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= =Welcome to the JconnecT Parsha Wiki!= =Below is your assigment for Bereshit, Session I=

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 Welcome to the JconnecT wiki space. The wiki space is designed to provide follow-up exercises to our JconnecT lessons. You can respond on-line, and compare your answers with other Jconnectors.  When you turn to the discussion page you will find that it currently includes three components. 1. **//Vocabulary Exercise// – Each week, approximately five words or key phrases will be added to our vocabulary bank.** One Jconnector will be asked to complete the exercise each by providing definitions for the words or phrases listed. The vocabulary lists will remain on-line and will build into a significant vocabulary base for JconnecT students.

2. //**Parshanim Exercise** –// Next week, we will begin studying parshanim (commentators) on selected pesukim in the text that we are studying. Periodically, one Jconnector will be asked to research the life and works of a commentator that we are studying, and to post his/her findings on-line for all of us to share. In preparation for our lesson next week, we have included a parshanim exercise relating to Rashi, considered by many to be the greatest commentator of all. The parshanim exercises will also remain on-line to create a bank of parshanim that we learn about throughout the year.

3. **Review and Enrichment Exercises** //–// These exercises, designed to reinforce and expand upon the previous lesson, are to be completed weekly by all Jconnectors. This week, the review and enrichment exercises relate to the dynamics of sin – what makes people sin:  We learned in our lesson that man is given the task of improving the world, but that he is also prone to damage it by sinning. In this wiki-space follow up, we will look at chapters 3 and 4 of Parashat Bereshit to try to understand why man sins. Next week, we will examine man's reaction to sin, and whether, when he does sin, there is a way to correct the situation.  The following pesukim describe the sin of Adam and Chava in the Garden of Eden. Please read the section and answer the related questions on the discussion page (after looking at the example below): וַיִּקַּח ה' אֱ-לֹהִים, אֶת הָאָדָם; וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן-עֵדֶן, לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ. וַיְצַו ה' אֱ-לֹהִים עַל הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר: מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל. וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ, מוֹת תָּמוּת.  (בראשית ב:טו -יז) וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה' אֱ-לֹהִים; וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה, אַף כִּי אָמַר א-לֹהִים, לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן. וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל הַנָּחָשׁ: מִפְּרִי עֵץ הַגָּן נֹאכֵל. וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן, אָמַר אֱ-לֹהִים לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא תִגְּעוּ בּוֹ, פֶּן-תְּמֻתוּן. וַיֹּאמֶר הַנָּחָשׁ אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה: לֹא-מוֹת תְּמֻתוּן. (בראשית ג:א-ה)  If you analyze this section, as well as chapter 4 which describes the story of Kayin and Hevel, you will find that they describe some of the things that cause people to sin. When you analyze the text, you will be asked to find some factors that cause man to sin, to provide quotes from the text that support your claim, and to give an example from modern, daily life. Let's look together at one example:

 __Cause__: Although man has many wonderful things that are permitted to him, he often focuses on and complains about what he can't do or have.

 __Supportive Quotes__: וַיְצַו ה' אֱ-לֹהִים עַל הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר: מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל. וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּו.

<span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'David','sans-serif';">וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה, אַף כִּי אָמַר א-לֹהִים, לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן.

<span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"> __Example from Daily Life__: My kids spent all summer touring Israel and going to camp, and then complained, 'When are we going to America?'

<span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"> When you turn to the discussion page, you will find four sections related to the issue of things that cause people to sin. In parts 1 and 2, you will be given a cause, and will be asked to find supporting quotes and an example from daily life. In parts 3 and 4, you are asked to find additional causes, and to provide supporting quotes and an example from daily life.

<span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"> Please click now on the discussion page and complete the exercises. We will discuss some of your responses at the beginning of the next lesson.include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" homeAtTop="on" limit="3"