Optional parental preparation:

1.  

   Euphrates River Valley, vicinity of Diwaniya, Iraq, west of Nippur (photo: Sgt James McCauley)




2. Bâ•vëlꞋ ca. B.C.E. 735. Tël Aviv (Mesopotamia, not modern Israel) was located near modern Nippur, Iraq. "The valley" likely referred to the valley of the Euphrates near the "River Kᵊvâr, which is thought to have been a man-made canal offshoot from the Euphrates River that ran through Nippur (modern southern Iraq) and dried-up long ago.

   Yᵊkhë•zᵊq•eilꞋ explained ≈129 years after Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ (the Northern Tribes) had been deracinated by Syria (ca. B.C.E. 722). By the time Yᵊkhë•zᵊq•eilꞋ explained, it was conspicuous to everyone that Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ had been irreversibly deracinated by Syrai and its remnants absorbed into YᵊhudꞋâh. Most commentators have made a simple arithmetic error based on a false premise: that 2 tribes (Ë•phᵊr•aꞋyim and YᵊhudꞋâh) comprised the southern kingdom while the rest of the tribes (=12-2, right?) totaled 10. That is an ex falso quodlibet. In fact, as one can see from the map, YᵊhudꞋâh, in absorbing Ë•phᵊr•aꞋyim, also absorbed Bin•yâ•minꞋ, Shi•mᵊōnꞋ, and probably Dân – leaving only 7 tribes in the northern kingdom of Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ. The refugees (remnants) even of those 7 tribes had already been absorbed into YᵊhudꞋâh by the time of Yᵊkhë•zᵊq•eilꞋ. 

3. The "Hand" of י‑‑ה – Anthropomorphism has always been intrinsic to Tor•âhꞋ, even in its prototypical, development stages. A literal reading is, therefore, idolatrous. י‑‑ה accomplishes His Will in the world via natural (scientific laws of physics) events and/or via His servants. Thus, this, and other, phrases widely interpreted depending upon physical manifestations (via the 5 senses, i.e., anthropomorphically), can only be understood compatible with Tor•âhꞋ when interpreted in the sense of "Tor•âhꞋ led me to conclude that it was incumbent upon me to…" 

4. Note that these three terms are cognates of the same root. Note, also, that there is a significant difference between mi•qᵊdâshꞋ and Beit ha-mi•qᵊdâshꞋ. 

Questions you might anticipate that your child might raise and be prepared to discuss:

1. What is a plaque?

2. What is a coat of arms?

3. What does the verb mortise mean?

4. What is contamination?

5. How should you explain gi•lul•imꞋ? (the round, ball-like pellet-droppings of goats, sheep, camels, donkeys and deer) as a metonym for idols?

6. What does shi•qutzꞋ mean?

7. What is a felony (as distinguished from a petty offense (misstep) or a conscious misdemeanor?

8. What is legislated (written) law?

9. What is case law?

10. What is a shepherd?