Yevamot
What is the meaning of Yevamot? What is the biblical law of levirate marriage?
"sisters-in-law" & man must marry the widow of a brother who has died childless. (Page 102)
Which book developed Kurshan's earliest thoughts about love?
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
What do Daniel and Ilana call the first year of their marriage? What changed their marriage?
"Another lifetime" and having children
Which character from which book does Kurshan identify herself with?
She identifies with Isabel Dalhousie in Alexander McCall Smith's novel The Careful Use of Compliments.
What is a "parochet"?
A woven tapestry that divided the sanctuary from the Holy of Holies.
Which two Hebrew words for the word Harpania stem from? What is the meaning of those two words? What is Harpania?
"Popular psychology states that when we first fall in love..." What happens?
The brain releases neurotransmitters that contribute to increased energy, rapid pulse, a sense of heightened perception, and a more positive outlook on life. (page 156)
What is the key to a happy marriage according to a teacher Ilana once had?
The ability to recognize that the traits that drive you most crazy about your spouse are expressions of the very same traits you love most about him or her. (Page 179)
What happens within the story of Rabbi Meir and his wife Beruriah? What lesson is explained?
Their children die on the Sabbath. The lesson explained how God was the rightful owner of their children, and that it was time for them to go back.
What does an unnamed rabbi say about any page that seems straightforward in the Talmud?
He says to keep reviewing it because you will find new insights upon returning to and reading the same text.
How does the Talmud describe marriage? Who does it mainly benefit?
"One way transaction in which a man acquires a woman, but could wed several women."
What is a common theme in the Talmud with rabbis who fall in love?
They attain superhuman strength.
How did Ilana practice remembering poems?
She would swim and memorize each poem line by line.
What makes a real flower more beautiful than a plastic one according to Kurshan?
The life cycle is what makes the real flower more beautiful. This is because nothing beautiful lasts forever. (page 246)
What are the 4 colors of the strands on the parochet?
Blue, Purple, Crimson and linen
According to Rav Nahman, what was his belief on fertility among women?
He believes that as long as a woman intends to have intercourse again that her reproduction organs will not wither.
What poem made Kurshan's feelings of love switch?
"Waiting and Finding" by Jack Gilbert
What does Israeli philosopher, Yeshayahu Leibovitz, believe about the Messiah?
He believes that any Messiah who already has come is a false messiah. The messianic era is an ideal.
According to Wallace Stevens, what is death the mother of?
Beauty. (page 246)
According to the Talmud, what gender is designated to accomplish handiwork on the parochet?
Quote on page 288
He believes that is the same as committing murder. (Pg. 109)
Within that poem, what did the triangle teach the boy?
Love is something that we spend our lives finding, then losing, and then wanting to find it again.
According to Rabbinic tradition, what happens when the messiah comes?
The dead will be revived (Page 187)
What conflict is presented about Earth through 2 verses of Psalms?
Whether that earth belongs to God or man.
Which animals are on each side of parochet?
Lion and Eagle.