The first eleven chapters of Genesis are about the relationship between God and the entire human community. But that relationship does not go well at all! After ten generations, the deity decides to destroy the mass of humanity and start over with a single virtuous man's family (Noah). But it turns out that choosing a virtuous individual does not guarantee that this individual's descendants will be virtuous as well. Another ten generations pass and humans, in general, are not a planet full of Noahs (righteous). So once again the focus narrows to a single virtuous person, Abraham. God chooses one individual, Abraham, who will produce a family which will ultimately bring blessing to all the families of the earth.
To make sure that we really get this point, that Abraham's extended family down through history will be a blessing to all the other families of the earth, the message is repeated four times-- and always in moments of crucial revelation: during the appearance of three visitors to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:17-18); in the blessing following the near-sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:16-18); in God's first appearance to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-4); and in Jacob's first encounter with God in the dream of the ladder extending from heaven to earth (Genesis 28:10-24).
-- Friedman, Richard Elliott, "Commentary on the Torah," p.49
(ה) וַיִּקַּ֣ח אַבְרָם֩ אֶת־שָׂרַ֨י אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְאֶת־ל֣וֹט בֶּן־אָחִ֗יו וְאֶת־כָּל־רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ בְחָרָ֑ן וַיֵּצְא֗וּ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃ (ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (ז) וַיֵּרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַיהוָ֖ה הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו׃
(5) Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, (7) The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will assign this land to your offspring.”
(12) Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that the LORD your God is assigning to you.
[We are often told to honor our parents--but why? What purpose does our honoring our parents serve--how does it impact our parents as people? What can we do to show "honor," "respect" or "awe" to our parents? Do we show honor differently in life than in death?]
(א) שִׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַ֚ל כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלֵ֛יתִי מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) רַ֚ק אֶתְכֶ֣ם יָדַ֔עְתִּי מִכֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת הָאֲדָמָ֑ה
(1) Hear this word, O people of Israel, That the LORD has spoken concerning you, Concerning the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: (2) You alone have I known of all the families of the earth.
Paraphrasing Robert Alter, in his notes on these verses from Amos 3:1-2: verse 1: The Hebrew word 'mishpachah' slides in meaning from 'family' to larger groups. (Here, to the entire people of Israel). The word 'family' may be used here to underscore the mutual belonging of the Israelites. verse 2: The word 'know' is used here to suggest a special close relationship.
(8) My son, heed the teaching of your father and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.
[What lessons do we have to teach our siblings? Our parents? What lessons do we have to learn from them as children? As teens? As college students? As adults? Do the lessons change as we get older? How does what we have to teach change as we get older?]
(6) Train a child in the way he or she ought to go; the child will not swerve from it even in old age.
[What did we learn as children that stuck with us today? How do we "train a child up" or "train ourselves up" to stick to a certain path? What makes us want to go off our parents' chosen paths for us?]
(3) A house is built by wisdom and a home is established by understanding.
R. Hama bar Hanina said: When God causes the Divine Presence to dwell, God causes it to dwell only upon families in Israel, as is said, "At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel" (Jer. 31:1). Scripture does not say, "Of all Israel," but, "Of all the families of Israel.
-- B. Kid.70b (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin, page 70, side b)
"...between the poor of your family and the poor of your city, the poor of your family must take precedence, and between the poor of your city and another city, the poor of your city must take precedence."
-- Midrash Tanhuma, Mishpatim, 15:5
This prioritization of tzedakah recipients suggests appropriate categories of recipients of tzedakah:
Give tzedakah (charity) to the needy, to Jewish day schools, to Jewish institutions, and/or humanitarian causes. A family member who is in difficult financial straits takes precedence over non-family. Likewise, local poor and charitable organizations take precedence over their faraway counterparts. And charitable causes in Israel take precedence over (non-local) charities in the Diaspora.
Halachic opinions differ as to whether Kiddush should be said while standing or while seated at the table. Both practices are widespread and one should follow family tradition or the tradition of one's teachers in this matter.