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December 2000
1. During Chanukah, we celebrate the deeds of
the Maccabees, who overthrew a tyrannical Syrian-Greek dynasty in the
second century B.C.E. Their exploits are described in the two books
of the Maccabees. Although these books in included in the Catholic Bible,
the rabbis did not include them in the Jewish Bible. Why do you suppose
they are not part of our canon, the accepted Biblical writings?
Answer
2. The many traditions connected with the Jewish holidays often serve
to reinforce their significance and amplify their meaning for us. Of
course, many these traditions concern food. For example, why do Ashkenazi
Jews eat potato latkes (fried potato pancakes) and Jews from some eastern
communities ea1t sufganiot (deep-fried
donuts) on Chanuka? Answer
3. We say "amen" very frequently in both religious and secular
situations. What is the literal meaning of this word? Why did its use
become so prevalent in the liturgy? Answer
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November
2000
1. Taken literally, the word "Torah" denotes the first five
books of the Bible, the books of Moses. People also use Torah more expansively.
It can sometimes mean the whole Bible or even all that Jews have learned
about the world. What do you suppose is the meaning of the word "Torah"
in the original Hebrew? Is it truth, study, inspiration, teachings,
law, or knowledge? Answer
2. Most of the Jews in this country are more familiar with Ashkenazi
Jewish customs, usually owing to familial origins in Germany or Eastern
Europe. We tend to be less familiar with the Sephardic traditions of
the Mediterranean countries. Both groups have contributed mightily to
the spread of Judaism to new corners of the world. Please guess the
group, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, that was the first to settle in the land
of each of these countries-Brazil, the United States, South Africa,
Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Answer
3. Last month we celebrated the High Holydays, which-like other Jewish
holidays-seem to "wander" around the calendar quite a bit.
In the Jewish lunar-based calendar, the holidays always occur on the
same days. For example, Yom Kippur is always falls on the tenth day
of the month of Tishri. The wandering is a result of the mismatch between
this older lunar calendar and the more familiar civil calendar based
on a solar year. What civilization gave the Jews this lunar calendar
and how is the lunar vs. solar mismatch resolved? Answer
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October 2000
1. To describe the whole expanse of the isle of Great Britain,
an Englishman says "from Land's End to John O'Groats," thus
naming the southwest extremity of the Cornish peninsula and northernmost
cape of Scotland. There is a comparable phrase for the Biblical land
of Israel. Do you recall it? Answer
2. "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One…" This
prayer, the Shema, is at the core of the Jewish faith. Given the prominence
in Deuteronomy 6:4 of the mitzvot to say it when rising or retiring,
we can be confident that many Jews have been repeating the Shema dutifully
for over 2,500 years. Naturally the Talmud-codified about a millennium
later-has much to say about this prayer. In fact, the very first tractate
of the very first order of the Talmud is devoted to it. In this tractate,
which of the following are the rabbis debating-exactly why, how often,
or when to say the Shema? Answer
3. The High Holidays have always been a blessing, especially so in today's
hyperactive modern world. During this period, we slow down, reflect,
and refocus our lives. The three essential themes of the High Holidays
guide us. In Hebrew all three begin with the "t" sound-Teshuvah,
Tefillah, and Tzedakah. From the following list, pick the one that most
closely approximates the meaning of each "t" word: study,
justice, hope, repentance, faith, prayer, sacrifice. Answer
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September
2000
1. In Leviticus 23:22, the Lord says, "…you shall not
reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather up the gleanings
of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger…".
To which category of deeds does this leaving of gleanings belong? Is
this act an example of 1) tikkun olam (repair of the world), 2) gemilut
hassadim (acts of loving kindness), or 3) tzedakah (righteousness, justice)?
Answer
2. Despite all the recent difficulties in achieving peace in the Middle
East, it is worth noting that historically the Arabs and Jews were closely
associated in nurturing some of the world's great civilizations. Jews
were well treated in the early centuries of the expanding Islamic empire.
Jewish culture thrived in Babylon (modern Iraq), Egypt, Spain and elsewhere.
This period saw the emergence of an extraordinary Jewish leader, one
who absorbed the thinking of the great contemporary cultures. Who is
this second "Moses"? Answer
3. Like the situation that prevailed earlier in the Islamic era, Jews
in America today contribute in many ways to the larger society and often
are found in leadership positions. In Massachusetts today, one of our
ten U. S. Congressmen is Jewish. Even closer to home, many of our Congregation
members are active in civic causes. In fact, two of our Congregation
are members of the Acton Board of Selectmen, and another has just held
the same position in Boxborough. How many of these people can you name?
Answer
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July/August 2000
1. For some time, we have been in a "Golden Age of Archeology"
in Israel, where successive discoveries support and elucidate the Biblical
narratives. An early breakthrough occurred in the finding of "Hezekiah's
Tunnel" in Jerusalem. An ancient inscription confirmed the purpose
of this 500 yard long passage that winds beneath the old city. Who was
Hezekiah and what do scholars believe was the purpose this tunnel, built
thousands of years ago? Answer
2. The summer is usually a happy time, but for Jews there is always
one special day of mourning, Tisha b'Av or the ninth day of the month
of Av, which generally falls in the middle of the summer. Both the First
(Solomon's) and the Second Temples in Jerusalem are believed to have
been destroyed on this same exact day of the Jewish year, separated
by more than six hundred years. Do you recall which nations were responsible
for these two destructions? Answer
3. Re-establishing a Jewish state was a distant dream for many, many
generations for hundreds of years after the destruction of the Roman
era. This dream was finally realized in 1948, only after many sacrifices.
A key milestone occurred in 1917 with the Balfour Declaration. What
was the significance of this declaration? And for that matter, who was
Balfour? Answer
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June 2000
1. Jewish mothers were revered long before the familiar Eastern
European stereotype appeared. Me'ah classmate Mark Sagor asks you match
these four women with their famous offspring. The mothers are 1. Bathsheba
2. Mary 3. Leah and 4. Jochabed. The offspring are A. Moses B. Solomon
C. Jesus of Nazareth D. Judah. Answer
2. As Rabbinic Judaism was taking shape in the first century of the
Common Era, there was a constant debate between the school of Rabbi
Hillel and that of Rabbi Shammai. Our traditions are derived more from
the thinking of Hillel, who is famed for his response to the challenge
of reciting the code of Jewish laws while standing on one foot. How
did he manage this challenge? Answer
3. The real modern period in Judaism begins with a movement known as
the Haskalah (Enlightenment) in the early-to-mid eighteenth century.
Jews began to critically analyze their own history and their relationship
to the larger society around them. One country in particular was in
the vanguard of this movement. Which one? Answer
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May
2000
1.The Hebrew Bible is often referred to as the Tanakh. What
is the meaning of this term? Answer
2. For most of its history, Russia has been a difficult place for its
Jewish residents. So why is it that so many Jews were settled there
for generations? Answer
3. For many, many centuries after the canonization of the Hebrew Bible
in the first centuries of the Common Era, Jewish writers recorded almost
nothing about their own contemporary history. The Talmud, plus many
great legal and philosophical works were produced, but no real Jewish
history. Many felt the Torah already contained the fundamental explanation
of the world. Then one central event triggered a wave of historiography
(the writing of history). What was that event? Hint: It occurred in
a familiar year. Answer
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