These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Archive: November 2010

Baruch Feldstern's Chumash Class

Posted on November 4, 2010 by David Bogomolny

The dalet-hei Humash class recently engaged in an exercise that might be of interest to other students and teachers, for its pedagogic value and/or because it is related to this Shabbat’s parasha. As part of studying the account of Yaakov’s acquiring Esau’s birthright – Gen. 25:29-34 – we read all the comments of Rashi and Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] The Land and State of Israel

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, It’s that time of the week again! Hopefully the coming week will be filled with lots of optimism, more rain (we need it here!), productivity, smiles and love for all of us!! In Israel, the Shabbat of Parshat Chayei Sara is often highly politicized. Since the Torah reading talks about Avraham’s purchase of Continue Reading »

Toyt un Phraylekh – Death and Joy (Parsha Thoughts)

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Joel D.

Thoughts on this week’s Parsha, חיי שרה. Not too long ago we were all eating, some sleeping, and many of us singing in little huts known as Sukkoth. Sukkoth is, as a festival, known as, “Zman Simkhateinu”, The Time of Our Joy. Surely eating and dancing in a wooden hut outside is fun in and Continue Reading »

Torah After Hours

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Shibley

Sunday, chazara. Monday, night seder with R. Levi Cooper. Tuesday, issur v’heter. Wednesday, Kiddushin chevruta. Thursday, Brachot chevruta. If it hadn’t been for the title, you might have thought that the aforementioned days and subjects were merely highlights in a day packed with Torah learning. And if you had thought that, you would have been Continue Reading »

Eat, Pray…

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Mosheh

It’s been recently pointed out to me that there is a tradition of doing netilat yadayim (ritual hand washing and blessing) before prayer, just as we do before eating bread. Apparently, it is not so common for people to follow this custom, which is why I hadn’t noticed it before, but it does exist. Moreover, Continue Reading »

What I learned at Pardes This Week #3: Tefilin

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Pious Antic

I’ve started doing series of posts called “What I learned at Pardes This Week”  on my blog (1, 2), and I thought I’d cross-post the latest one (3) here… enjoy! — One of the strangest and yet most everyday of mitzvot (commandments) is that of laying tefilin. Every day Jewish men (and in some liberal Continue Reading »

חיי שרה, Chayei Sarah

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Avi Strausberg

we learn of three deaths in this week’s parsha, whose very title, חיי שרה, contains the word life.  the first death, is that of sarah, for whose death, avraham wails and cries, seemingly alone in his grief.   in constrast, after avraham’s own death, just pages later, he breathes his last breath, dies, and is Continue Reading »

Leah's Shiur Clali

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Barer

Here is my synopsis of Leah’s Shiur Clali from last week, with a few reflections of my own thrown in for good measure

Pardes Shabbaton 2010!!

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Bookie

Hey so I apologize for the extreme delay of these pictures from two weeks ago but let’s just call them technical difficulties (or laziness and forgetfulness, either way….) So yeah here they are!!: Pardes Shabbaton 2010!!!

[PEP Student] The Foundation of Faith

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, I hope all is well with you and that your week has been a productive and uplifting one! Thank God, I can say that mine has been very busy — but with the best of things: Torah study, Torah study, more Torah study, spending time with family and friends and enjoying the beauty Continue Reading »