It’s a “New” Holiday! Lesson Plan

SEE ALL YOM HAATZMAUT RESOURCES

 

Grade Level: 6-8 (can be adapted for grades 9-12 with some teacher-selected additional sources)
Time: 40-80 minutes

Important Note to Teachers: This is an introductory lesson, one that is designed to introduce students to certain concepts in halakha and, to an extent, to the importance of the establishment of the State of Israel. This is NOT an in-depth lesson in halakha. 

The focus of this lesson is Yom HaAtzmaut. However, it can be used for other “new” holidays (such as Yom Yerushalayim) or “old” ones (Purim and Chanukah). It can also be used as an introduction to Rabbinic Judaism and rabbinic authority. This lesson explores how new holidays have been added to the Jewish calendar and saying berakhot with the wording “asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav,” despite the Torah’s prohibition of not adding to the mitzvot (“bal tosif”). It also highlights the importance of Israel.

Introduction:

We take for granted that Purim and Chanukah are part of the Jewish calendar. Each of those holidays includes rituals with berakhot that include the words “asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav” (who has made us holy through His commandments). But when we stop to think about it, we have to wonder: how do new, non-Torah holidays come to be? How do we add a holiday and berakhot when there is a d’oraita (Torah-level) prohibition of bal tosif (adding to the mitzvot)? 

By exploring this issue, we can better understand how more “modern” holidays, such as Yom HaAztmaut, on which many people say Hallel with its berakha, have also become part of our calendar. We can also better understand the authority of the rabbis and great Torah scholars—both ancient and modern—to amend halakha, and the interplay of the d’oraita of bal tosif and the positive mitzvah to obey what the rabbis decree.

Objectives:

  • Students will familiarize themselves with the Torah principle of bal tosif.
  • Students will familiarize themselves with the Torah principle of following rabbinic authority.
  • Students will be able to articulate the potential conflicts between these two halakhot.
  • Students will be able to suggest possible resolutions to these halakhic conflicts.
  • Students will explore the emergence of Purim and Chanukah as post-Humash holidays through texts.
  • Students will be able to articulate how the texts reflect a process rather than an “overnight” change.
  • Students will consider the emergence of Yom HaAtzmaut as a new holiday.
  • Students will be able to articulate and/or debate (on an age-appropriate level) the two sides of the halakhic question of whether saying Hallel with a berakha is acceptable on Yom HaAtzmaut.
  • Students will reflect on the centrality of the Land of Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel in Judaism.
  • Students will be able to articulate how the creation of Yom HaAtzmaut highlights the importance of Israel in Judaism.

Materials Needed:

  • Copies of the worksheets for all students
  • Torah, Talmud, and Halakha sources (linked throughout)

Procedure

1. Introduce the lesson with a trigger question. A trigger question can be presented frontally or can be a “do now” entrance exercise that is followed up by discussion.

  • Use one of these options or generate your own:
  • What’s the problem with making a new holiday?
  • What kind of event would qualify for a new holiday?
  • Do you think that Yom HaAtzmaut is an important Jewish holiday? Why or why not?

2. Have students work through the first set of sources (sources 1-5) on the worksheet. You can either print out the sources (linked) or have the students access them digitally.

3. Lead a discussion about the competing mitzvot of “bal tosif” with “k’chol asher yorucha…lo tasur” to support the students’ understanding of:

  • The potential conflicts between the two
  • The Torah basis for rabbinic authority.

You can use the following sources to help you:

For older and/or more advanced students, you can give them the source to work through as well. (The sources are also linked in the worksheet.)

Note to Teachers: The Shabbat source concerns Chanukah. This is a good way to link Chanukah and Purim as “new” holidays.

The “thought questions” are meant to get the students thinking before the discussion or present them to the students after they have done the comprehension questions. The thought questions can also be used as exit tickets or even as formative assessments.

4. Have the students read Megillat Esther 9:20-32 and answer the questions on the worksheet.

5. At this point, there should be a discussion about adding a new holiday. This discussion can be either teacher-led or between students in hevrutah or small groups. The trigger questions here are:

  • Under what circumstances should there be a new holiday? 
  • What can we learn from the Purim and Chanukah stories that inform us about what qualifies as a “new holiday?”

6. Here is a link to the chapter from Peninei Halacha (Rabbi Eliezer Melamed) that deals with the halakhot of establishing Yom HaAtzmaut and other “new” holidays.

Each section is also available as an audio file. This is a good way to differentiate for students who may do better by listening to information rather than reading it. 

Note that Rav Melamed’s article also has sections that deal with saying Hallel, and saying Hallel with or without a berakha.

7. Students should reflect on the place of both the land of Israel and the establishment of the modern State of Israel (Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael) in Judaism. This reflection can be done as a class discussion or as a writing assignment.