Review questions Spring 5776 2016 Aggada

Review questions Spring 5776 2016

Aggada

1.      At which moment did prophecy end? Why?

2.     In what ways were the prophecies of Yehezkel (Ezekiel) and Yehsahayahu (Isaiah) similar and different? Why?

3.     What prerequisite to spirituality did we learn from the first 3 verses of Yehezkel (Ezekiel)?

4.     How did the mystics read prophecy? Can you cite a text to support this?

5.     What is “Pardes”?

6.     Which 4 people went to Pardes?

7.     Why did Ben Azzai die?

8.     What did Rabbi Akiva warn the others about before embarking on the journey?

#2

9.     What happened to Aher in Pardes? (What did he do?)

10.  Which verse does the Talmud apply to him?

11.   According to the Babylonian Talmud where did Aher’s crisis take place?

12.  What did Aher see in “Pardes”? What did he conclude? Was it an obvious and logical conclusion?

13.  What did Metatron do to Aher?

14.  What was the content of the Bat Kol that Aher heard?

15.  What was Aher’s conclusion after hearing the Bat Kol?

16.  What did Aher do to prove to the young woman that he was “someone else”?

17.   What indicated Aher’s involvement in dualism? (Which verse did he use?)

18.  Who remained Aher’s student after his apostasy?

19.  What happened when Aher and Rabbi Meir were involved in Torah discussion on Shabbat? Describe the scene.

20. What tender action did Aher do, when talking to Rabbi Meir? When seeing the same action in the version of the story told in the Yerushalymi – how did the context change the meaning of the story?

21.  When Aher protested that he had an inability to change – where did Rabbi Meir take him? What happened? paraphrase 3 of the verses cited .

22. What did Aher do to the 13^th child? 2 versions

23. How did the version of the story of Aher in the Yerushalymi differ from the one told in the Bavli?

24. In what way is the version of the story of Aher in the Yerushalymi  parallel to the story told in the Bavli?

25. Which crimes are Aher accused of in the Bavli?

26. Which crimes are Aher accused of in the Yerushalymi?

27.  Name 2 places Aher rode to on Shabbat?

28. In what way did Aher blame his father for his problems?

29. How is “power” a motif in the Aher story? Explain

30. In the Yerushami what is the theological crisis which Aher endured? What was the impetus? (two examples)

31.  Who became Aher’s “students” in the laws of Shabbat?

32. Could Aher do teshuva? Explain

33. What did the Shla Hakadosh say regarding the possible teshuva (repentance) of Aher?

34. What story did the Tiferet Shlomo tell about the “Maggid” and how did he relate the episode to Aher?

35. In what way was the approach of the Kedushat Levi and Rav Tzaddok similar in their treatment of Aher?

36. To which “offence” (or offences) did the Rambam state that you would lose Divine help (Siyata D’shmaya)? In which context did we study this?

37.  How did Rav Soloveitchik explain the episode of Aher?

38. In which way did God try to help Aher uproot the core problem and not just the symptoms?

Esther

39. Describe the dysfunctional relationship between Ahashverosh and Vashti. What was the cause of the difficulty?

40. What was the genealogical origin of Vashti?

41.  What was the vocational origin of Ahashverosh?

42. What was Ahashverosh’s “fatal flaw”?

43. Was Vashti a feminist? Explain?

44. Why was Vashit’s insurgence so dangerous?

45. Was the contest in Shushan a “beauty contest”? explain

46. Did Esther wish to win the contest?

47. Why did Esther win the contest?

48. In what ways should the behavior of Esther be compared and contrasted with that of Vashti?

49. What was Hama’s fatal flaw?

50. What was Esther’s strategy to save the Jewish people? What was complex about this strategy? What could have gone wrong?

51.  Describe the shift in the personality of Esther from when we meet her later on in the story.

52. Show an example where Esther’s tactics change dramatically.

53. What did the Talmud say about Ahashverosh’s intelligence? Explain

54. Why do we fast the day before Purim?

Purim 2

55. Which chapter of Psalms is said to refer to Esther?

56. Which complaint does Esther hurl at God? How did this impact her relationship with God?

57.  Which mitzvoth does the midrash stress that Esther kept?

58. Which four biblical characters did the Talmud question their “origin”? What is the common denominator?

59. How is Haman related to the Tree? Which tree?

60. Which sense was not “corrupted” in the sin of Adam and Eve?

61.  How does Mordechai represent the place of no sin?

62. What is the significance or Mordechai being a “Yehudi”?“Yemini”? what geographical location is hinted at?

63. Why does Esav have no dominance on Binyamin? How does this impact Haman and Mordechai?

64. According to the Zohar what does Esther represent? Bring two indications

65. What is Esther’s real name? Why is that significant?

Purim 3

66. What happened when Rabba and Rabbi Zera had Purim together?

67.  Describe some duality which is apparent in the book of Esther.

68. Aside from the name of God what else is missing from the Book of Esther?

69. In what way is the tension between Mordechai and Haman paralleled by Yakov and Esav?

70. To which biblical characters did we compare the 2 goats from Yom Kippur? Why?

71.   Is there any bribery in the book of Esther? How is this related to Yom Kippur? Yakov and Esav?

72.  What is the root of the word “Purim”? What is the root of the word “kippurim”? Are they related? explain

73.  How are Purim and Yom Kippur related in terms of “lots”

74. How are Purim and Yom Kippur related in terms of “interpersonal” relationships?

75.  How are Purim and Yom Kippur related in terms of receiving the Torah?

76.  Where did we find the ultimate biblical precedent for “ad dlo yada” (until one does not know)?

77.  Who was the first biblical character to display “ad dlo yada” (until one does not know) in terms of Yakov and Esav? What was Yakov doing in that scene which may thematically connect to Purim?

78.  In what way was the “resurrection” of Rabbi Zera thematically related to Yom Kippur?

79. How do Yom Kippur and Purim “mirror” one another?

Pesach

80. In what way has the “face” of the four sons evolved?

81.  What is the question asked by the wise son? What is the context in the Torah? What is the relationship of this question with Passover?

82. What is the answer given to the wise son in the Torah?

83. What is the answer given to the wise son in the Haggada? What emendation was made by the Vilna Gaon? How did this help explain the answer?

84. What was the question of the wicked son?

85. What was the answer given to the wicked son in the Torah? What can we discern from this response?

86. Contextually in the time of the Torah – how would the people have understood the “wicked” son’s question?

87.  What was the answer given to the wicked son in the Haggadah? What can we discern from this response?

88. How is the question of the wicked son different linguistically from the questions of the wise and simple sons?

89. How do the texts of the Mechilta and Yerushalmi indicate that the citation of the wise son was a paraphrase?

90. What did the Mechilta “hear” the wicked son say?

91.  What did the Yerushalmi “hear” the wicked son say?

92. Who did we posit was the “original” wicked son?

93. In what way did Rav Hiya “update” the teaching of the wicked son?

94. Is the Jewish calendar lunar based or solar based? Explain

95. How are Shabbat and the holidays different in terms of the lunar/solar conundrum?

96. What is the scriptural basis for arranging the calendar? Why?

97. Was the world created in fall or spring? Explain

98. What are the arguments between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding the calendar?

99. What consistency did we see regarding the Torah reading between Chol Hamoed Pesach and Sukkot?

100.                  What inconsistency did we see regarding the HafTorah reading between Chol Hamoed Pesach and Sukkot? How did Rav Hai Gaon explain the inconsistency?

101.                   What is the logic in saying “geshem? What is the logic in saying “gashem”?

102.                  Should “tal” be said with a kamatz or patach? Is this universal? What is the implication?

103.                  What is the literal translation of the word tal? What is the theological implication of the word?

104.                  How many students did Rabbi Akiva have? How did the Talmud describe the number of students?

105.                  What does the Talmud say was the cause of the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students?

106.                  What does Rav Shrira Gaon say was the cause of the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students?

107.                   How can the opinions of the Talmud and Rav Shrira Gaon regarding the cause of the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students be reconciled?

108.                  According to Tosfot (Rabbenu Tam) why did Rabbi Akiva not wish to learn in Yeshiva? Was actually a “baal teshuva” according to this opinion?

109.                  Aside from the mention of their deaths where is the only other place Rabbi Akiva’s students were mentioned? Was there anything negative about their behavior there?

110.                   What did Rabbi Akiva think of “Bar Kochva? Who disagreed?

111. What did the Rambam learn from Rabbi Akiva’s Bar Kochva relationship? Why is this complicated? How did we explain the Rambam?

112.                    What teaching do we know from R’ Yochanan ben Torta? How did he get his name?

113.                    On what point do we follow from R’ Yochanan ben Torta? On which point do we not accept his teachings?

114.                   What was the context of the Talmud when it introduced the story of Rabbi Akiva in prison?

115.                    Who was Yochai? Support your answer

116.                    What did the Rashbi ask of Rabbi Akiva? Did he comply?

117.                    Why did Rabbi Akiva not speak clearly to Rashbi?

118.                    Was there anything unusual about the Roman decree that the Jews could not be involved in Torah?

119.                   What did the Roman’s anticipate would be the response to their decree?

120.                  What choices did Rabbi Akiva have in the face of the Roman decree? What were the advantages and disadvantages of each choice?

121.                    Who questioned Rabbi Akiva’s choice (in terms of the Roman Decree)? How did Rabbi Akiva respond?

122.                   When the Rashbi “threatened” Rabbi Akiva what was his intention?

123.                   What two things did Rabbi Akiva work on in prison? Was he successful?

124.                  Based on the behavior of Rabbi Akiva – how would you define leadership?

Rashbi

125.                   What did Rabbi Akiva say to Rashbi regarding teaching? What was the intended message?

126.                   What did Rashbi say which got the Romans upset?

127.                   What was the location of the first hiding place of the Rashbi?

128.                   What was the location of the second hiding place of the Rashbi?

129.                  How would you describe the conditions in the Rashbi’s cave?

130.                  What happened when the Rashbi left the cave the first time? What did he see how did he respond? How did God respond?

131.                    What happened when the Rashbi left the cave the first time?

132.                   Why was Rashbi sent back to the cave? Wasn’t the cave the cause of his perspective? Explain

133.                   What statements of the Rashbi sounded arrogant? What was his intention?

134.                  What happened when Rashbi saw the angel which was instructed to destroy the world? What did Rashbi say?

135.                   What did the Talmud say about the students of Hillel? What did the Kotzker Rebbe add to this teaching? How did it help us understand the Rashbi story?

136.                   Describe the metamorphosis which the Rashbi underwent. How did it manifest itself?

Rabbi Elazar Ben Dordia

137.                   What was the cause of the death of Rabbi Elazar Ben Dordia?

138.                   What is the meaning of  the word “Rachamim” ?

139.                  What was Rabbi Elazar Ben Dordia’s favorite sin?

140.                  What was the meaning of the request of the sun moon et al…?

141.                   What was the story of the King and the prince sent from the palace?

142.                  How is the sin offering on Rosh Chodesh different from the other holidays?