Milken Community High School9th grade Halakha and Aggada (honors)

selected

Re!ections on the

Year’s Learning

June 2012for

Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer

Julia  C

Re*lection  of  the  Year’s  Learning

Over  the  past  year  in  Jewish  studies,  we  have  dived  into  many  texts  and  searched  beyond  our  learning.  I  learned  that  there  is  so  much  more  a  piece  of  text  than  its  basic  interpretation.  One  can  learn  new  life  lessons  and  relate  it  to  their  lives  by  reading  a  basic  portion  of  a  pasuk  from  the  Torah,  Mishna,  or  Talmud.  This  class  has  taught  me  about  basic  Jewish  law  and  the  history  of  the  religion.  It  has  also  taught  me  the  laws  between  parents  and  children,  choosing  life  over  death,  kashrut,  Shabbat,  lashon  hara,  and  tochecha.  This  class  challenged  me  in  various  ways  because  it  forced  me  to  constantly  think  of  right  from  wrong.  I  was  put  into  dif*icult  situations,  like  the  canteen  story,  to  see  what  I  should  do.  Because  of  these  laws  and  stories,  I  am  now  able  to  live  my  life  in  a  more  Jewish  manner.  It  has  taught  me  values  and  helped  me  want  to  aspire  to  be  a  better  person  that  is  accepted  under  Jewish  law.  The  ancient  texts  are  very  relatable  and  I  am  able  to  apply  them  to  my  everyday  life.  In  class,  we  were  able  to  put  these  lessons  into  more  modern  situations.  I  hope  to  have  the  courage  to  ful*ill  what  the  texts  teach  me  to  do  in  life,  even  though  it  may  be  tough  at  times.  In  the  future,  I  will  always  have  these  lessons  in  mind  and  use  them  when  I  encounter  any  type  of  problem.  

The  mishna  says,  “Whoever  destroys  a  soul,  it  is  considered  as  if  he  destroyed  an  entire  world.  And  whoever  saves  a  life,  it  is  considered  as  if  he  saved  an  entire  world.”  I  think  that  this  quote  means  that  every  single  person  in  the  world  is  important.  Life  is  the  most  valued  thing  in  the  world  and  it  is  important  that  we  always  protect  it  no  matter  what.  Also,  you  never  know  what  each  person  is  capable  of  and  how  he  or  she  can  change  the  world  for  the  better.  I  was  really  able  to  connect  to  this  quote  because  it  helps  give  me  an  idea  on  how  important  life  is.  I  know  to  always  truly  be  thankful  for  my  life  and  to  value  it.  Additionally,  I  should  respect  and  help  others,  so  that  they  can  also  lead  a  great  life.  

I  chose  to  put  a  picture  of  a  soldier  because  I  think  that  they  truly  understand  the  meaning  of  this  quote.  They  understand  how  important  life  is  and  are  willing  to  risk  their  own  lives  to  save  a  person  or  “a  world”.  

  In  the  torah,  Leviticus  19:16,  is  roughly  translated  as,  “don’t  be  a  talebearer;  don’t  stand  on  the  blood  of  you're  neighbor.”    I  think  that  this  quote  is  telling  us  to  not  gossip  or  talk  about  other  people.  Also,  you  should  not  put  down  people  who  you  love,  know,  or  are  close  to.  It  is  important  that  we  abide  by  this  quote  because  words  can  be  very  painful.  People  can  get  very  hurt  from  what  others  say  and  it  is  impossible  to  take  back  what  has  been  said.  One  somebody  says  something,  it  is  out  there  and  it  can  travel  to  in*inite  places  and  lengths.  This  quote  is  very  applicable  in  today’s  society  because  there  is  always  a  lot  of  gossip  and  rumors  going  around.  Whether  it  is  simple  drama  in  a  friend  group  at  school  or  famous  tabloids  talking  about  what  starts  are  doing,  it  is  still  wrong  and  considered  to  be  lashon  hara.  This  has  taught  me  to  be  more  careful  of  what  I  say.  I  am  not  more  hesitant  about  what  I  talk  about  with  my  friends  and  try  not  to  talk  about  others.  I  now  realize  that  I  have  said  many  things  in  the  past  that  could  have  been  very  hurtful  and  am  trying  my  best  to  break  that  horrible  habit.  I  should  only  be  concerned  about  myself  and  the  well  being  of  

the  people  around  me.  I  chose  to  include  a  picture  of  several,  different  magazines  because  these  are  clear  examples  of  tale  bearing  and  lashon  hara.  Even  though  one  may  think  that  it  is  okay  because  it  is  made  for  the  general  public,  it  is  still  wrong.  Magazines  and  gossip  have  become  a  main  media  source  that  people  feed  off  of.  This  is  a  horrible  idea  and  should  be  frowned  upon.  It  is  not  right  to  *ind  pleasure  in  talking  about  others.  

Cole SReflection of the Year’s Learning

Bava Metzia 62a:שנים שהיו מהלכין בדרך, וביד אחד מהן קיתון של מים, אם שותין שניהם - מתים, ואם שותה אחד מהן -

מגיע לישוב. דרש בן פטורא: מוטב שישתו שניהם וימותו, ואל יראה אחד מהם במיתתו של חבירו. עד שבא רבי עקיבא ולימד: וחי אחיך עמך - חייך קודמים לחיי חבירך

Two people were traveling, and [only] one of them had a canteen of water.[There was only enough water so that] if both of them drank they would both die, but if one of them drank [only] that person would make it back to an inhabited area [and live]. Ben Petura publicly taught: 'Better both should drink and die than that one see their friend's death,' until Rabbi Akiva came and taught: 'Your fellow should live with you' (Leviticus 25:36) -

your life takes precedence over the life of your friend's.

Explanation:This text from Bava Metzia gives us two different answers to an impossible question:

Does my life take precedence over my fellow human’s? We are first placed in an extreme situation where the Rabbis know we will have to make a choice between our

lives, and our friends’. The Tanah Kama starts us off saying that your life that your life is more important than your friends life. However, Ben Petura disagreed with this and said, “better both

should drink and both should die than one should

see his friend’s death” which brought in a new

dimension to the situation. Rabbi Akiva on the other

hand backed up the Tanah Kama and taught a text

from Leviticus saying that your brother should live

with you, which he interpreted as your life takes precedence over

your friends’. Deuteronomy 14:21:Here is the kosher hechsher symbol for Magen Tzedek.

The thing I really liked aboutthis corporation is that theyincorporated many of theJewish laws and values

about the treatment of animalsinto the treatment of the

factories’ human workers.

Kiddushin 31b:Here is the most recent photograph

of our family.

Interpretation:I remember the day we had a debate about this text and whether which side speaks to you, but the main thing I remember was that even after an hour of debating, we had not settled on a concrete answer, further showing us the ambiguity of the Torah. I entered and exited that debate believing that your life is more important because if you were to actually be put in this extreme situation, I believe that you would be so worn down you would stop thinking rationally and instead you would revert back to your primary, selfish instincts. However, after a about half a year of thinking about the text, my acceptance towards Ben Petura’s answer has grown. I remember Rabbi Shawn gave us an article on the test about a man who jumped off a subway platform to save a man who had just

fallen in before. Now in this situation, I could actually see myself doing this, but for reasons I still haven’t figured out. So far through out my life, I have not had to make a decision like this, but if I am faced with a similar unfortunate situation, I hope I will be

able to make that split-second decision as to which one is right.

Kiddushin 31b:

Our Rabbis taught: What is "revere" and what is "honor?" "Revere" means that the son must neither stand in his father's place nor sit in his place, nor contradict his words nor

[even] support his words [when he is arguing with another sage]. "Honor" means that he must give him food and drink, clothe and cover him, lead him in and out.

Explanation:This text from Kiddushin is answering the question: What is the difference between

revere and honor, as they are both mentioned as ways to pay respect to your parents. The Mishnah concludes that “revere” is used to resemble the things you should not do

to your parents, and “honor” represents the things you should do for your parents through out their lives.

Interpretation:At first, I was sort of unhappy with the answer the Mishnah gave about what was the

difference between honor and revere, mainly because of the examples that they gave to support the two words. When the Rabbis were describing revere, it seemed to me that there was a gap between the father and son. Maybe that was just how parents were

back when they compiled the Mishnah, but the way that they are describing the relationship between father and son sounds more like the relationship between common

man and King or President. Anyway, I took that part with a grain of salt and continued on to the last example where it says do not contradict your father’s words. This part

really stood out to me as I have gotten to the age where I have started to formulate my own opinions about the world and want to express my views, but sometimes I could go

a little far. I remember when we were writing our Jewish Journals, many of times a

situation would come up where I would write about how I resisted the urge to go against my parents, and I still try to control that urge today. Now the part that really confused me was the transition from revere to honor. In the examples that the Rabbis give for honor, the positions between father and son from revere seemed to have switched. Now, the

son is the one with the power, and the father is the frail, small, weak man. The reason I found this weird is because actions like feeding and cleaning your parents happens latter on in life, and I believe that there are many other ways of honoring my parents

now when I am still young.

Deuteronomy 14:21: לא תאכלו כל-נבלה לגר אשר-בשערי תתננה ואכלה, או מכר לנכרי--כי עם קדוש אתה,

ליהוה אלהי; לא-תבשל גדי, בחלב אמו.

Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Explanation: Literally, the text is saying that you should not eat anything that has died naturally, but you can sell it or give it to a foreigner. It also repeats for the third time that you should

not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

Interpretation: At first I was confused as to why we could not eat anything that has died from natural causes. To me, eating an animal that died of natural causes seemed to be even more respectful towards the animal because you would not be taking its meat before its time is up. However, when we went deeper into the meaning of the text, we discovered that

this part of the text is mentioned for our own benefit. If an animal has died of natural causes, you have no idea what was wrong with the animal before hand, and this could

lead to the human getting sick because of the tainted meat. When we slaughter the animal in a humane way, we can be sure that the animal is healthy and that no human

will contract disease. This is where the second two parts of the text caught me off guard. The text then says that you can either give away or sell the meat to a foreigner, but why would the Torah tell you to do this when just before it told you that the meat is not good

enough for you because it could be tainted? I just find it weird that the Torah recommends doing something that could put another person in jeopardy. We did not go that in depth into this question, but I believe that the Rabbis would answer it by saying

that this law about not eating an animal if it has died from natural causes belongs solely to those who practice kashrut, and if this foreigner was not kosher, it would be okay for him to eat the meat. One other part of the text that we discussed was the fact that “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” was repeated three times. I personally believe

that the Torah repeated it three times for emphasis on the importance of this commandment. On the other hand, the school of Rabbi Yishmael had a different view of

this repetition. They said that “you shall not boil a kid in it’s mother’s milk” is written three times because the first is prohibiting us from eating it, the second is prohibiting us

from deriving benefit from it, and the third prohibits us from cooking it. Even thought I am not kosher, our family has tried to become more kosher ethically, and we have tried

cooking all kosher meals. Whether it will stick or not, only time will tell.

Bava Metzia 62a: I took this image of the Hoover Dam when I went to Las Vegas last year. I was amazed at the sheer volume of water in that barren landscape.

Caroline  LRe*lection:

“Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”Exodus 20:12

This text is telling us to honor our parents

because if we do then we will have many

years on this land that God has given us. This

answers the question of why we should

honor our parents. We should honor our

parents because if we do we can live on the

land that God has given us for a long

time. This teaches us to honor our father and mother, one of the base laws that we learned in the

parents and children unit. This unit related to me in a very big way. I think this text related to me

the most out of all the texts we studied this year because for me, having a good relationship with

my parents is key to living my life in a healthy way. When I learned this text it made me think

about the relationship I have with my parents, and how I interact with them on a daily basis. This

text also made me think about how I could improve my relationship with my parents. After

studying this text I can say confidently that my relationship with my parents has defiantly

changed for the better.

“Death  and  Life  are  in  the  hand  of  the  tongue;  and  who  shall  love  it  shall  eat  its  fruit”  (Proverbs,  18:21).  A  Great  Rabbi  said:  What  is  the  meaning  of  “  death  and  life  are  in  the  hand  of  the  tongue”?  Does  the  tongue  have  a  hand?  It  tells  you  that  just  as  the  hand  can  kill,  so  can  the  tongue.  But  while  a  hand  can  kill  only  what  is  nearby,  a  tongue  can  kill  everywhere  its  message  goes.  

This  text  is  explaining  to  us  the  power  of  our  speech.  This  text  tells  us  that  our  tongue  can  

be  as  powerful  as  our  and,  or  lashon  hara  can  be  as  powerful  as  death.  We  can  hurt  

someone  with  our  hand,  only  if  they  are  nearby  us,  but  we  can  hurt  someone  with  our  

words  no  matter  how  far  away  they  are.  To  me  this  relates  exactly  to  texting  and  Facebook  

posting.  You  can  hurt  someone  with  your  hand  if  you  are  texting  or  Facebooking  because  

you  are  using  your  hands  to  type  the  words.  This  answers  the  question  of  What  is  more  

powerful,  our  hand  or  our  speech?  They  are  equally  powerful,  but  when  you  “kill”  someone  

with  your  tongue  you  might  not  even  realize  it  at  the  time.  This  text  relates  to  me  and  also  

most  of  my  generation  because  we  text  all  the  time  and  sometimes  we  forget  the  impact  it  

can  have  on  the  person  on  the  other  side  of  the  phone.  This  text  really  helped  me  

understand  the  power  of  my  voice  and  how  I  could  turn  it  into  something  that  “kills”  

people.  Speech,  in  my  opinion,  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  things  a  person  can  have  and  

when  it  is  not  used  correctly  it  can  turn  into  something  lethal.

IVY  

Sanhedrin 37a: Why Choose Life? Man was created singularly [or: alone], to teach you that anyone who destroys a single life in Israel; the Torah treats him as though he destroyed the entire world. And anyone who saves a single life in Israel, the Torah treats him as though he saved the entire world.

I think this text from Pikuach Nefesh teaches us that even when something horrible or something remarkable happens to one human being, it affects everyone around them because the whole world is a growing community that works together. However, at the same time it relates to the Jewish Law of saving a life; instead of having two people die, it is better for one to live because maybe they will be able to make an impact on this generation.

This text relates to my life because it helps me realize that I need to appreciate my surroundings more by caring for others. Doing a good deed for one person can influence 1,000, or even 1,000,000. Sometimes, I have to admit, I am hesitant to volunteer myself to help a stranger; I wait for someone else around me to do it. This text makes me want to be the first person to lend a hand because you never what can coming by doing so, you might have just saved a future president or doctor who creates a cure for cancer.

Kiddushin 30b: Obligations Towards Parents – Why?

Three partners are in a person: God, and mother and father. When one respects his mother or father – God says: credit them in a way where it is as though I live within them.

While reading this text, I think it is saying that when you honor your parents, you have to do so in such a meaningful and truthful way that it is like God is within them; you praise them to a high extreme. It conveys the Jewish Law of revering and respecting your mother and father.

Thinking about my own life, and how this text ties into it, I realize that I might not be giving my parents the honor and respect they deserve to have. At the end of the day, even if they don’t let me go to my friend’s house or if they make me stay in to get my work done, I need to appreciate them more and all the things they do for me, because I would not be where I am without them. After reading this, I understand now they honor my mom and dad should receive and I am going to do that by listening to what they say, obeying their rules, and cause fewer arguments.

Re#lection

  Tochecha:

“You  must  not  hate  your  brother  in  your  heart;  You  must  certainly  rebuke  your  

fellow;  and  do  not  bear  sin  because  of  him”  (Lev.  19:17).  

These  are  the  words  of  the  Torah  and  of  God.  God  is  telling  us,  that  in  the  case  where  

someone  you   know  did  

something   wrong,  you  

must  rebuke   him.  But  

don’t  carry  a  grudge  because  of  his  sinning,  forgive  him  and  rebuke  him  and  move  on.  It  

teaches  not  hate  people  for  the  sins  they  have  done,  rather  rebuke  them  and  forgive  them.  

This  text  answers  the  question  many  people  might  ask:  What  do  I  do  when  someone  sins?  

  If  someone  has  sinned,  you  tell  him  or  her  that  what  he  or  she  did  was  wrong  and  

probably  would  make  sure  they  wouldn’t  do  it  again.  Personally,  I  am  the  type  to  take  what  

they  did  seriously  and  it  is  dif*icult  for  me  to  forgive  people.  I  have  to  know  that  they  

understand  what  they  did  is  wrong.  If  I  don’t  believe  that  they  are  informed  why  what  they  

did  was  wrong,  then  I  hold  a  grudge.  After  learning  this  text  in  Jewish  Studies  class,  I  

realized  my  error  and  that  if  they  are  trying  to  reach  out  to  ask  for  forgiveness,  then  they  

care  about  you.  With  this  we  also  learned  that  if  you  refuse  someone’s  pledge  for  

forgiveness  three  times,  then  you  become  the  sinner.  I  thought  about  that  for  a  while,  and  I  

truly  believed  that  I  needed  to  change  my  ways  to  make  sure  I  don’t  hurt  people  with  my  

words.  

Pikuach  Nefesh:

“Your  life  takes  precedence  over  your  friend’s  life.  Two  people  were  traveling,  and  

[only]  one  of  them  had  a  canteen  of  water.  [There  was  only  enough  water  so  that]  if  both  of  

them  drank  they  would  both  die,  but  if  one  of  them  drank,  [only]  he  would  make  it  back  to  

an  inhabited  area  [and  survive].  Ben  Petura  taught:  “better  both  should  drink  and  both  

should  die  than  one  should  see  his  friend’s  death”.  But  Rabbi  Akiva  came  and  taught:  “[The  

Torah  teaches  the  words:]  ‘Your  brother  should  live  with  you’  (Leviticus  25:36),  meaning,  

your  life  takes  precedence  over  the  life  of  your  friend’”  (Bava  Metzia  62a).  

This  story  is  telling  the  extreme   decision  needed  to  make  when  placed  in  a  

situation  that  there  was  only  enough  water   for  one  person  to  drink  and  live,  but  the  

other  friend  die  or  for  both  friends  to  drink   and  both  die.    This  is  a  life  or  death  

situation.  You  may  live  but  your  friend  die,   or  you  die.  Its  tough  and  a  very  harsh  

decision.

When  I  

learned   this  and  read  

this  story,  I   *irst  thought  to  myself,  well,  

when   would  I  be  stranded  in  the  

middle  of  a   desert  with  just  enough  water  

for  one   person  to  live?  But  once  the  

story  sunk   in  and  I  though  about  it  for  a  

while,  I   understood  that  there  are  many  

different   ways  to  interpret  this  situation.  

And  this  decision  became  tougher  for  me  to  think  about.  It  can  be  translated  to  a  situation  

where  two  friends  cheated  off  of  each  others  tests  or  copied  each  others  work.  It  could  be  

broken  down  that  either  one  person  confesses  that  they  did  it  and  get  expelled  and  the  

friend  does  not  confess,  or  they  both  confess  to  doing  it  and  both  get  expelled.  Not  only  that  

the  decision  is  dif*icult,  it’s  also  the  thought  of  hurting  your  friend  deeply  that  they  die  

inside.  This  challenged  me  greatly,  and  I  just  hope  that  there  won’t  be  a  situation  where  this  

happens  to  a  friend  or  me.

karenne  m

The  Canteen  Story:

We  studied  a  text  called  the  canteen  story.    It  is  from  the  topic  of  Pikuakh  Nefesh.    If  you  were  stranded  in  the  desert  with  one  other  person,  and  with  one  canteen  left  that  could  either  save  one  life  or  take  away  two.    It  asks  you  what  would  you  do,  and  why  would  you  do  this.    I  believe  that  one  person  should  be  saved  rather  than  two  people  dying.    As  we  learned  in  the  text  Sanhedrin  37a,  if  you  destroy  a  life,  you  destroy  the  entire  world,  and  if  you  save  a  life,  you  save  the  entire  world.    This  connects  to  the  canteen  story  because  at  least  you  are  saving  a  life  if  one  person  drinks  the  water.    If  you  save  a  life,  you  never  know  what  this  person  will  do  in  the  future.    This  may  not  relate  to  my  life  very  much,  but  I  believe  that  if  I  were  stranded  in  a  desert  with  my  sister  I  would  tell  her  to  drink  the  water.    I  think  to  save  a  life  is  better  to  destroy  two.

Rebuking:

I  believe  that  rebuking  is  a  very  dif*icult  subject.    People  feel  uncomfortable  rebuking  either  their  peers  or  strangers.    I  think  that  everyone  should  rebuke  everyone.    People  should  know  how  to  rebuke  and  other  should  learn  from  their  mistakes.    In  Bava  Metziah  31a,  it  states  that  you  should  rebuke  your  fellow  even  a  hundred  times,  and  that  you  must  rebuke  everyone,  even  an  adult  *igure.    In  my  life  I  am  somewhat  afraid  to  rebuke  my  teachers,  but  I  wish  I  was  able  to  rebuke  someone  more  superior  than  me.    I  look  up  to  people  who  can  rebuke  someone  without  feeling  any  guild  or  like  they  have  done  any  harm.    I  always  feel  bad  when  I  argue  with  someone  or  yell  at  someone;  therefore  it  is  hard  for  me  to  rebuke  people.    Although  it  is  hard  for  me   to  reprimand  others,  I  believe  that  people  should  do  that.

Roy  ZRe*lection  on  Texts

Kiddusin 31b: “Our Rabbis taught: What is "revere" and what is "honor?" "Revere" means that the son must neither stand in his father's place nor sit in his place, nor contradict his words nor [even] support his words [when he is arguing with another sage]. "Honor" means that he must give him food and drink, clothe and cover him, lead him in and out.”

The  text  is  basically  saying  what   a  son  should  and  should  not  do  to  honor  and  revere  his  parents.   Out  of  fear  or  awe,  a  son  should  not  take  his  father’s  place  or  if  he   says  something,  as  a  son  we  should  agree  with  him  and  not   go  against  him.  Also  out  of  respect  and  honor  we  should   feed  him,  bathe  him,  and  other  things.  When  I  think  about  this   text  it  shows  that  there  should  be  a  balance  between  fear  and   honor.  If  a  child  only  fears  his  parents,  he  will  only  do  what  he   is  asked  because  he  is  scared  of  what  will  happen  if  he  doesn’t  do   it.  If  a  kid  only  honors  his  parents,  when  asked  to  do  something  he  might  not  do  it  because  although  he  honors  them,  he  has  no  other  motivation  to  do  what  his  parents  ask.  There  needs  to  be  a  balance  in  the  relationship,  too  much  of  one  could  lead  to  an  unhealthy  bond  between  the  parent  and  child.  The  examples  that  a  son  should  do  in  order  to  honor  his  parents  are  the  same  things  that  parents  do  to  their  children.  Parents  feed  their  kids,  buy  them  clothes,  and  teach  them  the  right  paths  to  take  in  life.  Kids  can  honor  their  parents  by  returning  the  favor  and  doing  the  same  that  they’ve  done  for  us.  This  text  has  showed  me  that  when  my  parents  ask  something  of  me,  I  should  do  it  as  a  way  to  show  them  that  I  am  thankful  for  all  that  they  have  done.  The  picture  that  I  have  chosen  is  a  mother  feeding  her  baby  and  I  wanted  to  put  in  a  picture  of  a  son  holding  his  sick  mother,  but  I  could  not  *ind  it.  I  wanted  to  show  how  when  we  are  younger  our  parents  take  on  the  full  responsibility  of  nurturing  us  and  as  we  grow  older  and  our  parents  begin  to  get  sick,  we  are  there  for  them  to  do  the  same.  We  are  so  grateful  for  everything  that  they  have  done  for  us,  and  we  are  willing  to  do  the  same  for  them.

Midrash Tehilim: “The one who does Lashon HaRa kills three – the speaker, the listenerand the subject.”

The text is saying that there are always three people involved in the act of lashon hara. The first person is the one that is gossiping about other people to someone. The second person is the one who listens to the lashon hara. It is like he is like the holchei r’chil that goes about listening for

new gossip. The third person is the one that is being spoken about. He is being killed because his reputation is being tarnished and he is murdered socially. This text speaks to me because I am in high school, and most of what people talk about in high school is just gossip. Nowadays this text would be directed towards teenagers because we are constantly talking about what “he or she did at the party last night” or “did you hear about what __ did to get suspended” or something like that. It is something that completely wrong but we can’t help but do it. There have been many times when I’ve been involved in gossip and it is not something that I want. Rumors can spread around very easily and many people end up finding out about whatever someone did. I personally try to involve myself in the least amount of gossip as possible but there are times when I do get included and I don’t like the feeling of talking about people. It causes me to change the way I feel about them because I know about the bad things that they’ve done. All teenage drama is caused because of gossip that has spread and angered people. The picture that I chose is the one of the three monkeys that symbolize, see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. It is on the cover of our packets, and I chose it because we can eliminate lashon hara by following these three steps. Although they sound pretty simple, it is much more difficult to carry out. We all have that urge to tell our friend a funny story about how a kid did something stupid that mad everyone laugh, but we have to stop. We also have that urge to listen to the funny story about how someone did something stupid but it is basically killing us as well as the person we are talking about.

Sam  R

How  We  Live  in  This  World

One  par7cular  text  in  the  Torah,  Levi7cus  19:3,  helped  me  in  Halacha  and  Aggada  to  

comprehend  the  importance  to  not  only  honor  your  parents,  but  to  revere  and  fear  them.  “You  

must  revere  your  mother  and  father,  and  you  should  observe  Shabbat,  for  I  am  God.”  (Levi7cus  

19:3).  This  means  to  me  that  you  should  respect  your  parents  because  they  are  the  ones  who  

gave  birth  to  you,  who  raised  you,  and  who  control  your  des7ny  and  path  your  way  through  life.  

You  should  acknowledge  your  parents  for  what  they  do  for  you  everyday.  For  me,  I  should  

respect  and  revere  my  parents,  whether  it’s  paying  my  tui7on,  driving  me  to  a  friend’s  house,  or  

simply  saying  they  love  me.  I  should  be  thankful  and  grateful  for  their  support,  but  I  should  also  

make  sure  that  I  don’t  argue  or  offend  them  too  much  because  that  can  lead  to  disrespec7ng  

them,  which  can  lead  my  parents  to  lose  their  respect  for  me.  This  has  helped  me  learn  that  as  I  

grow  and  evolve  into  an  adult,  I  should  be  more  and  more  aware  and  respecRul  to  my  parents  

because  they  have  taken  care  of  me  throughout  my  life  and  if  I  have  made  the  right  choices  in  

life,  they  will  acknowledge  me  as  well.

  Another  text  I  found  compelling  in  my  study  of  Halacha  and  Aggada  is  Levi7cus  19:17:  

“You  must  not  hate  your  brother  in  your  heart;  you  must  certainly  rebuke  your  fellow;  and  do  

not  bear  sin  because  of  him.”  To  me,  since  this  is  in  the  Tochecha  unit,  it  means  that  you  should  

not  have  pointless  hatred  against  your  brother  or  a  close  friend  because  that  is  what  they  us  out  

of  Egypt,  represen7ng  aliena7on;  you  should  reprimand  and  construc7vely  cri7cize  your  friend  

so  that  you  know  if  there  is  any  suspicious  going  on  with  them;  and  you  shouldn’t  embarrass  in  

public  because  his  face  will  go  white.  My  understanding  is  that  each  step  in  Levi7cus  19:17  is  a  

cause  and  a  effect:  You  shouldn’t  pointless  hate  someone  who  you  find  obnoxious  or  irrita7ng  

or  is  ac7ng  suspicious;  instead,  you  should  help  them  and  approach  them  with  advice,  and  in  

that  process,  you  can  see  why  that  person  acts  that  way;  and  don’t  approach  them  in  public,  

talk  to  them  privately,  to  show  that  you  are  more  trustworthy  and  they  won’t  feel  as  

embarrassed.  This  has  taught  me  to  do  the  same  whenever  one  of  my  friends  is  ac7ng  strange  

or  peculiar.  Usually,  if  it’s  a  close  friend  that  I  console,  they  will  be  able  to  understand  and  take  

in  the  advice,  whether  it’s  for  literally  accidentally  or  on  purpose,  or  chea7ng  on  a  test.  But  if  it’s  

someone  I  don’t  know  that  well,  or  a  stranger,  they  may  not  understand  and  ignore  your  advice.  

I  should  choose  my  ba[les  carefully.  Hopefully,  it  will  help  me  as  an  adult  when  I  console  with  a  

friend,  worker,  or  family  member.  

Leayam  M.  

Reflection  Assignment  

Throughout  the  course  of  the  year  in  Honors  Halakha  and  Aggada,  I  have  learnt  

the  true  meaning  of  Torah  and  its  rituals.  I  have  learnt  how  to  become  a  better  

person  both  mentally  and  physically.  These  texts  have  not  only  inspired  me,  but  

also  moved  me  in  a  way  that  I  look  at  things  differently  now.  For  example,  in  the  

text  Leviticus  19:16  from  the  Ethical  speech  unit  it  says,”  Do  not  go  gossiping  

among  your  people  for  I  am  your  Lord.”  I  believe  that  this  texts  sets  boundaries  in  

our  community.  This  text  can  be  interpreted  differently  for  various  people.  I  think  

that  this  text  is  saying  that  gossiping  is  a  crime,  and  that  one  should  listen  to  the  

person  who  is  superior  to  him/  her.  This  is  a  special  text  that  made  me  question  

the  way  that  I  act  around  people.  Sometimes  people  aren’t  aware  of  their  actions  

and  this  is  one  of  the  reasons  that  I  admire  this  text.  This  text  teaches  us  to  be  

aware  of  our  surroundings  and  focus  on  the  right  path  of  life.  This  text  affected  

me  because  I  am  more  aware  that  there  are  people  struggling  with  their  

identities,  and  people  who  are  more  confident  gossip  and  think  it  is  right  of  them  

to  do  so.  I  have  realized  that  Lashon  Hara  should  be  ended  because  it  creates  a  

worse  ending.  The  other  text  that  inspired  me  the  most  was  Exodus  20:12,  in  the  

Parents  and  children  unit  of  this  year.  This  text  is  literally  translated  to  “Honor  

your  father  and  mother  on  the  grounds  that  you  live  on  for  God  has  given  you  

life.”  This  text  affected  me  because  it  showed  me  that  not  only  my  opinion  on  this  

text  is  an  important  aspect  in  life,  but  also  the  Bible  agrees  with  me  as  well.  In  my  

opinion,  this  text  shows  us  value  and  that  is  one  of  the  significant  aspects  in  

Jewish  Law.  Even  in  my  family,  the  number  one  rule  towards  my  parents  is  value.  

They  teach  us  to  become  respectful  human  beings  and  to  listen  to  what  they  

have  to  say.  During  this  unit  of  Parents  and  Children,  I  could  always  connect  and  

reflect  back  to  my  relationship  with  my  family,  which  helped  me  interpret  this  

text  as  a  whole.  Not  only  this  text  connected  to  my  life,  but  also  every  text  that  

we  learnt  about  this  whole  year  in  Jewish  Law  seemed  to  reflect  right  back  at  my  

experiences  in  my  life.  I  am  so  grateful  for  having  this  course  because  it  truly  

reminds  me  that  my  identity  is  sacred  and  I  should  cherish  what  I  have  more.  

Thank  you  for  such  an  inspiring  and  thoughtful  year  filled  with  integrity  of  Jewish  

Law!

Serena  W

  Halakha  has  always  found  a  way  into  my  life  as  a  teenager  in  high  school.  Whether  we  were  discussing  the  speech  of  Lashon  Hara,  or  learning  how  to  rebuke  constructively  through  Tochecha,  Jewish  law  has  always  seemed  to  impact  my  life.    Throughout  the  year,  we  have  critically  interpreted  and  deeply  connected  with  Jewish  law  on  a  path  that  our  Jewish  leaders  have  laid  out  for  us.  As  we  studied  the  different  halakhot  and  aggadot,  we  have  learned  to  embrace  and  discover  our  Jewish  identities.

  Magentzedek.org  is  the  inspirational  website  that  journeys  into  the  depths  of  Kashrut  and  helped  me  understand  what  it  truly  means  to  keep  Kosher.  It  increased  my  awareness  of  the  reasoning  behind  the  Kashrut  Halakhot,  which  compelled  me  to  want  keep  kosher.  For  example,  Shechita,  the  form  of  kosher  slaughtering seems humane to me, because of the swift and efficient way of killing the animal, and the fact that Jews only kill animals when we need food, not for a sport. Keeping  Kosher  also  cleanses  and  strengthens  one’s  soul,  which  is  encouraged  by  Magentzedek.org.  Magentzedek.org  encourages  keeping  a  Kosher  home  and  soul  which  portrays  the  message  of  being  kind  to  your  community  and  always  making  an  impact.  I  agree  with  the  message  this  website  has  portrayed,  and  I  believe  we  should  all  work  to  have  “kosher”  souls,  and  to  always  work  to  cleans  and  strengthen  them  as  well!

  In  codes,  Rambam  states,” What is Sabbath's delight? The statement of the Sages explains this that one should prepare for the Sabbath the richest victuals and the choicest beverages that one can afford. The more one spends for the Sabbath and for the preparation of numerous and tasty dishes, the more praiseworthy he is.” I  disagree  with  this  statement,  because  Shabbat  is  a  time  where  we  should  be  satis*ied  and  have  gratitude  for  what  we  have,  rather  than  boasting  about  our  riches.  Even  though  it  says  “the  more  money  we  spend,  the  more  praiseworthy  we  are,”  Shabbat  shouldn’t  be  about  this  concept.  We  should  be  able  to  be  proud  of  what  we  have  through  our  community  and  friends,  and  not  our  money.  Shabbat  should  be  the  time  when  we  feel  great  about  ourselves  and  relaxed,  and  not  to  be  worried  about  the  things  we  wish  we  had.  It  is  the  time  we  take  to  settle  in  our  own  skin,  look  back  on  our  week  and  be  thankful  for  our  work  we  are  able  to  have,  and  set  goals  for  ourselves  to  make  our  “riches”  more  ful*illing  with  happiness  and  satisfaction.

Jake  SMy  Re*lection

 

This  year  there  were  a  few  texts  that  really  intrigued  me,  and  made  me  think  deeply  about  

my  own  life.  One  text  that  really  spoke  to  me  was  in  the  gemara,  Sanhedrin  37a  from  the  

Pikuach  Nefesh  unit,  which  states:  

“Man  was  created  singularly  [or:  alone],  to  teach  you  that  anyone  who  destroys  a  single  life  

in  Israel,  the  Torah  treats  him  as  though  he  destroyed  the  entire  world.  And  anyone  who  

saves  a  single  life  in  Israel,  the  Torah  treats  him  as  though  he  saved  the  entire  world.”  We  

learned  in  class  that  an  explanation  for  this  text  could  be  that  if  you  literally  kill  someone,  it  

has  a  ripple  affect  and  many  more  people  are  left  hurt  than  just  that  one  person.  I  relate  this  

to  my  life  because  I  believe,  similarly,  that  every  sin  has  a  ripple  affect.  This  applies  to  my  

life  because  if  I  do  something  mean  to  someone,  or  make  their  day  worse,  they  will  end  up  

taking  it  out  on  someone  else  who  will  do  just  the  same.  This  text  taught  me  to  think  before  

I  act,  and  that  the  tiniest  comment  can  ruin  many  peoples  days.  On  another  hand,  I  can  

relate  the  part  where  saving  a  life  is  saving  the  world,  to  my  life  also.  If  I  do  something  good  

for  someone,  and  maybe  impact  their  mood,  they  could  go  on  to  do  something  nice  for  

someone  else,  and  the  affect  will  keep  going.

  Another  text  that  was  interesting  came  from  the  Shabbat  unit,  Deuteronomy  5:15  which  states  

This text translates to say “ and you remember because you were a slave in the land of Egypt,

and I freed you with open arms, therefor I command you to celebrate the Sabath.” The text is

literally saying that we celebrate Shabbat in order to remember and respect hardships that the

Israelites faced in Egypt. This relates to my life because it is saying that you must not take things

for granted. It is so easy to forget how good we have it nowadays and how bad our lives could

have been if something went wrong. This text reminds me to always thank G-d for everything I

have and to never forget what my people had to go through.

End  of  the  Year  Re#lection  

One  of  the  texts  that  we  have  studied  this  year  that  I  found  particularly  compelling  is  

Leviticus  22:27,  which  we  studied  in  the  Kashrut  unit.  

This  unit  was  *irstly,  extremely  interesting  because  going  into  it,  I  wasn’t  very  educated  

about  all  of  the  rules  we  have  regarding  Kashrut.  Once  we  studied  this  text  I  understood  the  

literal  meaning  of  the  text  (pshat),  which  is  “  When  an  ox  or  sheep  or  a  goat  is  born,  it  shall  

stay  seven  days  with  its  mother,  and  from  the  eighth  day  on  it  shall  be  acceptable  as  an  

offering  by  *ire  to  Adonai”.    The  way  I  interpreted  this  text  is  that  Judaism  values  the  life  of  

animals  and  their  being  with  their  mothers.  This  law  teaches  that  it  is  morally  correct  to  let  

a  child  stay  with  their  parents  for  a  while  until  they  are  given  to  God  as  a  sacri*ice.  It  would  

be  extremely  inhuman  to  tear  apart  a  child  from  its  mother  at  such  a  young  and  vulnerable  

stage  in  their  life  (just  after  they  are  born).  This  teaching  is  very  important  because  it  not  

only  shows  the  value  for  life  and  consideration  towards  animals,  but  in  a  sense  can  help  us  

understand  the  world  better  with  a  more  open  and  compassionate  state  of  mind.  With  this  

mindfulness  that  Jewish  Law  teaches  us  we  connect  this  text  to  others  in  the  year  that  we  

have  learned  such  as  in  the  “Parents  and  Children  Relationship”  unit.  Jewish  law  

interweaves  itself  in  ways  that  we  are  not  always  aware  of,  but  as  we  see  in  Leviticus  22:27,  

the  importance  of  a  mother  and  its  child’s  relationship  is  of  high  regard  in  Judaism.  Parents  

and  children  must  have  strong  respect  for  each  other  and  this  shows  how  important    they  

become  to  one  another.    This  idea  challenges  me  because  I  am  able  to  make  connections  

and  associations  to  other  texts  we  have  studied  this  year,  and  also  the  skill  of  making  

interconnections  in  my  daily  life.  This  text  has  affected  me  and  my  way  of  thinking  because  

it  has  broaden  my  spectrum  of  thoughts  and  creativity.  I  am  able  to  create  new  “drashim”  

and  new  ways  of  analyzing  information.  Coming  out  of  this  unit,  I  have  become  more  

educated,  creative,  and  conscious.  

The  second  text  that  we  have  studied  this  year  that  I  found  very  provoking  was  Leviticus  

25:17,  which  we  learned  in  the  “Ethical  Speech”  unit.  

This  unit  was  my  favorite  unit  this  year  because  all  of  the  texts  that  we  studied  were  easily  

applicable  to  our  everyday  lives  as  teenagers  in  high  school.  I  learned  so  much  about  the  

importance  of  guarding  your  tongue  and  the  power  that  speech  can  truly  have  on  someone.  

This  quote  is  literally  translated  into,  “  You  shall  not  wrong  one  another,  and  you  shall  fear  

your  God,  for  I  am  the  Lord,  your  God”.    I  interpreted  the  meaning  of  this  quote  through  

several  ideas.  The  *irst  is  when  it  says,  “  You  shall  not  wrong”,  and  this  can  mean  don’t  hurt  

others  individually,  don’t  lie,  and  don’t  intentionally  harm  others.  The  word  “wrong”  is  very  

symbolic  to  me  because  it  can  represent  that  hurt  can  be  physical,  emotional,  regretful  ,  

mental,  and  can  also  be  understood  as  wronging  one’s  self.  This  text  can  also  relate  to  

Leviticus  19:16,  because  “  Don’t  wrong”  can  demonstrate  how  tale  bearing  is  committed  

along  with  gossip.  This  quote  speaks  to  me  because  when  people  hurt  each  other  through  

words  and  gossip  they  do  not  initially  realize  how  much  they  are  harming  the  soul  and  life  

of  another  person.  The  tongue  is  a  very  powerful  weapon  that  is  not  often  regarded  as  one.  I  

respect  Jewish  Law  for  educated  people  about  this  because  it  can  show  how  much  the  

importance  of  “Lashon  Hara”  is  emphasized  in  our  culture.  This  quote  has  affected  me  

personally  because  it  has  made  me  more  conscious  of  the  things  I  say  to  people  and  HOW  I  

say  them.  I  have  learned  that  it  is  important  not  to  participate  in  “  character  assassination”  

because  “killing”  someone  doesn’t  have  to  be  physical  and  there  is  an  entire  other  level  of  

hurting.  People  will  forget  your  actions,  but  they  will  never  forget  the  words  you  said  to  

them  that  killed  their  soul  and  well-­‐being.