Review questions Fall 5776
1.
What is the apparent
paradox in the story of Moshe and Rabbi Akiva?
2.
How would a comment of
Rashi solve the paradox?
3.
What difficulties did we
find with Rashi’s solution
4.
How did the Arizal solve
the paradox in the story with Moshe and Rabbi Akiva?
5.
What did we note was
significant with the usage of the word “tel” (heaps)?
6.
Would Rabbi Akiva have
considered his own death an example of “a bad thing happening to a good
person”? explain
7.
Which row did Moshe sit in
Rabbi Akiva’s classroom? (two possibilities) what is the meaning and
significance?
8.
What was particularly
difficult with the choice on God’s part regarding which scene of Rabbi Akiva’s
life to show Moshe?
9.
In what way was showing
Rabbi Akiva’s lifeless body a response to “theodicy”?
10.
Where else did we see a
“thought that arose in God’s mind”?
11.
Why was the world created
through “strictness”? What evidence exists for this contention?
12.
In what way was Akiva’s
strict death a “reward”?
13.
Aside From Rabbi Akiva who
else was treated very strictly?
14.
In what sense did Rabbi
Akiva follow or complete Moshe?
15.
How does water and a well
connect Moshe and Rabbi Akiva?
1.
Which 2 schools argued for
3 years?
2.
After 3 years of arguing
how was the disagreement resolved?
3.
What was the question that
Tosfot (cited by RITVA) regarding the concept of “Elu v Elu”(These and these)?
4.
What source did Tosfot cite
to explain regarding the concept of “Elu v Elu”(These and these)?
5.
How did Tosfot answer the
question regarding Elu V Elu? What was the difficulty we had in reading this
source back into the original text?
6.
In what way was the
citation of Tosfot selective? (regarding the concept of “Elu v Elu”-These and
these)
7.
What is the “maximalistic”
concept of revelation? How was this expressed by the sages?
8.
What is the minimalistic
concept of revelation? How was this expressed by the sages?
9.
What does the word “Hayim”
–living, come to modify in the phrase Elu V Elu…? 2 possibilities, explain.
10.
Why did the argument
between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai take place at this point in history? Why
could it not be resolved? How were arguments usually resolved?
11.
According to the Jerusalem
Talmud – where (and when) did the voice “elu v elu” ring out?
12.
How did the educational
approach of Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai respectfully preclude their ability to
work things out?
13.
According to the Talmud why
was the law established like Beit Hillel? What is the difficulty with this
approach? How was it defended and explained?
14.
In what way was the
approach of Beit Shammai mutually exclusive from the concept of “elu v elu”?
1.
What question does the
Gemara ask about Chanukah?
2.
What is the answer the
Gemara gives about Chanukah?
3.
Had there not been a
miracle of lights would Chanukah had become a holiday?
4.
How does the “light”
miracle connect thematically with the consecration of the Mishkan and First
Temple?
5.
What was missing at the
consecration of the second temple?
6.
Why did some people laugh
and some cry when the second temple was consecrated?
7.
In what way did the
Maccabees sin?
8.
Why is the Battle of
Chanuka NOT worth celebrating? (3 reasons)
9.
What “decree” does the
Talmud and Midrash state with regards to the Greeks?
10.
How is the lighting of the
candles an inverse of writing on a horn?
11.
How is an ox related to
Yosef?
12.
Why would the Hellenists
have found Yosef to be a compelling personality?
13.
What does a Unicorn have to
do with Adam?
14.
How is a Unicorn related to
Tefilin? Who made this connection?
1.
Is a cracked - fixed - oven, a utensil? Who argued about this?
2.
When Rabbi Eliezer offered
“every answer in the world” how did his protagonists respond?
3.
Which 4 signs did Rabbi
Eliezer perform? What was the response? Why did he do the second when they had
ignored the first?
4.
Who was “right” Rabbi
Eliezer or his protagonists? explain
5.
Who went to inform Rabbi
Eliezer that he had been “removed?
6.
What explanation did Raban
Gamliel answer offer to explain his treatment of Rabbi Eliezer?
7.
What was the name of Rabbi
Eliezer’s wife? What prayer would she not let her husband say? What happened
when he said it?
8.
What was the response of
Rabbi Yeshoshua when the voice came from heaven declared Rabbi Eliezer correct?
9.
What did we notice
regarding Rabbi Eliezer’s response to questions that's indicated rigidity?
10.
Why did Horkonus have his
son plow on the rocks? How did his son respond?
11.
What did his father tell
him to do when Rabbi Eliezer expressed the desire to study Torah
12.
In what way was the Torah
of Rabbi Elezer from heaven?
13.
What did Rabbi Eliezer’s
teacher say that gave him the impression that he should not listen to the
majority?
14.
Which elements of Rabbi
Eliezer’s early life foreshadowed his excommunication?
15.
Why did the Rabbis come to
visit R’ Eliezer before he died?
16.
How did they the Rabbis
explain their lack of visiting him recently? What was his response?
17.
How is Rabbi Akiva’s death foreshowed
in the death passage of Rabbi Eliezer (2 elements)?
18.
What was the question of
Rabbi Nissin Gaon regarding the behavior of the Rabbis and Rabbi Eliezer? Which
2 answers does he offer? Are the answers satisfactory?
19.
How does The Sefer
HaChinuch understand the behavior of the Rabbis in terms of their conflict with
Rabbi Eliezer? Who did he think is right? why?
20.
How did the Vilna Gaon
justify the behavior of the Rabbis in terms of their conflict with Rabbi
Eliezer? Which rabbinic source did he muster to explain the phenomenon?
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