Discover and learn every week, "5 Facts" written on the weekly Parshah that you can share at your Shabbos table.

1.     How many times should one review his learning?

From here the Talmud  learns the importance of reviewing one’s Torah studies. We are told that one who has reviewed  something 101 times knows it better to one who only reviewed  100 times. The number 101 is significant because the name of the Angel Gavriel, who is in charge of Torah and memory, has a numerical value of 101. The teaches us that one  who  reviews 101 times is assisted by Gavriel to retain what one has learned. The numerical difference between Zachor/remember (227) and Shocheach/forget (328) is 101. This teaches us that reviewing one’s studies  101 times makes the difference between remembering and forgetting it. (Chagiga 9b, Meam Loez.)

2.     Who else would pagans sacrifice?

• Pagans would not only sacrifice their sons and daughters to their gods but also their aged parents. (Sifri)

3.     What iz a “zemer”?

• The zemer is a giraffe. (Sefer Hashorashim by the Radak)

4.     What do the words “in the animal” come to teach us?

• From the words “in the animal” the Talmud learns that  an embryo  found in a slaughtered animal, known as a “ben Pekua” doesn’t need to be slaughtered in order to be eaten. Furthermore, the otherwise forbidden fat (chelev) of a ben pakua is permitted. Nevertheless, the sages decreed that even a ben pakua must be slaughtered if it is alive so that people don’t mistakenly think that animals may be eaten without being slaughtered. Even the amniotic sac is allowed to be eaten if the animal was slaughtered properly.  (Ran, Chulin 65, 77)

5.     A special fish that knows about Shabbath?

• There is a fish called the “shivutah” that is said to come out on to dry land every week as Shabbat begins and then returns to the water after Shabbat ends. (Shut Shem MiShimon, Kidushin 41a)