Guiding Questions: Jeremiah 31

This is part of the Tanakh Yomi Project.

  1. Is the wilderness reference in Jeremiah 31:1 historical (Exodus) or future oriented?
  2. Is God’s love for Israel time-bound or infinite (Jeremiah 31:2)?
  3. What are the hallmarks of future redemption (Jeremiah 31:3-5)?
  4. Why the emphasis on the handicapped (Jeremiah 31:7)?
  5. What is a “gan raveh” (Jeremiah 31:11)?
  6. What is the allusion to “a voice heard in Ramah”?
  7. Throughout Jeremiah 31, what central theme is repeatedly emphasized as to God and Israel and the future?
  8. What is a “ben yakir” and is Ephraim a tribe or a cognomen for all Jews (Jeremiah 31:19)?
  9. And why the specific reference to Judah (Jeremiah 31:23)?
  10. What does “the seeding/ planting” imply (Jeremiah 31:26)?
  11. What theological principle re: generational transgression and “punishment” is set forth in Jeremiah 31:28-29? Does it take issue with another thesis?
  12. In Jeremiah 31:30 is “Brit Hadashah” a covenant to replace/supplant or supplement the original covenant?
  13. Does Jeremiah 31:31 constitute a comparison or indicate the prophet’s assertion that it is a change?
  14. Is the “inscribed heart” (Jeremiah 31:32) a reference to heart as seat of emotion or repository of thought? (Which bodily organ did the ancients think of as the source of judging and value formation?)
  15. Does Jeremiah 31:33 imply that “instruction” will no longer be necessary – and/or that understanding will be universal?
  16. Why is the verb “to know” employed rather than the verb “to love”?
  17. To what city does Jeremiah 31:37 refer?
  18. Will the restoration be permanent (Jeremiah 31:39)?
  19. Are Jeremiah 31:30-33 of significance in the ideology of other (another) faith(s) – and if so, how interpreted?

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    Exploring Judaism is the digital home for Conservative/Masorti Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. Our goal is to create content based on three core framing: Meaning-Making (Why?), Practical Living (How?), and Explainers (What?).

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Perek Yomi materials originally produced by the USCJ and Dr. Morton K. Siegel.
We are grateful to be able to share this material.

Author

  • favicon of exploring judaism logo

    Exploring Judaism is the digital home for Conservative/Masorti Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. Our goal is to create content based on three core framing: Meaning-Making (Why?), Practical Living (How?), and Explainers (What?).

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