5) In this week’s parsha (11:19) we have the pasuk ולמדתם אתם את בניכם לדבר בם, the mitzvah for a father to teach his son Torah. The Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:2) teaches, that just like there is an obligation for a father to teach his son Torah, there is an obligation to teach every Jew Torah. The question is, however, is there a prohibition for one to teach Torah to a chiloni [secular Jew] as presumably they never recited Birchas HaTorah. This is very common in Eretz Yisroel, when a chiloni may ask a frum Jew for a chiddush in Torah. The halachah is that one isn’t allowed to give food to someone unless he knows he will make a berachah, does this apply to Torah as well?
6) We mentioned above, that in this week’s parsha we learn that there is a mitzvah for one to teach his son Torah. The Gemara in Succah (42a) teaches, that once a young child knows how to speak, his father should teach him Torah. The Gemara continues that the father should teach him תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה. The question is, at such a young age the child isn’t able to recite Birchas HaTorah, so how can there be a mitzvah to teach him Torah?
7) In this week’s parsha we have the mitzvah of mezuzah:וכתבתם על מזוזות ביתך ובשעריך – “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates” (11:20). Unfortunately, the sirens in Eretz Yisroel are continuing to sound. If one doesn’t have a mezuzah on his bomb shelter (assuming a bomb shelter requires a mezuzah), is it better to stay in the house with a mezuzah, or should one go into the bomb shelter without a mezuzah? If one is scared to enter a room without a mezuzah what eitzah can you suggest?
