This article was written by Yael Stochel, summer inchworm 2019
GrowTorah Core Value: Incubating Emunah
The Meraglim's report on Eretz Israel highlights the downsides to an otherwise beautiful land. But Yehoshua and Caleb's faith in Hashem refocuses their love of the land. How can we strengthen our optimism and faith in Hashem and use that to guide our relationship to the Earth?
Lesson Title: Meraglim
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Which of these questions could be asked about our garden?
How would you respond both positively and negatively to these questions?
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Which plants would you bring back if you were scouting our garden?
Living the Lesson
Do not go up, lest you be routed by your enemies, for the LORD is not in your midst.
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
What do both the Ma'apilim and Meraglim teach us about the connection between faith in Hashem and love of the land?
- Faith in Hashem needs to be a lens through which to view the land, guiding us to love it and appreciate it no matter what.
GrowTorah Core Value: Incubating Emunah
Lesson Title: Challah
(18) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land to which I am taking you (19) and you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set some aside as a gift to the LORD: (20) as the first yield of your baking, you shall set aside a loaf as a gift; you shall set it aside as a gift like the gift from the threshing floor. (21) You shall make a gift to the LORD from the first yield of your baking, throughout the ages.
ר' הונא בשם ר' מתנה אמר בזכות ג' דברים נברא העולם בזכות חלה ובזכות מעשרות ובזכות בכורים ומה טעם "בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים" ואין ראשית אלא חלה שנאמר (במדבר טו, כ): "רֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵכֶם" ואין ראשית אלא מעשרות היך דאת אמר (דברים יח, ד): "ראשית דגנך" ואין ראשית אלא בכורים שנאמר (שמות כג, יט): "ראשית בכורי אדמתך וגו'":
Rabbi Hunna said in the name of Rabbi Matanah: The world was created in the merit of three things--challah, tithes, and first fruits. The verse "In the beginning God created" refers to challah, as it says (Numbers 15:20): "The beginning of your doughs." It also refers to tithes, as it says (Deuteronomy 18:4): "The beginning of your grains." It also refers to first fruits, as it says (Exodus 23:19): "The beginning of the fruits of the land."
(יז) רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין תּוֹרָה, אֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. אִם אֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, אֵין תּוֹרָה. אִם אֵין חָכְמָה, אֵין יִרְאָה. אִם אֵין יִרְאָה, אֵין חָכְמָה. אִם אֵין בִּינָה, אֵין דַּעַת. אִם אֵין דַּעַת, אֵין בִּינָה. אִם אֵין קֶמַח, אֵין תּוֹרָה. אִם אֵין תּוֹרָה, אֵין קֶמַח.
(17) Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: If there is no Torah, there is no worldly occupation; if there is no worldly occupation, there is no Torah. If there is no wisdom, there is no fear; if there is no fear, there is no wisdom. If there is no understanding, there is no knowledge; if there is no knowledge, there is no understanding. If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour.
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Why is the mitzvah of Hafrashat Challah particularly important?
How does working in the garden help you understand the importance of appreciating our food?
Living the Lesson
מצוה עשה להפריש תרומה מהעיסה וליתנה לכהן שנאמר ראשית עריסותיכם תרימו תרומה וראשית זה אין לו שיעור מן התורה אפילו הפריש כשעורה פטר את העיסה והעושה כל עיסתו חלה לא עשה כלום עד שישייר מקצת ומדברי סופרים מפרישין אחד מכ"ד מן העיסה והנחתום העושה למכור בשוק מפריש א' ממ"ח ואם נטמאה העיסה בשוגג או באונס אף בעל הבית מפריש אחד ממ"ח:
משרשי המצוה. לפי שחיותו של אדם במזונות ורב העולם יחיו בלחם, רצה המקום לזכותנו במצוה תמידית בלחמנו, כדי שתנוח ברכה בו על ידי המצוה ונקבל בה זכות בנפשנו, ונמצאת העסה מזון לגוף ומזון לנפש
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is that] since the sustenance of a person is through food and most of the world will be sustained with bread, the Omnipresent desired to give us merit with a constant commandment in our bread, so that blessing should rest upon it through the commandment; and through it, we will receive merit for our souls. And [hence] it turns out that the dough is food for our body and food for our soul.
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
How do we perform Hafrashat Challah today?
- We still separate a small portion of the dough when making challah
How do we transform all of the food we eat in our garden into "food for our body and food for our soul," as the Sefer HaChinuch writes?