Shavuos

  1. What are the five names of this Yom Tov and their reasons?

  2. Why is there no specific date given in the Torah for this holiday? (How does the Torah describe the date for Shavuos?)

  3. Each of the five days prior to Shavuos the Jews did something in preparation for Matan Torah. Can you describe them?

  4. What are the five symbols connected to Matan Torah that are all connected with the number three?

  5. Who was born on Shavuos? Who passed away on Shavuos?

  6. What were the ‘two loaves,’ and what was done with them?

  7. On which day (of which month) was the Torah given? (Two opinions.) On which day of the week?

  8. bikurim are brought from the seven species of fruit. Can you name them?

  9. What is the ‘Torah reading’ for the first day? For the second? Why?

  10. Why is there a minhag to stay up the first night of Shavuos?

  11. Many communities say Tikun‎ Shavuos night (and some study). Why?

  12. Why is there a minhag to daven Maariv late on Shavuos night?

  13. Which Haftaros are read on the two days? Why?

  14. How many days is Shavuos celebrated in Eretz Yisroel? In exile? Why?

  15. We do not say Tachanun from Rosh Chodesh until the 12th of Sivan. Why?

  16. How do we do the morning blessings (and negel vasser) after staying up all night?

  17. Why is there a custom to decorate the home and the shul with greenery and/or flowers?

  18. What are the reasons for the minhag of eating dairy foods on Shavuos?

  19. Must we also eat meat on Shavuos? Why? How do we separate between the two?

  20. Which special prayer do we say on the second day of Shavuos? (Hint: Most children leave then.)

  21. What are two ways of reading the Ten Commandments in the Torah? Which one is used? Why? What is akdamus? Our custom?

  22. The Ten Commandments contain an open hint to the 620 mitzvos. What is it?

Matan Torah

  1. Who was offered the Torah before we were? What was their response? Why?

  2. Our Sages said that the entire creation was waiting for the Torah and shaking. Why?

  3. Who were offered by our nation as guarantors to Hashem for the observance of Torah and were rejected? Accepted?

  4. Which creatures desired to get the Torah? Why were they rejected?

  5. Why was the Torah given in the desert? Why on a low mountain?

  6. Which secrets from the Heavenly angels did the Jews find out?

  7. Why wasn’t the Torah given to us immediately after the Exodus?

  8. When we said ‘Naaseh venishmah’ (we shall do and we shall listen) we were immediately rewarded. How?

  9. What were the special miracles in the sights and sounds of Matan Torah?

  10. Why were the Ten Commandments said in the singular (not plural) verb form?

  11. What are some of the differences between the Ten Commandments that are written in parshas Yisro and those in parshas Vo’eschanan?

  12. How was the Torah written down, at once or in stages? By whom? Where?

  13. Who divided the Torah into pesukim? Into sedras? Into aliyos? Into chapters?

  14. How many sedras are there? pesukim? Words? Letters?

  15. There are several types of letters in the Torah. What are they?

The Book of Ruth

  1. Why is Megillas Ruth read an Shavuos (in Tikum or in public)? Who wrote it? Why?

  2. Who was the father of Ruth? Who was her mother-in-law?

  3. Who was Boaz? How were he and Ruth related to King David?

  4. There were great acts of kindness in this book. What are they?

  5. Who was Orpah? Who was her grandchild? What can we learn from the difference between her and Ruth?

  6. Who was Elimelech? Machlon? Kilyon? From which tribe were they?

  7. Why were the above people punished? Why not Naomi?

  8. Which kinds of dinim do we derive from Megillas Ruth?

  9. How is Ruth related to Avrohom Avinu?

  10. Since Ruth came from Moav, whose people were forbidden to intermarry with Jews, how was she permitted?

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