Bissel of Fun Logic Puzzles: March 2025

Welcome to the 2025 Logic Puzzle Contest! Send in your answers to get points. The top three puzzlers at the end of year will get gift cards PLUS ultimate bragging rights. Easy: 10 POINTS Medium: 20 POINTS Hard: 30 POINTS ________________________________________________ March 2025: Easy Level Three people, all of whom are members of Temple Shalom, live in houses on […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: TETZAVEH (EXODUS 27:20-30:10)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   The primary theme of last week’s Torah parsha, Terumah, was the building of the Mishkan (Sanctuary). Each Israelite donated the gold, silver, copper, fabric and all of the other materials required to create a dwelling of splendor, where God would live ‘within its midst’. This week’s Torah parsha, […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: TERUMAH (EXODUS 25:1-27:19)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   In last week’s Torah parsha, Mishpatim, Moses provided clarification of the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites by God at Mount Sinai. Additionally, the Children of Israel learned the nature of numerous other laws, commandments, prohibitions and the consequences for disobedience. This week’s Torah parsha, Terumah, begins with […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: MISHPATIM (EXODUS 21:1-24:18)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   In last week’s Torah parsha, Yitro, the Ten Commandments rang out from Mount Sinai in a symphony of sound and vision, thunder and lightning – and the world was forever changed. Although this week’s parsha, Mishpatim, lacks the ’Pyrotechnic Accompaniment’, its message is, in effect, a qualification and […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: YITRO (EXODUS 18:1-20:23)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   This week’s Torah parsha, Yitro, consists of two episodes which appear to be a study in contrast. In the first (Chapter 18, Yitro), Moses’ father-in-law, a high level Midianite, provides Moses lessons in management and governance. In the second, the prime mover is God, Himself, who, in an […]

Bissel of Fun Logic Puzzles: February 2025

Welcome to the 2025 Logic Puzzle Contest! Send in your answers to get points. The top three puzzlers at the end of year will get gift cards PLUS ultimate bragging rights. Easy: 10 POINTS Medium: 20 POINTS Hard: 30 POINTS ________________________________________________ February 2025: Easy Level Three women, all members of Temple Sinai changed out of their business attire in […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: BESHALACH (EXODUS 13:17-17:16)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   The splitting of the ‘Sea of Reeds’ is one of the seminal events in Jewish history. This week’s Torah parsha, Beshalach, begins with a description of how the Israelites finally left Egypt and the yoke of the Pharaoh. What had been considered impossible had occurred! The mightiest army […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: BO (EXODUS 10:1-13:16)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   This week’s Torah parsha, Bo, continues with the story of Exodus. God had already inflicted seven devastating plagues on Egypt, subsequent to the Pharaoh’s perpetual denial to free the enslaved Israelites. In parsha Bo, it becomes apparent that from the very first time that God approached Moses (behind […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VA’EIRA (EXODUS 6:2-9:35)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   Last week’s Torah parsha, Shemot, ended with Moses and Aaron both discouraged, as the Pharaoh of Egypt denied their request to free the enslaved Israelites. This week’s parsha, Va’eira, describes with precise detail, the first seven of the ten plagues which would eventually decimate all of Egypt. A […]