Chumash Unit, Nazir

8/19/2019 Chumash Unit, Nazir

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chumash-unit-nazir 1/12

Teaching Chumash | Uri Kestenbaum

Topic: Nazir (Bamidbar, 6:1-21)

Grade: 8 Boys

OverallGoals o Students will know and

retain the overall themesselected from SeferBamidbar.

o Students will be able to read

and translate a portion ofthe material covered alongwith basic terms in eachsection.

o Students will understand

how Rashi serves as acompanion and support toaid the learner epand hisknowledge of the pessukim.

o Students will be able to link

the content that was learnedto the speci!c words of thepossuk.

o Students will !nd relevance

from the content learned totheir own personal life.

o Student will see how the

basic possuk is aspringboard to richdiscussions that are dealtwith in the variousmeforshim.




Bigdeasi! "#e$!i"

o " na#ir is someone who accepts upon himself to abstain fromwine products$ cutting hair and coming in contact with deadbodies for at least %& da's.

o

(e#irus is often undertaken as a reaction to regain control ofone)s temptations.o *t is debatable if abstinence is an e+ective tool against the

,et#er -orah and (e#irus ma'$ for some$ be a sin.o There is depth and signi!cance to each detail of the halachos

concerning a (a#ir/ from the choice of wine$ dead bodies andhair$ to the speci!c korbanos chosen for him to bring.




%esso! 1

%ear!i!g Targe":o Students will familiari#e themselves with the basic halachos of (a#ir.

0&!o'ledge1o Students will understand wh' the Torah decided to place the -alachos

of (a#ir speci!call' after -ilchos Sotah. 0compre#e!sio!1o Students will recogni#e the value in being proactive in molding one)s

character as a reaction to positive or negative eperiences. 0vales

%esso! oo&:o Students are shown a picture of a Buddhist monk in meditation$ a man

eating a burger with #est and a 2ogger eercising. Students areprompted to write on an inde card their opinion of which of the

individuals shown are acting holy . Students re3ect and share theirthoughts on the concept of holiness.

%ear!i!g *rocess:o Students are asked to take out a blank paper and turn it sidewa's. "s

the class progresses through the pessukim$ each ma2or detail is addedto a mind4map5timeline of -ilchos (a#ir. The teacher adds to his owntimeline on the board as a template for students who wish to cop'/please see http/55popplet.com5app56578%9:;9 for a completedtemplate.

o "s the teacher reads through pessukim <4<%$ students are asked to

underline words the' think are =main words> essential to the topic of(a#ir.

o Students are allotted <& minutes to silentl' read an article b' Rabbi?rand 0retrieved and modi!ed from/http/55www.torah.org5learning5ravfrand5@AA&5naso.html 1 about aconnection between (a#ir and Sota and the lesson for us to learn.Students are then to answer the uestions independentl' on thehandout. The uestions are structured in a wa' that does not reuiremuch writing rather =marking up> the page. See below$ in theResources section for the handout.

o The mind4map and handout are collected$ to be marked and returnedfor future reference.

http://popplet.com/app/#/2834694

http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5770/naso.html






%esso! 2

%ear!i!g Targe":o Students will familiari#e themselves with the ke' terms in the !rst

possuk about (a#ir. 0&!o'ledge1o Students will learn to uestion the Torah)s choices of words and learn

about using efarshim to address such uestions. 0compre#e!sio!o Students will eplore the rationale for becoming a (a#ir and wh' this

can be a virtue or a sin depending on the person and the outcome of the (e#irus. Students will appreciate that di+erent people mightreuire di+erent strategies for success in life. 0vales1

%esso! oo&:o Students are prompted to share websites that the' commonl' refer to.

The' are asked to identif' where the =Troubleshooting> section or=?"D> section would be found on the website. This is repeated acouple of times. *t is noted that the Troubleshooting section is usuall'at the end or back4page of websites and manuals. This highlights thatassumption that things =should work !ne>$ but if it doesn)t$ there aresolutions to be found.

o The timeline of -ilchos (a#ir 0from Eesson <$http/55popplet.com5app56578%9:;9 1 is displa'ed on the board.Students are asked where the =troubleshooting> stage is to be foundin -ilchos (a#ir. Students are asked to ponder the uestion =Whywould the Torah put the section of what to do if the Nazir messes upright in the middle of its narrative of how to become a Nazir and not at the end?>. *t seems that the Torah considers this a likel' outcome ofbecoming a (a#ir wh' would that beF

%ear!i!g *rocess:o Students are given a source sheet 0

http/55www.sefaria.org5sheets5<;:<9 $ see Resources for a screenshotof the semi4completed version1 that focuses on the !rst possukregarding a (a#ir. Students are asked to refer back to their ownChumash and share the =essential words> that the' chose in Eesson <.Gach essential word 0 להז פל א, נז 1 is then eamined at length.Duestions such as/ wh' would the Torah choose the words andלהזפל א instead of the more common words להבד ל

or להפ ש

are addressed.*t is emphasi#ed that it is a good practice to tr' and anal'#e eactusage of words in the Torah$ since fundamental ideas can becommunicated this wa' b' the Torah$ subtl'.

o " collection of efarshim 0Rashi$ *bn G#ra$ Kli ,akar$ Sforno$ RabeinuBach'a1 are introduced one b' one. *t is emphasi#ed that efarshimare used to eplore uestions in tet and underl'ing ideas. Studentswrite down the main idea contained in these efarshim on the leftside of the source sheet. " semi4completed version is given tostudents who have diHcult' doing this themselves. Through learningthese efarshim it is revealed that the Torah)s choice of words point tothe purpose of becoming a (a#ir to rule over one)s temptation b'wa' of abstinence.

o Students are given a second article b' Rabbi ?rand to read 0retrievedand modi!ed from/

http/55www.torah.org5learning5ravfrand5@A:;5naso.html 1 whicheplores the Torah)s perception of abstinence and holiness. Students


http://www.sefaria.org/sheets/19614



http://www.sefaria.org/sheets/19614





%esso! +

%ear!i!g Targe":o Students will learn about the process of completing one)s ne#irus and

which korbanos are brought. 0&!o'ledge1o Students will eplore the rationale behind wh' these speci!c %

korbanos are brought. 0compre#e!sio!1o Students will appreciate that molding one)s character is a 2ourne' that

reuires di+erent emotions$ elements and perspectives in order to besuccessful. 0vales1

%esso! oo&:o The famous old4lad'4'oung4lad' optical illusion is shown 0See below in

Resources1. Students are asked to re3ect on what lesson can be

learned from the illusion.

o Students are asked to think about the di+erent perspectives onwhether (e#irus is Igood) or Ibad) and how perspectives can besub2ective.

%ear!i!g *rocess:o Students follow along in the Chumash and in their timeline ind ap

0from Eesson <1 while the teacher reads and eplains pessukim <%47</outlining the completion of (e#irus. Students complete the timelineind ap for the Unit.

o Students are asked to re3ect on the following uandar'/ Jh' wouldthe Torah prescribe three drasticall' di+erent korbanos for the (a#irFChatas for a sin$ Shlamim to be thankful$ and lah for total sacri!ce to-ashem. Students are asked to write down and share their personalview on how the (e#irus incorporates an element of sin$ sacri!ce andthanksgiving all in one.

o Students pla' a Smartboard game 0created b' Gli Lerles$ retrievedfrom/ http/55www.chinuch.org5itemMdetail5&5Korbanos4Brought4b'4a4(a#ir4S"RT4Board1 to match the ingredients of the Korbanos to thecorrect korban 0See below in Resources for a screenshot1.

o Students complete the Unit b' voicing their Git Ticket answer to theuestion of is becoming a (a#ir e+ective in mastering one)s

temptationsFo Students hand in their worksheets and material to be marked and

returned to review for an upcoming test.

http://www.chinuch.org/item_detail/0/Korbanos-Brought-by-a-Nazir-SMART-Board








esorces: Nazir ar"icle 1

e.ec"io! * think that the st'le of learning Chumash4 through using articles$

efarshim and relevant hooks is drasticall' di+erent than how 8th Nrade students are used to learning Chumash. To compare this to the

=read and translate> st'le of learning Chumash is like comparing twodi+erent sub2ects entirel'. * believe that the goal of getting studentsto see Chumash in a deeper$ more profound light is achieved b'highlighting the nuances of the Torah)s tetual hints and theintroduction to efarshim as a wa' to open up the discussion.

The use of a ind ap that runs through the course of the Unit canhelp students visuali#e where the' are headed throughout the Unitand the' can anticipate and en2o' completing their work detail b'detail. B' giving students this =anchor4t'pe> activit'$ there is acompelling reason to remain engaged throughout ever' detail lestthe' miss something in their ind apO

B' highlighting that the details of an' Torah law has signi!cance tobe anal'#ed and studied$ students are drawn into the conversation toshare their own thoughts 4and suddenl' reali#e that the' have whatto sa'O *t is through this that students at the cusp of high school canbegin to uestion and anal'#e ever' Torah law and start seeing the Torah 0and lifeO1 in =%P> instead of =7P> spit4back of facts.




/e0aria sorce s#ee"




Nazir ar"icle 2










Op"ical llsio!

orba!os Game




Chumash Unit, Nazir

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