Torah Classes

Chp. 6 verses 13 - 30: Lists the genealogy of Ruevain, Shimon, and then Levi in depth, inorder to introduce us to Moshe, Aaron, and his family. To tell us that it would be the two of them who would speak to Pharaoh about taking the Jewish people out of Egypt.

Chp. 6 verses 2 - 13: Introduction, Hashem tells Moshe to tell the people that He is ready to redeem them from Egypt. Moshe tells the people but they don't listen. Then Hashem tells him to tell Pharaoh, but Moshe says that Pharaoh won't listen either since he has a speech impediment. Hashem commands Moshe and Aaron to tell the B'nai Yisrael and Pharaoh that they will take the people out of Egypt.

Chp. 11 verses 32 - 47: Continues with the laws of creepy things. Then the laws of earthenware vessels. Liquids that prepare things to become unclean. Mikvah, the defilement of produce. The laws of a dead carcass. The prohibition of eating insects. The command to sanctify ourselves so that we can be G-dly.

Chp. 10 verse 8 - chp. 11 verse 31: Hashem speaks to Aaron about prohibition of priest drinking wine before performing service. Continues with the sacrifices of the day and also those laws that would apply for the future. Moshe was angry with them because of an error that he thought they had made, but Aaron told him that they had not erred and he agreed. Chp. 11, deals with the laws of kosher animals, fish, and birds. Ends with the eight creepy things that cause defilement by touching them.

Chp. 8 verse 7 - chp. 10 verse 7: Continues with the sacrifices that were brought by Aaron and his sons on the eighth day of dedication. Then they blessed the people and a heavenly fire came and consumed all the sacrifices on the alter Chp. 10 tells us about Nadav and Abihu two sons of Aaron who bring a strange fire into the Holy of Holies and are killed by fire. Their bodies are removed and Aaron and his other two sons are commanded by Moshe not to mourn nor to leave the Mishkan.

Chp. 50 verse 20 until the end of sedra: Yosef assures the brothers that just like they were not able to inflict any true harm on him so too he would not be able to inflict any harm on them. Yosef lived to see three generations and was the first of the brothers to die at the age of 110. He was embalmed and they put him in a coffin in Egypt. End of the Book of Bereishit.

Chp. 49 verse 27 - Chp. 50 verse 20: Concludes with the blessings to Binyamin and the command to bury him in the Machpelah, and then he dies. Chp. 50, deals with the embalming of Yaakov's body and Yosef and his brothers taking their father to Canaan with a military escort. All the kings come out to show their respect and he is buried. They return to Egypt, the brothers perceive a change in Yosefs' attitude towards them, but he denies it and assures them that he will continue to support them and their families.

Chp. 49 verses 15 - 26: Continues with the blessings of Yisaachor, Dan, Gad, Ashur, Naftali, and Yosef.

Chp. 49 verses 1 - 15: Yaakov gathers his sons around his deathbed before he dies. He tries to tell them when the Messiah will come but the "Schechinah" (Divinity of G-d) leaves him. He begins to Bless his sons starting with the eldest Ruevain, then Shimon and Levi. Next Yehudah, Zevulun and Yisaaachor.

Chp. 48 verse 7 until end of chp: Yaakov blesses his two grandsons. There is some confusion about the order. Gives them the blessing that is still used today to bless our sons. Yaakov gives Yosef Schechem as an inheritance over and above that which the other brothers' would inherit.