Shiurei Bayit L'Chumash V'Pirkei Avot

9/2/07 19 Elul, 5767 B"H


Welcome! Bruchim HaBaim!

This is an additional way for our parents of 5th grade students to check what your students are studying. We generally have reading and studying homework. The students are required to record their homework everyday before they leave my class. It would be very helpful if you listen to your student read and explain the material covered in class that day, or at least a few times a week. The students are required to read the text, translate into Ivrit Kala (simple Hebrew) where necessary, and then into English. Rashi is a basic commentator on the text, who explains difficulties the student may encounter with the text, and therefore is frequently consulted.

We have covered Shmot, (Exodus), Perek Alef, (Chapter 1), Pesukim, (sentences) Alef through Yud, (1 through 10). Also, Rashi Pesukim Alef, Heh, Zayin, Chet, and Yud. We had a quiz on Friday, August 31 on the material covered so far.

Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi began to codify the oral law at the end of the 2nd century. The oral laws are codified into 6 Sedarim (main divisions), and there are 63 Tractates, or chapters. The Tractate our 5th grade is studying is Avot or Pirkei Avot, (Chapters of the Fathers), or as it is comonly called Ethics of the Fathers, because it records ethical sayings that the Rabbis LIVED.
Avot is the 9th Tractate of Nezikin (Damages), the 4th Order of the Mishna.

Avot consists of 5 chapters. The first 4 chapters contain the wisdom of over 60 teachers of Torah between 300 BCE and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, about 200 CE.

Your student was asked to memorize the introduction to the first Perek, Kol Yisrael, for Friday, August 24, in Hebrew and English. The quiz did not take place until August 31, and they will be given another opportunity to show their knowledge.

The class received a collection of Parsha tidbits for Parshat Ki Tavo on Friday, August 31, as they will B'EH continue to receive weekly on the current Parsha. They were asked to read and explain the Mitzva from Sefer HaChinuch (the Hebrew paragraph), as well as to attempt the Alef Bet Parsha quiz, and others, and have the parent sign the sheet, to indicate that they had explained the mitzva at your family table.

I look forward to a successful year of studies with your student!
Thanks for taking the time to check the homework blog.
Morah Kay