Parashat Yitro Part 2: The Ten Commandments

Transcription

1 Torah Lesson 8 Parashat Yitro Part 2: The Ten Commandments INTRODUCTION We are now at the pivitol moment in Jewish history, the giving of the Ten Commandments. As Rabbi Kerry Olitzky teaches: We were there with Moses, with the people, in a mystical, metaphysical sort of way. Regardless of our individual ways of interpreting what happened, Sinai is the common experience that unites generations of Israelites. Some say that each of our souls is connected to one of the 600,000 primordial souls who actually witnessed mattan Torah (the giving of the Torah). And in that part of our soul, we carry a vivid recollection of the event, the memory of Sinai lives with each of us, particularly in the sacred relationship we constantly strive to maintain between ourselves and God. 1 In this lesson the students will illustrate the Ten Commandments and create either a bulletin board or a class book. After sharing their illustrations, the students will explore how to make the Ten Commandments real and meaningful in their own lives. It should be noted that we have simplified the language of some of the commandments in order for young children to understand them. Like much of the Torah, the Ten Commandments are not meant for children, they are meant for adults. They deal with adult issues, such as adultery and testifying in a court of law. We have tried, where appropriate, to simplify the text so that they can apply to the children s lives. On pages you will find both the original and simplified versions. Please note that in this lesson, for reasons of age-appropriateness and timing constraints, we are asking students to focus on their understanding of the relevance of an individual commandment and to share that understanding with the rest of the class. It is important, however, to make it clear to the students that we do not get to pick and choose which commandments we will obey! In addition, because of the very nature of the second commandment ( You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth (Exodus 20:4), the students will not be able to make an illustration, as they do for the other commandments. Instead, we have included a page with the wording for the commandment that you can use in the Preparing Our Ten Commandments Illustrations activity. 1 Stuart Kelman and Joel L. Grishaver, eds., Learn Torah With Torah Annual (Los Angeles: Torah Aura Productions, 1996), p

2 62 Torah Lesson 8 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS Torah is an ongoing dialogue between the text and its students. Torah is real in our daily lives; it is with us wherever we are. Developing the skills to study Torah is essential to integrating Torah into our lives. The Torah teaches me how to be part of the Jewish people. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1. What does the Torah have to say to me and my world? 2. Why is the Torah different from other books? 3. How can Torah study help me in my everyday life? QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED 1. What are the Ten Commandments? 2. How do the Ten Commandments apply to my own life? EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING Students will illustrate commandments (except for the second) and teach them to each other. LESSON OVERVIEW Set Induction (5 10 minutes) Preparing Our Ten Commandments Illustrations (20 25 minutes) Telling Our Story (10 15 minutes) In Our Own Lives (10 minutes) Conclusion (5 minutes) MATERIALS NEEDED Some Things Jews Do and Believe poster Yitro Part 2 poster from the Sh mot/exodus Journey posters

3 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Parashat Yitro Part 2: The Ten Commandments 63 Ten Commandments, track 5 on the CHAI Level 2 CD Ten poster papers (if you are creating a bulletin board) or ten inch white pages (if you are creating a class book) Ten Commandments strips (page 66) Text for second commandment (page 67) Supplies for decorating the posters/book pages (markers, crayons, stickers, other collage supplies) Letter to parents (page 68) READING RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS Berman, Melanie, and Joel Lurie Grishaver. My Weekly Sidrah. Los Angeles: Torah Aura Publications, 1986, pp Steinbock, Steven E. Torah: The Growing Gift. New York: UAHC Press, SET INDUCTION (5 10 MINUTES) LESSON PLAN 1. Sing or recite together the blessing for Torah study. /v ri, h r c s C eix g k Ub ²U m±u,i m n C uh Ub J S e r J t 'o kig v Q k n Ubh vo t ²h±h ' v T t QUr C Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid shanu b mitzvotav v tzivanu laasok b divrei Torah. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has sanctified us through Your commandments and commanded us to engage in the words of Torah. 2. Point to the previous Sh mot/exodus Journey posters and ask students to explain where we left off in the story. (Moses s father-in-law, Jethro, helped Moses figure out a way to share his work with others.) 3. Hang up the seventh Sh mot/exodus Journey poster, Yitro Part 2. Ask students to think about and share their answers to the question of why we need rules, either as individuals or as a group. (Possible answers: Rules help us know what we are supposed to do, rules help us play fair, rules tell us how to behave, rules help keep us safe.) 4. Ask the students, Think about the different rules you have in your life. We have rules for school, rules for home, and rules for other activities. What are some of these rules? (Students should share a variety of rules that they have in various settings.) 5. Explain to the students that today we are going to learn ten rules that God told to the Jewish people. God, as we know, gave the Israelites many, many rules in the Torah. These ten rules, however, are special because we think of them as the basic rules that we all must follow.

4 64 Torah Lesson 8 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life LEARNING ACTIVITIES Preparing Our Ten Commandments Illustrations (20 25 minutes) In this activity students (either alone or in pairs) will create posters for the Ten Commandments. These posters will then be used by the class to learn about the Ten Commandments. The posters can either be used to create a bulletin board, or they can be used to create a class book by stapling or tying them together. 1. Hand out to each student one of the Ten Commandments strips (copied from page 66). If you have more than nine students, the students can work in pairs. If you have fewer than nine students, you can choose commandments not to have illustrated, or you can have students complete more than one. Because of the nature of the second commandment, the students are not asked to illustrate it. Instead, we have provided a page with the text for the second commandment (page 67). You can photocopy this page and hang it on your bulletin board or insert it into your class book. 2. Once each student has a strip, read through the Ten Commandments. Make sure the students understand each commandment and why they are not illustrating the second commandment. 3. Explain to the students that they are going to help teach the Ten Commandments to the class. Each student/group is going to create a picture for one of the Ten Commandments. They can use any of the supplies that you have provided, such as markers, crayons, stickers, and other collage supplies. On their picture they should write the number and the commandment and draw an illustration for the commandment. 4. While students are working, move around the room and make sure that they all understand the commandment that they have been assigned. Some of the commandments are more difficult to illustrate, and the students may need some guidance to come up with ideas. Telling Our Story (10 15 minutes) In this activity students will share their pictures while the teacher tells the story of what occurred. 1. Point to the previous Sh mot/exodus Journey posters. Ask students, What has happened in our story so far? (We have been freed from slavery. We crossed the Sea of Reeds. We are in the desert. Moses had a difficult time leading the people, and Jethro helped him.) 2. Ask students to turn to pages of their workbooks, Our Story: The Ten Commandments. Dramatically read the story. As you come to each of the Ten Commandments, have the student(s) who drew the illustration for that commandment show and explain their picture. 3. To review the Ten Commandments, ask students to turn to page 36 of their workbooks, Our Story in Song. Play Ten Commandments, track 5 on the CHAI Level 2 CD. Ask the students to hold their picture in the air when their commandment is said. 4. Create a bulletin board with the students pictures. Be sure to include all the commandments, not only the ones the students worked on.

5 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Parashat Yitro Part 2: The Ten Commandments 65 In Our Own Lives (10 minutes) In this activity the students choose one of the Ten Commandments and explore how to follow it in their own lives. 1. Explain to the students that each of us is responsible for following the Ten Commandments. Explain to the students that though we are all responsible for all of the commandments, they will be focusing on one to explore further in this activity. 2. Ask the students to think about the Ten Commandments and to choose one. Ask them to think about how they can apply this commandment in their own lives. For instance, the fifth commandment, Honor your father and your mother, could be applied by not yelling at your parents. 3. Ask students to turn to page 37 in their workbooks. They should answer the questions and draw a picture illustrating how they will fulfill the commandment that they chose. CONCLUSION (5 MINUTES) 1. Explain to the students that not only does following the Ten Commandments help us to be ethical, good people, it also helps us strengthen our relationship with God. 2. Bring out or point to the Some Things Jews Do and Believe poster. Ask the students, What do you think we learned about today? (We follow the Ten Commandments.) 3. Congratulate the students on their wonderful illustrations. 4. Hand out the letter to parents (page 68) and a copy of the Ten Commandments (page 69).

6 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Ten Commandments Strips* Cut out each of the strips below and give one to each student/group of students to illustrate. 1. I am Adonai, your God, who brought you out of Egypt. 3. Be respectful when you use God s name. 4. Remember Shabbat and keep it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother. 6. Do not murder. 7. Be faithful to your husband or wife. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not lie. 10. Don t be greedy for what other people have. * Please note that these are adaptive, age-appropriate translations of the Ten Commandments. The second commandment is Do not pray to any other gods or make idols. We did not include it on the list above because the students are not asked to illustrate this commandment, so as to avoid drawing idols. Copyright 2009 URJ Press

7 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Second Commandment Do not pray to any other gods or make idols. Copyright 2009 URJ Press

8 Background: The Ten Commandments God spoke all these words, saying: CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Exodus 20:1 14 I the Eternal am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I the Eternal your God am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Eternal your God; for the Eternal will not clear one who swears falsely by God s name. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Eternal your God: you shall not do any work you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements. For in six days the Eternal made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them and then rested on the seventh day; therefore the Eternal blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that the Eternal your God is assigning to you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor s house: you shall not covet your neighbor s wife, nor male nor female slave, nor ox nor ass, nor anything that is your neighbor s. *Stuart Kelman and Joel L. Grishaver, eds., Learn Torah With Torah Annual (Los Angeles: Torah Aura Productions, 1996), p Copyright 2009 URJ Press

9 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Dear Parents, Today your child explored the pivotal moment in Jewish history, the giving of the Ten Commandments. As Rabbi Kerry Olitzky teaches: We were there with Moses, with the people, in a mystical, metaphysical sort of way. Regardless of our individual ways of interpreting what happened, Sinai is the common experience that unites generations of Israelites. Some say that each of our souls is connected to one of the 600,000 primordial souls who actually witnessed mattan Torah (the giving of the Torah). And in that part of our soul, we carry a vivid recollection of the event, the memory of Sinai lives with each of us, particularly in the sacred relationship we constantly strive to maintain between ourselves and God.* In this lesson the students illustrated the Ten Commandments (except the second commandment, You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth (Exodus 20:4) and explored how to follow them in their own lives. The students identified We follow the Ten Commandments as the key lesson that we learned today from the Some Things Jews Do and Believe poster. I have included a copy of the text for the Ten Commandments from the Book of Sh mot/exodus. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. Sincerely, Copyright 2009 URJ Press

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