תוכנית לימודים · מרכז לוקשטיין
Judaic Studies Lesson Plan·The Lookstein Center
School of Education, Bar-Ilan University·בית הספר לחינוך, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן
Texts: ויקרא כג:לט-מד, selections from גמרא ברכות, סוכה, משנה סוכה, ויקרא רבה
Aims:
Content: The student will:
1) explain verses Vayikra 23:39-44, including why Sukkot is celebrated at that time of year and why we build Sukkot
2) identify the 4 minim in modern Hebrew, Biblical terms and modern English
3) describe the historical significance/symbolism of each of the arba minim
4) describe the growth characteristics of each of the arba minim
5) describe the physical look/distinguishing characteristics of the 4 arba minim
6) explain various midrashic and Talmudic commentaries on the arba minim
Skills: The student should be able to:
1) use the Internet to do basic research
2) identify the 4 minim by looking at pictures
Values: The student will:
1) appreciate that we are dependent on God for everything
Resources/Equipment needed: workbooks, copies of Vayikra 23:39-44 (either Tanakh, Chumash or photocopies of the text), copies of handouts (see appendix I), computer and Internet access, blackboard, overhead projector and markers (optional)
I. Teacher preparation (before class):
1. Preview website
http://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/Feat/Holidays/sukkot.html#top
2. If computer and Internet access is unavailable, print website pages and photocopy for class.
3. Bring copies of Vayikra 23:39-44 for all students (either Chumash, Tanakh or photocopies).
4. Write the following words and translations on the blackboard.
לט: באספכם when you gather
את תבואת הארץ the crops of the land
מא: חקת עולם לדורותיכם this law will last forever (to keep Sukkot)
מב: אזרח citizen or member of the Jewish community
מד: מעדי festivals
5. Bring arba minim to class.
6. Arrange use of overhead projector, if desired. Bring overhead markers.
II. Class opening (3 minutes)
Bring in arba minim to class.
A: Lulav, etrog, haddasim, aravot.
Q: When do we use the arba minim?
A: On Sukkot.
Q: Why do we celebrate Sukkot and the Arba minim?
A: Accept 3 answers without acknowledging any one as the ‘right’ one. List on board. Q: Which reason does the Torah provide? Let’s look at Vayikra 23:39. Distribute text.
Say: I am looking for answers to the following questions. Write these questions on the board for student reference, next to word list. Q1: Why is God commanding us to live in little huts outside our house? Q2: Why do we have to bring the arba minim? Why can’t we all just use some lemons?
Split into chevrutot (pairs).
Say: Read the verses carefully with your chevruta partner, looking for the answers to the questions on the board. If you find a word you do not understand, refer to the word list on the board. I will buzz (or clap, or whistle) in 2 and a half minutes. Then discuss your responses together for another two minutes. Begin now. Does anyone not understand what to do? If you understand, begin. If not, I will come and assist you. Circulate to ensure that students are working. Watch the time and use the buzzer after a 20 second warning.
Say: OK, time is up. What have you come up with?
Q: Why the arba minim?
A: To celebrate bringing in the harvest when the crops are ready.
Q: In which verse did you find this?
A: 39
Q: Please read the verse to the class. Everyone should highlight the relevant phrase
A: באספכם את תבואת הארץ(when you gatherthe crops of the land).
Q: And what is the purpose of our sitting in Sukkot, according to the Torah?
A: To remind us that we lived in Sukkot when God took us out of Egypt.
Q: In which verse did you find this info?
A: 43.
Q: Please read the verse to the class. Everyone should highlight the relevant verse.
A: למען ידעו דרותיכם כי בסכות הושבתי את בני ישראל בהוציאי אותם מארץ מצרים (that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to live in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt).
Say: So the holiday of Sukkot has two purposes – 1) to celebrate harvesting the crops and 2) to remind us of our Exodus from Egypt when we lived in Sukkot. Now, let’s talk about the 4 minim.
Q: What are they? Distribute chart (see appendix I, handout #1).
A: Lulav, Etrog, Hadassim, Aravot.
Say: Write these names under column 2, under the title “name of species”.
Q: Is that what the Torah calls them?
A: No.
Q: How does the Torah refer to the arba minim? Check verse 40.
Read verse to the class. Ask students to identify each min according its Biblical name and fill in chart together, using overhead projector/blackboard. Call students up to fill in chart on board/projector sheet if you like. While reviewing the Biblical terminology, write the English terminology on the board next to the common and Biblical term. Teacher answers for the chart available in appendix II .
VI. Pair Work (18 minutes)
Say: But why these specific minim? We are going to be checking the Neot Kedumim website for possible answers. When you access the site, http://www.neot-kedumim.org.il/Feat/Holidays/sukkot.html#top, you will find a picture and description of each of the arba minim. Use the English terminology on your charts to identify them since the site does not use the Hebrew term. Fill in columns 5 and 6 on your charts. That is, where does it grow? In dry or wet areas, trees, bushes, forests, etc? And, two, what is its symbolism? What does it remind us of? If you are done early, draw pictures of the minin in column 1.
In pairs, allow students to explore website. Circulate to check activity.
Say: If you didn’t have a chance to draw pictures of the minim, please do so for homework.
Q: Which min was unnecessary for the survival of Bnei Yisrael to plant and harvest?
A: Etrog.
Q: Then why do we bring it as one of the arba minim?
A: To prove the success of Bnei Yisrael acclimating as farmers in Israel.
Say: So the etrog was considered a sign of wealth and luxury for Bnei Yisrael. They carried them on Sukkot as a sign of victory, representing their dominance of the land and their success as farmers.
Q: Which other of the minim can be considered a sign of victory? We’ll find out tomorrow!
DAY 2
I. Teacher Preparation
1. Make cards saying 20 points, 30 points and 50 points.
2. Preview website http://207.168.91.4/vjholidays/sukkot/minim.htm .
3. Preview Talmudic and Midrashic sources for HW (see Appendix I).
Show arba minim to class.
Q: Which of these are considered victourious symbols?
A: Etrog.
Q: Why?
A: Because they are unnecessary for survival. They are luxurious.
Q: And what else could be considered a sign of victory out of the remaining 3? (Hint: the shape of the min is important here.)
A: Lulav.
Q: Why?
A: It is similar to the layout of a spear.
Q: If I was a lulav, where would I be found? If you don’t remember, take out your charts from yesterday.
A: In an oases in the desert.
Q: Isn’t it difficult to grow vegetation in the desert?
A: Yes! Perhaps the lulav’s mere existence in such a punishing place is also a symbol of life and victory.
Q: And which part of history did we find Bnei Yisrael in a desert, from which they also emerged victoriously alive, against all the punishing elements of a desert?
A: The 40 years of Bnei Yisrael wandering in the desert after the exodus from Egypt.
Say: Before we check our next website, let’s review the rest of the minim.
Q: Where do ענף עץ עבות grow?
A: On the banks of the Jordan.
Q: What does this remind us of?
A: Crossing the Jordan River when Bnei Yisrael were entering the land.
Q: Remember that these grow near the water and tell me later why that’s important. Where do ערבי נחל grow?
A: On hilly, uncultivated regions.
Q: What does this remind us of?
A: When Bnei Yisrael conquered the land, they had to clear many fields of this to cultivate the land and turn it into farmland.
Say: Now that we’ve completed a mini history on the arba minim, we are going to further exploring our question, “why these arba minim, and not just a lemon? We will use the symbolisms you discover to play a game.
IV. Website search (12 minutes)
Say: Now we are going to read more about the arba minim on the web. Go to
http://207.168.91.4/vjholidays/sukkot/minim.htm .
Distribute handout #2. See appendix I.
Say: This handout has a list of statements, each one describing a min. After reading about the minim on the site, you will have to identify the min which is being discussed. You may work in pairs. You will have an opportunity to review the material in a few minutes, after which we will play a game. Begin now. Raise your hand if you don’t understand what to do.
V. Class Review (5 minutes)
Say: Pair up with another team and review your answers together. If you have any differing responses, check the website again to see which is correct, or ask me for help. You have 5 minutes. When you are done, we will play a game.
VI. Play “Who Am I? ID Me in Arba Minim” (10 minutes)
Say: Now we are going to play a game using the same questions.
Divide class into teams. Take out cards with 20 points, 30 points and 50 points written on it. Call up a student from one team to choose a card. Ask a 20, 30, or 50 point question (see points below), depending on the card chosen. Explain the rules, as follows. The representative students have to bang the table to answer first. The banger has 15 seconds to answer. If correct, his team collects points. If not, the opponent has 30 seconds to answer. If both are wrong, the question is passed for later on. Then two more teams compete. The team with the most points at the end wins. Make sure each question has been asked at least once.
Each question is worth a different amount of points:
1. 50 points
2. 30 points
3. 20 points
4. 30 points
5. 30 points
6. 50 points
7. 30 points
8. 50 points
9. 20 points
10. 30 points
11. 20 points
12. 50 points
13. 20 points
14. 50 points
15. 30 points
VII. Homework: The Midrash Minim Match (2 minutes)
Hand out worksheet (see appendix I). Explain instructions and answer first one in class together to ensure comprehension.
VIII. Bonus Questions for Discussion (if time)
Q: The reference to haddasim indicate its bounty and blessing. What is the agricultural wonder regarding haddasim?
A: They can regrow even after enduring severe climate changes such as fire or drought. Most vegetation requires regular watering. This teaches us about its powerful endurance.
Q: Dreaming about haddasim indicates prosperity in one’s life. What is the connection?
A: The tree not only survives, but flourishes, after enduring severe conditions. So too will a person rebound and be successful even if life throws him tough problems.
Q: What is so significant about the etrog tree?
A: It blossoms throughout the entire year. Most fruits and vegetables ripen once per year.
Q: Why is this significant then for us to acquire and hold an etrog throughout Sukkot? Student answers will vary. Discuss better ones.
IX. Conclusion (5 minutes)
Q: We have analyzed where the arba minim originate and what each represent. Which min represents fertility?
A: Etrog.
Q: Which represents victory?
A: Lulav.
Q: Which represents success?
A: Haddasim.
Q: They symbolize fertility, success, victory. How would you therefore categorize them?
A: Positive living style.
Q: They’re like an ad for the latest wonderdrug. Swallow me, and you’ll have all these things. But God doesn’t want us to forget that holding the arba minim is not just like taking a pill. What about aravot? What do they represent?
A: Dependence on water.
Q: Which is really dependence on whom?
A: God.
Q: So the arba minim symobolize wonderful things which we would love to have in our lives. But they it reminds us that they are inexplicably tied to our faith in God. Before Sukkot ends, we are left with one last day of chol hamoed – Hoshanna Rabba, where we hit the aravot. No matter how much we’ve shaken the arba minim during Sukkot, no matter how much we pursue and strive toward these goals: fertility, victory and success, the aravot are there to remind us that we are entirely dependent on God’s help to attain them. A farmer controls all aspects of his farm; where and what to plant, how much of each crop. Ironically, the one thing he cannot control is the factor that will bring him a fruitful harvest, which is what?:
A: Rainwater.
Q: When we recognize God for providing us with our necessities, He will bless us with the bountiful blessings of the arba minim. Have a bountiful chag.
Appendix I (handouts for the class):
Arba Minim chart
Arba Minim Handout #1
Name:_______________________ Date: ________________
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Picture |
Common name
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Biblical Terminology |
English translation |
Growing location |
Symbolism |
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ID Me: Arba Minim questions
Arba Minim Handout #2
Name:_______________________ Date: ________________
Instructions: Each statement below refers to one of the arba minim. Read the statement and match it to the correct min. Write the min on the blank line provided.
1. The Gemara Sukka argues that פרי עץ הדרcould not be a ____________ or __________ because either the fruit or the tree isn’t always as beautiful as the etrog is.
2. I am immortal; I survive for a long time without water and can even resprout if my tree has been on fire.
3. The Gemara Sukka states that in Temple times, people would go down to Motza (outside of Jerusalem) and pick tall branches of the _______.
4. "They came to the fort in Jerusalem with praise and with _______ and with lyres and with harps," we are told in the Book of Maccabees.
5. Gemara Brachot says that if you dream of me, you will achieve success. ________
6. And they would stand them upright around the altar. " _________
7. I symbolize dependence on water; I’ll wilt the day you cut me from my tree. _________
8. In Midrashic times, if did not hold me when you left the courtroom, that meant bad news. ______________
9. Don’t forget me when you walk around the bimah seven times. ___________
10. I appeared on Jewish victory coins because I look similar to a sword. ____________
11. I am the only fruit amongst the arba minim. ____________
12. I symbolize abundance because my leaves cover the bark of my tree. _________
13. My nickname is ‘hoshana’ because farmers held me when they asked for rain. ____________
14. The hadar tree is considered fertile because ____________ .
15. Chazal had trouble determining out which fruit I am. ___________
Arba Minim Homework
The Midrash Minim Match
Name:_______________________ Date: ________________
Instructions: Each midrash below refers to one of the arba minim. Read the midrash and match the midrash to the min. Write the min on the blank line. An example is provided in question one.
An asterisk denotes a bonus question, which are worth more points.
Note: You have read most of these sources in English on the website. You now need to recognize it in its original form. Difficult words are footnoted and explained on the bottom of the page.
*1. הדסים: "הרואה הדסים בחלום, נכסיו מצליחין לו, ואם אין לו נכסים, ירושה נופלת לו ממקום אחר (גמרא ברכות נז.)
2. "הרואה _________ בחלום, , הדור[1] הוא לפני קונו, שנאמר, פרי עץ הדר וכפות תמרים."
3. "הרואה __________ בחלום, אין לו אלא לב אחד לאביו בשמים."
4. __________מקום היה למטה מירושלים, ונקרא מוצא.יורדין לשם ומלקטין[2]* משם … ובאין וזוקפין[3] אותן בצדי המזבח, וראשיהן כפופין[4] על גבי המזבח.
5. _________ר' אבהו אמר, "אל תקרי הדר, אלא הדר, דבר שדר[5] באילנו משנה לשנה"
6. __________אמר רבי אבין, משל לשנים שנכנסו אצל הדיין, ולית אנן ידעין דהוא נצוחייא
(ואיך יודעים מי נצח)?
7._________…בכל יום מקיפין[6] את המזבח פעם אחת…
8._________בן עזאי אומר, "אל תקרי הדר אלא אידור, שכן בלשון יווני[7] קורין למים אידור. ואיזו היא שגדל על כל מים? הוה אומר זה אתרוג."
9._________ואומרים "אנא ה' הושיעה נא, אנא ה' הצליחה נא." (סוכה ד, ה)
10.________ כך ישראל ואומות העולם באין ומקטרגים[8] לפני הקב"ה בראש השנה
11.__________ולית אנן ידעין מאן נצח (ואיך יודעים מי נצח)? אלא במה שישראל יוצאין מלפני הקב"ה ולולביהן ואתרוגיהן בידן (ויקרא רבה ל,ב)
Appendix II (teacher answers):
Arba Minim chart
Arba Minim Handout #1
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Picture |
Common name |
Biblical Terminology |
English translation |
Growing location |
Symbolism |
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Etrog |
פרי עץ הדר |
Citron/Fruit of a goodly tree |
Difficult to grow in Israel.
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Luxury, victory, success. The farmers were wealthy enough to plant a crop that was unnecessary for survival. |
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Lulav |
כפות תמרים |
Date palm fronds |
Oases in desert. |
Symbolizes the 40 years of wandering in Sinai desert. |
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Aravot |
ענף עץ עבות. |
Branches of thick leaved trees |
Banks of the Jordan river. |
Reminder of where Bnei Yisrael camped before entering Eretz Israel. |
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Haddasim |
ערבי נחל |
Myrtle/Willows of the brook |
In hills and forests. |
Symbolize the forests that Bnei Yisrael encountered when they entered the land in the time of Joshua. They were forced to cut down many of these trees, to clear land for crops. |
ID Me: Arba Minim answers
Arba Minim Handout #2
1 . רמון, חרוב
2 . Haddasim
3. Aravot
4. Lulavim
5. Haddasim
6. Aravot
7. Aravot
8. Lulavim
9. Aravot
10. Lulavim
11. Etrog
12. Haddasim
13. Aravot
14. The fruit grows all year round.
15. Etrog
Arba Minim Homework
The Midrash Minim Match Answers
1. Haddasim
2. Etrog
3. Lulav
4. Aravot
5. Etrog
6. Lulav
7. Aravot
8. Etrog
9. Aravot
10. Lulav
11. Lulav