Rikki's Eglah Arufah Commercial

Isaac's Appoint a King Commercial

Mia's No Chametz Commercial

Ben's Returning Objects Commercial

Daniel's Cities of Refuge Commercial

Bruce's Two Witnesses Commercial

Dylan's Anti-Magic Commercial

Samuel's Guardrail Commercial

Jake's No Tattoos Commercial

Elanit's Tefillin Commercial

Leah's Fruit Tree Commercial

Michelle's Tzedakah Commercial

Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof

צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ

Dev. 16:20- Justice, only justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you.

1) Summarize in detail what your commentator says this verse means. Make sure you mention which commentator you have, and put at least one sentence in quotes that is directly from the commentary itself.

2) Write a story, example or scenario in which the explanation of your commentary is illustrated. 

Michelle and Dylan's Poverty Video

End Poverty or Endless Poverty?

 ז כִּי־יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת־יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן: ח כִּי־פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ: (...) י נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל | הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ: יא כִּי לֹא־יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַּעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶךָ

7. If there is among you a poor man of one of your brothers inside any of your gates in your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
8. But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he lacks.
9. Beware that there be not a thought in your wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to the Lord against you, and it be sin to you.
10. You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because for this thing the Lord your God shall bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand to.
11. For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.

COMMENT AWAY!

The Pesach Haggadah in Devarim

The one section of the Pesach Haggadah that comes from Deuteronomy is the section below. Read and comment: your assignment is #5 on the Mile High Parshanut assignment sheet. 

Take note of the often discussed phrase 'A Wandering Aramean was my father', which is sometimes translated 'An Aramean oppressed my father'.

Devarim 26:5-9

ה וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי | יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט וַיְהִי־שָׁם לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל עָצוּם וָרָב: ו וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים וַיְעַנּוּנוּ וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלֵינוּ עֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה: ז וַנִּצְעַק אֶל־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָֹה אֶת־קֹלֵנוּ וַיַּרְא אֶת־עָנְיֵנוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵנוּ וְאֶת־לַחֲצֵנוּ: ח וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יְהוָֹה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמֹרָא גָּדֹל וּבְאֹתוֹת וּבְמֹפְתִים: ט וַיְבִאֵנוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַיִּתֶּן־לָנוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ: 

5. And you shall speak and say before the Lord your God, A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous;
6. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard slavery;
7. And when we cried to the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labor, and our oppression;
8. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great awesomeness, and with signs, and with wonders;
9. And he has brought us to this place, and has given us this land, a land that flows with milk and honey.

Ben and Jake's Post for 'Koshertime!'

Ilanit and Michelle's Video for 'Tear down Altars'

Koshertime! Devarim 14:3-21

 
ג לֹא תֹאכַל כָּל־תּוֹעֵבָה: ד זֹאת הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכֵלוּ שׁוֹר שֵׂה כְשָׂבִים וְשֵׂה עִזִּים: ה אַיָּל וּצְבִי וְיַחְמוּר וְאַקּוֹ וְדִישֹׁן וּתְאוֹ וָזָמֶר: ו וְכָל־בְּהֵמָה מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה וְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע שְׁתֵּי פְרָסוֹת מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה בַּבְּהֵמָה אֹתָהּ תֹּאכֵלוּ: ז אַךְ אֶת־זֶה לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִמַּעֲלֵי הַגֵּרָה וּמִמַּפְרִיסֵי הַפַּרְסָה הַשְּׁסוּעָה אֶת־הַגָּמָל וְאֶת־הָאַרְנֶבֶת וְאֶת־הַשָּׁפָן כִּי־מַעֲלֵה גֵרָה הֵמָּה וּפַרְסָה לֹא הִפְרִיסוּ טְמֵאִים הֵם לָכֶם: ח וְאֶת־הַחֲזִיר כִּי־מַפְרִיס פַּרְסָה הוּא וְלֹא גֵרָה טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם מִבְּשָׂרָם לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ:   ס   ט אֶת־זֶה תֹּאכְלוּ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בַּמָּיִם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת תֹּאכֵלוּ: י וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם:   ס   יא כָּל־צִפּוֹר טְהֹרָה תֹּאכֵלוּ: יב וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֹאכְלוּ מֵהֶם הַנֶּשֶׁר וְהַפֶּרֶס וְהָעָזְנִיָּה: יג וְהָרָאָה וְאֶת־הָאַיָּה וְהַדַּיָּה לְמִינָהּ: יד וְאֵת כָּל־עֹרֵב לְמִינוֹ: טו וְאֵת בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה וְאֶת־הַתַּחְמָס וְאֶת־הַשָּׁחַף וְאֶת־הַנֵּץ לְמִינֵהוּ: טז אֶת־הַכּוֹס וְאֶת־הַיַּנְשׁוּף וְהַתִּנְשָׁמֶת: יז וְהַקָּאָת וְאֶת־הָרָחָמָה וְאֶת־הַשָּׁלָךְ: יח וְהַחֲסִידָה וְהָאֲנָפָה לְמִינָהּ וְהַדּוּכִיפַת וְהָעֲטַלֵּף: יט וְכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם לֹא יֵאָכֵלוּ: כ כָּל־עוֹף טָהוֹר תֹּאכֵלוּ: כא לֹא־תֹאכְלוּ כָל־נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנָכְרִי כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ:

3. You shall not eat any abominable thing.
4. These are the beasts which you shall eat; the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5. The deer, and the gazelle, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the adax, and the wild ox, and the wild sheep.
6. And every beast that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven into two, and chews the cud among the beasts, that you shall eat.
7. Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those which divide the cloven hoof: the camel, and the hare, and the coney; for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean to you.
8. And the swine, because it divides the hoof, yet chews not the cud, it is unclean to you; you shall not eat of their meat, nor touch their carcasses.
9. These you shall eat of all that are in the waters; all that have fins and scales shall you eat;
10. And whatever has not fins and scales you may not eat; it is unclean to you.
11. Of all clean birds you shall eat.
12. But these are they of which you shall not eat; the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey,
13. And the kite, and the hawk, after their kind,
14. And every raven after its kind,
15. And the owl, and the kestrel, and the gull, and the hawk after its kind,
16. The little owl, and the great owl, and the barn owl,
17. And the night prowler, and the gier-eagle, and the fish owl,
18. And the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
19. And every creeping thing that flies is unclean to you; they shall not be eaten.
20. But of all clean birds you may eat.
21. You shall not eat of any thing that dies of itself; you shall give it to the stranger that is in your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

Comment away!

Video on Devarim 10

Tear down altars, build up a Temple

 Deuteronomy 12:1-5
דברים יב:א-ה

א אֵלֶּה הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּן לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ כָּל־הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם חַיִּים עַל־הָאֲדָמָה: ב אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת־כָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ־שָׁם הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹרְשִׁים אֹתָם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶם עַל־הֶהָרִים הָרָמִים וְעַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת וְתַחַת כָּל־עֵץ רַעֲנָן: ג וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָם וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם אֶת־מַצֵּבֹתָם וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ וּפְסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן וְאִבַּדְתֶּם אֶת־שְׁמָם מִן־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא: ד לֹא־תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַיהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: ה כִּי אִם־אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מִכָּל־שִׁבְטֵיכֶם לָשׂוּם אֶת־שְׁמוֹ שָׁם לְשִׁכְנוֹ תִדְרְשׁוּ וּבָאתָ שָּׁמָּה

1. These are the statutes and judgments, which you shall take care to do, in the land, which the Lord God of your fathers gives you to possess all the days that you live upon the earth.
2. You shall completely destroy all the places, where the nations which you shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree;
3. And you shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and you shall cut down the carved images of their gods, and destroy their names out of that place.
4. You shall not do so to the Lord your God.
5. But to the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, to his habitation shall you seek, and there you shall come;

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Walking with God (?)

Deuteronomy 10:12-17

יב וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם־לְיִרְאָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ וְלַעֲבֹד אֶת־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶׁךָ: יג לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־מִצְוֹת יְהוָֹה וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְטוֹב לָךְ: יד הֵן לַיהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם הָאָרֶץ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ: טו רַק בַּאֲבֹתֶיךָ חָשַׁק יְהוָֹה לְאַהֲבָה אוֹתָם וַיִּבְחַר בְּזַרְעָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם בָּכֶם מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: טז וּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם וְעָרְפְּכֶם לֹא תַקְשׁוּ עוֹד: יז כִּי יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים הָאֵל הַגָּדֹל הַגִּבֹּר וְהַנּוֹרָא אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִשָּׂא פָנִים וְלֹא יִקַּח שֹׁחַד

12. And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good?
14. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s your God, the earth also, with all that is in it.
15. Only the Lord took delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, you above all people, as it is this day.
16. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
17. For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God,mighty and awesome, which favors no person, nor takes bribes;

Take your assigned role and analyze the text above.

Welcome to Israel! (Now don't make idols...)

As soon as the Israelites are given the אשרת הדברות and the שמע & ואהבת , they are told the following:

יב הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת־יְהוָֹה אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים: יג אֶת־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא וְאֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹד וּבִשְׁמוֹ תִּשָּׁבֵעַ: יד לֹא תֵלְכוּן אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים מֵאֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶם: טו כִּי אֵל קַנָּא יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּקִרְבֶּךָ פֶּן־יֶחֱרֶה אַף־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּךְ וְהִשְׁמִידְךָ מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה:   ס   טז לֹא תְנַסּוּ אֶת־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתֶם בַּמַּסָּה: יז שָׁמוֹר תִּשְׁמְרוּן אֶת־מִצְוֹת יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְעֵדֹתָיו וְחֻקָּיו אֲשֶׁר צִוָּךְ

 :

12. Then beware lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
13. You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him, and shall swear by his name.
14. You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people who are round about you;
15. For the Lord your God is a jealous God among you, lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and destroy you from the face of the earth.
16. You shall not tempt the Lord your God, as you tempted him in Massah.
17. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 

Questions to consider: 

• Why is God so worried about being forgotten so soon after bringing the people to Israel? 
• Why so soon after repeating the אשרת הדיברות does God need to reiterate the commandment not to worship other Gods?
• What happened in Massah?
• What does it mean 'your God is a jealous God'?
• What are the commandments - מצוות , testimonies - עדות , and statues - חוקים ? What is the difference between them all?