Here are some verses you may recognize, possibly in English, possibly in Hebrew. Find them and read them:
- 4:44
- 5:6 - 18
- 6:4 - 9
- 6:20 - 21
Where have you heard them before?
How does seeing them in the context of the Torah affect the way in which you understand them?
Think about the fact that this parasha comes right after Tisha b'Av every year.
- Do you think this is merely a coincidence? Explain your answer.
- If you read the parasha with Tisha b'Av in mind, does anything change for you? Explain why or why not.
- What do you think was in the minds of Jews reading this parasha in the time of the Second Temple? ...right after the expulsion from Spain? ...in Europe during the Middle Ages? ...during the Shoah? ...in Israel in 1948, after the War of Independence? ...in 1967, right after the Six Day War?
- What are you thinking about this parasha this week? Why?
