KINDNESS...

Beginning with the first chapters of the Torah, Judaism establishes a fundamental connection between human beings and animals. Animals, created on the fifth day of the biblical story of creation, can be understood as prototypes of the first human beings--Adam and Eve, created on the sixth day. One of Adam's first responsibilities as a human being is to name the animals. As evidenced by the episode in which a serpent tempts Eve to eat a forbidden fruit, humans and animals originally speak one another's language (Genesis 1-3).  

The story of Noah's ark represents a turning point in the relationship between human beings and animals. Furious about human misbehavior, God decides to destroy the world by flood, saving only the righteous Noah and his family and enough animals to sustain all of the species. When the waters recede, God gives Noah seven laws--now known as the Noahide laws--aimed at establishing a just society. On Tuesday afternoon, we talked about these laws, and the importance of maintaining civility and kindness for the good of society.  

Perhaps as a concession to the violent tendencies that God now recognizes within human nature, God also permits humans to eat animals. At the same time, God protects animals against unduly cruel slaughter by banning the practice of cutting a limb off a living animal (Genesis 9:3-4). This balance between simultaneously permitting the use of animals for human need and prohibiting unnecessary cruelty to animals becomes the overarching principle of later Jewish law regarding the treatment of animals.  

In class this week, we began to look at why GOD commanded Noah to save the animals and seeds, over the lives of all living beings. We talked about kindness and accepting people's faults, and just how badly the population must have been behaving to warrant the destruction of all mankind. We talked about the laws of kashrut and how these laws emerged. Students were introduced to the concept of T'zar Ba'lei Chaim, the commandment to care for animals in a humane way.  

Finally, we applied these concepts to our everyday lives, and students were asked to look at how they treat others as well as their pets. We talked about respect, kindness, and acceptance and shared our thoughts about living in a just and fair world.

A PROMISE IS A PROMISE

Our Kitah Dalet students continue to study the text of Noah, and we were quite surprised to find so many basic mitzvot hidden in the Torah. We talked about the commandment to care for all of GOD's creations, and we see first hand Noah caring for all of the animals, seeds, and plants, as well as for his family. We also learn GOD holds us accountable for all that happens to his creations, and even today we are responsible for the natural resources GOD created that cannot be replaced. As we read through the text, we found the promise GOD made with man, and we talked about the importance of keeping our word. We talked about GOD being remorseful when destroying the world, and questioning his decision to destroy all of his creations. Finally, we talked about GOD'S promise to never destroy the world again through a flood. We talked about the Hebrew word for promise, Brit, and how we will see this word again when we talk about the first Jewish men, Abraham and Isaac. 

When talking about GOD's promise, students were asked to think about agreeing to do something, and then changing their minds. We also talked about trust, and honoring their commitments. We had a very interesting discussion about promises they had made and failed to follow through with, and more importantly, how disappointed they were when people promised to do something for them, and failed to hold up their own end of the bargain. Students shared their ideas about building trust through honoring commitments, and the importance of keeping their word. We shared our own personal stories about building relationships and earning trust, and how hard it is to maintain these commitments and do the right thing even when everyone is doing the wrong thing.   Students then created their own personal rainbow promises, and many of our students really thought about the work they needed to do to honor their commitments. Stop in and read their Brit, and remind them of their commitments. 

NO SCHOOL 
Sunday, February 19, 2017 and Tuesday, February 21, 2017.  Enjoy the winter break.   

TORAH IS A TREE OF LIFE

This week we began talking about our responsibility to care for everything GOD created. We talked about GOD commanding us to rule over everything and to also be a partner with GOD. Students were asked to identify ways they ruled over all living things, and how they were also servants. We talked about planting trees and flowers for our enjoyment, and our commitment to care for these living things once they are planted. 

Our discussion about nature and creation brought us to the holiday of Tu B'Shevat and the importance of trees.  We compared trees to the Torah, and students were asked to find ways to support the idea that the Torah was a Tree of Life. Students compared trees to people, as trees and people need the same things to live. They also suggested that people can't live without trees, and Jews can't live without the Torah. 

Our Values and Ethics rotation took this discussion in another direction, and we began to explore

the differences between nature and nurture. We talked about the moral and ethical dilemmas we face in our everyday life. A student presented a question in class about the right of the government to interfere with our private property rights. We had a lively discussion about laws to protect personal property and the laws created for the good of the community. Then we took out our T'nach and students reviewed their navigation skills. They were instructed to find Leviticus 19:23-25, and came upon the following passage....

When you come to the Land and you plant any food tree, you shall surely block its fruit [from use]; it shall be blocked from you for three years, not to be eaten. And in the fourth year, all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the L-rd. And in the fifth year, you may eat its fruit.  

We twisted and turned the text, and after sharing our thoughts and ideas, we learned GOD intended for us to care for trees much like a parent cares for a child. We talked about what is expected of us as babies, and our responsibilities as children and young adults. Specifically, we learned that not everything we want is ours to do with as we please, and we often do things for the good of the greater community.

To end the week, we celebrated Tu B'Shevat as a community, and participated in a Tu B'Shevat seder. Please ask your students to compare the different types of fruits to the different types of people in the world, and the importance of the seasons of a trees life.