A Mishnah to Muse Upon

 

 

1)     This quiz is mostly on Sulfur.  That’s chemistry, not Torah portion. Has Mar Hirsch gone and lost his mind this time?

a)    Yes, he’s flipped his lid. Popped his cork.  Zipped his zongle.  Pringled his brainpan.

b)    Maybe he’s  whiffed his wuffle,  it’s hard to tell.  Maybe not.

c)     It don’t think so. He may just be joking.

d)    He might have, but I think he’s up to something.

 

2)    How common is sulfur in the universe (by mass)?

a)    Incredibly rare, as it needs water to form.

b)    Rare, but not exceedingly so.

c)     Common-  like tenth most common element.

d)    Super common, right after Hydrogen and Helium.

e)     Sulfur is the single most common element in the universe. Stars are made of sulfur, dude. 

 

3)    What color is solid Sulfur?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep crimson.

e)     Don’t be fooled,  dude, sulfur is a transparent gas.

 

4)    How common is sulfur in the earth’s crust?

a)    Incredibly common, with all the water on earth

b)    Really common, like 5^th most common element in the crust.

c)     Common,  like tenth most common element, like in the rest of the universe

d)    Rare,  like platinum or something.

e)     Sulfur is the single most rare element in the universe. It’s millions of dollars an ounce, dude.

 

5)    Sulfur melts at what temperature Celcius?

a)    32 degrees.

b)    100 degrees

c)     115 degrees

d)    200 degrees

e)     1,875.23 degrees.

 

6)    What color is molten sulfur?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep Crimson.

e)     Don’t be fooled,  dude, sulfur never melts, it just burns. 

 

7)    What does it mean if a meteor ends in an Airburst?

a)    It means it was never visible to the human eye

b)    It means the meteor burst up before hitting the ground

c)     It means the meteor burst up before entering the atmosphere

d)    It means that the meteor made a glittery streak across the sky.

e)     It means the Jewish space lasers have failed.

 

8)    What color is sulfur when it burns?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep Crimson.

e)     Dude, sulfur doesn’t burn, it explodes.  

 

9)    What famous sushi roll is named for water sprites featured in harry potter?  (nothing to do with sulfur

a)    Tekka Maki

b)    Hoso maki

c)     Futomaki

d)    Kappa Maki

e)     Hirsch Maki

 

10) Burning sulfur produces SO2,  Sulfur dioxide.  What happens when that  reacts with water?

a)    It makes nothing. SO2 does not react with water.

b)    It releases its oxygen back into nature.

c)     It makes carbon disulfide, which is inert and doesn’t do much.

d)    It makes  Hydrogen Sulfide, which stinks so bad it is what you smell in natural gas.

e)     It makes sulfuric acid, dude!  Acid Rain! Lung Damage!  Evil stuff, dude!

 

11)  What the heck does this have to do with the Parsha? Take a guess.

 

  Mishnah, Avot 5:13

אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם. הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:

There are four temperaments among people: the one who says "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- that's an average temperament. And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom. A second type is one who says "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" -- that's an am ha'aretz (an ignoramus). "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" -- that's a pious person. "What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine" -- that's a wicked person. 

BAVLI  SANHEDRIN 109b

A) There were four judges in Sodom:   Shak’rai (The Liar) , Sha’kurai (The Lying Liar), Zay’yafi (The Forger), and Matzle-Dina (The Perverter of Justice).

·       If one cut off the ear of his fellow’s donkey, they would order, “Give it to him [the attacker] until it grows again.”

·       If one wounded his fellow they would say to him [the victim], “Give him a fee for making you bleed.”

·       He who crossed over with the ferry had to pay four zuzim, while he who crossed through the water on his own had to pay eight.

·       If one put out rows of bricks out for sale every person came and took one, saying, “I only took one.”  If one spread out garlic or onions [to dry them], every person came and took one, saying, “I only took one.”.” 

 

B) On one occasion, a certain cloth merchant happened to come there. Said they to him, “Give us four zuzim [for the use of the ferry].” But, protested he, “I crossed through the water!” “If so,” said they, “you must give eight zuzim for passing through the water.” He refused to give it, so they beat him severely. He went before the judge, who ordered, “Give them a fee for bleeding you and eight zuzim for crossing through the water.” 

 

Now Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, happened to be there and had also been beaten. When he went before the judge, the judge said, “Give them a fee for making you bleed.” Thereupon Eliezer took a stone and struck the judge. “What is this?!” the Judge exclaimed. Eliezer replied, “The fee that you now owe me for bloodletting,  give to this man [who attacked me], and my money will remain just where it is.”

 C) Now, they had beds upon which travelers slept. If he [the guest] was too long, they shortened him [by lopping off his feet]; if too short, they stretched him out. Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, happened to be there. Said they to him, “Why not get up [off the ground where you are resting] and sleep on this bed!” He replied, “Oh, what a shame! I have vowed since the day of my mother’s death not to sleep in a bed.”

 

D) They made this law amongst themselves: “whoever invites a man [a stranger] to a feast shall be stripped of his clothing.” Now, a banquet was in progress, when Eliezer chanced by there, they gave him no bread. Wishing to dine, he went and sat down at the end of them all. Said the man sitting next  to him, “Who invited you here?” He replied “You invited me!” The latter said to himself, “And what will happen if they will hear that I invited him? They will  strip me of my garments!” So he took up his clothing and fled outside. Thus he [Eliezer] did to all until they had all gone; and thus he consumed the entire banquet himself.

 

B’REYSHEET  18:20-21

 (כ) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד:

(כא) אֵרֲדָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה:

20 And the LORD said: ‘Verily, the cry ( זעקת ) of Sodom and Gomorrah is great ( רבה ), and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to her cry ( הכצעקתה ), which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.’ 22

B’REYSHEET RABBAH 49:6--  I WILL GO DOWN NOW (XVIII, 21).  Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught: This is one of the ten descents mentioned in the Torah. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them the opportunity of repenting. For it says, “I will go down now, and see whether they have done according to her [ the city’s] cry, “then they must be completely destroyed; and if not, I -will know, i.e. I will teach them that the Attribute of Justice exists in the world.  Rabbi Levi said: “God said ‘Even if I wished to keep silent, justice for a certain young woman (ribah) does not permit Me to keep silent.’  

For it once happened that two girls went down to draw water from a well. One said to the other, ‘Why are you so pale?’  ‘We have no more food left and are ready to die,’ replied the second. What did the first girl  do? She filled her pitcher with flour and they exchanged [their pitchers], each taking the other’s. When they [the Sodomites] discovered this, they took and burnt her for violating the law. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘Even if I desired to be silent, justice for that young girl does not permit Me to keep silent. Hence it does not say, whether they have done according to their cry [namely, the cry of the Sodomites]; but According To Her Cry ‘- the cry of that maiden.