Unleavened Bread); 1.) Yom Kippur; z.) Shabbat;
b.) Shmittah (Forgiveness of Debts); 2.) Pesach; y.) Rosh Chodesh;
and/or,
c.) Tz’dakah (Righteousness, Equity); 3.) Shavuot; x.)
Simchat Torah?
d.) Mikveh (Ritual Bathing); and/or, 4.) Sukkot;
and/or,
e.) Teshuvah (Repentance/Returning to Adonai); 5.) Rosh
Hashanah;
Answer: During b.)
Shmittah (the 7th year of the forgiveness of debts), during
4.) Sukkot (the Festival of Booths),
Moshe describes x.) Simchat Torah (the
reading of the Teaching/Torah before Israel):
“And (Moshe)
instructed them as follows: Every
seventh year, the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths, when all
Israel comes to appear before the LORD you God in the place that (Adonai) will
choose, you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel. Gather the people—men, women, children, and
the strangers in your communities—that they may hear and so learn to revere the
LORD your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching.” (Devarim 31:10 – 13).
5.) What does Adonai specifically instruct Moshe
to write, within Parashah Vayeilech (and specifically within the passage of Devarim
31:19):
a.)
The Book of Devarim;
b.)
A Peace treaty with Esau;
c.)
A 3rd Official Census of Israel;
and/or,
d.)
A Prophetic Poem for Israel?
“The LORD said to
(Moshe): You are soon to lie with your
fathers. This people will thereupon go
astray after the alien (deities) in their midst, in the land that they are
about to enter; they will forsake Me and
break My covenant that I made with them.
Then My anger will flare up against them, and I will abandon them and
hide My countenance from them. They
shall be ready prey; and many evils and
troubles shall befall them. And they
shall say on that day, ‘Surely it is because our God is not in our midst that
these evils have befallen us.’ Yet I
will keep My countenance hidden on that day, because of all the evil they have
done in turning to other deities.
Therefore, write down this poem and teach it to the people of
Israel; put it in their mouths, in order
that this poem may be My witness against the people of Israel.” (Devarim 31:16 – 19).
6.) Can you identify which specific items are
described as existing within Eretz Israel, for the enjoyment of Israelis: a.)
Dates; b.) Olives;
c.) Pomegranates; d.)
Milk; e.) Water;
f.) Honey; g.)
Animal Meat; and/or, h.) Bread?
Answer: The answer is: d.)
milk, and f.) Honey:
“When I bring them
into the land flowing with milk and honey that I promised on oath to their
fathers, and they eat their fill and grow fat and turn to other deities and
serve them, spurning Me and breaking My covenant, and the many evils and
troubles befall them—then this poem shall confront them as a witness, since it
will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring. For now I know what plans they are devising
evennow, before I bring them into the land that I promised on oath.” (Devarim 31:20 – 21)
7.) What instruction does Adonai command to
Yoshua:
a.)
To find leaders and Scout the land of Eretz Israel;
b.)
To be brave and I will help you enter Eretz Israel;
c.)
To write a Peace treaty to the inhabitants of Eretz Israel;
d.)
To return to b’midbar, and wait to enter Eretz Israel; and/or,
e.)
To establish your dwellings here, before entering Eretz Israel?
Answer: Adonai commands Yoshua to: b.) be
brave and that Adonai will help Yoshua and Israel enter Eretz Israel:
“And (Adonai) charged
(Yoshua) son of Nun: ‘Be strong and
resolute: for you shall bring the
Israelites into the land that I promised them on oath, and I will be with you.” (Devarim 31:23)
8.) Can you describe what written item Moshe is
described as completing, after completing the written work referenced within
Question #5?
Answer: Moshe is subsequently described as completing
the writing of the Torah, after Moshe is described as writing the poem within
the Torah:
“That day, (Moshe) wrote down this
poem and taught it to the Israelites.”
(Devarim 31:22).
“When (Moshe) had put down in writing
the words of this Teaching to the very end,”
(Devarim 31:24).
9.) Can you describe the command that Moshe
imparts upon Levis?
a.) You must clean yourself through
ritual cleansing of ordination;
b.)
You must accept the offerings from the Children of Israel;
c.)
You must present offerings to Adonai;
d.)
You must place this final Book, and the rest of the entire Torah, within
the Ark of the Covenant;
e.)
You must abstain from owning land;
and/or,
f.)
You must be absent from the ordinary census of Israel?
Answer: Whilst each may be applicable, only: d.)
placing the Book of Devarim and the entire Torah within the Ark of the
Covenant, is explicitly described within Parashah Vayeilech:
“(Moshe) charged the
Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, saying: Take this book of Teaching and place it
beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, and let it remain there as
a witness against you. Well I know
how” (Devarim 31:25 – 27).
10.) Can you describe to whom Moshe is initially,
explicitly described as directly teaching the specific writing that is
referenced within Question #5:
a.)
Only Kohanim;
b.)
Only Levis;
c.)
Only Tribal Elders and Officials of Israel;
d.)
All Israel; and/or
e.)
All Israel and community of strangers living amongst Israel?
Answer: Whilst Moshe teaches the poem to the entirety
of Israel, there is the initial, explicit description of Moshe only
teaching: c.) the tribal elders and officials of Israel:
“Gather to me all the
elders of your tribes and your officials, that I may speak all these words to
them and that I may call heaven and earth to witness against them.” (Devarim 31:28).
11.) Can you describe what Moshe accuses Israelis
of being: a.) Lazy;
b.) Ignorant; c.)
Wicked; d.) Unproductive;
and/or, e.) Aloof?
Answer: The answer is: c.)
wicked:
“For I know that, when I
am dead, you will act wickedly and turn away from the path that I enjoined upon
you, and that in time to come misfortune will befall you for having done evil
in the sight of the LORD and vexed (Adonai) by your deeds.” (Devarim 31:29).
12.) Can you describe what Moshe does at the end
of Parashah Vayeilech?
a.)
He leaves Israel and runs away to live within another city;
b.)
He climbs up Mount Nebo;
c.)
He crosses the Yordan River into Eretz Israel;
d.)
He negotiates a treaty with the Moabites; and/or,
e.)
He publicly recites his complete written works that are referenced
within Question #5?
Answer: The answer is: e.) he
publicly recites the poem to all Israel:
“Then (Moshe)
recited the words of this poem to the very end, in the hearing of the whole
congregation of Israel:” (Devarim
31:30).
--
Discussion Questions:
How
does Moshe’s described age, within Parashah Vayeilech, compare with the running
tabulation from additional passages provided within the Torah, from the Book of
Shemot to Devarim?
119.1.11
ושלום אהבא , Family and
Friends.
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
...
The Parashah
for this week is: “Vayeilech,” whereby
Moshe prefaces the poem, included within next week’s Parashah: “Ha’azinu.”
The
Featured Hebrew terms for this week are: “התורה,” (“haTorah,” meaning, “the Torah,” or, “the Teachings”) as
this appears within Devarim 31:24, and additionally; and, “זקנים,” (“tzekanim,” meaning, “elders,”), as a rendering of this
appears within Devarim 31:28.
The
Torah Trivia question of the week is: “Can
you match the 2 events/mitzvot that Moshe describes together?”
FYI: Within a previous correspondence, I describe
the intention of continuing this next year with a different topic of
consideration for each week’s Parashah:
1.) 1 series highlighting certain
Hebrew terms within that week’s Parashah;
and 2.) another series describing
different economic considerations derived from the teachings of each week’s
Parashah. Rather than assuming people’s
interest in receiving either of these series, there is the intention of simply
forwarding these considerations to those who directly communicate an interest
in receiving such. My intention is
simply to identify Hebrew terms as each week progresses; however, I do have a very rough outline of
notes for the economic considerations. I
am attaching a file that has this outline of notes, and I emphasise that these
are simply notes, with the intention selecting only 1 topic each week, with
that topic being increasingly succinct and detailed.
Also,
on another note, we (at UIFAN) are commencing the building of our Sukkah at our
gathering spot. Many of the local
residents already ask a number of questions about the Sukkah, and I provide a
basic explanation as I am able. However,
I invite any of you to visit our gathering spot and provide additional insight
and wisdom regarding the tradition of Sukkot and the significance of the Sukkah
(and whilst building a Sukkah on “squatted” land may seem troublesome for many
of us, for many of us, building a Sukkah on “squatted” land seems rather
poignant).
Additional
Torah study resources include:
USCJ
Torah Sparks: www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/WeeklyParashah/TorahSparks/Archive/Default.aspx;
.לשנה טובה
.שבת שלום
,ושלום אהבא
Peter
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
...
Shalom (Hebrew).
Namaste (Sanskrit). Samadhi (Thai/Pali). Pax (Latin). Salaam (Arabic). Peace
(English). Sat Nam (Punjabi). Solh (Persian). Kwey (Lakotah). Amani (Swahili).
Barish (Turkish). Erieni (Greek). Pache (Italiano). Paz (Espanol). Paix
(Francais). Fred (Scandinavian). Frieden (Deutsch). Siochana (Irish). Mir
(Russian). Amin (Urdu). Heping (Mandarin). Heiwa (Japanese). Pyeonghwa
(Korean). Aloha (Hawai’ian). Peace (Common Symbol). Peace (Common Sign). Peace
(General American Sign Language). Peace (American Braille).
ૐ.אמן
(Om. Amein)
