Yavneh Academy
April 12, 2013
‫שבת שלום‬
Candle Lighting 7:14
This week there is a double Torah portion, but this D’var Torah will mainly focus on ParshaT Tazria. The parsha begins by Hashem
commanding Moshe to tell all of B’nai Yisrael the laws of a woman’s impurity after childbirth, along with the rules of
circumcision. The rest of the parsha talks about Tzara’at. Tzara’at is a condition that can affect the skin, walls of one’s house or
fabrics. A person who has Tzara’at is an outcast from the rest of B’nai Yisrael for at least two weeks. After a week separation, the
Kohen will check on the “outcast” and examine the skin and see if the color of the condition has “dimmed” and has not spread. If the
condition has “dimmed” and not spread, the person is pure and ready to come back after one additional week of isolation. If the
condition worsens, the person must stay in isolation for another week and get checked by the Kohen every week until the condition
goes away.
The question that would arise from the two topics, is what do childbirth impurities and circumcision have to do with Tzara’at? Why
would the Torah start off with one topic and arbitrarily switch to a totally different topic? Generally, the Torah puts similar topics
together. Sometimes the connection between topics is obvious, other times one must think to figure out the connection. The
connection between these two topics (brit mila and Tzara’at) is that they both explain to B’nai Yisrael how they should deal with
impurities. In the first perek of the parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to tell B’nai Yisrael about how after childbirth a woman is impure for
a certain amount of days and how she can become pure again. In the second perek of the parsha Moshe tells B'nai Yisrael that if
someone gets Tzara’at they must be banished from the camp for at least two weeks, implying that that person is impure. We see
from the text of the Chumash that both these two cases (of childbirth and Tzara’at) deal with someone who is impure.
One other connection that can be made between the two perakim is they both involve wait times and only a Kohen can deem them
pure again. A woman must wait a certain amount of days (depending on what gender the newborn is) before she can go to the Beit
Ha’Mikdash. Once those days have been completed she must give a korban before the Kohen. When a person has Tzara’at they
must wait at least two weeks before returning to the camp. The only person who can deem a person pure who had Tzara’at is a
Kohen. From this we see there are at least two connections between the two first perakim in Parshat Tazria. We learn from this the
importance of waiting and being patient as well as the importance of having a guiding force like the Kohen in one’s life.
Shabbat Shalom,
Matthew Albert
Students can answer the questions on a separate piece of paper and bring it to the office. Nekudot will be awarded!
Tazria
Grades 1 and 2
1. What miracle of life is the first topic in Parshat Tazria? (12:2-5)
2. What special mitzvah is performed for a male baby when he is eight days old? (12:3)
3. Who decides if the Tzara’at of a person is pure or impure? (13:2)
4. Where does a person who has Tzara’at need to go? (13:46) Challenge: Which Jewish person had the first Brit? (Bereshit 17)
Grades 3-5
1. What mtzvah is performed for a male baby when he is eight days old? (12:3)
Challenge: What does the word “Brit -” mean? (Bereshit 17:10-15)
2. Which Jewish person had the first Brit? (Bereshit 17)
3. Who decided if the Tzara’at of a person is pure or impure? (13:2)
4. For how many days was the person afflicted by Tzara’at quarantined? (13:4)
5. What happened to clothing that was afflicted with Tazara’at? (13:52)
Metzora
1. In the Midbar, where did the Metzorah stay while he was tamei?
2. Why is the Metzorah required to bring birds as part of the purification process?
3. How was having tzara'at in one's house sometimes advantageous?
4. What happens to the vessels that are in a house found to have tzara'at?
5. Which type of vessels cannot be made tahor after they become tamei?
6. What does the Kohen command be done to the stone, when a house is suspected of having tzara'at?
7. What is the law about the house if the tzara’at a) returns and spreads b) does not return c) returns, but does not spread
PAGE 2
Y A V NE H A C A D E MY
Mon., 4/15
Yom Hazikaron observed
Tues., 4/16
Yom Haatzmaut observed
Blue and White Day
Grade 6 Café Night, 7:00 p.m.
Thurs., 4/25
Faculty In-Service, Regular dismissal
APRIL 12, 2013
PARNAS HAYOM
Parnas Hayom allows individuals
to dedicate a day or a month of
Torah study at Yavneh. The
dedication can be in memory of
or in honor of a specific person or
persons. The dedication will be
announced and displayed in
writing at the Yavneh campus on the date you have
chosen.
Mon., 4/29
Lag B'Omer celebrated
Thank you to the recent sponsors of the The Iankol &
Sheindel Lidagoster and Mark Lidagoster (Class of
1977) Memorial Parnas Hayom Program
See you this Sunday!
Hannah Katz, in memory of Paul M. Katz, grandfather
of Naama Katz
The Yavneh Academy
Eighth Annual
Benjamin Schwartz Memorial 5K
Scholarship Run
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Westfield Garden State Plaza
Please note:
All afternoon transportation
changes must be sent to the
Education Office in writing no later than 2:00
p.m. Thank you for your cooperation.
Now there are
even more ways to
see what's
happening at Yavneh!
Find great articles, video links, many
photos of your children in action, and
important updates! DON'T MISS OUT!
Facbook.com/YavnehAcademy
Show your school spirit and proudly display
the Yavneh logo while driving
around town!
YAVNEH CAR MAGNETS
are available in the
Education Office!
SAVE THE DATE
Celebrate Israel Parade
Sunday, June 2, 2013
SAVE THE DATE
Yavneh Academy
8th Annual Golf Outing
Monday, August 5, 2013
Preakness Country Club
Wayne, NJ
LOST AND FOUND
Our lost and found box is located in
the cafeteria. Please remember to
label all your children’s belonging so
they can be returned! Thank you!
For more information about Yavneh events and programming log on to
www.yavnehacademy.org.