Torah and Jewish History
The Tanakh, the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the Exodus, Sinai, the Kings, and the destruction of both Temples.
What does the Tanakh consist of?
Torah (Teaching), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings), TaNaKh.
How many books are in the Torah and what are they?
Five books: Genesis (Bereishit), Exodus (Shemot), Leviticus (Vayikra), Numbers (Bamidbar), Deuteronomy (Devarim).
Who were the three Patriarchs?
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Who were the four Matriarchs?
Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.
What is Brit Milah and to whom was it first given?
A covenant between God and Abraham our forefather.
What was the Binding of Isaac (Akedat Yitzchak)?
God tested Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
How many sons did Jacob have?
12 sons and one daughter (Dinah).
Why are we called Israel?
After Jacob's second name, Israel; hence we are called the People of Israel.
Who is Moses?
The greatest prophet and leader of the People of Israel, who led them out of Egypt and through whom God gave the Torah.
How many plagues did God bring upon Egypt?
10 plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Wild Beasts, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Slaying of the Firstborn.
What miracle did God perform when the Egyptians chased the Israelites?
The splitting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians.
How long after the Exodus did God give the Torah to Israel?
50 days (49 days known as 'Sefirat HaOmer').
Where was the Torah given?
In the Sinai desert, on Mount Sinai.
What did the People of Israel say at Mount Sinai?
Na'aseh v'Nishma: 'We will do and we will hear'.
What was proclaimed to all of Israel at Mount Sinai?
The Ten Commandments.
How many mitzvot are in the Torah?
613 mitzvot (Taryag).
Who was King David?
A descendant of Ruth the Moabite and Boaz.
Who was King Solomon?
David's son, who was granted great wisdom by God and built the First Temple.
When was the First Temple destroyed?
In 586 BCE, by the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar.
Why was the First Temple destroyed?
Sexual immorality, bloodshed, and idolatry.
When was the Second Temple destroyed?
In 70 CE.
Why was the Second Temple destroyed?
Because of baseless hatred (sinat chinam) among the Jewish people.
Where was the Temple located?
The Temple was in Jerusalem, above the Western Wall.
What is the Western Wall?
The Wall is considered the focal point of prayer closest to the Temple, and serves today as a prayer site for the Jewish people.