The Torah is a never ending scroll of life lessons that keeps on giving. Thousands of years ago on the edge of Mt. Sinai, Moses received the Torah and shared it with us, the Jews of past, present and future. The object of this gift is to use it over and over again, and allow it to permeate our minds, bodies, and souls. The students in our 4th grade core class are slowly learning the many lessons shared by generations before us. Each week we deconstruct another phrase from the Torah and turn it and twist it to better understand the world around us and bring us closer to GOD, our community, and ourselves. The lessons we study each week help us understand we have infinite control over the decisions we make and the Torah teaches us to always work towards doing the right thing no matter how difficult it may be.
This week we began studying the complex nature of Noah, and what it truly means to be righteous. Was Noah truly righteous, or was he just better than anyone else. In class our students have been turning this phrase over and over again…is it OK to just be better than someone else, or does GOD ask more of us? We are beginning to learn that we must set the bar higher than just someone else, and reach to be the best we can be. Take some time to share your ideas with your children, and ask them which of their behaviors are good, and which are good enough.
On Tuesday afternoon our students re-examined Noah, and tried to understand why Noah followed GOD's demands without questioning GOD's actions. We talked about building relationships and trust, and the importance of communication in a partnership. We talked about the difference between faith and obedience, and continue to struggle with the idea that Noah did not try to save the people of the world.
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