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- Understand each learner - Every child learns in a unique way, so knowing the student in front of you is critical to the success of teaching and learning.
- Jewish tradition embraces diverse learning methods - While we often think of Jewish learning and worship as text focused and quite formal, Jewish history and ritual observance include many instances where dance, song, and other expressive forms were used to educate people and evoke emotional responses.
- The first "what" asks questions toward the plain meaning of the text, giving you opportunities to notice and wonder.
- The second "so what" invites you to begin to make meaning of the text through deeper understanding.
- The final "now what" encourages you to make applications from your understanding.
Principle #1 - Understand Each Learner
This text can be found in the Biblical book of Proverbs – a book that contains guidance for living a wise, moral, and righteous life, in the form of poems and short statements.
In particular, this verse is often understood to be the source that children learn differently from one another. If we want our children to remain engaged in Jewish leaning, we must be sure to understand their individual way of learning and educate them in the way that is right for them.
The statement can be translated in multiple ways – and our translation chooses the most expansive way to read the text – focusing on the word דַרְכּוֹ – the child’s way or path.
(ו) חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
(6) Teach a child according to their own path; And they will not swerve from it even in old age.
This next text is found in the Babylonian Talmud, in the tractate of Taanit. Taanit deals with the central issue of what to do when the rains don’t fall, and the people are experiencing a drought.
This story is about how a great rabbi named Rav tried to bring the rain, but he wasn’t able to, while a simple school teacher WAS able to bring the rain! The story teaches us about what is truly important and worth of merit - deeply caring about one's students.
רַב אִיקְּלַע לְהָהוּא אַתְרָא, גְּזַר תַּעֲנִיתָא וְלָא אֲתָא מִיטְרָא. נְחֵית קַמֵּיהּ שְׁלִיחָא דְצִבּוּרָא, אֲמַר ״מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ״ וּנְשַׁב זִיקָא, אֲמַר ״מוֹרִיד הַגֶּשֶׁם״ וַאֲתָא מִיטְרָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עוֹבָדָךְ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַיקְרֵי דַרְדְּקֵי אֲנָא, וּמַקְרֵינָא לִבְנֵי עַנְיֵי כִּבְנֵי עַתִּירֵי. וְכֹל דְּלָא אֶפְשָׁר לֵיהּ — לָא שָׁקֵלְינָא מִינֵּיהּ מִידֵּי. וְאִית לִי פִּירָא דִכְווֹרֵי, וְכׇל מַאן דְּפָשַׁע מְשַׁחֵידְנָא לֵיהּ מִינַּיְיהוּ, וּמְסַדְּרִינַן לֵיהּ וּמְפַיְּיסִינַן לֵיהּ עַד דְּאָתֵי וְקָרֵי.
Rav happened came to a certain place, he decreed a fast (in order to bring rain in a time of drought), but the rain did not fall.
The prayer leader then began to lead the service and recited:
“Who makes the wind blow…” and the wind blew.
He continued: “And Who makes the rain fall...” and the rain came.
Rav said to the prayer leader: What did you do that you were able to bring the rain?
He said to Rav: I am a teacher of children, and I teach the Bible to the children of the poor as to the children of the rich, and if there is anyone who cannot pay, I do not take anything from him.
And I have a fishpond, and any child who neglects his studies, I bribe him, and calm him, and soothe him until he comes and reads.
Principle #2 - Embrace Diverse Learning Methods
These verses from Exodus 15 come right after the Israelites have crossed the Red Sea and escaped from slavery in Egypt. They have just witnessed the miracle of the sea splitting and the defeat of Pharaoh’s army.
(א) אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהוה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַֽיהוה כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ (ב) עׇזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ׃
1) Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to
God. They said: I will sing to God, for God has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver have drowned in the sea.
2) The Lord is my strength and might; God has become my deliverance. This is my God and I will enshrine God; The God of my parent, and I will exalt God.
(כ) וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כׇֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ (כא) וַתַּ֥עַן לָהֶ֖ם מִרְיָ֑ם שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהוה כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ {ס}
20) Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels.
21) And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to the Lord, for God has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver God has hurled into the sea.
During the holiday of Sukkot, when the Temple stood, the morning Nisukh HaMayim (water libation ceremony) was performed using water from the Pool of Siloan. This ritual invoked God's blessing for rainfall, as Sukkot is when God judges the world for rain according to Talmudic tradition.
Each evening, there was a large party called the Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (the celebration of the water drawing). It drew tens of thousands to the Temple courtyard. Pious community members danced with lit torches and sang praise songs, accompanied by Levites playing harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets in this joyous water-drawing ceremony celebration. It was considered one of the happiest events in Jewish tradition.
The ceremony expressed gratitude for water, which is essential for life, and prayed for rain in the coming year. It also celebrated the unity and joy of the Jewish people coming together in the Temple.
(א) ...אָמְרוּ, כָּל מִי שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה שִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה, לֹא רָאָה שִׂמְחָה מִיָּמָיו:
(ד) חֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה הָיוּ מְרַקְּדִים לִפְנֵיהֶם בַּאֲבוּקוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר שֶׁבִּידֵיהֶן, וְאוֹמְרִים לִפְנֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי שִׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת. וְהַלְוִיִּם בְּכִנּוֹרוֹת וּבִנְבָלִים וּבִמְצִלְתַּיִם וּבַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת וּבִכְלֵי שִׁיר בְּלֹא מִסְפָּר, עַל חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת הַיּוֹרְדוֹת מֵעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים, כְּנֶגֶד חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּהִלִּים, שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶן לְוִיִּים עוֹמְדִין בִּכְלֵי שִׁיר וְאוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה.
It was said: A person who has not seen the Simchat Beit HaShoeva (Celebration of the Drawing of the Water) has never seen celebration in their lifetime!
The pious and the people of action would dance before the people who attended the celebration, with flaming torches that they would juggle in their hands, and they would say before them passages of song and praise to God. And the Levites would play on lyres, harps, cymbals, and trumpets, and countless other musical instruments. The musicians would stand on the fifteen stairs that descend from the Israelites’ courtyard to the Women’s Courtyard, corresponding to the fifteen Songs of the Ascents in Psalms, (i.e., chapters 120–134) and upon which the Levites stand with musical instruments and recite their song.
