Review Questions Fall 5777
Aggada
Main Sources -
Page 17: source 1,2, 19:4
25:1,3,4, 27:5 29:18, 32:22
34:1,2, 38:8,9, 39:10, 43:12, 45:16,
46:17, 47:18
49:1,2, 50:3,4,5,6, 53:8,9,10
55:1, 56:5,6,8
72:1,2, 73:3,4 74:5
75:1,2, 77:17, 78:18
1. What did Moshe see when he went up to the mountain?
2. Where was Moshe sent from the mountain?
3. What was the question which was posed by the students of
Rabbi Akiva (to Rabbi Akiva)?
4. What was the answer which was offered by Rabbi Akiva to
his students?
5. How did Moshe feel in the classroom of Rabbi Akiva?
6. What were the two major theological problems we found in
the story of Moshe and Akiva?
7. What is “theodicy”?
8. What is the apparent paradox in the story of Moshe and
Rabbi Akiva?
9. How would a comment of Rashi solve the paradox?
10.
What
difficulties did we find with Rashi’s solution?
11.
What is the
answer that God offers Job?
12.
How does
the answer to Job impact our passage (Moshe and Rabbi Akiva)?
13.
In what way
was the advertisement read in class about Moshe and Akiva deficient?
14.
How can the
Arizal contend that because Moshe knew less he really was on a higher level?
15.
According
to the Arizal, what did Moshe never receive from God?
16.
What is the
significance of the word “tel” (mound) in the story of Moshe and Akiva?
17.
How did you
understand the word “shtok” in the story (of Moshe/Akiva)?
18.
What was
the “theology of silence” expressed by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov?
19.
How was the
explanation of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov somewhat awkward in relationship to the
text (of Moshe/Akiva)?
20.
How was the
first verse in the Torah related to the death of Rabbi Akiva?
21.
In what way
was the death – and mode of death of Akiva related to the life of Moshe?
22.
How does
the water and the rock link Moshe and Akiva?
23.
Ultimately,
what was the message which Rav wished to convey in the story of Moshe and
Akiva?
24.
For how
many years did the schools of Shammai and Hillel argue?
25.
How was the
argument between the schools of Shammai and Hillel resolved?
26.
How did
Tosafot (cited by Ritva) understand the phrase “elu v’ elu”?
27.
What
question did Tosafot pose regarding “elu v’ elu”?
28.
What is the “maximalist” perspective of revelation?
29.
What is the “minimalist” perspective of revelation?
30.
How did we
ultimately understand the phrase “elu v’ elu”?
31.
What apparatus does the Torah have, to resolve difference of opinions
in law?
32.
Why was the argument between the schools of
Shammai and Hillel not solved by the high court?
33.
Where did
the bat kol say “elu v’ elu”?
34.
Why was the law established in accordance with the school of Hillel?
35.
Why was the law established in accordance with the school of Hillel-
according to the Tosfot Rid?
36.
In what way did the school of Hillel identify more with the concept of “elu v’ elu”?
37.
How did the
modesty of the school of Hillel contribute to the law being established
according to them?
38.What does the Gemara label someone who actively seeks
stringencies (of the schools of Hillel and Shammai)?
39.
What does the Gemara label someone who actively seeks stringencies?
40.
Give an example from the Mishna of “verbal abuse”.
41.
Which prayer would Ema Shalom not allow her husband to say?
42.
What is strange about the argument between Rabbi Eliezer and the
rabbis?
43.
Who was responsible for the banishment of Rabbi Eliezer?
44.
Who told Rabbi Eliezer he was banished?
45.
How did the rabbis respond when Rabbi Eliezer gave them “every answer
in the world”?
46.
What did Rabbi Eliezer do when the rabbis would not engage him in
dialogue?
47.
Why was Rabbi Eliezer so convinced he was correct?
48.
Why would the rabbis would not engage Rabbi Eliezer in dialogue?
49.
How is the issue of zaken mamare (rebellious elder) related (or
perhaps not related) to Rabbi Eliezer?
50.
How does content versus procedure relate to the disagreement between
Rabbi Eliezer and the rabbis?
51.
What question did the Talmud pose regarding Chanukah?
52.
What was the emphasis of the answer of the Talmud regarding Chanukah?
53.
Why would have celebrating the military victory (in Chanuka) have been
“complex” and perhaps self-defeating?
54.
What was noticed in a “different” year regarding Chanuka?
55.
In what way did the stories of Rabbi Eliezer’s early life foreshadow
later events in his life?
56.
What was strange about Rabbi Eliezer’s early life?
57.
Who came to visit Rabbi Eliezer the day he died? Why?
58.
How of the death of Rabbi Akiva connected to his teacher?
59.
How is the death of Rabbi Akiva visually foreshadowed at the funeral of
his teacher?
60.
Who did Abba Shaul say was the greatest student of Rabbi Yochanan ben
Zakkai?
61.
What trait did R. Elazar ben Arach value?
62.
What would happen when R. Elazar ben Arach gave advise?
63.
How did Rabbi Yochanan ben
Zakkai react when his first four students came to see him?
64.
How did Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai react when R. Elazar ben Arach came
to see him?
65.
Where did R. Elazar ben Arach go after he took leave from his rabbi?
66.
How are the sayings of R. Elazar ben Arach in Pirkie Avot related to a
major life decision he made?
67.
Where did R. Elazar ben Arach go? Why?
68.
What was the objective of the ancient mystics?
69.
How would you compare the vision of Isiah and Ezekiel?
70.
At which moment did prophecy cease?
71.
How could the Jews worship a Golden Calf weeks after the revelation at
Sinai?
72.
How did Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai react when his first four students
came to see him?
Parasha
1. Was Noah a righteous man?
2. What righteous deeds did Noah perform?
3. In what way does Rashi lack symmetry when describing Noah?
4. What does the Zohar call Noah?
5. Why should the flood be called “the waters of Noah”?
6. In what way was Noah “worthless” in the generation of
Avraham?
7. What action or behavior is an indication that Noah
suffered from Post-traumatic stress syndrome?
8. How old was Avraham when God first spoke to him? (according
to Rashi)?
9. How old was Avraham when he left Haran?
10.Does the Torah make any mention of the furnace and that
God took Avraham from the furnace?
11.In what way did Avraham learn about the origin of matter
from his father?
12.In what way did Terech teach Avraham to appreciate the
past?
13.In what way did Terech start a journey that was not
completed by him?
14.According to the Midrash how did Avraham respond
differently to male and the female proprietor?
15.According to the Midrash what was the dialogue between
Nimrod and Avraham?
16.How does the midrash couch the “first cause argument”?
17.Why is Avraham commanded the commandment of circumcision?
18.After which event is the akaida (binding of Isaac)
is introduced ?
19.What is the “Zionist” introduction to the akaida
(binding of Isaac)?
20.In what way, could the treatment of Yishmael (Ishmael) be
seen as an introduction to the akaida (binding of Isaac)?
21.What element in the dialogue between God and Avimelech
points toward subjective morality?
22.What element in the dialogue between Avraham and Avimelech
points toward objective morality?
23.Which phrase did Avraham use in the dialogue with
Avimelech, which may serve as the background to the akaida (binding of
Isaac)?
24.Why did God not test Avraham by asking him to invite
guests?
25.Which element in the verse, indicated, that Isaac would
never really be an offering? (And after these things God tested Abraham)
26.From which behavior do we see that Abraham and Sarah were
equals?
27.Who was it that thought Abraham and Sarah were not equals?
28.What was the significance of the cloud tied to Sarah’s
tent?
29.Who saw a cloud tied to a mountain?
30.What unique about the “aging” of Sarah?
31.What is special about a seven year old?
32.When did Yakov realize that his mother was right?
33.Did Yitzchak really see Esav as his spiritual heir?
34.Why was Yaakov anxious when he returned to the Land of
Israel?
35.Which act of Esav indicated that he intended to harm Yaakov?
36.In what way does Esav behave in an unexpected manner when
he finally sees Yaakov?
37.What does Yakov see in himself which scared him?
38.Whom did Yakov struggle with according to the rabbis?
39.Whom did Yakov struggle with according to our class?
40.What was the date of the meeting between Yakov and Esav
(according to the Zohar)?
41.Where did Yakov go after the meeting with Esav? What was
the inner meaning of this location?
42.What was the significance of the injury which Yakov
suffered?
43.In what sense is the story of Yosef “interrupted”?
44.How is the story of Yehudah thematically related to the
sale of Yosef?
45.In what sense, does God use “broken vessels”?
46.Why would the eventual Messiah be a descendant of Yehuda
and not Yosef?
47.What does the midrash say God was doing during the sale of
Yosef?
48.According to the Ramban why did Yosef never contact his
father?
49.According to the Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun why did Yosef never
contact his father?
50.What was Rachel’s complaint against God?
51.What was God’s response to Rachel?
52.Why was the second temple destroyed?
53.In what sense did Yosef try and prevent the destruction of
the Second Temple?
54.Why would Reuven try and save Yosef?
55.What was irrational about the brothers’ negotiations with
Yosef and his proxy?
56.Which previous biblical episode was in the brothers’ minds
when they the suggested to have the one who possessed the cup killed?
57.What was the main thrust of Yehuda’s argument against
Yosef?
58.What words did Yosef use when he revealed himself to his
brothers?
59.How did the brothers respond when Yosef revealed himself?
60.According to Seforno – what did Yosef wish to convey when
he revealed himself?
61.What happened on Yakov’s death bed which made him think he
was a failure?
62.What did Yakov’s children say to him to alieve his fears?
63.What did Yakov do when he was finally reunited with Yosef?
64.What did Yakov “lose” when Yosef went missing?
65.Which three things did the Jews retain in order to be
deserving of redemption?
66.What was the daughter of Paroh trying to communicate when
she named Moshe?
Halacha
1. What are Eugenics?
2. Why was it not surprising to find a ruling of Oliver Wendell
Holmes Jr among Nierenberg artifacts?
3. Should morality be defined by legality?
4. What was the case of “Buck VS Bell”?
5. If 2 people are in the desert and one has enough water for
himself – how many solutions are there pertaining to the water?
6. In the case of two people in the desert with one cup of
water - what is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva?
7. In the case of two people in the desert with one cup of
water - what is the opinion of Ben Petura?
8. In the case of two people in the desert with one cup of
water - what is the opinion of Rav Yakov Emdem?
9. How did Elie Weisel understand the verse “Your brother
shall with you”?
10.In the case in the Talmud when a person is told “kill him
or I will kill you” what does the Talmud say?
11.What would Rabbi Akiva say -in the case in the Talmud when
a person is told “kill him or I will kill you”?
12.How does Tosfot distinguish between the cases of the 2
people in the desert and the person who was told to kill the second person?
13.Which case did Tosfot introduce which was perhaps the
logical (or illogical) conclusion of a theory of passivity?
14.How did Rav Chaim distinguish between the case of 2 people
in the desert, and the person whose body would be used passively as a weapon?
15.How does the argument between Tosfot and Rav Chaim impact
observance of Shabbat?
16.How do we resolve the situation if two towns both need
water from the same water source?
17.If one town (downstream) needs water for drinking and the
other (upstream) for laundry – who takes precedence according to Rabbi Yossi?
18.How does Rabbi Yossi shed light on Rabbi Akiva’s opinion
Petura (case of two towns)?
19.How do the Rabbis shed light on the opinion of Ben Petura
(case of two towns)?
20.Which precedent did we use to clarify if donating an organ
after death was permitted?
21.In the case of the autopsy, who was lenient? What was his
rationale?
22.In the case of the autopsy, who was stringent? What was
his rationale?
23.In what way did Rabbi Ovadaya Yosef update and widen the precedent for autopsies?
24.What was the question posed to the Recanati?
25.How did the question posed to the Recanati serve as a precedent
for the transplant discussion?
26.How did the Ridvaz distinguish between cases of danger?
27.Where is the proper place to light Chanuka candles?
28.If one lives in an apartment building today where should
they light Chanuka candles? (3 opinions – Brisker Rov, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein,
Chazon Ish)
29.What is considered to “danger” in terms of Chanuka?
30.Of the ten commandments – what does it say in number 6?
31.What insight did we gain when we read the commandments
across?
32.Do all rabbis agree that abortion is murder?
33.Why is honoring one’s parents on “the right side”?
34.In what sense was the Ben Ish Chai being coy in terms of
Abortion?
35.What is considered to be “extenuating” circumstances in
regards to abortion?
36.What is considered to “danger” in terms of Chanuka?
37.If one lives in an apartment building today where should
they light Chanuka candles?
38.What insight did we gain when we read the commandments
across?
39.Which “extenuating” circumstance in regards to abortion
did we not find discussed in the relevant literature?
