Review Questions Spring 5777

Review Questions Spring 5777

Aggada

1.     Describe the personality of Haman

2.     Describe the personality of Ahashverosh

3.     Was Vashti really a feminist?

4.     Who was Vashti?

5.     What did Ahashverosh do become he became king?

6.     What emerges when we compare Esther to Vashti?

7.     What changed when Esther went to see  Ahashverosh?

8.     Give three interpretations to “as I am lost I am lost”.

9.     What would indicate that Haman was Bi-polar?

10.  What was Esther’s plan to save the Jews?

11.  How do we see that Vashti was defiant and Esther compliant?

12.  What does the Midrash portray as the complaints of Esther?

13.  Which four people does the Talmud ask for their origins (from the Torah)?

14.  Which verse does the Talmud cite as the “source” for Moshe?

15.  Which verse does the Talmud cite as the “source” for Haman?

16.  Which verse does the Talmud cite as the “source” for Esther?

17.  Which verse does the Talmud cite as the “source” for Mordechai?

18.  Which sense was not “corrupted” in the sin in Eden?

19.  Which earlier biblical character does the Talmud imply had commonality with Haman?

20.  How does Mordechai serve as a foil for Haman, if Mordechai represents incense?

21.  What was Esther’s real name? what is the significance?

22.  Whom does the Zohar associate with Esther?

23.  What was the religious experience of Esther (as suggested by the Zohar) has she goes to see the King?

24.  Name the four “sons”.

25.  What verse does the wise son cite?

26.  What is the answer to the wise son in the Torah?

27.  What is the answer to the wise son in the Haggada?

28.  What is the meaning of the answer to the wise son in the Haggada? (Vilna Gaon)

29.  Based on the context in the Torah is the wise son wise?

30.  What verse does the wicked son cite?

31.  What is the answer to the wicked son in the Torah?

32.  What is the answer to the wicked son in the Haggada?

33.  What is the meaning of the answer to the wicked son in the Haggada? (Vilna Gaon)

34.  Based on the context in the Torah is the wicked son wicked?

35.  How would the generation who leaved Egypt have responded to the question of the “wicked son”?

36.  Which word in the Torah may nonetheless, indicate the wicked son is not interested in the answer?

37.  How did the Mechilta understand the tone of voice of the wicked son?

38.  How did the Jerusalem Talmud understand the tone of voice of the wicked son?

39.  Whom did we theorize the Mechilta was addressing?

40.  In what way did Rabbi Chiya update the message in the Mechilta?

41.  Did the wise son actually quote the Torah verbatim?

42.  According to the Talmud, what was the cause of the death of Rabbi Akiva’s students?

43.  According to the Rav Sherira Gaon, what was the cause of the death of Rabbi Akiva’s students?

44.  When is the first time we see sources mentioning mourning in connection with the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students?

45.  What was Rabbi Akiva’s attitude to yeshiva students when he himself was unlearned?

46.  What was the attitude of Rabbi Akiva to Bar Kochva?

47.  Who disagreed with Rabbi Akiva in regard to Bar Kochva?

48.  What did Rav Yochanan ben Torata say to rabbi Akiva?

49.  How could the Rambam rule like Rabbi Akiva when he was blatantly wrong?

50.  Who was called “the son of a cow”?

51.  What is the significance of “grass will grow from your cheeks”?

52.  What teaching have been handed down by Rav Yochanan ben Torata?

53.  Why was Rabbi Akiva in prison?

54.  What is strange about Rashbi visiting Rabbi Akiva in prison?

55.  In what way did Rabbi Shimon threaten Rabbi Akiva?

56.  What was the BenYehodaya’s explanation of Rabbi Shimon’s threat?

57.  What was Rabbi Akiva’s strategy in the struggle against the Roman’s?

58.  What was the content Rabbi Akiva’s last speech?

59.  Who was Papus? What was his disagreement with Rabbi Akiva? Did he ever concede?

60.  Which biblical model did the Vilna Gaon use to figure out historical auspicious times?

61.  Which biblical character did the Vilna Gaon focus on in terms of his messianic idea?

62.  Which two days did the Vilna Gaon’s students claim were special? Why? Was this arbitrary?

63.  What did  Rav Shimon do when he came out of the cave the first time?

64.  What did  Rav Shimon do when he came out of the cave the second time time?

65.  What was the metamorphosis of Rashbi?

66.  Who is Rashbi?

67.  What happened when Rashbi saw the world had gone dark?

Parasha

1.     How does Rashi explain the verbose introduction to the Ten Commandments?

2.     How is synesthesia related to revelation?

3.     What is “theophany”?

4.     What did the people see at Sinai?

5.     At which point did the Torah relate that Moshe “glowed”?

6.     How did the midrash describe the movement of the letters on the Ten Commandments as a result of the sin of the Golden Calf?

7.     According to the Midrash we saw – why was the Oral Law given verbally (and not in a written form)?

8.     Where did the Glow of Moshe come from?

9.     Why should we have anticipated the building of the Ark in Parashat Terumah?

10.  How does Parashat Terumah relate to and complete the Revelation at Sinai?

11.  What is the significance of the two cherubs being made out of one piece of gold? What else was made of one piece?

12.  How did the pagans react when they saw the cherubs?

13.  What were the Cherubs doing at the moment of the destruction? Why was this counter- intuitive? What is the explanation?

14.  What does the Talmud say was created at the moment of the destruction?

15.  Where are Cherubs first found in the Torah?

16.  What do the Cherubs represent?

17.  Who were the four people who stood out in the war against Amalek? Where else do we see these four in special roles?

18.  What happened to Hur?

19.  Who was the “prototype” for The Messiah from Judah?

20.  Who was the “prototype” for The Messiah from Joseph?

21.  What did Aharon “see” which caused him to participate in the sin of the Golden Calf?

22.  Which Parasha does not have the name of Moshe?

23.  Who asked for Moshe’s name to be erased? Why?

24.  Why was Moshe removed specifically from this particular parasha?

25.  In what was do we act as angels on Yom Kippur? Why?

26.  In what way was Moshe angelic?

27.  Was Moshes’s stutter a “disability”?

28.  According to the Maharal – why don’t we know where Moshe was buried?

29.  What was the underpinning of the sin of the Golden Calf?

30.  Who did Rav Shimon meet on the beach?

31.  What is the significance of the beach (yam) in the Story with Rav Shimon?

32.  Which verse Did Eliyahu ask about?

33.  Where did Eliyahu get his explanation of the verse?

34.  What was merged together at the time of creation (according to the teaching cited by Eliyahu)

35.  Which word was “broken” by the sin of the Golden Calf?

36.  When was the first time that people tried tom understand that which the couldn’t?

37.  What would be a more accurate name for the Tree of Knowledge?

38.  How does Rashi seem to contradict himself regarding the Red Heifer (Para Adumah)?

39.  How did we try to show that Rashi did not  contradict himself regarding the Red Heifer (Para Adumah)?

40.  In what way was the Rambam’s view on Sacrifices confusing?

41.  How did the Ramban explain Sacrifices?

42.  What did Rav Kook say about sacrifices?

43.  What did Rav Kook say about vegetarianism?

44.  How did the Rambam understand that concept of the lamb and the lion getting along?

45.  How did Rav Kook understand that concept of the lamb and the lion getting along?

46.  What is the most profound type of tuma?

47.  How would you define tuma?

48.  Why is the narrative of the Deaths of Nadav and Avihu in the book of Exodus?

49.  Which day is referenced in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers as present tense?

50.  Why does a woman who gave birth bring a sin offering?

51.  How does Rabbi Shimon Bat Yochai explain the sin offering of the new born mother?

52.  What is the sin offering of the new born mother?

53.  How is the sin offering on the new moon, different from other holidays?

54.  Why is a goat always brought as a sin offering on holidays?

55.  Why would Rashi say that God is seeking forgiveness? For what?

56.  According to the Ramban what was the reason for the destruction of the first temple? In the Ramban’s mind which biblical section hinted at this?

57.  According to the Ramban what was the reason for the destruction of the second temple? In the Ramban’s mind which biblical section hinted at this?

58.  Who in the bible is described as “happy and full of good cheer”? what happened to them?

59.  Should we see the glass as “half full or half empty”? explain

60.  How is lack of happiness related to groundless hatred?

61.  Is it a universal understanding that there are 5 books of the Torah?

62.  How many letter make up the smallest book?

63.  What is the difference between the 3 books which make up Bamidbar?

64.  What made Moshe suicidal?

Halacha

1.     What was the case of the Shvut Yakov?

2.     How was the case of the Shvut Yakov related to Esther?

3.     What was the case of the Maharik?

4.     How did the Shvut Yakov use the precedence of the Maharik? (consequences are not correlated to culpability)

5.     What was the objection of the Noda Beyehuda to the Shvut Yakov?

6.     How did the Noda Beyehuda “save” Esther?

7.     What was the case brought by the Binyan Zion?

8.     How did the Binyan Zion attempt to save the woman in his case?

9.     What was the Binyan Zion’s ruling?

10.  Is the Jewish attitude toward Amalek necessarily racist?

11.  Can a Jew achieve the status of Amalek?

12.  How can a person born as Amalek lose the status and stigma as Amalek?

13.  In what was would “converting Amalek be “poetic justice?

14.  Who was Timna? What did she want to do?

15.  What did Rav Kook say should be the attitude toward evil?

16.  Is an Eruv a “legal fiction”?

17.  What is a “public area” regarding shabbat?

18.  Is a corporation a “legal fiction”?

19.  Where is the oldest source about selling chamets?

20.  According to Rav Moshe is the sale of chamets a “legal fiction”?

21.  According to Noda Beyehuda is the sale of chamets a “legal fiction”?

22.  How can the sale of chamets be compared to “nullifying chamets”?

23.  Is “nullifying chamets” a legal issue or a religious issue?

24.  Does a person really own chamets on Pesach?

25.  If a person threatened to kill if a Jew unless they break Shabbat – what should he/she do?

26.  Which three laws should never be broken?

27.  What was strange about the methodology of Tosfot when dealing with martyrdom?

28.  Rabbi Hanina ben Tradyon said one should never harm themselves, did Tosfot have an exception?

29.  How did Tosfot reconcile the statement of Rabbi Hanina ben Tradyon with the behavior of the 400 children?

30.  What was the first “leap of logic” of Rabbenu Tam?

31.  What was the second “leap of logic” of Rabbenu Tam?