Torah For Today

(scenarios) What would you do?

1. Have you ever moved from one place to another where you knew no one?  How did you feel? If you see a new kid in your class, what should you do?
2. You are the oldest child in your family.  Do you have any special responsibilities? What are they?  How should you treat your younger sibling or siblings? Why?

PERSONAL CONNECTION:

What Does This Parshah Mean to Me?

1. Look up the ritual of Pidyon HaBen here:  http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-meaning-of-pidyon-haben/  What is its connection to this portion?
2. Why do you think the tribes were arranged around the Tabernacle the way they were?
3. In Judaism, people are born part of specific groups – Kohen, Levi and Yisrael. Read this article to find out what the differences are. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-tribes-today-kohens-levis-and-yisraels  Do you know which tribe are you from?
4. This portion is part of the book “BaMidbar”, which means “wilderness”.  The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt all their lives, and all of a sudden they found themselves in the wilderness, learning a new way of life.   How do you think they must have felt?
5. As you read this portion – what does it have to do with the idea of building a community?