Sunday, September 9, 2007

Week One

Shalom Banot! Welcome to our class blog. The purpose of this blog is to keep students updated about what has happened in class, and to make sure that we're all on the same page. Also-- if a student has a question or thought about how we can make class more fun or more effective, I'm interested to hear from you in the comments on the blog-entries.

So, the year got off to a big start, with reviewing and learning the laws of Rosh Hashana.
We worked on the What do YOU Remember sheets, which look something like this:

הלכות ראש השנה ועשרת ימי תשובה:

What do YOU Remember?

1. מה הם שמות החג? תסבירי את הסיבה לכל שם.

שם החג

הסיבה

1.


2.


3.


4.


מתי ראש השנה? מה שמות חדשו וחדש קדמו?











3.מה נוהגים לאכל לסימן טוב בראש השנה?

Name at least two things that go on this plate:
למה אוכלים פרי חדש בליל שני של ראש השנה

מה פרוש הביטוי "יומא אריכתא?"

T U E S D A Y

כמה ימים של ראש השנה חוגגים בארץ ישראל?


יום בה אחרי ראש השנה:

מה שמו?

מה עושים ביום זה?

8. שבת אחרי ראש השנה:

א. איך קוראים לה?

ב. מה נוהגים לעשות בה?

9. ימים בין ר"ה ליום הכיפורים:

א.איך קוראים לה?

ב.מה עושים בימים האלו?

10. קרבן הביאו?

11.התרת נדרים:

מה זה?

ב.איך עושים?

12.
אלו ל

13. איזה ברכה נותנים לכל אחד בראש השנה?

לא אדו ראש"

איזה יום ר"ה לא יכול להיות?

15. מה עשה משה רבינו בראש חדש אלול?



We also stated to learn Chumash: We did a worksheet on a poem about Nesiim and Leviim, where all of the students handed in a page with answers to the questions, and we also looked at a sheet that talked about making aliya, and going on a trip. These two sheets look as follows:

Of Nessiim and Leviim

Bnei Yisrael had princes called nesiim

Each one was the leader his Tribe

The men ages 20-50, a half shekel they brought to him

To the Jewish army, they so did subscribe

The total number of men enlisted

From all the tribes except Leviim

Was 603,550 and they consisted

Of only men who gave their money to the nesiim!

There were probably the same number of ladies

The age of the men who were counted

Plus children and old people— imagine the Bradys!

Many, many more, so the tally amounted.

The bechor was to serve in the temple

At least originally

But they worshiped the calf

Yes they had a good laugh

But then had to give their job to Levi!

The levites were counted having lived through thirty days

They were born in a special position

Their jobs were to sing, teach and raise

up the mishkan when the nation was in transition.

They served in the temple

When it was their turn

From ages 25 to 50

That’s how they would earn

Their food from the people

A tenth we do give

To the Levi—it’s simple

And that’s how they live.


Questions:

Who were the Nesiim?

How many Nessim were there? Why?

Who were the Nesiim counting?

4. Why were they being counted

5. How many people did they count, all together?

6. Who was not counted from the nation?

7.How many people do you think there were all together, in Bnei Yisrael?

Who does Shevet Levi come to replace? Why?

What are the Leviim’s jobs?

>When are the Leviim counted?

When do they work?

12. How do they eat?

5. What are some good things about being in בני ישראל?


The other project we started in Chumash was about family trees. The students made their own family trees, and I handed out a celebrity family tree that looks like this:


Celebrity Family Tree

Amram and Yocheved

I I I

Elsheva bat Aminadav-> Aharon Miriam Moshe <- Tzipora bat Yitro

I I I I I I
Nadav(x) Avihu (x) Elazar Itamar Gershon Eliezer





In Navi, the class had a very challenging assignment, which was to look at the questions I gave out in class, and then try to find the answers to the questions in Sefer Shmuel. We just jumped right in. And many students found most of the answers to the questions!

The question sheet and vocabulary sheet look something like this:

Chana’s Anguish and Triumph

Questions to Guide Chevruta Study for Samuel I 1-2:11

Verses 1-5: Elkana, Chana and Penina
1. Identify Elkana. Name at least three facts about him (i.e. where was he from, what
tribe was he from (see his lineage), how many wives did he have, and why, what did
he do every year?)
2. Who were his wives? Which one had children?
3. What did Elkana give his wives and children?
4. What did Elkana give to Chana and why?

Verses 6-10: Chana and Penina
1. Who made whom angry in verse 6?
2. Elkana states some powerful phrases in verse 8 which Chana does not find so
comforting. What is the most powerful phrase and describe Chana’s feeling when she
hears it (look at verses 9 -10 also for a clue as to how she felt)?

Verses 11-18: Eli and Chana
1. What vow does Chana make?
2. What negative thought does Eli have about Chana?
3. Why does he feel that way?
4. Does Eli believe Chana’s response?
5. How do we know (clue: does he bless her or curse her)?

Verses 19-27: Chana’s Return
1. Why does Chana not want to bring Shmuel to Shiloh the next year with Elkana (what
is she waiting for)?
2. Does Elkana agree with Chana? Why do you think he offers that opinion?
3. How many varieties of the . שורש ש.א.ל appear in verses 27-28?
4. What does this tell you about the meaning and power of Shmuel’s name?

(c) The Lookstein Center, 2005.

Chana’s Anguish and Triumph

Wordlist to Guide Chevruta Study for Samuel I 1-2:11
פס א'
Ramatayim Zophim (name of a place) – רמתים צופים
פס' ג
and he would go up – ועלה
year after year – מימים ימימה
פס' ד
portions – מנות
פס' ה
one choice portion – מנה אחת אפים
closed her womb (she could not have children) – סגר רחמה
פס' ו
her rival would anger her – כעסתה צרתה גם כעס
in order to make her complain – בעבור הרעימה
פס' ז
whenever he went up – מדי עלותה
she would anger her - כן תכעיסנה
פס' ח
why is your heart sad? – ? למה ירע לבבך
Am I not better to you than ten sons? – ? הלוא אנכי טוב לך מעשרה בנים
פס' ט
beside the doorpost of the Temple – ' על מזוזת היכל ה
פס י'
she was bitter in her spirit - מרת נפש
פס' יא
and she made a vow – ותדור נדר
if you will look upon the suffering of your servant - אם ראה תראה בעני אמתך
and you will remember me and not forget - וזכרתני ולא תשכח
and you will give your servant a male child - ונתתה לאמתך זרע אנשים
and I will give him to God all the days of his life - ונתתיו לה' כל ימי חייו
and a razor shall not come upon his head (he will never cut his – ומורה לא יעלה על ראשו
hair; i.e. he will become a nazir from birth)
פס' יב
and it was , as she continued her prayer for a while – והיה כי הרבתה להתפלל
פס' יג
only her lips were moving - רק שפתיה נעות


Wordlist to Guide Chevruta Study for Samuel I 1-2:11
and her voice was not heard - וקולה לא ישמע
and Eli thought she was drunk - ויחשביה עלי לשיכורה
פס' יד
for how long will you be drunk? – ? עד מתי תשתכרין
Throw off the wine from you! - ! הסירי את יינך מעליך
פס' טו
And Chana replied – ותען חנה
I am a woman of bitter spirit – אישה קשת רוח אנכי
and I spilled out – ואשפוך
פס' טז
your servant – אמתך
that I have no respect (see Metzudat Zion’s explanation as well) - לפני בת בליעל
for out of my tremendous pain and anger - כי מרב שיחי וכעסי
פס' יז
will grant your request - יתן את שלתך
that you have asked of him - אשר שאלת מאמו
פס' יח
find favor in your eyes - חן בעיניך
and her face was not sad any longer (she wasn’t depressed anymore) - ופניה לא היו לה עוד
פס' יט
and they rose early in the morning - וישכימו בבקר
פס' כ
and it was when the time came - ויהי לתקופות ימים
because I asked God for him - כי מה' שאילתיו
פס' כא
And he went up - ויעל
to sacrifice to God the annual holiday sacrifices, and the – לזבוח לה' את זבח הימים את נדרו
sacrifice needed for making a vow (that Chana made to have a son)
פס' כב
until the child is weaned - עד יגמל הנער
and he will live there forever - וישב שם עד עולם
פס' כג
stay here until the child is weaned - שבי עד גמלך אותו
only that God will keep his word (that He gave you a son so that you - אך יקם ה' את דברו
will dedicate the son to Him)
and she nursed him - ותינק

Wordlist to Guide Chevruta Study for Samuel I 1-2:11
פס' כד
And she went up with him (to Shiloh) when she had weaned him - ותעלהו עמה כאשר גמלתו
cows - פרים
a form of measurement - איפה
meal, flour offering - קמח
an earthenware jug of wine - ונבל יין
and the child was young - והנער נער
פס' כו
please, my Lord! - ! בי אדני
as surely as your soul lives (a form of swearing) - חי נפשך
that was standing here - הנצבת
פס' כז
my request which I asked of Him - את שאלתי אשר שאלתי מעמו
פס' כח
and I also have lent him to God - ' וגם אנכי השאלתיהו לה
because he is ‘borrowed’ from God (because his birth was conditional – ' אשר היה שאול לה
on her vow)

Finally, we worked on parsha with thinking questions, and played Torah Taboo with Rosh Hashana words.

The parsha sheets look like this:

פרשת השבוע

פרשת נצבים-וילך

פרשת נצבים

1. ה' כורת ברית אם בנ"י לפני שנכנסים לארץ ישראל.

Where these people at Har Sinai? Did they sign up for keeping the mitzvot, like you signed the class rules?

2. ה' לא כורת ברית רק אם האנשים הנכנסים לארץ. הוא כרת ברית אם " אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנוֹ פֹּה, עִמָּנוּ עֹמֵד הַיּוֹם... וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹּה, עִמָּנוּ הַיּוֹם."

Which ברית do WE fall under—the one at הר סיני or the one here, in פרשת נצבים?

3. לפעמים, משהוא קורא ואנחנו לא מבינים סיבתו. אבל יודעים שלה' כל הנסתרות.

Can you think of something that happened that Hashem knows the reason for, but you don’t?

4. לפעמים אנשים במצבים קשים יפנו בתשובה אל ה'.

Can you find a פסוק that is on the wall about this?

התורה "לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם, הִוא" – כי כולם יכולים ללמוד ולעשות!

פרשת וילך

5. משה מִנָּה את יהושוע לנהוג את העם.

Saying goodbye to old friends can be hard—how do you think Moshe felt, when he gave the nation over to Yehoshua?

6. משה יעץ לעם ישראל "וּבָחַרְתָּ, בַּחַיִּים" –ומכל האפשרויות בעולם לשמר את המצוות.

What are some good choices that you can make so that you will “choose life”?

7. יש מצווה להקהל את העם פעם בשנה, כדי לשמוע קריאת התורה ולחזק שמירתם במצוות.

What other part of the Parsha do you think this last מצווה resembles?







This was a big week-- we don't have such a long week next week, because of Rosh Hashana, but I would like to go through some of the Rosh Hashana davening with you, so please remember to bring in a Machzor.
See you tomorrow!

1 comment:

marcel said...

hello
write a letter to a great personnalities
i post your letter!
shalom
marcel