Weekly Torah Portion:

Parashat B’shalach Exodus 13:17 – 17:16.

This week’s parashah continues the Exodus story, as the Israelites leave Egypt and cross the Red Sea, whilst the pursuing Egyptian soldiers perish in its waters. The Israelites struggle with their new-found freedom and the physical challenges of a life wandering in the wilderness. They complain to Moses and to God about the lack of food and water in the desert, and God provides both water and food in the form of manna, to sustain the Israelites.  

Family discussion

If you were one of the Israelites with Moses, how would you feel upon seeing the Egyptian army drowned? How do you feel when someone who is your enemy is hurt or defeated?

Does complaining get results or just release tension? What are some other options aside from complaining about a situation? 

Yiddish word of the week

The heat and humidity of the past week has resulted in some serious perspiration across Sydney. In Yiddish, to sweat is to שוו׳ץ shvitz. Like many Yiddish words, shvitz has developed over time to have a number of different meanings and usages. One might go to the sauna for a shvitz. Active wear, elevated heart-rates and workouts at the gym are also a shvitz. And shvitz can also be used to mean worry or panic.

Hebrew word of the week

Last week we wished all our new and returning Emanuel families the traditional Hebrew welcome of ברוכים הבאים berukhim haba’im. One of our School values is that of community –  קהילה – kehillah. Our Emanuel School קהילה is made up of our students, staff, parents and families and each of us together create that unique Emanuel School ‘vibe’ that one feels when part of our קהילה. We value our School and students to be actively engaged and involved in the various communities we are part of: the Emanuel School community, the Jewish community and our local Australian community.

Year 5 students reflecting on Jewish wisdom found in Pirkei Avot

Year 5 students are continuing to reflect on the questions raised by the 2^nd Century CE scholar, Shimon Ben Zoma, who asks us what constitutes a good person and a meaningful life.

Ben Zoma asks: ““איזהו גבור – Who is wise?”

Year 5 student responses:

• someone who faces challenges and his/her fears
• a person who stands up for his/her beliefs
• someone who stands up for other people
• a person who risks his/her life for others
• someone who can admit his/her mistakes and learns from them.

Ben Zoma responds: “הכובש את ׳צרו – one who controls his/her desires”

Story for Tu BiShvat – the New Year for the Trees

The Talmud (Talmud Bavli – Masechet Ta’anith 23a) records the following story:

“One day Honi was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree; he asked him, ‘How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit?’. The man replied: ‘Seventy years’. He then further asked him: ‘Are you certain that you will live another seventy years?’ The man replied: ‘I found [ready grown] carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted these for me so I too plant these for my children’.”


Click on the link for an animation of this story: www.bimbam.com/tu-bshvat/

Discussion questions for your home and family:

• What lesson is this story teaching us?
• What do you do in your life that reflects this teaching?
• How might this story connect to contemporary issues and challenges facing humanity and the environment?