Cain and Abel
Who was Cain and Abel?
They were brothers and the first sons of Adam and Eve.
Who were Jacob and Esau?
They were twins (though Esau came out first). They were the sons of Isaac and Rebecca.
Who was David? Who was Bathsheva?
David was king of Israel at the time, an Bathsheva was married to one of the men in David's army.
What Jewish monster influenced Mary Shelley when she wrote 'Frankenstien'?
The Golem
Why was Cain jealous of Abel?
God had preferred Abel's sacrifice.
Abel sacrificed the best animal out of an okay species.
Cain sacrificed an okay plant out of the best species.
How did Esau respond when he learned that Jacob had gotten the blessings of the firstborn?
He got very angry and planned on killing Jacob once their father passed away.
A power hierarchy is when there are different levels to how much power someone has, and who they have power over. David, as king, had the most power over everyone aside from God.
'The Dybbuk' is a possession story- what happens during a possession?
When someone is possessed, they have a ghost/demon/spirit go into their body. Then a religious figure has to come and perform an exorcism to get rid of the ghost/demon/spirit.
How did Cain handle his jealousy?
He didn't- he let his anger overcome him and he committed the "1st murder".
Why did Esau sell his birthright? Was that fair of Jacob?
He sold is because he was very hungry and supposedly dying. Fair or not is an opinion- any answer is right.
What is adultery?
It is cheating-- either cheating on your own partner, or helping someone to cheat on their partner. It is 1 of the 10 commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
What is a Leviathan?
A sea monster from the Book of Job. It was supposed to basically be un-killable, and immediately struck fear into people's hearts. In another story, God kills it and feeds the people of Israel with it.
What did Rebecca tell Jacob to do in order to trick his father into giving him the blessings of the firstborn.
She had him wear Esau's clothes, so he would smell like Esau. She prepared food that Isaac would like. And she put goat skin on Jacob's neck and hands, so that he would feel hairy to Isaac.
Why did David have Uriah killed?
David had gotten Uriah's wife, Bathsheva, pregnant. When he couldn't get Uriah to go home to Bathsheva (to say that he was the one who got her pregnant), he had him killed so that no one would know he had committed adultery.
What is a pogrom? How does that relate to the story of the Golem?
A pogrom is an attack on a community (generally thought of in terms of an attack on a Jewish community). The village is pillaged, people are hurt and murdered.
The Golem was a clay man made by a rabbi to protect the towns people from another pogrom.
What could Cain have done differently?
Opinion answer-- any answer counts.
Possibilities: Cain could have tried to make a new sacrifice after he learned what to do; he could have let go of his anger; he could have talked to god about his feelings; etc.
What is a birthright?
Something that the first born (male) received. It involved extra responsibilities: once the father passed away or got too old, the 1st born would take over bringing sacrifices to the temple. It also involved extra inheritance-- the 1st born received twice as much as his other siblings.
How did jealousy impact the actions of:
-Jacob
-Esau
-Rebecca
This is an opinion, so any answer is right. Some possibilities:
-Jacob: maybe he was jealous of what his 'older' brother would receive, so he made Esau sell him his birthright and tricked his father into giving him the blessings of the firstborn.
-Esau: maybe he was jealous that his 'younger' brother now had his birthright. Maybe he was jealous that Isaac had given Jacob the blessings of the firstborn (he got very angry after and wanted to kill Jacob)
Rebecca: she and Isaac both had their own favorite child. Maybe she was jealous on Jacob's behalf that Esau would get the blessings of the 1st born, and that's why she had Jacob trick Isaac.
Why was God angry with David?
David messed up so much in this story! He was jealous that he couldn't have Bathsheva, so he
-committed adultery while knowing it was wrong
-tried to cover it up instead of admitting he made a mistake
-had Uriah killed when his plan wasn't working out
-pretended he had done nothing wrong and married Bathsheva
Can you summarize the story of 'The Dybbuk'?
here are 2 different families that promise their children in marriage. The families grow apart and forget the promise, and the children don't meet again until adulthood. When they meet again they fall in love, but the girl's father promises her to another boy for marriage. The original boy, upon learning this, dies of heartbreak. The girl goes to the cemetery to visit her mother's grave and get's possessed by her ex-boyfriend. When the rabbais come to perform an exorcism, they learn about the original promise made to the boy. While they tell the dybbuk that he is in the right, he still must leave her body. Once she is no longer possessed, the girl misses her ex-boyfriend so much that she dies of heartbreak. Now the two can finally be together in the world to come.