Y_01397‐01 

Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:

Part 1 - Hashem Sefasai Tiftach
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: 3rd – 4th Grade

Description:
A thorough and beautiful twenty part unit on Shemona Esrei with detailed lesson plans
elucidating each Bracha using an assortment of teaching mediums. Tehilla, an adorable
fictional character, accompanies the students throughout their journey through the
Shemona Esrei, helping them understand profound concepts and adding interest and
flavor to the lessons. Tehilla also graces the corresponding scrapbook (Folder
#Y_01397-03) which contains a translation of the Shemona Esrei and where she
reminds the students of each Bracha’s salient points. For a bulletin board illustrating
each of the Brachos of Shemona Esrei by the same contributor see folder # Y_01397.
For a Halacha unit which can be taught prior to/in conjunction with this unit see folder
#Y_01397-02. Please note: This is a very large file and will take a long time to
download.

How to download:
 Download the print-ready PDF file (includes lesson plan/instructions)

Goals/Objectives:
To introduce the concept of moving closer to Hashem as we daven in a dramatic way
and instill the proper feelings of awe and respect when davening Shemona Esrei.

Materials Needed (for the first lesson):

 Tehilla in a velour zip-up.
 Palace pictures (2 sizes are provided. Choose the ones you like best.)

Instructions:
In many of the lessons, Tehilla, a paper doll, is used to help illustrate important Tefilla
concepts. When preparing, please be sure to check which Tehilla doll and/or other
accessories you will need. We have provided many variations of the Tehilla doll; choose
the ones that work best for you. Color printing and laminating is recommended.
 KING

Do Now: Write the word KING in the middle of a web.

When the mashal of a king is used to illustrate the awe of Hashem, students usually
have a hard time relating to the mashal because they have never seen a king or
experienced the feeling of having a king. To help students relate, explain to them that
we will be imagining the feelings based on the information we know from the parsha,
stories, and parables.
1. Ask students to brainstorm what comes to their minds when they hear the word
“King”; for example, mighty, fear, scary, rich, powerful, boss, etc.
2. Ask students, “Where did you get this information? Have you ever seen a king?”
Let the girls describe the role and behavior of the kings they know about. Help
them realize that their previous descriptions were based on this information.

Motivation:
As teachers, we want students to have the proper understanding of ‫ מלך‬in regard to
Hashem. To do so, dramatically bring your students back to the times of kings and let
them get the feeling that the people at that time had regarding a king. Once they get the
right feeling we could introduce them the concept of davening to Hakadosh Baruch Hu –
the King of all kings.

If we would be living under the reign of a king, writing the word KING on the
board would generate instant excitement in the classroom. Your eyes would
open wide in admiration and fear. The magnificent visage of the king would jump
to your mind and you would have stories to share of what you have read or heard
about him. Maybe you would even be able to say that you actually saw the king
and everyone would look at you with admiration. Maybe they would even envy
you. The word KING would be a household word. Your father would relate the
latest news of the kings and your brothers - they would build palaces and crowns
with their Lego and clicks. (Teacher pauses)
And if your teacher would walk into class and exclaim, “Girls, when we daven, we
are talking to the King of all kings. What feeling would that make you feel?” You
would be awed and humbled. You would think, “What a major privilege! Let me
use it wisely.

Lesson:
A. Take your students on an imaginary trip to the palace of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Let
them get the feeling of excitement and awe while advancing closer and closer to the
private chamber of the King.
1. Teacher tells students: “Girls, take out your siddurim and let’s take a walk to the
palace. Our King in ‫ שמים‬is waiting for us.
Are you ready?
Are you dressed appropriately?
Do you feel awed, humbled, and privileged?
 So let’s go!
Teacher leads students with their ‫ סידורים‬out of the classroom into the lunchroom
and seats them at the first table. A clear picture of the courtyard palace, labeled
‫חצר‬, is hanging on the table.
2. When we daven, we walk towards ‫הקב"ה‬. He hears and sees us at all times;
however, with each part of our tefilla, we get closer to Him.
 The first part of our tefilla, from birchos hashachar until ‫ הודו‬is the ‫חצר‬. We
are now in the yard outside the palace. Come; let’s walk through the
magnificent yard. Do you see the palace from the distance? Wow! We could
actually see the King’s palace from afar. Our hearts are beating with
excitement as we walk towards the palace gates.
(Teacher davens with students until ‫)הודו‬

Teacher then leads students to the next table. A clear picture of the inside entrance
of the palace is hanging on the table.

3. Teacher quietly: Now, we’re in the palace. As we say ‫פסוקי דזמרא‬, we walk
through the awesome hallways of the palace. We stand with the utmost respect.
Of course no one thinks of laughing, winking, or slouching. No, not in the
hallways of a palace.
(Teacher davens with students ‫)פסוקי דזמרא‬

(Teacher leads students to the next table. A clear picture of the outside of the King’s
private room is hanging on the table.) Teacher whispers:
4. We are right outside the King’s private chamber. Our feet are shaking, our hands
feel clammy….we’re almost there. ‫ ברכת קריאת שמע‬is said right outside the
King’s room.
(Teacher davens with students until ‫שמונה עשרה‬.)

(Teacher leads student to the next table which is decorated royally with a gold
tablecloth, glitter, etc. She tells her students to stay standing and keep their siddurim
open.)

5. We arrived! Now, we’re standing right before the King of all kings. We’re alone
with the Ribbono Shel Olam. No generals, soldiers, or servants. Which part of
our tefilla will we say now? Shemone Esrei!

B. We’ve reached the part in tefilla that’s called ‫ – תפלת עמידה‬the standing tefilla.
 Ask students why they think Shemone Esrei is called ‫תפלת עמידה‬. Students will
probably answer that this is the tefilla that we need to stand while saying it. Add
to that that this is where we stay standing; here we don’t advance; because
we’ve reached our destination – we’re right before ‫הקב"ה‬.
 Ask students if they would know how to start their conversation with the King of
all kings. When we stand before Hakadosh Baruch Hu, we feel overwhelmed
and awed; therefore, we ask Him to help us use our special privilege wisely.
 Q: What are the first opening six words in this special tefilla? What are our first
words to Hakadosh Baruch Hu?
A: ‫ ה' שפתי תפתח ופי יגיד תהלתיך‬Hashem, open my lips and let my mouth say Your
praise
 Ask students, “When we talk to the King of all kings shouldn’t we know what we
are saying? How could we have the proper ‫ כוונה‬without knowing ‫?פירוש המילים‬
So let’s head back to our classroom and start learning!”
 Once students are in the classroom Teacher takes out Tehilla and introduces
her. Tehilla understands the greatness of our King, Hashem and therefore she
says the praise of Hashem. As we learn the ‫ פירוש המילים‬and ‫ מפרשים‬of
Shemone Esrei, Tehilla will help us discover its beauty.

Application:
Teacher hands out the cover and the Hashem Sefasai Tiftach page of one of the three
versions of scrapbooks. Please see Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit: Scrapbook for the
corresponding scrapbook.
   
 
 
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 2 - Birkas Avos
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah

Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will describe our connection to the Avos and list special
privileges we have because of that relationship.

Motivation: Generate an excitement about beginning to learn ‫שמונה עשרה‬. Ask

class to look in the very first bracha of Shemona Esrei and list any names of
people they find there: ‫ יעקב‬,‫ יצחק‬,‫אברהם‬.

Materials Needed:
Tehilla with a telephone

A. Begin a discussion about the Avos: Have students list points of information
they know about the Avos. Write their answers in list form on the board.
Ultimately, the points to be built up before continuing on with the lesson are:
1. ‫אברהם‬: He recognized Hashem’s kindness in the world and so he
emulated Hashem. Avraham represents Chesed.
o He observed the world and realized that Hashem loves to do chesed
with His creations. He loves to give: rain, sunshine, food, family, etc.
Avraham emulated His ways by doing chesed with others. For
example: He made geirim, did ‫הכנסת אורחים‬, took in his nephew ‫לוט‬,
etc.
2. ‫יצחק‬: He recognized Hashem’s great power and therefore emulated His
ways by serving Hashem through ‫יראה‬. He was disciplined. We see the
extent of his ‫ יראה‬by ‫עקידת יצחק‬.
o When Avraham prepared Yitzchak for the akeida and tied him to the
mizbeyach, Yitzchak asked him to tighten the strings holding him down
so Avraham should be able to shecht him. Yitzchak desired to be a
perfect korban so he ensured that he would lie in the perfect spot and
not move while his father shechted him. Yitzchok was filled with ‫ יראה‬to
the extent that he thought only about ensuring that his avoda would be
perfect; he did not think of the pain or about his loss of life. He wanted
to do Hashem’s will perfectly!
o Because he was a perfect Korban, he couldn’t leave Eretz Yisroel. He
didn’t want to be affected by even the slightest bit of ‫טומאה‬. He was
afraid that if he leaves Eretz Yisroel, a place of kedusha, and descends
to Mitzrayim, a place of ‫טומאה‬, he would sully his holy neshama. He
wanted to be a perfect holy Yid.
3. ‫יעקב‬: He served Hashem by combining ‫ חסד‬and ‫גבורה‬.
 o Chesed: He always felt Hashem’s love and chesed and thus accepted
every situation in which Hashem placed him. He felt Hashem’s strong
love and knew that Hashem would not do any bad to him.
Teacher may want to discuss his difficult situations such as running away
from ‫ עשו‬or losing his beloved son Yosef.
o Gevura: In addition to accepting his situation, he stayed strong in his
avoda even under difficult circumstances. He continued serving
Hashem as if he was in his best situation.
 It is helpful when building these points to place a star next to the answers that
clearly portray the ‫ עיקר מידה‬of each ‫אב‬.

B. Ask students “Who is the blessed nation that descends from these great
men?”
 Being that we, Klal Yisroel, are the descendants of these great men, we have
extraordinary privileges.
 The concept of privileges can be explained using students’ personal
relationships. Ask students for examples to demonstrate their understanding
of this point.
1. Example: If your father is the owner of the toy store, you do not have
to pay for the toys like your classmates and neighbors. You have
privileges because of your relationship with the owner.
 The greater the person you are close to, the greater the privileges. To
clarify this idea, expand on the previous example.
2. Example: your father owns a mall with many stores.
 Because our Avos were so great, we, as Yidden, as zocheh to extraordinary
privileges.

Aim: What are the extraordinary privileges that we have just because we are
children of the Avos?

Lesson:
I. The Privileges

A. Pintele Yid
1. The Avos ignited in every Yid a spark (pintele yid) that never goes out.
No matter what a Yid looks like or acts like, he will always have this
spark that connects him to Hashem. The tiny flame enlarges upon
hearing or seeing Kedusha. This spark is our ‫מגן‬, a shield for our
kedusha. It protects every descendant from going astray.
2. Story of Reb Yom Tov Ehrlich and the Yid who was inspired to do
Teshuva on Yom Kippur and returned. (Reb Yom Tov Ehrlich)

B. We can come close to Hashem through tefilla.

1. Use Tehilla and the following mashal to explain this privilege. Bring in a
glowing Tehilla with a telephone. Tell students that Tehilla wants to
phone her friend who lives in another city.
 a. Discuss the process of making a phone call. What does Tehilla need
to do?
b. She needs to dial.
c. Doesn’t she need to connect wires from her house all the way to her
friend’s house, so that the wires should carry her voice to her friend?
No, the telephone company did that for her. The communication
system is set up already. She just needs to dial the right number.
d. We’re so lucky that the telephone companies saved us so much time
and work. We just need to dial in order to talk to friends and family.
2. Ask students who else we talk to on a daily basis. Ask them how we are
connected to Hashem. Is there a way to dial? Which telephone could we
use to reach Him?
a. Discuss with students how we speak to Hashem through tefilla.
b. Is it a hard process to get through to Hashem? It’s very simple. All we
need to do is Talk!
c. Who founded the communication system so that when we want to talk
to Hashem we only need to talk?
d. Our Avos. Because Our Avos achieved such great closeness with
Hashem and Hashem loved them so dearly, the communication lines
are open for their children; for us, forever!
3. Go back to Tehilla. Tell students that Tehilla is glowing with pride! She
feels privileged to have ‫זכות אבות‬.
a. Yet, she also knows that because she has such special roots she has
to live up to the ‫ מעשים‬of her ancestors; the avos! How can she live up
to their ma’asim?
b. She needs to learn about our Avos, appreciate their gadlus, and strive
to emulate their ways by serving Hashem with ‫ חסד‬and ‫יראה‬.
(Teacher can refer to the gadlus of the ‫ מעשה אבות‬that she discussed
earlier in the lesson or in Chumash/Parsha.)
Tehilla needs to try to do chesed, fear aveiros, accept challenges etc.

C. We can receive Hashem’s help through ‫זכות אבות‬

1. Once Tehilla connects herself to the Avos by trying to act like them
(doing Chesed, working on ‫יראת שמים‬, and accepting ‫)נסיונות‬, she can
benefit from their ‫זכותים‬.
2. This special privilege means that when we need Hashem’s help and
are not worthy for what we are asking for, we can mention the Avos’
special deeds to Hashem and Hashem helps us in their zechus.

II. Birkas Avos

Teacher should use the words of ‫ ברכת אבות‬to review the concepts that she
taught up until here. It is helpful to write/hang each phrase on the board while
teaching the words. At the end of the lesson the full bracha will be up on the
board. Once the students got a clear understanding of the words they will be
ready to learn the exact word for word translation.
Tell students that the words of Birkas Avos directly correlate to the concepts
discussed above. Tehilla thinks of these points while she is saying the first
bracha. Every phrase helps her concentrate on another part of our discussion.

‫ אלקי יעקב‬,‫ אלקי יצחק‬,‫ ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו אלקי אברהם‬-
Blessed are you Hashem. Our Hashem, the Hashem of Avraham, the Hashem of
Yitzchak, and the Hashem of Yakov.
 When we say Baruch, we tell Hashem - You have all the attributes we
could think of. Our Avos emulated Your ways and we therefore mention
(“dermon”) their ‫ זכות‬to You. We ask Hashem to remember their special
deeds and help us because we are their children.

‫ הקל הגדול הגבור והנורא‬- The great Hashem, the powerful One, and the awesome
One
 Our Avos recognized Hashem’s greatness, strength, patience, and
perseverance. They strove to emulate His ways and so do we. We also
want to reach such great heights.

‫ קל עליון‬- The Almighty, who is above our understanding

 We listed three ‫ שבחים‬of Hashem. We know that we can’t list all of
Hashem’s ‫ שבחים‬because Hashem has more qualities than we could
possibly think of.
 Why then do we list only three? Explain this concept with the following
mashal.
o A servant wanted to praise his king and exclaimed, “My king, you are so
great, kind, and powerful!” The King got very angry and ordered his
guards to send him to jail.
Q: Why does he deserve punishment if he praised the king?
A: The king was upset. The servant thinks I am only great, kind, and
powerful; he doesn’t recognize my other qualities.
 So too, it is impossible to praise Hashem fully because His qualities are
too many to be listed. In addition, we cannot truly understand Hashem’s
greatness to be able to praise Him for those greatnesses. Thus, we add
‫ – קל עליון‬The One above – His greatness is above our human
comprehension.

There are some greatness that Hashem does show us: The next few phrases
explain these greatnesses. ‫ ומביא גואל‬,‫ וזוכר חסדי אבות‬,‫ וקונה הכל‬,‫גומל חסדים טובים‬
(‫)לבני בניהם‬

‫ גומל חסדים טובים וקונה הכל‬- Who does good deeds and He created everything.
Hashem does so much chesed with us which we do see and understand.
 To help students realize how many good things Hashem does for us, ask
each girl for one good thing that Hashem did for her that day.
 Alternatively, set a timer for one minute and let students come up with
'‫חסדי ה‬, things that Hashem created in this world for our benefit. For
 example: colors, flowers, food, family, sunshine, friends, etc. He created
everything for our pleasure.

‫ – וזוכר חסדי אבות‬and He remembers the good deeds of our forefathers

 We understand that when we do mitzvos Hashem grants us ‫חסדים‬, but
what happens when we don’t deserve it?
Even when we don’t deserve it, He grants us chasadim! Because Hashem
remembers the great deeds of our avos; ‫זכות אבות‬, He helps us in their
‫זכות‬.

‫ – ומביא גואל לבני בניהם‬and brings Mashiach to their children’s children

 Ask students what we want most, what is the greatest chesed that
Hashem could do with us. Ask them if they feel that we are worthy of such
a great chesed.
 We want most to be zocheh to mashiach. Let students tell you that we try
to do what’s Hashem wants; however, we are still not worthy of Mashiach.
Nonetheless, Hashem will redeem us! He is bringing mashiach! We know
that it is happening very soon because He promised our Avos.

‫ – למען שמו באהבה‬for His own sake, with love

 Hashem does all the chasadim mentioned above ‫ וקונה‬,‫)גומל חסדים טובים‬
(‫ ומביא גואל לבני בניהם‬,‫ וזוכר חסדי אבות‬,‫ הכל‬because he loves us. He does it
for His own sake to express His deep love for Klal Yisroel - His nation.

‫ מלך‬- You are the King

 Hashem is a King – He has the power to redeem us.

‫ – עוזר‬who helps
 When we try to emulate our Avos’ ways Hashem helps us do what’s right.

‫ ומושיע ומגן‬- and saves and protects

 Even at times when we don’t put in the effort to be good, Hashem helps us
do what’s right.

‫ – ברוך אתה ה' מגן אברהם‬Blessed are You Hashem, the Shield of Avraham
Blessed are you Hashem, the Shield of our pintele yid, our spark. You help us
hold on to our beautiful heritage. You help us be a good Yid. You help us
emulate the greatness of our Avos!

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Avos icons – Dark beige/ brown/ gold
 Large and small circles – Use the same color as the Avos icons for the
large circles. Use off-white/ light beige for the small circles.
 Plaques – Use the same color as the Avos icons and large circles.
 A pointy, and sharp pen.
 Small gold fasteners

1. Place the picture of the Avos onto the gold.

2. With a pointy and sharp pen, press on the lines of the picture so
that it should give an engraved look on the gold.
3. Stick the Avos picture on the small circle, and then stick the small
circle onto the large circle.
4. Place two gold fasteners at the two sides of each plaque.
5. Stick the plaque on the bottom of the large circle and name each of
the circles with a different one of our Avos.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 3 - Birkas Gevura
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: To teach students the mighty strength of Hashem. Students should also
understand that although Hashem helps with strong things, He enjoys helping us with
our little requests. Hashem is concerned with all our needs; from greatest to tiniest.

Materials Needed:
 A scene of a big house surrounded with strong iron gates on a high hill. The
scene can be created with die cuts, real photo, or a model
 Tehilla in velour zip-up (optional)

Do Now: Write - STRENGTH - ‫ גבורה‬in the center of the board. Ask girls to share with
you people that they think are strong.

Motivation: List interesting feats that strong people accomplished. For example, lift a
car, lift very heavy weights, run thousands of miles. What makes them strong? What
makes them be described with the power of strength over other people? They have
more than the usual physical strength.
Gevura does not only refer to an abundance of physical strength but it can also refer to
an abundance of strength in different areas. When one has more than the standard in
an area, he has strength in that area.
Discuss with your students different types of strengths.
 Physical strength. He can work long hours. He can haul heavy material.
 Financial strength. He has lots of money and is able to accomplish great
projects. He has the money to hire many workers who could help him with his
work. He has the money to buy big machinery to help him with his work. He has
money which enables him to lead great organizations, corporations, and
businesses which help many people.
 Strength in knowledge. He may have medical strength, educational strength,
worldly strength, political strength etc.

On the board display a scene of a big house surrounded with strong iron gates on a
high hill. The scene can be created with die cuts, real photo, or a model. The teacher
can role play Mr. Strong’s part. Use this scene to emphasize the strength of Mr. Strong
in comparison to the small favor that Tehilla asks for.
 Introduce Mr. Strong. He is the Very Important man who lives in this big house
on top of the hill. He has strong metal gates surrounding his house. Important
people constantly visit his house for important meetings. Every meeting needs
to be set up beforehand with his permission. He has a lot of money. People
 walk out of his house with a lot of money. People eye him from afar with lots of
respect. He is in charge of many businesses, organizations, etc.

 It is not proper for a person to ask a very small favor from a person who has the
ability to do much greater favors. One doesn’t usually feel comfortable to
approach a very strong person and ask him for a small favor because we feel
that our request is not important enough for him to be bothered with it.

 Ask students: Would any of you feel comfortable to approach Mr. Strong
to borrow a pen? Role play how you need to climb this hill, pass the iron
gates, knock on his door while his important visitors keep passing by and
ask him for the favor.
How do you think Mr. Strong will react to your small request?

 Even at times when our request is very important and only this strong person has
the capabilities to help us, it is still not in place for us to approach him to ask the
favor.
a) Use this example to emphasize the strength of Mr. Strong in comparison
to how small Tehilla feels about herself.
Example: Ask students to think of a serious situation where someone
needs a lot of help. For example: someone close to you is very sick, yet
he is able to be cured with the right help. Although you know that Mr.
Strong, who is strong financially and medically, could easily refer you to
the best doctor and give you 10,000 dollars to sponsor the costly medical
expenses, it is still not in place for you to approach Mr. Strong.
b) Why? Who am I to speak to such a strong and important person; I’m so
small and weak!
 At such times we will usually try to send someone who is in a greater position
than us, to ask the favor for us.
c) Ask students who they would send to Mr. Strong to ask for a pen. Father,
uncle….
my father is important enough for Mr. Strong to help him.
 Review with students: Although you heard that he assisted, supported, and
saved many people. Although he has the power and ability you won’t feel
comfortable to ask him to help you with your need. Why?
1. You feel that your request is not enough important to be helped by such a
strong and important man.
2. You feel that you are not enough important to be helped by such a strong
and important man. Who am I to speak to such a strong and important
person? I’m so small and weak.

Through bringing in Tehilla teacher will help students realize that we like to rely
on someone that is Strong and has the power to help us. We however, also want
someone that will value my requests and me even if I am smaller than him in
strength.
 d) Tehilla feels small and weak when she is next to this powerful person.
She feels uncomfortable when she needs to ask him for favors. She feels
that her requests are much too small in contrast to the great things that
Mr. Strong does. She however needs help. Merely thinking of asking Mr.
Strong gives her an uncomfortable feeling.

Aim: What qualities would you want in the strong person that helps you and how
would you hope Mr. Strong will react when you ask him for a favor?
A: We like to rely on someone that is kind and will look at her with respect and
say, “That is a very important request. I will really try to help you.” Of course she
also wants him to have all the strength, money, and knowledge that enables him
to help her, her family, her neighbors, and everyone that needs help.
Tell students, “Guess what? Tehilla knows someone that has all these qualities!”
He can even help everyone at every minute of the day! Ask students who that is.
Tell them that they will find their answer in the bracha ‫אתה גבור‬.

Lesson:

'‫ – אתה גבור ה‬You are powerful, Hashem

Hashem, You are a gibor – You have mighty strength.

‫ לעולם‬- Forever
 Ask students to think of a person who is physically strong. Can his power be
weakened? How?
Age, sickness, a loss of something.
 In contrast, Hashem is always strong. He never gets sick like a person. He is
forever strong; He never gets older or weaker.

‫ – מחיה מתים אתה‬You bring the dead back to life

 A person will usually lock up a precious possession. He wants to be the only one
to have access to this treasure and therefore only he will have the key to this
treasure. This allows him to choose with whom he wants to share this treasure.
He wouldn’t want anyone else to have access to his treasure.
Teacher could give example of a diary, stationary collection, or saved money.
 We tell Hashem,” You are our strong Creator and we know that you have three
keys to three special treasures.” These special presents are locked in treasure
chests. Only Hashem could give these presents to us because only He has the
keys to the chests. The strongest person doesn’t have access to these treasures
and can never try to copy the special gifts within the treasure box.
 What are these three gifts?
1. ‫תחית המתים‬
2. ‫חיים‬
3. ‫מטר‬
 We’re lucky that ‫אתה‬- only You Hashem have the keys to these special gifts
because Hashem grants us these gifts even if we don’t deserve it.
‫ – רב להושיע‬You have many ways to help us
1. When someone needs help in many areas he needs different people to help
them with each need.
a. This mashal will help students understand this point. Let students think of
a mother with many responsibilities; She needs to find a recipe for a cake,
buy clothing for her kids, take care of a sick child, organize the closets etc.
Ask students if it would be possible for her to ask one friend to help her
with all her needs? Why?
b. People may have strengths but not in all areas. In the example above, the
mother will turn to one person for the recipe, another for shopping advice,
the doctor for her child, and a cleaning lady for the closets.
2. Hashem has mighty strength in all areas.
 Due to His great strength in all areas:
a) Hashem has the power to help us with everything.
b) He also has many different ways of helping us. He has many different
solutions to each problem.

‫ מוריד הטל‬/‫ – משיב הרוח ומורד הגשם‬You make the dew fall/ You make the wind blow and
the rain fall
 The key to rain is in Hashem’s “hands” – He did not give it over to the Malachim.
Although it seems like nature, rain is a true nes from Hashem. Teacher can
discuss the wondrous nissim of rain and the rain cycle.
 We discussed Hashem’s 3 great strengths which only He can grant us. He is
strong, yet unlike Mr. Strong He lowers Himself among us to help you and me
individually! We’re very important to Him! Our little needs are very important to
him. How does He help us?

‫ – מכלכל חיים בחסד‬You kindly provide us with food which keeps us alive
1. He gives us food b’chesed.
2. Ask students why Hashem gives us food?
A: So that we should have strength; so that our bodies could function.
3. Hashem gives us food with good taste, in many different colors. It’s very
important to Him that we should enjoy our food.
a) Let students choose one food and pretend it would be a tasteless pill. Help
students realize that if food is made to give us strength, Hashem
technically could’ve concentrated the vital nutrients and vitamins into pills.
b) Let students take out their snack and observe the variety! Look at how
many different foods Hashem gave us!
‫מחי' מתים‬
1. Didn’t we just say that before? Let students find it again later in the bracha. Why
do we mention the same phrase three times in one bracha? Each time it refers
to a different ‫תחית המתים‬:
a) The big day of ‫תחית המתים‬. The time when Hashem will bring the dead
back to life. We will see our grandparents, great-grandparents….the
Avos!
b) Every morning.
  Which part of us wasn’t alive in us throughout the night? Part of our
neshama was in shemayim. Part of our neshama lives in shemayim
while we sleep.
 Ask students how we know that our neshamos are not in us
throughout the night, while we’re asleep? What do we say in ‫מודה‬
‫ אני‬that clearly tells us that?
A: ‫ מודה אני‬we thank Hashem…‫ – שהחזרת בי נשמתי‬for returning our
neshamos! We thank Hashem for granting us life by reviving our
neshamas, for giving us the gift of ‫ תחית המתים‬every morning!
c) Rain.
 When does rain revive; make things come alive?
It revives dead pits. A dead pit from an apple is planted in the earth.
Hashem sends rain and the rain revives into a new fresh living apple!

‫ – ברחמים רבים‬with a lot of mercy

a) Ask students what thoughts enter their minds when they think of ‫תחית המתים‬-
when Hashem will revive the dead?
A: We have spooky thoughts. How will they look? How will we be able to relate
to them? Will we be scared?
b) ‫ ברחמים רבים‬Hashem will make it happen with lots of ‫רחמנות‬. The dead will get
up with their clothes. The atmosphere will be comfortable and happy. When
Hashem will give us this great gift, He will do it all the way!

‫ – סומך נופלים‬You support those who fall

 The term “He’s falling apart” is used when someone has so many
challenges that he feels that he’s falling apart. He feels helpless; however
he’s not helpless. Hashem with His great strengths can help him!

‫ – ורופא חולים‬and You heal the sick

 He is stronger than the germs and viruses. He has the greatest strength in
the medical field.

Q: What makes a person sick?

A: Germs, bacteria, or viruses that enter the body.
Ask students if they were ever sick? How did you feel? Why don’t you feel that
way today?

‫ – ומתיר אסורים‬You free the prisoners

 Who puts people into jail? Hashem is stronger than the policemen! He can
release someone from jail!

‫ – ומקיים אמונתו לישני עפר‬and You keep Your promise to those that sleep in the dust
 The ones sleeping in the earth are the dead. Hashem keeps his promise
of reviving them.
 Ask students why we are mentioning ‫ תחית המתים‬again?
 This promise of ‫ תחית המתים‬is to state that Hashem will revive every dead
person; even those that weren’t buried. The promise is to those that drowned in
water, burnt in a fire, lost etc.

‫ – מי כמוך בעל גבורות ומי דומה לך‬Who is like You, the master of strength, and who can
compare to You?
1) Who else could do ‫ ?תחית המתים‬No one could do such great nissim!

2) We do know stories where ‫ אלישע‬,‫ אליהו הנביא‬revived the dead?

 Hashem is ‫ בעל גבורות‬. He is the master. He’s the boss. He could
give the key of ‫ תחית המתים‬to whoever he wants.
3) Yet, no one is like Hashem. No one, not a human, nor a malach, has his own
power of reviving the dead.

'‫ מלך ממית ומחי‬- You’re the King who makes dead and then alive.

‫ ומצמיח ישועה‬- You make the yeshua sprout

 Before ‫ תחית המתים‬Hashem will make many nissim; building up from small
nissim to greater nissim. Once we’ve watched so many nissim Hashem will
make the great nes of ‫תחית המתים‬. He will make the nes of ‫תחית המתים‬
happen in this slow process so as not to shock us so that we should be able
to witness and handle the wondrous ‫ניסים‬.

'‫ ברוך אתה ה' מחי‬- Blessed are you Hashem, the one who revives the dead.
‫המתים‬

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Silver oak tag
 Key ring
 Black marker
 Pointy, sharp pen
1. Place the key onto the silver oak tag. With a pointy and sharp pen, press on the lines
of the key so that it should give an engraved look on the silver.
2. Create your own engraved designs on the keys.
3. Label the keys with ‫ תחית המתים‬,‫ מטר‬,‫ חי‬with a black marker
4. Hole punch each key and place it in the key ring.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit: Part
4 - Birkas Kedusha
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: To teach students that we, mere people, can lift ourselves to the awesome
holiness of ‫ הקב"ה‬and to give students practical ways to do so.

Materials Needed:
 Tehilla in velour zip-up and the word Neshama
 Tehilla with diamonds
 Pictures of diamonds

Lesson Plan:

Motivation: Ask students to share pleasures that they enjoy. After students shared with
the class what they like, teacher should take one student’s pleasure and ask
the class who else enjoys this pleasure. Teacher should then ask if anyone
dislikes this pleasure. For example: Chany likes ice cream but Raizy doesn’t.
Teacher should then dramatize and tell Chany and Raizy that because she is
so proud of them she wants to treat them to ice cream.
 Ask students if Raizy will enjoy the treat. Why not?
Different people will enjoy different things. What might be a pleasure to one person
might not be a pleasure for the other. Therefore, it is hard to please Chany and
Raizy with the same pleasure.
 Tell students that we are made up of two components: we have a neshama that is a
part of Hashem and it is covered with the guf, a body.

Aim: How are our body enjoyments different than our neshama enjoyments? If the guf
and neshama enjoy different pleasures, how is it possible to please both at the same
time?

Lesson:
1. Write/place the two signs below on the board.
‫רוחניות‬ ‫גשמיות‬
Our neshamos enjoy ruchnius whereas our guf enjoys gashmius.

2. What is gashmius enjoyment?

 Point to the gashmius side of the board and ask students to repeat what they
like and enjoy.
 List their answers below the gashmius sign: ice cream, birthday party, friends,
stationary, new dress, gown, jewelry, fun, games, activities, etc.
 Read their answers while expressing a lot of love for these things. Tell the girls
that all these enjoyments are gashmius enjoyment.

3. What is ruchnius enjoyment?

 Shift to the ‫ רוחניות‬side of board and ask girls when their neshamos enjoy
themselves, when they experience ‫ רוחניות‬enjoyment. Write their answers below
the ruchnius sign.
Friday night, seder night, shul, chuppa, nice tefilla, performing a mitzvah, joining
a hachnasas sefer torah, seeing or visiting tzadikim etc.
 With each answer teacher should build the great feeling of a ruchnius
enjoyment - kedusha. For example:
 “Don’t you feel different by a chuppa? Our neshamos love that special
feeling that we feel by a chuppa!”
 “Don’t you feel different when you enter your succah on yom tov? Our
neshamos love that special and warm feeling!”
 “Don’t you feel different while watching the shabbos lecht? Our neshamos
love that special feeling!”
 Ask students where they would place malachim. Point out to them that
malachim are only ruchnius. They don’t need any Gashmiyus enjoyments.

4. Take students to the highest level of Kedusha and ask them where they would place
Hakadosh Baruch Hu? Ask them if He needs any of the gashmiyus enjoyments that we
previously mentioned.
a. Let students realize that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is pure holiness. He is
separated from ‫גשמיות‬. He is separated from this material world. He is
pure ‫רוחניות‬. He doesn’t need any gashmius. He is so holy; we can’t
begin to understand His holiness.
b. However, Hashem wants us to get a glimpse of his holiness so that we
should be inspired and have the ability to lift ourselves higher. He wants
us to recognize and know Him. He wants us to appreciate His holiness.
Therefore Hashem gives us times when we can strongly feel His
presence and kedusha.
 Ask students to share with you when they feel Hashem’s presence and
kedusha?
a) Refer to the‫ רוחניות‬examples. When we do a mitzvah…etc
b) At times, when Hashem performs a ‫ נס‬we also feel his ‫ ;קדושה‬His
presence.
 Story: There were once parents who waited for a child for many years.
They Prayed by Reb Shimon Bar Yochai’s kever for a child and they were
helped. On Lag B’omer the parents brought their 3 year old son to Reb
Shimon’s kever. The child passed away. The mother put the child next
to Reb Shimon’s kever and said, “This is not the child I meant, give me a
healthy live child”. When she left the room she heard a faint cry from her
child. The child was alive! Hashem gave him back his neshama! When
 we hear or witness such a story we know and feel that the miracle is from
Hashem.
Wow! We feel His presence; we feel His kedusha when witnessing or
hearing such a nes.
 (Let students share with you personal stories of when they witnessed a
nes and felt Hashem’s presence.
 When we taste some of His holiness; whether by doing mitzvos or witnessing a nes,
we feel really good; we feel uplifted.

5. If ruchnius is so good, why don’t we only live with ruchnius?

 Lead students into discussion:
1. Ask them if we could live only with ruchnius. Let them tell you that we can’t
function without food or sleep. We need to spend time with friends. We
need to play. Our bodies need gashmius.
2. Ask students if we could live only with gashmius. Let them realize that our
bodies could survive with gashmius, however our neshamos won’t be fed.
We would feel hungry and empty without ruchnius. We won’t be happy with
such a way of life.
3. Ask students: If we can’t live only with ‫ ;רוחניות‬yet living a life only with ‫גשמיות‬
doesn’t make us happy. So where do we belong; on which side of the
board? (Students will most probably answer that sometimes we live with
gashmius and others we live with ruchnius) Ask students for examples in
their daily lives that prove their answer.
 Teacher could role play examples to prove that their answers might seem
correct but that such behavior doesn’t leave us with a good feeling.
Example: Now I’m davening; I have thoughts filled with kedusha and then
I put away my siddur, and it’s time to enjoy! Now I can eat whatever I
want, laugh with my friends, with no thoughts of Hashem. Now it’s time
for gashmius.
 Let students realize that such behavior doesn’t leave me with a good
feeling. Such behavior is not what Hashem wants.
4. So what should we do? How should we behave if we have two parts within
ourselves that pull to different directions?

6. Use Tehilla and her neshama to clearly show how Hashem took a holy neshama which
is ruchnius and covered it with a body which is gashmius. And he merged them.
Teacher should first place the neshama on the board and then cover it with Tehilla.
Now the neshama and body are together. They are one. We need to make the body
become a neshama. We need to lift the ‫ גשמיות‬into ‫רוחניות‬. Hashem wants us to do
that throughout the entire day.

7. Ask students how that is possible.

 Use Tehilla to show students how we could be holy the entire day by doing
Hashem’s will. Bring in smartly dressed Tehilla; in her hands are glistening
diamonds.
  Use the following mashal along with the two photos to explain how gashmius
could be lifted into ruchnius.
1. Show students the original diamond photo and ask them to describe the
photo. Ask them if they feel that this is a useful item. Answers will most
probably include: Dirty, full of mud and dirt, looking like a rock.
2. Show students the beautiful looking diamonds in Tehilla’s hands and ask
them to describe the diamonds. Ask them if they feel this is a useful item.
Answers will most probably include: Shining, glistening, royal, and
expensive.
3. While pointing to the dirty diamond, tell students that a diamond at first is
found in the ground. Diamond miners; however, know the potential of this
dirty looking rock. They know that with the right work this dirty looking rock
could transform into a beautiful, glistening diamond. The diamond cutter will
remove the dirt, and chisel it with his special tools. Then the rock will look
like the beautiful diamond that it is.
4. Ask students to which category on the board they would compare the beauty
of a glistening diamond; which category leaves us with a sparkling and
glowing feeling? A: Ruchnius, kedusha
5. Ask students which category on the board seems to be like the rock? Why?
Lead them to answer gashmius; it looks worthless; it seems as though this
can’t be glistening kedusha.
6. Is it possible for a rock to turn into a diamond? How can gashmius be
changed to ruchnius; kedusha?
 Discuss with students that by leaving the rock the way it is and not working
on it the diamond rock’s beauty stays covered, but through working with it
with the right work and tools, the rock transforms into a beautiful diamond.
Same is with gashmius; by using our gashmius in the right way, we turn our
gashmius into ruchnius .

Teacher should use the words of ‫ אתה קדוש‬to review the concepts that she taught up until
here. It is helpful to hang the words on the board while saying the words.

‫ אתה קדוש‬- You are holy.

‫ כלו רוחניות‬without any gashmius:

‫ ושמך קדוש‬- And Your name is holy.

Hashem’s name represents his essence. Your essence is holy.
 To explain this concept, say a student’s name. For example Leah. Ask
students what they think of when they hear her name. They think of the person
that is represented by the name Leah. They don’t think of the letters LEAH, but
they picture Leah’s face, Leah’s personality, Leah’s talents etc. When we hear
or say Hashem’s name we automatically think of Hashem’s essence– Kedusha.
We think of His greatness, his kindness, and His holiness.

‫ וקדושים בכל יום יהללוך סלה‬- And we holy Yidden say his praise every day; forever .
  The biggest praise that we could give to Hashem is nachas from us yidden;
when we do what He wants.
 The following mashal will help students understand how we could give the
biggest praise to Hashem.
Mashal: A child would say the praise of / thank his parent by saying thank you,
or buying him a gift. The biggest thanks a child could possibly give to his parent
is letting his parents see nachas from him; when he behaves the way they want
him to behave. What does Hashem want that his children, the yidden, should
do? He wants us to take the gashmius in our lives and raise it to ruchnius;
kedusha.
 Discuss with students how these examples could be lifted to ruchnius in Tehilla’s
day.
 Dress – tznius
 Food – healthy , ‫כח‬, brachos
 Games – play nicely with friends
 Shopping – thank mother
 Sleep – krias shema, koach etc.
 To explain the greatness of lifting gashmius to ruchnius teach the students how
special the yom tov Purim is even if we are busy with gashmius the entire day. Not
only is the yom tov special but the gashmius turned into ruchnius makes this yom
tov even more ‫ חשוב‬than Yom Kippur.
 Ask students in which column they would place the yom tov Yom Kippur.
Discuss with students the holiness of the day. Tell students that the word
holy defines separated – alienated from gashmius. On Yom Kippur we don’t
eat, drink, sleep etc. We only daven; we’re busy with ruchnius.
 Ask students in which column they would place the yom tov Purim. Discuss with
students how busy we are with gashmius on that day. Whether it’s the seuda;
eating, mishloach manos, or dressing up in costumes. We’re busy all day with
food, fun, and people.
 Ask students which Yom Tov they think is more ‫ חשוב‬by Hakodosh Baruch Hu.
Help students realize that although Yom Kippur seems holier because it is only
ruchnius, Purim is more chashuv by Hashem because we take gashmius and do
mitzvos with it!
 How do we do mitzvos with the gashmius? We make others happy with our
mishloach manos, we make berachos before eating at the sueda, we have a
chance to share our goodies etc.
 That’s why it says ‫ – יום כיפור כיום הכפורים‬What does the ‫ כ‬show us? Yom Kippur
is only LIKE Purim. Purim is the holiest day of the year. Yom Kippur is next; as
holy as Purim.

‫ כי קל מלך גדול וקדוש אתה‬- Because you are a great and holy king.
 You are holy and You want us to be holy.
 This concept is also seen in Parshas Kedoshim: “‫”קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני‬- Hakadosh
Baruch Hu tells us to be holy because He is holy. How could we strive to be holy
like Hakadosh Baruch Hu?
Summary: Refer to your opening aim question. How could we lift ourselves to the
holiness of Hashem?
 Today we learned one way of how to be holy! We elevate our gashmius into ruchnius.
We use our daily activities as a tool to do Hashem’s will. That is when we feel
Hashem’s presence. That is when we feel kedusha. That is the way that we lift
ourselves to the holiness of Hashem.

‫ ברוך אתה ה' הקל הקדוש‬- Blessed are you Hashem ; the holy G-d.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Diamond shapes on white paper
 Silver shiny oak tag made up of many squares; gives a blinding shiny effect
 Sand paper/ gray and blue sand (Create own sand by coloring salt with chalk/ chalk
pastel)
 Blue/ black marker
 White labels

1. Trace diamond shapes onto oaktag and cut.

2. Fold diamond in half and Cover the outside of the diamond with sand.
3. Write an example of gashmius on the white label and stick the label onto the sand
part of the diamond.
4. Show how gashmius could turn into ruchnius just like the dirty stone could turn into
a beautiful diamond by writing in the inside of the diamond how the gashmius could
be used for Ruchnius.
For example: Dress on the sand. Tznius on the shiny silver.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 5 - Birkas Da’as
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah

Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will understand why this bracha is the first ‫בקשה‬. They will
also get a deeper understanding of what we ask for when we ask for ‫דעת‬.

Materials Needed:
 Illustrations of ‫ מדבר‬,‫ חי‬,‫ צומח‬,‫( דומם‬not provided)
 Animal camouflage pictures (provided)

Introduction to ‫בקשה‬:
 Mashal: A person was once granted the opportunity to speak to the
mayor of his city. The mayor was ready to provide him with whatever he
needed. The person, living in a cramped apartment with no income and
suffering from a serious illness, was elated with his grant. He anxiously
awaited his special time with the mayor and couldn’t wait to ask for
whatever he needed. The day before his appointment finally arrived. He
couldn’t sleep; he couldn’t eat. He was very nervous…”Will it work out?
Will I articulate my words properly? Will the mayor listen and grant me my
pleas? What should I ask for foremost?” And so he was on his way to
the mayor. His stomach was asking for food. His body was calling for
sleep…He was very nervous. He met the mayor. Seeing the mayor
before him, he got very nervous and couldn’t think clearly. It was hard for
him to remember his needs. He could only think of his grumbling stomach
and tired body. And so, in his few minutes to ask all his wishes, he
desperately requested, “Mayor, can you please supply me with a tuna
sandwich and a comfortable bed?!!!
Wasn’t that foolish? We don’t want to be like him!
 Therefore, we first ask Hashem for ‫ דעת‬so that we shouldn’t get flustered
when we stand before the melech malchei hamolochim. When we have
the special opportunity to ask for our wishes, we should know what to ask
for.

‫ברכת דעת‬
Motivation: Teacher should display on her desk the four categories: a ,‫דומם‬
‫ מדבר‬,‫ חי‬,‫( צומח‬for example: stone, flower, monkey, and a student.)

Aim: What makes us, ‫אדם‬, be the highest level?

Lesson:
A. ,‫ חי‬,‫ צומח‬,‫דמום‬
Discuss with students that a ‫ דומם‬and ‫ צומח‬don’t have any ‫ חכמה‬whereas
an animal does have ‫חכמה‬. An animal's ‫ חכמה‬however is only for his
safety and survival. (This is called the animals instincts.)

1. Q: Ask students what a stone could do.

A: Nothing.
Q: Does he have ‫?חכמה‬
A: No. Explain that the same is with a brick, a piece of metal, table,
chair….
2. Q: Ask students what a flower could do.
A: A flower could grow, change colors, reproduce, and die. A flower does
these procedures without thought or hard work.
Q: Does he have ‫? חכמה‬
A: No. It doesn’t possess or use any form of ‫חכמה‬.
3. Q: Ask students what an animal can do.
A: They run, play, eat, kill, hide, sleep, etc.
Q: Do they have ‫? חכמה‬
 Discuss with students how animals use their ‫ חכמה‬:
 A bird uses his beak, or twig to dig in the earth to find worms. He eats the
worms or feeds them to his children. He uses his wisdom to survive.
 Elephant kicks dirt onto a wound to stop it from bleeding. He uses his
wisdom to survive.
 Cat hides and waits in prey. Waits for bird or mouse to pass and then
pounces on it. Again, he uses his wisdom to have food to survive
 Show pictures while discussing camouflage; grasshopper in grass,
butterfly, fish, chameleon, lizard, snakes. They use their wisdom for
safety; to survive.
4. Q: Ask students what we, as people, can do?
A: Talk, walk, read, write, play, sing etc.
Ask students if we have ‫חכמה‬.

B. Animal vs. Human ‫חכמה‬

If an animal also has knowledge, what makes us be the highest level? Why is
our gift of knowledge so special?
1. Refer to the previous examples to show students how animals use
instincts for survival.
2. Discuss with students that a person has knowledge not only for
survival. The present ‫ חכמה‬that we, as people, as yidden, receive from
Hashem helps us grow in '‫ עבודת ה‬so that we shouldn’t stay in one
place. It enables us to choose right over wrong. It enables us not to
go after our instincts. Our ‫ חכמה‬enables us to differentiate between
good and bad and know what Hashem asks of us in every situation.
It’s the most valuable thing that we own.

C. Use the words in the bracha to explain the gift of knowledge that we ask for.
1. Board: ‫ – אתה חונן לאדם דעת ומלמד לאנוש בינה‬You give wisdom to man
and You teach understanding to people (Create your own strip and hang it
on board or simply write on board.)
a. We ask for knowledge that Hashem grants only to a person; the
knowledge to choose right over wrong.
b. When a person doesn’t use his ‫ חכמה‬to change or when he knows
something is right but doesn’t apply it to his actions, he is behaving like
an animal. A human uses his knowledge to choose right.
 Board
‫איד‬-‫מדבר‬ ‫חי‬ ‫צומח‬ ‫דומם‬ 

  Nothing

No ‫ חכמה‬, grows
 
  ‫חכמה‬, = instincts for survival
          
  ‫חכמה‬, = to grow in '‫ עבודת ה‬. Not to stay in one place

 Story Aristotle: Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, who was known for his
wisdom, spread his ideas on proper and ethical behavior. He was once
seen breaking off a leg of a running rabbit and then eating it with pleasure
while the bunny whimpered in pain. When asked how he could act
against his strong beliefs in ethics, he explained himself with a question.
A mathematician works all day with numbers. Does he ever turn into a
number? A ‫ גוי‬has wisdom but doesn’t feel that it obligates him to change
in any way, especially when his desires are strong. His desires take over
his ‫חכמה‬. He knows what is right but he can’t overcome his desires to
abide by it. He lives with instinct like an animal and therefore there’s no
room for growth and change; he stays in one place.

2. Board: ‫ – חננו מאתך חכמה בינה ודעת‬grant us from You smartness,

understanding and wisdom (Create your own strip and hang it on board or
simply write on board.)
3. What is the difference of the three ‫?חכמות‬
Tehilla to the class.
 ‫חכמה‬- knowledge – Tehilla studied for a Parsha test. She knew all the
answers. She scored 100%! What does Tehilla know? She knows the
answers. Teacher could give examples. Tehilla knows this. She could
tell it to you; she could write it for you. She doesn’t need to look into her
papers to tell it to you.
 ‫בינה‬- understanding – it uses the ‫ חכמה‬to understand something else.
‫מבין דבר מתוך דבר‬. Last night when Tehilla saw the sun descending and
the sky turned dark. What did she understand? That the day was gone
and night had begun. Not only does she know it on paper, but she
understands it in real life too.
 ‫ דעת‬- Applying – Tehilla understands that it is night. She knows and
understands that tomorrow when the sun will shine, it will be a new day
 with many tasks to accomplish. She knows and understands that she
needs to be rested in order to accomplish her tasks. Tehilla uses her ‫דעת‬
-She has the ability to choose , to make a mature decision. She goes to
sleep.
Another example would be when Tehilla sees a friend who looks lonely
and hurt. She understands that she wants to join the discussion. Tehilla
uses her ‫ דעת‬to make a mature decision. She stops talking to the circle of
friends, and asks her lonely friend a question to make her be part of the
discussion.
We ask for all 3 ‫חכמות‬.

4. ‫חננו מאתך חכמה בינה ודעת‬

It seems to us that the goyim also have ‫חכמה‬. Is that true? Ask students what
they learn in their English studies Math, Science, etc. Ask them if the
information is true.
 In addition to the request that we want all three ‫חכמות‬, we ask Hashem for
Yiddishe ‫חכמה‬. There are many ‫ חכמות‬by the ‫ גוים‬and their ‫ חכמות‬are
easily attainable. However, all their ‫ חכמות‬originate from the Torah. We
ask Hashem to help us gain knowledge, not from ‫גוי'שע חכמות‬, but from
‫קדושה‬, from the Torah, from Hashem.
 Show students how every ‫ חכמה‬could be found in the Torah. For example:
a. Math: In Maseches Sukka and Erev. Many complex measurements,
problem solving and algebra. Show students.
b. Science: The ‫ משניות‬discusses the solar system… how the sun and
moon revolve around earth….
c. Health: Story: There was once a person who had serious heart
problems. He went from doctor to doctor. There was no cure…the
doctors were all hopeless. The doctors who studied medicine for many
years were unable to come up with a solution, they waited sadly for his
death. The person’s last thread of hope was to go to the ‫ חזון איש‬to get
a bracha. Hearing the difficult situation, the ‫ חזון איש‬asked for a few
quiet minutes. He then handed the person a detailed paper of how the
doctors should perform his surgery. (Show students paper.) The ‫חזון‬
‫ איש‬never studied biology or medicine; he learned torah all day. The
doctors were astounded with the detailed instructions. It was hard to
believe that a human worked out such a complex predicament.
 Ask students how the ‫ חזון איש‬knew the details of the heart so
perfectly. Tell them that he learned torah all day and most of the
night. The torah contains all the ‫ חכמות‬in the world. There are
many sources that provide a person with ‫ ; חכמה‬however, Toras
Hashem is a place where the deepest and widest level of ‫חכמה‬
could be found.
 Ask students to look at strip and show where we ask that we want holy
‫ חכמה‬from you- Hakudosh Baruch Hu. Student should underline ‫מאתך‬.
 5. ‫ ברוך אתה ה' חונן הדעת‬- Blessed are You, Hashem who grants wisdom
(Create your own strip and hang it on board or simply write on board.)
6. We finish off the bracha by thanking Hashem for this special gift:
 Ask students to look at all the strips on the board that make up this
bracha. With which letter does it start and then end? It starts with an ‫א‬
and ends with a ‫ת‬. This precisely teaches us that our special gift ‫חכמה‬
contains everything. When a person has the gift of knowledge to
understand right over wrong and based on that knowledge makes a
mature decision, he is granted with everything!

Summary: Ask students to answer the Aim question.

 Only we are granted with the special gift of ‫ ;דעת‬the knowledge to choose
right over wrong.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
1. Silver oaktag
2. Black or green paper
3. Colored chalk
Directions:
1. Cut border of blackboard on silver oaktag
2. Cut the center of the board of green or black paper
3. Let students write and draw the four categories with chalk: ,‫צומח‬,‫דומם‬
‫מדבר‬,‫חי‬. Review with students that we, people are in the highest category
because we are granted with the gift of ‫דעת‬.
Hashem made ani-
mals with wisdom
so they can protect
themselves.
‫ברכת דעת‬
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 6 – Birkas Teshuva
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah

Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will get a clear understanding of how we can come close to
Hashem after we have drifted from Him (through sin).

Materials Needed:
 Picture of man’s hat (for father) provided
 Picture of crown (for king) provided
 Sorry looking Tehilla

Lesson Plan:
Motivation: Tehilla sinned.
 Let one student know before class that she will be acting out Tehilla’s ‫נסיון‬.
Let two additional students act the part of the yetzer hora and the yetzer
tov.
Example: It’s Shabbos afternoon. Tehilla has just woken up from her
nap. A new kid in the class is coming over to her house soon. She’s
so excited, yet nervous. Will she make a good impression? She
dresses in her nicest Shabbos dress and looks herself in the mirror…
oh my! Her hair is so messy. That won’t do for a new friendship. She
has a very good brush that would undo all the knots in her hair. She
will look beautiful with her smooth hair and pretty bow.
‫ יצר טוב‬: “I can’t do that! It’s Shabbos, It’s an aveira!” Maybe I should try to
smooth it with my hand, I can’t be mechalel shaboos!”
‫יצר הרע‬: “But that’s going to ruin my new friendship! What will Rivky say
to such messy hair? She’ll think I’m a slob, she won’t want to be my
friend!”
Tehilla has an inner battle. She can’t decide what to do? She really
doesn’t want to sin; however, she has to please her new friend. And so,
Tehilla quickly takes a good brush and brushes her hair. No more knots;
in its place is smooth hair pulled back in a neat ponytail with a beautiful
ribbon. Tehilla’s new classmate arrives and she has a very nice time with
her new friend. That night, Tehilla has a hard time falling asleep.
 Ask students why? She doesn’t feel good about herself.

Aim: Is there anything Tehilla could do about her aveira?

Lesson:
  Firstly Tehilla knows she did something wrong.

‫ – השיבנו אבינו לתורתך וקרבנו מלכנו לעבודתך‬Bring us back, our Father, to Your
Torah, and bring us close, our King, to Your Avoda
 Discuss the feeling of a child’s regret when disappointing his father. Use
the following example to explain the feeling.
 Example: Father asks his child not to ride his bike without a helmet
Child is in a rush, his friend is waiting, he can’t find his helmet, and
therefore he rides his bike without a helmet. The father pulls into his
driveway and sees his child riding without a helmet.
 Ask students, “What feeling does the father have?”
(Disappointment.) “Does a child like when his father is disappointed
in him?”
 To explain how a child doesn’t want to disappoint his father Ask
students what a child would do in order to make his parents
proud? Example: ‫סיום‬, surprise! love note, certificate etc.
 Summarize with students that a child feels bad about disappointing his
father, who he loves.
1) Tehilla sinned against Hashem, her father, whom she loves dearly. She
feels bad about disappointing him.
 (Place father to the side of Tehilla)
 And therefore she asks Hashem (Create strip and hang to the side
of father or simply write) ‫ השבנו אבינו לתורתך‬Father, I feel bad
that I disappointed You, bring me back to You. I want to do Your
will. I can’t do it on my own. I need Your help to return.
 Teacher fills in a heart with a bad feeling under Tehilla.

 Discuss with students the feelings of a servant when he sins against his
king.
 Ask students how a servant can sin against his king?
1. He didn’t talk respectfully. 2. He wanted to poison the king. 3. He
didn’t fulfill the king’s wishes exactly as the king wanted. Etc.
 Ask students to try to picture the look on the king’s face when he
feels that his servant was negligent in his work or cheated him. Ask
them how the servant feels when he sees a furious look on the
king’s face.
 A servant would be very scared because he knows that punishment
is imminent.
 (Teacher Fills in a heart with a scared look next to Tehilla)
 Summarize with students that a servant fears his king when he sins
against him.

2) Hashem is not only a Father to Tehilla but also a King. Tehilla sinned
against her King. She fears Him. She’s afraid of punishment.
 (hang king on top of Tehilla).
  And therefore she asks Hashem, (Create strip and hang to the side
of king or simply write) ‫ וקרבנו מלכנו לעבודתך‬My King, bring me
close to Your work. Show me how to serve You in the proper way.


Board ‫וקרבנו מלכנו לעבודתך‬ ‫השבנו אבינו לתורתך‬

3) ‫ חרטה‬is the first step to tshuva. Tehilla is Sorry. Does ‫ חרטה‬help? Is the
feeling of sorry enough? Will it heal my aveira?
 Use a mashal of a doctor and patient to explain the gift of tshuva. Let
students understand that although the three steps of tshuva don’t help
when we ruin our bodies it does help when we ruin our neshamos.
 Teacher could use doctor and patient puppets to explain the following
mashal.
1. Doctor: “Your x- ray results are not good. Your lungs are blackened
because you smoked.”
Patient: “Oh! I feel so bad that I smoked, I wish I wouldn’t have!”
 (Create a strip which says ‫ חרטה‬and hang it on
board or simply write on board.)
 Ask students, “Will his ‫ חרטה‬change the x-ray result?”
 Let student put an x next to ‫ חרטה‬on the board.

2. Doctor: “You ruined your lungs.”

Patient: “I know and I’m aware that smoking is wrong.”
 (Create a strip with the word ‫ וידיו‬and hang it on board or simply
write it.)
 Ask students, “Will his ‫ וידיו‬cure his lungs?”
 Let student place an X next to ‫ וידיו‬on the board.

3. Doctor: “We will have to discuss surgery. This is a serious matter.”

Patient: “I’ll never ever smoke again!!!”
 Ask students, “Will his ‫ קבלה על העתיד‬take away the need for
surgery?”
 (Write the word ‫ קבלה‬on a strip and hang on board or simply write it
on the board)
 Let student place an X next to ‫ קבלה‬on the board.

 The patient’s 3 steps of ‫ תשובה‬didn’t improve his body. Now let’s see if
and how these 3 steps could improve our neshama.
 Teacher takes Tehilla in her hand and points to the word ‫ חרטה‬on board:
Teacher speaks in the place of Tehilla:
 1. “Hashem, I’m sorry! I feel so bad that I sinned! I wish I wouldn’t have!”
 Ask students, “Does Hashem listen? Is he interested that she’s
sorry?”
 Hashem is waiting to hear these words.
 Let student make  on the board.
 Tehilla’s sin caused her to drift from Hashem. Now that she’s sorry she’s
rebuilding the relationship. She is one step closer to Hashem, yet not all
the way.

2. What’s the next step that Tehilla needs to do?

 Let student pretend to be Tehilla and say ‫ וידיו‬in her place,
“Hashem, I brushed my hair and tore hair, in order to impress my
friend. I know I wasn’t allowed to do that!
 Ask students, “Does ‫ וידיו‬help? Does it make her closer to
Hashem?”
 Let student make  on board
.
3. What’s the next step Tehilla needs to do to get even closer to
Hashem?
 Let student play Tehilla’s part. “I’ll ‫ בל"נ‬never again use a hard brush
on Shabbos. I want to impress You – not my friend!”
 Ask students, “Does ‫ קבלה על העתיד‬bring her all the way back to
Hashem?”
 Let student make  on board.

 When you perform such a tshuva from within your heart, Hashem looks
deep inside you and sees all your feelings; He sees that you truly mean it.
This is ‫ – תשובה‬returning completely to Hashem (lashon shuv); with a
complete heart. And when Hashem sees your complete tshuva He
accepts you back fully.

‫ – והחזירנו בתשובה שלמה לפניך‬and return us with a complete Teshuva, to You

 We ask Hashem to help us do a complete tshuva; a tshuva where we
understand why we did the aveira. Why did I brush my hair on Shabbos?
When we understand why we did the aveira it helps us not to do it again.

‫ – ברוך אתה ה' הרוצה בתשובה‬Blessed are You, Hashem who wants us to repent
 We thank Hashem for this wonderful opportunity not only does He lets us
– but He wants us to return.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
1. Pink, yellow, and white paper. Variations: Could be done with colored
sponge paper or felt.
2. Pen, crayon, or puff-paint
Directions:
1. Cut the heart and little plaque on pink, the speech bubble and little
plaque on yellow, and the check and little plaque on white.
2. Write into heart plaque with pen, puff- paint, or crayon, ‫חרטה‬. Then
write into the heart, “I feel bad…”
3. Write into Speech bubble plaque: ‫ וידיו‬, Then write into the speech
bubble, “‫”עבירה‬
4. Write into check plaque: ‫קבלה‬. Then write into check, ‫מצוות‬.
 
 
 

   

 
‫ברכת סליחה‬
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 7- Birkas Selicha
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: This lesson is a continuation of the bracha ‫השיבנו‬. Students will get a
clear understanding that after we do ‫ תשובה‬in ‫השיבנו‬, we ask Hashem to come
forth with selicha. Students will explain why we strike the left side of the chest
while reciting the words ‫ כי חטאנו‬and ‫כי פשענו‬.

Materials Needed:
 Begging Tehilla
 Picture of hat and crown
 Post-it notes

Lesson Plan:

Do now: Ask students how Tehilla did her part of tshuva. Let students write the
steps of tshuva on a post-it note. Review the concepts of the father and king. We
learned in ‫ השיבנו‬that Tehilla sinned against her father, her king: Teacher puts up
hat and crown, one on either side of Tehilla. Tehilla has done ‫ תשובה‬to Hashem,
who is both her father whom she loves and her king whom she fears.

Motivation: Teacher puts up a begging Tehilla in the center of the crown and
hat.

Aim: How will Hashem react to her – like a father with rachmanus or a stern,
strict king? Will she be treated like a child or a servant?

Lesson:
I. Father vs. King. In order for students to understand the actions of our
Father and our King, after we sinned; teacher should compare the
reaction of a father when his son sins, versus the reaction of a king when
his servant sins.
A. Reaction of a father when his son sins:
1) Ask the following questions to teach students that a father at first will view
his son’s misbehavior as a mistake. He thinks “It was a mistake, a ‫שוגג‬
(Write word on strip and hang under hat) let me give him another chance -
I really don’t want to punish him.”
a. Give scenarios of misdeeds and discuss a parent’s typical
reaction. The father doesn’t look to punish his child, but neither
 does he ignore a misdeed that his child does. He will usually give
the child another chance.
 You can use a mashal of a father who calls his child inside and the
child doesn’t listen. The father will assume he didn’t hear and will
call him again/ he’ll give him another chance. Ex: Chany cries that
Shaina pushed her; Chaim tells Totty that Sruly tore his paper etc.
Father’s reaction: It was surely a mistake! Chany/Chaim didn’t
really want to hurt you.
 Teach the students the term of an ‫עבירה בשוגג‬. Repeat: A father says “It
was a mistake, a ‫( שוגג‬point to sign) A father will always want to give his
son another chance, He really doesn’t want to punish him."

B. Reaction of a king when his servant sins.

1) Lead students into discussion with the following questions.
a) Does a king have mercy when punishing?
b) Does he try to hold off punishment?
c) What will a king do when his appointed waiter doesn’t arrive
with his meal at exactly 6:00? ( Teacher could refer to ‫שר‬
‫)המשקים ושר האופים‬
2) A king will consider it a transgression. There’s no such thing as a mistake.
He views it as it was done on purpose. A ‫( מזיד‬Write word on strip or
directly on board and hang under crown). A king is stern and exact. He
leads his kingdom with a firm hand. There’s law and order in his land.
3) Point out to students that it is very important that he behave in this
manner. A king can’t lead his kingdom while forgiving all sinners by
saying that it was all done unintentionally. The sinners will repeatedly sin;
knowing that their merciful king will forgive them. Discuss example of
stealing…. it spirals out of control due to constant forgiveness. King will
end up with a kingdom built on burglary and theft.
C. When we repeatedly sin (point to the word ‫) מזיד‬, Hashem can’t act as a
loving father and say, “It must have been a mistake, let Me give him
another try.” Hashem will need to act like a king and punish us for our
sins.
1) To explain this concept expand on the previous mashal of the
father and son.
The next day, the father calls his son inside at the decided time. The son
doesn’t listen. Later he feels sorry and expresses his regret to his father.
How would the father react after hearing his son’s true regret over his
misconduct?
2) Ask students what if this situation happens frequently? Will the
father still say, “Oh, it must have been a mistake, he’ll learn; let me
give him another chance”?
 The father can’t act anymore as a loving, forgiving father. Even if
his son keeps saying, “I’m so sorry!” Now the father will become
strict and use punishment in order to teach his son that such
behavior is unacceptable!
 3) Ask students like whom is the father acting when he uses strict
punishment? Like a King
 The father put on a mask - the mask of a king. Now his son can no
longer say “I’m sorry Totty!” He has to beg like a servant falls
before a king and plead for his forgiveness.
4) Ask students from whom is it harder to get forgiveness? From a
king, of course!

D. When we say the bracha ‫ סלח לנו‬we beg our Father who is acting like a
King, due to our repeated sin, to forgive us and give us a royal pardon.

II. This helps us understand the wording of the bracha.

A. ‫( סלח לנו אבינו כי חטאנו‬Create strip and hang/write under hat)

 Forgive us our Father; we certainly did sin. Forgive us for our ‫חטאים‬, our
sins ‫בשוגג‬. Treat us like a father that overlooks the misdeeds of his
children who were not aware that they were doing wrong.
 ( ‫ סלח‬is ‫ מלשון צלח‬, which means to jump over something and proceed
further)
‫סלח לנו‬- overlook our sins ‫ אבינו‬like a father because we sinned ‫=חטאנו‬
with ‫עבירות בשוגג‬.

B. ‫( מחל לנו מלכנו כי פשענו‬Write/Create strip and hang under crown)

 Our King, We plead your forgiveness for our sins that we got accustomed
to do. (When we continuously transgress on a ‫ שוגג‬we aren’t so scared of
doing this ‫ עבירה‬again and yet again. Our sins become a ‫)מזיד‬
‫ מחל לנו‬Forgive us ‫ מלכנו‬like a king because we sinned ‫ = פשענו‬with ‫במזיד‬
‫עבירות‬.


We ask our father and plead by our king to forgive us for our .‫חטאים ופשעים‬
How do we have the courage to turn to Hashem, who is so awesome, for
forgiveness?

C. ‫ כי קל טוב וסלח אתה‬Because Hashem is good and forgiving.

 He forgives both ‫עבירות בשוגג ומזיד‬.

D. Why do we strike our heart when we say the words ‫סלח לנו‬, ‫?מחל לנו‬
 Ask students what their heart did to deserve this strike. Was it ‘he’ that hit
my younger brother? Was it ‘he’ that answered back my mother?! Which
part of me is really responsible?
Use this example to clarify: Ask students:
 Did you ever embarrass your brother?
 Were you ever told that it’s wrong?
 If so, why did you do what you know is wrong?
 Through this conversation you would like to bring your students to the
understanding that our emotions are controlling our logic at a time of sin.
 We know that it is our heart that feels and then makes us sin. Although
we sometimes know with our brain that it is wrong. Our heart feels and
that feeling overtakes our mind. Teacher could discuss ‫מח שולט על הלב‬.
 The following situation will clarify the concept of ‫מח שולט על הלב‬: Child
knows (mind) that he’s allergic to peanut butter; eating it will cause him
severe headaches; however, he still craves it (heart) and eats it.
 Examples:
 My heart felt jealousy at my brother; although my mind knew
that it is wrong, I embarrassed him.
 My heart felt anger at my mother; although my mind knew that it
is not respectful, I answered back.

E. ‫ברוך אתה ה' המרבה לסלוח‬: Blessed are you, Hashem, the gracious One
who pardons again and again.
 We are so thankful to Hashem for forgiving us over and over again! As
many times as we sin, Hashem kindly forgives us.

                                                                                         

Tehilla   

‫מחל לנו מלכנו כי פשענו‬ 

  
‫סלח לנו אבינו כי חטאנו‬ 
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 8 - Birkas Geula
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will understand the concept of being redeemed while we’re
still in galus; the geula of being freed from our fears.

Materials Needed:
 Frightened Tehilla and a removable blanket
 Picture of door

Motivation: Tehilla is on the board covered with a blanket. Students can’t see
her face. Teacher closes the light (optional: close the curtains in your classroom
to make the room dark) and whispers, “Good Night Tehilla!”
Tehilla is sleeping. She sleeps by herself in a room. No one is in her room now.
No one is bothering her. She seems to be sleeping very peacefully. Suddenly,
she wakes up! (Teacher takes off Tehilla’s blanket to reveal a frightened Tehilla.)
Tehilla is terrified!
 Ask students, “What happened? Why is Tehilla so scared? What
feeling is she filled with?” (Teacher writes FEAR onto the board)
Tehilla had a bad dream. She is gripped by fear. Did her dream really happen?
If so why is she so scared? Help students realize that although the fear is not
logical or realistic it still causes Tehilla to feel scared.

1. Ask students to try to describe the feeling of fear? Heart beating fast,
sweating, scary thoughts,
 Let them share times when they felt like they were gripped by fear.
 Lead students into a discussion of how fear keeps you back from
behaving in a normal and logical way. The discussion should make it
clear to students that fear is a painful thing.
For example:
 You don’t go to the kitchen at night; maybe there is a kidnapper,
dangerous animal hiding there.
 You don’t want to babysit; maybe a thief will break into the house.
 You don’t want to join the class for the yearly trip; to a water park,
because you are scared of water.
 Even if you know that there is really nothing to be scared about, and
the scary thoughts are not realistic you can’t bring yourself to do it.
Your fear keeps you back from doing it.
 2. Ask students to describe the opposite feeling of fear. (Teacher writes
SAFE onto board)
 Tehilla had a bad dream; she’s very scared.
What could make Tehilla feel safe?
Let students share their ideas. Their answers will most probably be
that Tehilla’s mother walks into her room and opens the light. (Teacher
opens the light and says; “Now Tehilla feels safe. “)

3. Teacher should take Tehilla off the board and make the mashal relevant to
the students’ lives.

Aim: When do we feel safe; when don’t we feel fear?

 Students’ answers should develop into a discussion of times and
conditions that make them feel safe:
For example:
 When a parent/adult is nearby.
 Day makes you feel safer than the night.
 When people around you don’t look threatening – no ‫ גוים‬around.
 If a girl usually bullies you and she’s not around

‫ – ראה נא בענינו‬Please look at our suffering

 See our pain, our fears our phobias

‫ – וריבה ריבנו‬and fight our battle

 We ask Hashem, that at times we feel fear, we feel stuck, we feel
chained, and we feel like we can’t do anything to help our fears. We
feel like an army came to attack us and we’re too weak to fight it.
Therefore we ask Hashem, “Please Hashem, You fight it for us!”

‫ – וגאלנו גאולה שלימה מהרה‬and redeem us with a complete redemption quickly

 How could Hashem free us from our fears?
 Let students imagine a big window in the sky and Hakadosh Baruch
Hu is ‫ כביכל‬watching us from the window. Ask them if they would ever
feel fear. Let them share with you that they would feel very safe.
 There are times that Hashem watches us in a way that we feel like we
could see Hashem through the window. (Teacher writes ‫משגיח מן‬
‫ החלונות‬on the board)
 Ask students when they feel such a feeling – A feeling of Wow,
Hashem watched me now! Lead students into discussion on
Hashgacha Pratis – times when it is so obvious to me that Hashem is
involved in my life. Times when I feel that Hashem cares and watches
over me.

‫ – למען שמך‬for Your sake

 Hashem protects us in a way that He’s watching from the window and
we see his Hashgacha not because we deserve it but because You
 want us to stay alive. You don’t want that the ‫ גוים‬should have a ‫שליטה‬
over us. You want your nation to last forever.
 Discuss with students ‫בכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו והקב"ה מצלנו‬
"‫”מידם‬
‫כי קל גואל חזק אתה‬- Because You are Hashem, the strong redeemer
 You have the strength to help us even at times when we don’t see your
Hashgacha clearly and the situation seems very scary and threatening.
Not only do you have the strength to help, but you do watch over us in
such scary moments even if we don’t see it clearly.
 Explain this concept to students by referring to the imaginary window used
before. At times we don’t feel safe, we’re scared, we hear scary stories, and
we can’t see Hashem clearly in the window. Even in such times we know that
Hashem is there. We can’t see Him because He is hiding; yet we know that
He is watching from the cracks.
(Teacher shows crack by the door where Tehilla’s mother could peek in and
see everything in Tehilla’s bedroom. The mother could watch her from the
crack but Tehilla can’t see her)
(Write ‫ מציץ מן החרכים‬under the word FEAR)
 Another way that Hashem watches over us through the cracks and we don’t
see him clearly is when Hashem takes away scary threats without letting us
feel the fear. We don’t even know that something bad was supposed to
happen. Our enemies may plan to harm us but Hashem destroys their
plans. ‫רבות מחשבות בלב איש ועצת ה' היא תקום‬
 Hakadosh Baruch Hu is always there and therefore if we look for Hashem’s
Hashgacha we’ll find it. And when we’ll find his Hashgacha we’ll feel safe!

 The following story/mashal proves the point that when we’ll really believe that
Hashem has the strength to fight all of our fears, we’ll feel safe and we’ll let
go of all our fears.
(Saying the story in present tense makes it very real to the students.)

A man is falling off a very dangerous steep cliff. While tumbling, he grabs
hold of a stone that is sticking out. He stops falling but he is hanging very
dangerously over a deep cliff of sharp and dangerous rocks. Fear grips him.
He feels death is very close! He holds on to the edge of the stone for dear life
and calls out to Hashem for help.
Hashem asks him, “Do you really believe that I could save you?”
And the man answers, “Yes! Of course!
Hashem asks, “Are you sure?”
And the man answers again, “Yes!”
Hashem responds, “If so, then let go of the stone!”

‫ – ברוך אתה ה' גאל ישראל‬Blessed are You, Hashem the Redeemer of Yisroel

Application:
Materials needed:
  Yellow, white, and gray crepe paper. Variation: Could also be done with
felt or color paper.
 Loose-leaf paper

Directions:
1. Cut the sun on yellow, the clouds on white and gray, and the two
rectangles on yellow and gray.
2. Cut sun rays on yellow.
3. Write onto sun ‫ משגיח מן החלונות‬to show the concept of seeing Hashem
clearly in our lives.
4. Let the students write onto loose-leaf paper a personal ‫השגחה פרטית‬
story; when they saw Hashem clearly guiding our every move. Then
students should insert their writing into the yellow cepe paper flap.
5. Write onto gray cloud ‫ מציץ מן החרכים‬to show the concept of seeing
Hashem peeking through the dark clouds; to show that even in hard times
we could find Hashem guiding our lives.
6. Let students write onto loose-leaf paper a personal story of fear and how
they felt safe once they pictured Hashem watching them through the
cracks. Then students should insert their writing into the gray crepe paper
flap
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 9 - Birkas Refuah
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will get a clear understanding that it is Hashem who heals us
through His messengers - the doctors.

Materials Needed:
 One Tehilla whose face is covered with red dots
 Tehilla in velour zip-up
 One Tehilla whose face is clear, but looks unhappy

Motivation: Place a picture of Tehilla covered with hives on the board. Describe how
painful and itchy the hives are. Tehilla feels very uncomfortable.
1. Ask students what she could do to alleviate the pain. Answers may include:
Take Benadryl, apply anti-itch cream, take a bath etc.
2. Ask students if these actions will make her rash go away.
3. Help students realize that although their suggestions will soothe her pain
none of them will cure her. Tehilla needs to see a doctor who will understand
why the breakout happened. (When we’re uncomfortable, in pain, or sick we
can’t simply take painkillers. We need to see a doctor.)
 Use Tehilla to explain this concept. Tehilla sees her doctor. He checks
her, and orders blood work. He looks at the results and finds on infection,
the cause of the hives. He then gives her the appropriate medicine.
 (Teacher replaces spotted Tehilla with Tehilla in velour zip-up and
exclaims) “Wow! What an amazing doctor. What a smart and
knowledgeable doctor! “
4. Ask students “Is that really the way it works?” Is it the doctor that cured
Tehilla?
Aim:

Lesson:

‫רפאנו ה' ונרפא‬- Heal us Hashem, and we will be healed

1. Although we go to the doctor and take his prescribed medication, we know that
the cure only comes from Hashem. Hashem is the one that cures, but He does it
through His messengers.

2. Hashem proves this to us many times when doctors give up hope on a patient.
They say that there’s nothing they could do to help the patient. They’ve tried all
the medications. And then, Wow! A Miracle! They agree that there must be a
 Higher Power that helped the patient recovers from a terminal sickness. At times
when doctors admit that they’ve done everything in their power to heal their
patient, is clear to the doctors that the cure can only come from Hashem and
they exclaim” the only thing left is prayer.” Even though we can’t always see it so
clearly, the cure is always from Hashem. Doctors and medication are just the
‫שליח‬.

3. Many times it seems like doctors do help patients.

a. Discuss the different options that a doctor can offer and help a sick person, for
example; surgery, laser, medication, creams.
b. Nonetheless, doctors are limited. Though new medicines and procedures are
discovered, new ‫ מחלות‬and different strains of known ‫ מחלות‬arise. Many years
ago, diseases like strep and pneumonia were fatal because doctors did not know
of a cure. When vaccines and medications for these dreaded diseases were
discovered people were amazed. They believed it would now be possible to
discover cures for all diseases. Today, facing new illnesses, we understand that
not all cures will be discovered.
 The longer a doctor is in the medical field the more he sees how little he knows.
(Even if he doesn’t admit it!) A person’s body is an amazing mechanism! When
a doctor begins working on it he sees the wonders inside! Doctors are like a boy
with his broken game boy. He wants to fix it, then opens it, and oh my! There are
so many wires! It’s hard to believe! I never knew there was so much inside!
Doctors are lucky to be exposed to the million great miracles of the everyday
procedures in our little bodies.

4. Use Tehilla to explain emotional sicknesses. Place a second Tehilla on the

board. Her body is clear, yet she is frowning and seems unhappy.
 Tehilla is frowning.
 Ask students if they see any sickness on Tehilla. Tell students that although
there are no marks or signs on her body to prove her sickness, Tehilla is sick.
It won’t even come up on an x-ray or MRI.
 Describe Tehilla’s symptoms: Her sickness takes away her appetite, keeps
her from eating and sleeping calmly. Tehilla is sick emotionally.
 Examples of emotional sicknesses: Fear, Anxiety, depression, phobia etc.
Explain to students that a person constantly filled with strong fear is unwell
and needs to be healed.
 Tehilla has a deficiency. She is lacking something. Ask students when it is
important for a person to take vitamins. Just like a person could have a
vitamin deficiency which results in them being weak or sick, so too is an
emotional sickness; it is caused by a deficiency in one area.
 Ask students to try to come up with one ‫ רוחניות‬thing that Tehilla is lacking
and is therefore sick. Tell them that this thing will make her feel secure. She’ll
have no fears, no anxiety. She’ll be so happy. Everything will just be the best!
She won’t feel depressed, afraid, etc. Emunah; She needs to believe in
 Hashem. Hashem you are with me in every situation and therefore I am not
scared.

‫ – הושיענו‬Help us!
 We need Your help for our emotional sickness; instill in us emunah
‫ ונושעה‬And we will be helped.
 If '‫ ה‬helps us strengthen our ‫אמונה‬, automatically our fears will be cured.

‫ כי תהלתנו אתה‬- Because Your are our Praise

 When we are helped, we know that the cure is from You – You healed us, by
sending the proper doctor and medications.

‫ – והעלה רפואה שלימה לכל מכותינו‬And bring a complete cure to all our illnesses
 You cure us completely from our sicknesses. You not only cure our present
sickness but you cure the cause of our sickness so we shouldn’t get sick again.
 When You cure our emotional sickness through taking away our fears, You also
cure the cause of our sickness, by instilling in us ‫אמונה‬.

‫ כי קל מלך רופא נאמן ורחמן אתה‬- Because You are Hashem, a King that is faithful and
merciful Healer
 Make this concept relevant to students by asking them the following questions:
 If chas v’shalom a family member is very sick and the family is looking for
a top doctor, which qualities do you think they’ll be looking for? Do you
think they’ll be looking for a doctor who doesn’t cause pain?
 Do you think they’ll look for a doctor that has no compassion?
 A patient needs, and must have a doctor ‫ רופא‬that is trustworthy ‫ נאמן‬and
compassionate‫ ורחמן‬. And that is ‫ = אתה‬Hakadosh Baruch Hu. A doctor that
withholds treatment because he feels bad is not doing the right thing. He’s not a
trustworthy, responsible doctor. He is not a ‫נאמן‬. Yet on the other hand, patients
don’t appreciate doctors who don’t care about their feelings.

‫ – ברוך אתה ה' רופא חולי עמו ישראל‬Blessed are You, Hashem who heals the sick people
of Yisroel
 We thank Hashem for curing all sick patients in ‫כלל ישראל‬, His nation.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Needle
 Band aid
 Refuah icons on white.
 Gold metal sticker
  
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 10 - Birkas Hashanim
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will get a clear understanding of what we ask for when we
ask for parnassa. Additionally, they will learn how planting/parnassa relates to
them.

Materials Needed:
 Tehilla dressed as a farmer
 Pictures of the stages of wheat’s growth and farm equipment

Motivation: Tehilla is dressed as a farmer. Tehilla’s father is a farmer. Tehilla

helps her father in the field. Place on board pictures of big wheat field, wheat
stalks, farming equipment…etc.
1. Ask students if they’ve ever planted; flowers, vegetables. Ask them to tell you
about the growth process; what time of the year they start planting and what
work is necessary throughout the growth of the plant. Student’s answers
should include that you need to tend to it by watering, giving it sun, weeding it
etc. Tell students that this planting is something we could all understand and
picture. We could probably all be the owner of such a plant.
2. Ask students about large scale planting; if anyone ever saw on the road to the
mountains large pieces of land with many plants. Ask them what it entails to
be the owner of such a wheat field.

Aim: How does vegetation relate to our ‫ בקשה‬of ‫?פרנסה‬

Lesson:
Tell students that in order for us to get a clear picture of what it entails to be
the owner of a large wheat field; we need to visit Tehilla, far away, where she
lives with her family on the farm. Teacher should use Tehilla and her family to
explain a farmer’s work.
The field during the winter:
 Discuss the weather and scene. Brrrr! It’s winter time – cold-
 Ask students how they think the field looks. Very hard and cold,
covered in snow.
 If planting is done spring time, what does Tehilla’s family do
throughout these winter days? Lead students to answer that
nothing could be done now. Now is not the time to work the field.
They can’t even buy equipment for farming because it is freezing
 and snowy outside. There’s no way they could get to town to buy
that.
 Tehilla and her family want to prepare for the success of next
season’s planting. How could they do that in the winter? Help
students realize that there’s only one thing they could do to help
their farm for the next season. And they do that frequently:
"‫ !”תפילה‬The father, the mother, Tehilla, and her siblings daven.
They know that they need the tefillos for the spring.
 Not only do they need the tefillos for the spring but they also need
the tefillos for now. Why? Because Hashem is preparing the earth
for a new growth cycle! They need Hashem to send rain, now in
the winter. There’s a special tefilla that they say two to three times
a day. This is what they say:

1. ‫ – ברך עלינו ה' אלוקינו את השנה הזאת‬Bless us, Hashem our Hashem, this year
 We ask Hashem to bless us this year- this year’s wheat cycle; every step
of the growth process should be with your blessing!” (Point to the picture
of growth process)

2. ‫ ואת כל מיני תבואתה לטובה‬- And with all kinds of crops for the best
 The word ‫ תבואה‬here does not refer only to “grain” or “produce”, but rather
it means all forms of “production” which means all ‫פרנסות‬, business,
manufactured goods, and services to others that we produce. We ask
Hashem to bless whatever we choose to plant or do that brings us the
money that we need.
 Teacher should show students real money and lead students into
parnassa discussion. The following questions will help them understand
why we ask for good crops when we want Hashem to give us parnassa.
 Why do we need money? To be able to live
 How do we get money? Through working
 Did people always have money to help them buy necessities in
order to live? People earned money through trading crops that they
farmed. In addition they traded goods that they found or produced.
 What else could be done other than farming to earn money?
Explain students that earning money could be done either by selling
own products or selling your services. In addition earning money
could also be done by working for an owner.

3. Although we need to work to make money, it is Hashem who helps a

person earn his living. Explain this concept with Tehilla’s family who need
tefillas for the success of their field.
 Point out to students that of course Tehilla’s family needs to farm for
the crops to grow; however they need to daven and trust that Hashem
will send them good crops - success; Hashem will help them earn a
living.
  Our actual work to earn a living is very different than the actual work of
a farmer that earns him a living.
 Teacher could draw a Venn diagram on the board to clarify this
concept to students. Ask students how our work for success is
different than the farmer’s. Write their answers in the diagram.
Answers may include such as: We may order china plates to
sell, help customers in a grocery, make haircuts as a haircut
lady, or prepare great food, drinks and booths for a carnival. A
farmer will weed, plow, plant, water, cut etc.
 We do have different work to get us to success; however,
there’s one thing in common between us and the farmer in the
working process. Ask students which part of the farming
process we also need to do. ‫ !תפלה‬We need to daven and trust
in the help of Hashem just like the farmer.

4. ‫ ותן טל ומטר לברכה‬- And give dew and rain for a blessing
 We ask Hashem for rain that will help the crops grow. Along with this
request, we ask Hashem to give us rain that won’t be destructive to the
field and the crops. Use Tehilla’s farm and her tefillos to explain this
‫בקשה‬.
 Because it’s the winter season Tehilla’s family says in their tefilla the
words that are specifically for the winter season: ‫ ותן טל ומטר לברכה‬-
Hashem, give us dew and rain and please let it be for a blessing; now in
the winter saturate our earth with good rain-‫לברכה‬
 Ask students for different ways in which Hashem could send us
rain. Answers will most probably include: Drizzling rain, Moderate
Rain, Sun shower, Downpour, Thunderstorm, Hurricane etc.
 Ask students which rain they think is good / destructive for crops.
Let them tell you why they chose their answer.

‫על פני האדמה‬- On the face of the earth

 The good rain that we ask Hashem to send us will give us good earth
for planting.
 Discuss again the importance of tefilla for the success of the field.
Although it seems that good soil produces good crops, we need
Hashem to send success to the field. Use Tehilla to explain this
concept.
 Tehilla thinks of the hard work that awaits her when spring arrives; she
thinks of plowing the earth and planting the seeds. She however knows
that all that work on the field is ‫ השתדלות‬that Hashem wants them to
do. But for success – for the ultimate goal- for good crops, for that
they need ‫ – סייעתא דשמייא‬lots of tefillos to receive help from Hashem.
 Review with students previous concept: Once the good crops have
grown they also need to be blessed with good rain in the right time.
They need good rain, not destructive weather and therefore they
daven.
5. When farmers work hard on the field and they don’t see results
immediately. While they wait for their crops to grow they need to
remember that Hashem will make the crops grow. Use Tehilla to explain
this concept.
 The long winter has gone by. Tehilla and her family open the
window to inhale the sweet fragrance of spring. Now they could
enjoy the outdoors. They however need to be very careful
because the earth is still very wet and muddy. Tehilla’s father
tests the earth daily to see when they could start planting. Finally
the day arrives - The day that they start the laborious work. They
work so hard. They sweat under the sun while soiling, watering,
and toiling.
 Ask students if Tehilla’s family sees results immediately. Point to
the growth process pictures on the board to show how the growth
process takes time.
 Every morning, Tehilla runs to the field to check if something grew.
She’s devastated when she sees the field lying just like the day
before. She reports the bad news to her mother. Her mother
reminds her that it’s not their work that will bring success but only
Hashem’s blessing.
 At last, the day arrives when Tehilla sees little sprouts on the soil.
Tehilla’s father enters his home nighttime with a special glow on
his face. He is beaming. He exclaims, “Baruch Hashem the wheat
is growing nicely. We must not stop davening, but continue our
tefillos for good wheat.”

6. In the spring and the summer we ask for a blessing in our crops. ‫ותן ברכה‬
‫ – על פני האדמה‬And give blessing on the earth. Use Tehilla to explain
what we ask for when we say these words.
 Tehilla knows the difference of good and pretty good earth. She
knows the difference of quality wheat versus dry, poor wheat
(show pictures) and therefore she asks Hashem ‫ – ותן ברכה‬give a
blessing in this year’s crops – we should be blessed with quality
wheat.

7. ‫ – ושבענו מטובה‬And satisfy us with Your goodness

 We ask Hashem to give us enough food and money and
possessions for our needs, and along with that He should give the
feeling of being satisfied. Satisfaction will obviate our greed and
lust for more and more; a desire that can never be satisfied. Use
Tehilla to explain this concept.
 The wheat has finished growing. It is ready to be cut. Could we
imagine the family’s simcha?! There’s song on everyone’s lips as
they load the wagon with thick bushels of wheat! The weather is
cool. It’s the fall.
  Ask students which happy Yom Tov is approaching. Succos.
Succos was given a special name "‫ "חג האסוף‬the Yom Tov of
gathering the wheat”. On Succos we thank Hashem for our
parnassa. We are full of simcha and gratitude for our ‘wheat’
(parnassa) that has grown nicely.
 Tehilla is waiting at home. She does her chores, she helps her
mother, but all she’s thinking is how her father is faring at the
marketplace. Discuss with students what Tehilla is thinking:
 “What will my father get for his wheat this time?”
 “Will he get enough wood for the fireplace?
 Maybe extra wood to build her a desk?”
 “Will he have enough to sell to be able to earn extras or
maybe he’ll just have to trade for basics….”
 When Tehilla waits anxiously for her father’s return she remembers what
she davens every day: ‫ושבענו מטובה‬. Tehilla is mature; she has a deep
understanding of the request of ‫ ושבענו מטובה‬- Satisfy us with its goods.
She knows that lots and lots of wheat resulting in lots of money resulting in
lots of possessions is not the only way to be satisfied. Satisfaction is a
bracha from Hashem.
 The following examples will help students learn that a surplus of goods
doesn’t make a person feel satisfied. True satisfaction is a blessing from
Hashem.
 Let students picture a supper table, where everyone gets the
same type and amount of food; a regular supper portion. Is it
possible that someone leaves the table not full, not satisfied,
and unhappy? Not everyone is satisfied with the same type or
amount of food.
 Let students picture a toy store. A class is treated to go on a
shopping spree. Each student receives the same amount of
money. Do they all leave with the same feeling? Some leave
satisfied with their purchases while others are unsatisfied. They
want more money to be able to buy more.
 Therefore Tehilla and we too ask: ‫ושבענו מטבה‬- We know the feeling of
satisfaction- It’s a good content and happy feeling; “I have what I need”.
 Teacher may want to discuss being a ‫שמח בחלקו‬.

8. ‫ וברך שנתנו כשנים הטובות לברכה‬-And bless our year, our parnassa, like the
good years for a blessing
 When we say ‘like the good years’, we refer to the good years that you
promised us through our neviim. You promised them that when mashiach
will come, Klal Yisroel will have good years filled with solid parnassa with
ease. We ask Hashem that we also want it now in galus.

‫ כי קל טוב ומטיב אתה ומברך השנים‬-Because You are a good Aibishter that does
good and blesses the years
‫ ברוך אתה ה' מברך השנים‬- Blessed are you Hashem who blesses the years.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Empty tree with branches – Brown paper
 Money – copied on money green paper
 Rain drops – blue paper or metallic blue oak tag. Optional: Transparency

1. Cut empty tree on brown paper.

2. Cut rain on blue metallic oak tag/ paper. Optional: Transparency on the
drops to give a rainy, glossy look.
3. Stick only half of each dollar bill onto the tree to give the effect of leaves.
4. Let students write onto the money things that they would buy with the
money that Hashem blesses them. They could include necessities as well
as luxuries.
 Summer. Wheat grew successfully
Spring. Wheat at the beginning of
growth
After wheat is cut

Winter. Field is hard and cold Wilted. There wasn’t

Planting cannot be done.
enough rain this year.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 11 - Birkas Kibutz Galuyos
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Goals/Objective: Students will learn what will happen when Hashem will blow the ‫שופר‬
‫של משיח‬.

Do now: Ask students to write a list of countries that they know.

Materials Needed:
Tehilla surrounded by flags from many countries

Motivation: Place a small Tehilla on the board. Surround her with many flags:
American, Egyptian, Spanish, German, Canadian, etc. Tell students that Tehilla is in
Galus together with all of us.

Aim: When will we be freed from dependency on other nations?

Lesson:

1. What is the purpose of Galus?

 We’re all in Galus because we sinned and Hashem sent us from our
beautiful home, the Bais Hamikdash, and our land, Yerushalayim.
Hashem wants us to feel like we’re missing something and yearn for the
geula. When we will truly yearn for the geula, Hashem will bring us back to
Yerushalayim.
 Ask students if Hashem is happy that we’re in Galus. Explain them that
Hashem is waiting and yearning to bring us back to our home; however
He’s waiting for us to show him that we’re longing for the geula.

2. If we are lacking something why don’t we yearn for the Geula? One of the
reasons is because we don’t realize what bad effects the galus has on us. We
don’t feel that galus is so bad.

3. Teacher should take Tehilla through different eras and countries of galus to
explain to students what galus does to a Yid. A clear understanding and
awareness of the effects of galus will make us realize how important the geula is
for us and it will therefore make us yearn for the geula; the goal of galus
 Tehilla in Spain:
Lead students into discussion of the Spanish Inquisition. Let students
share with you information that they know. (Gory details are not
 important.) Stress on the ‫ מסירת נפש‬for yiddishkeit; how it was hard to be a
yid in such dark times. Because it was hard to serve Hashem the
Yiddishkeit in Spain eventually got lost.
 Tehilla in Russia:
Lead students into discussion of Communism. Let students share with
you information that they know. Teacher could discuss the ‫ מסירת נפש‬for
Yiddishkeit. Point out to students that their Yiddishkeit was also lost due to
their suffering. Because of their suffering many of them were turned off
and in desperation gave up their Yiddishkeit.
 Tehilla in Germany:
 Lead students into discussion of World War Two. Let students
share with you information that they know. Let them tell you stories
of people that were proud to be a Yid.
 Tell students that the Germans didn’t only kill Yidden that were ‫שומר‬
‫תורה ומצוות‬, but they also killed non-observant Jews. They killed
them just because they were Yidden.
 Although many stayed strong with their Yiddishkeit, there were
many others that were embittered from their great suffering and
losses that they couldn’t understand why Hashem caused them so
much tzaar and therefore dropped Yiddishkeit.
 Tehilla in America:
 Lead students into discussion of the ‘Goldene Medina’. Discuss
with them the relief and liberation of persecution. The Yiden were
Free to serve Hashem!
 Ask students what the problem could be with a free country.
 Tell students that the yetzer hara didn’t go to sleep in America. He
made us very comfortable here so that we should forget about
Hashem. When we are very full with gashmius, it takes away from
our ruchnius. Therefore, we don’t yearn for the geula.
 Galus causes many of us to get lost to Yiddishkeit either because of
suffering or because of the abundance of gashmius; luxury and comfort.

Medial Summary: We’re dispersed all over the world. Some of us are totally lost to
Yiddishkeit, some of us are partially lost, and some of us are still clinging strongly to
Yiddishkeit. Through hardships and comfort they are yearning, davening, hoping, and
waiting for the geula.

Use the words of

1. ‫תקע בשופר גדול לחרתנו‬- Blow with the great shofar to redeem us
 We ask Hashem to blow with the great shofar to signal us that the time for
redemption is here.
 For those who yearn and wait for the geula the sound of the shofar will be
enough to let them know that mashiach is here. When they will hear the
shofar they will jump up and run towards mashiach.
 2. ‫ – ושא נס לקבץ גליותנו‬And raise a flag to gather our exiles.
 But for those that are lost because of suffering or prosperity – Hashem will
raise a flag to show clearly that mashiach is here! They will need a clear
sign to help them realize that we’re free to serve Hashem. The flag will be
a sign to show that we’re independent; we’re not under other nations, and
that this will be an eternal freedom from other nations!
 All the nations will see clearly that it was Hashem Who placed us in Galus
under them, and He is freeing us from Galus. The nations will realize that
they are not in control anymore. They will understand that the only reason
they had power over us, up until now, is because Hashem let them.

3. ‫ – וקבצנו יחד מארבע כנפות הארץ לארצנו‬And gather us together from the four
corners of the earth to our land.
 Hashem will bring all of us Yiden together from all the different countries to
our land, Eretz Yisroel.
 When mashiach will come the world will be filled with Hashem. We will all
fell uplifted and have a strong will to serve Hashem. ‫"ומלאה הארץ דעה את‬
"'‫ה‬
 Not only will we know Hashem, but everyone will know Hashem; Yidden
and all the other nations
 Discuss with students the different groups of Yidden and their different
hashkafos and beliefs. When we will gather together in Eretz Yisroel we
will all serve Hashem in our own way; however together, with one same
‫ – רצון‬to serve Hashem.

4. ‫ברוך אתה ה' מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל‬- Blessed are You, Hashem, Who gathers
together the dispersed of Yisroel.
 We have such emunah that this will take place, that we end this tefilla with
the brachah in the present tense, as if we have already experienced the
ingathering of the exiles.

Summary: Let students answer the aim question. When we will realize how galus has
bad effects on us and start yearning for the geula, Hashem will see how desperate we
are to get out of galus, and He will redeem us.

Application:
Materials needed:
 Color paper

Directions:
1. On the cover of each flap create with color paper 4 different flags; Russia, Spain,
America, and Germany.
2. Let students write into each flap how this Galus caused Yiddishkeit to be
forgotten. For example:
a. Spain: Spanish Inquisition:
 b. Russia: Communism: It was hard to be a Yid. The Yiden were punished-
sent to siberia if they were caught observing Yiddishkeit. Yiddishkeit got
lost because of the hardships in staying strong.
c. Germany: World War 2: Some Yiden suffered so much because they
were Yiden that they got angry at Yiddishkeit and dropped it.
d. America: The Goldene Medina: The luxuries, and comforts of America
take away our minds from thinking of Hashem and therefore many drop
Yiddishkeit.
When Mashiach will come, He will gather all the Yiden, from all the countries;
both, the ones that stayed strong with their Yiddishkeit in galus and those that
were lost.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 12 - Birkas Shoftim
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Goals/Objective: To teach students that Hashem ensures a safe world through justice.

Lesson Plan:

Do now: Write “It’s not fair!” on the board.

 Let students write when they feel that they are treated unfairly. They will
probably share with you times when:
 Someone cheated you in trading. You bought something and it was
damaged. When you worked for a goal/someone and didn’t receive your
reward. Times when you were taken advantage of.
 Times when you were hurt with no valid reason. Someone hurt you when you
treated her kindly and helped her.
 Someone revealed your innermost secret.
 Someone broke your special present and didn’t refund etc.
 Someone gave you less than you were supposed to get. Others get more
than you when you deserve just as much as them.
 Discuss with students that when the person treating you unfairly will be judged
for his wrongdoings by authority, they will feel that justice was done and the
unfair feeling will most probably calm down.
 How did you feel about the person that mistreated you?
 What would take away that feeling?
 What would make you feel that fairness was done to her?

Motivation: Write/Place on board the word SECURITY (provided)

a) Let students share their thoughts related to the word security: guards, police,
airport etc.
 Ask them why they make us feel secure? Let them share times when they
don’t feel secure.
 Let them realize that these people, symbols, or places make us feel secure.
People are scared to do crime when they’re around because they punish. We
feel secure when the people around us are disciplined and can’t do whatever
they please. We feel secure when the people surrounding us have authority
who watches that people should behave according to the law.
b) Interestingly, not only do we feel secure when others can’t do as they please
but we also feel secure when we can’t do as we please. We also need
discipline and guidance to feel true security. Many times it’s through
authority, a teacher, a mother…
  Example: If I misbehave….my teacher will give me a consequence.
Discipline helps me do what’s right. When I do what’s right I have a
feeling of security; I know that punishment is not waiting for me.
 This discussion should ultimately build to a clear understanding that when
there is true fairness and security in the world people feel safe. We all want
and wish for that.
 Use Tehilla to express students’ wishes on security.
a. Tehilla wants to feel secure, and safe. She wants to live in a world where
there is justice. If someone does wrong real justice should be done.
b. Tehilla also wants to feel that whatever she does is the right thing to do. Why
is it so important to her to feel that everything she does is right; is what
Hashem wants? Why does that feeling make her feel safe? When she feels
that her actions are all 100% right then she knows that there is no punishment
awaiting her.

Aim: When did we clearly see how Hashem rules his world with justice?

Lesson:
Tehilla knows that such a beautiful, fair, secure world really existed in the times of the
Bais Hamikdash. She knows that when she begs enough she’ll be ‫ זוכה‬to it again
together with mashiach!
Therefore she asks:

1. ‫ – השיבה שופטינו כבראשונה‬Bring back judges like we used to have

 Although a judge may give his judgment people will sometimes still not feel
safe. Why? Discuss with students that sometimes people hear what the judge
said but they’re angry at the judge for judging against them. They don’t fully
trust the judge. They feel the judge was wrong and therefore they might try to
get away with the ruling of the judge. We want people to trust our judges so
that they should listen to the judges. Then we will live with the feeling of true
safety and security.
In the times of the Bais Hamikdash when there were shoftim in bais din that
judged the yidden, the Yidden always trusted the judges and accepted their
verdict. Even when the bais din ruled against them, they trusted and knew
that what the shoftim ruled was right and they were ready to listen and do what
was asked of them.
How did the shoftim make us feel safe?
a) The shoftim helped that people surrounding us were scared to do wrong.
Bring an example to clarify this
Example: Two Yidden had an argument in business etc. Person that was
fooled in business felt that he was now treated fairly. Person did damage
to property; needed to pay for the loss.
b) The shoftim made sure that the Yiden did what was right; that they didn’t
sin. This also brought security to the people. How?
Chas vshalom yid did aveira had to be judged which ‫ עונש‬he deserves.
The bais din decided which punishment is parallel to his aveira. He
 feared punishment. If he didn’t do what was right he will get punished by
bais din. Next time when he wanted to do an aveira, he controlled himself
and didn’t sin because he knew there was justice and he would have to
suffer for his aveira. This always helped him do what’s right.
a) A shofet was a very special yid. Not every yid was capable of being a
shofet.
 Ask students which qualities they think a person would need in order to be
qualified to be a shofet. List their answers on the board. Place a star next to
the ones that are related to the following qualities. These are some of the
qualities that a shofet needed to have.
1. ‫ – חכמים‬The shofet needed to know the entire torah, all halachos, to be
able to give the right psak right away. He had to be very clear with the
halacha so that he should be ready for any question. ,‫ תפילין‬,‫אתרוג‬,‫גניבה‬
‫ השבת אבידה‬etc. He had to be shrewd in order to be able to determine if
someone is saying the truth. He also needed to have a lot of worldly
knowledge to understand the argument between businessmen, neighbors,
family members, etc. The gemara adds that they even needed to know
what kishuf is in order to be able to judge if a person transgressed on an
aveira of kishuf.
2. ‫ אנשי אמת‬, ‫ יראי אלקים‬,– He needs to fear Hashem and be honest when
judging. If a relative, family member or friend was being judged, the shofet
will automatically find rights in his close one and want to judge him right.
Therefore the shofet needed to fear Hashem and judge according to
Halacha, even if he had to rule against his close ones.
3. ‫ שונא בצע‬- He needed to hate money that is ‫ לא כדין‬. He only likes honest
money, and wouldn’t take ‫שוחד‬. Discuss with students what warped justice
is. – When criminal hires a good lawyer or if he gives ‫ שוחד‬to the judge.
That doesn’t give a safe feeling. Maybe the judge won’t judge truthfully.

 Once the Shofet gave the final ruling there were messengers that executed
the punishment
a. It was very important for the messengers to have ‫חכמה‬, Why ‫? חכמה‬
 Ask students: Were you ever punished? How did you feel while you
were punished? When a person is punished they are usually
embarrassed. Therefore the ones that carried out the punishment
needed to be smart; to be able to punish smartly, that the person being
punished shouldn’t be embarrassed.
b. It was also very important for him to be weak. Why weak?
At times the messengers were ‫ מעניש‬a person with physical
punishment. For example ‫מלקות‬. Therefore the shoftim needed to be
weak; so they shouldn’t be able to punish too strongly, that the person
being punished shouldn’t feel too much pain.
 Mashal of a parent hitting a child to teach him to keep away from
danger. Parent will hit the child to teach him. Parent will try to hit the
softest possible.
2. ‫ – ויועצנו כבתחילה‬And our advisers as there once were.
 The ‫ יועצים‬are our ‫נביאים‬. The ‫ נביאים‬also gave us a feeling of security. They also
helped us do what’s right. How was their job different than the shoftim?
The following discussion will help students realize that many times we really
want to do what’s right but it’s not clear to us how to stop the wrong actions. We
need someone to guide us how to stop the aveira. The neviim guided us as to
how to do ‫תשובה‬.
 Ask students to think back to a time when they did an aveira. How did you feel
about it? Did you do it again? Why did you do it again if you knew it was
wrong and it didn’t leave you with a good feeling? For example: lying,
cheating, or embarrassing a friend: You really want to settle the fight but what
should I tell her? Maybe I will hurt her even more when I say that. Etc.
 In the times of the Bais Hamikdash a yid that needed guidance of how to do
‫ תשובה‬went to the ‫ !נביא‬How did the ‫ נביא‬help? The following attributes of the
neviim will teach the students how our neviim guided us with tshuva.
a) The ‫ נביאים‬understood psychology! They knew what makes a person sin! ‫נביא‬
with his ‫ נבואה‬was able to tell person why he did the aveira– what the shoresh of
his aveira was.
b) To clearly explain how that helped a person do tshuva give the girls scenarios of
aveiras and let them tell you the root of the aveira. Then show them how
correcting the root of the aveira will help the person from doing the aveira again.
 For example: Ruchy always makes fun of the nice things that Gittel has;
whether it’s her nice clothing, supplies, etc. Why does Ruchy do that?
What is the root of her aveira? Ruchy is jealous of Gittel. When Ruchy
will work on being happy with her own things and not being jealous of
Ruchy, she will automatically not hurt her with nasty remarks.
c) The navi didn’t force his opinion onto the person, but he helped him realize on his
own his weakness.
d) The navi needed to pretend that the yid that came to him was his own child! He
dealt with him as an individual. He first understood the person’s personality,
strengths and weaknesses, and only then thought of the right tshuva for his
aveira. The neviim didn’t open a book and find the tshuva to the aveira – this
aveira = this tshuva because although two people did the same aveira their
tshuva could’ve been different due to their many differences. Bring example.
 Example:
Person #1: Levi comes to the navi feeling that the 100$ tzedaka that
he gave up until now wasn’t enough; he wants to know how much he
needs to give. The answer will not be a definite answer, but the navi
will first need to understand Levi’s financial situation. Levi is very rich;
for him to give 100$ tzedaka is very little; he should’ve given more.
The navi will tell him to give a few hundred dollars more a month.

Person #2: Chaim comes to the navi feeling that the 100$ tzedaka that
he gave up until now wasn’t enough; he wants to know how much he
needs to give. The navi understands that although Chaim feels bad
about giving little tzedaka, he doesn’t have the means to give more
 because he barely has for his own necessities. One hundred dollars
tzedaka for Chaim is beautiful! The navi therefore tells him that he
shouldn’t exceed with his tzedaka.

 Let students realize that these qualities helped the people feel very secure.
When they left the navi they knew exactly what to do.

3. ‫ – והסר ממנו יגון ואנחה‬Take away our suffering and troubles

When we will live with real justice and security there will be no chaos or unfairness.
Everyone will be happy!

4. ‫ – ומלוך עלינו מהרה אתה ה' לבדך בחסד וברחמים‬And rule over us with your
kindness and your mercy.
 We tell Hashem that once He’ll give us back our shoftim and yo’atzim, then we’ll
be able to serve you the right way. We ask Him that until then, “Please
Hashem be our king, rule over us, with kindness and mercy. Please
understand that we’re living without clear guidance.”
 Although we don’t have the clear guidance that we had in the times of the Bais
Hamikdash, we do have shoftim today – Our ‫דיינים‬.
 The ‫ דיינים‬give a ‫ פסק דין‬like the shoftim. People today don’t trust the ‫’דיינים‬s ‫פסק‬
the way the yiden trusted the shoftim ‫פסק‬. Do they punish like the shoftim did?
If a person chooses not to accept their ‫פסק‬, Hashem will many times show the
person that a ‫ פסק דין‬is not a joke. He will punish the person
 Although we don’t have shoftim and neviim today to show us that we’re not on
the right track, Hashem helps us get on the right track by sending us
messages.
 How does Hashem send us messages? Does he talk to us? Hashem sends
‫ צרות‬that wakes us up. It helps us realize that we need to correct something.

5. ‫– וצדקנו בצדק ובמשפט‬And judge us favorably with justice

 We ask Hashem that when He sends the messages He should judge us
favorably. He should please not send us harsh messages, but if He could please
judge us by sending pleasant messages. For example: a) A mother or teacher
should teach us to do what’s right. b) Nissim should make us aware that we need
to correct a specific midda etc.

6. ‫ ברוך אתה ה' מלך אוהב צדקה ומשפט‬- Blessed are you, Hashem, Who loves
righteousness and justice.
 Hashem loves justice! He is a fair King. He is the real judge. In shamayim He
has a fair and just court system. Hashem gave us the shoftim, yo’atzim, or ‫דיינים‬
only to give us a glimpse of the real court system in shamayim.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Tea bag/ coffee
 Feather
 Transparency
Directions:
 Color the scroll with diluted coffee/ tea. Let dry and then cut.
 Copy ink bottle on transparency and cut
 Let students write onto scroll the qualities of a shofet and the ‫שלוחי בית דין‬.
a) Shoftim: ‫שונא בצע‬,‫ אנשי אמת‬,‫ יראי אלקים‬,‫חכמים‬. They helped the Yiden do
what’s right.
b) ‫שלוחי בית דין‬: Smart – In order to give punishment in a way no to
embarrass the Yid.
Weak - In order not to give punishment that is too harsh.
 
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 13 - Birkas Minim
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Objective: Students will understand the different forms in which doubts (on doing
what’s right), present themselves. They will comprehend the danger of these doubts
and how we could avoid them so that we should stay clear with ‫דרך התורה‬.

Motivation: Example – It’s Shabbos afternoon and you’re sitting and enjoying yourself
with a group of friends. Your friend Nechama arrives. She’s such a cute friend. You
really like her. Not only you, but everyone likes her. She’s so popular. All eyes are on
Nechama. Not on her face, not on her dress, but on her legs. Nechama has the new
style tights.
A discussion starts:
Teacher could prep girls to play the discussion:
Girl 1: “Such pretty tights”
Girl 2: “Wow! It’s lace. – I loooove it!
Girl 3: “I actually saw them in the store but my mother claimed that they’re not ‫“צניעות‬
Nechama: “WHY?”
Girl 3: “Because it has holes - look I can see your legs.”
Nechama: “You don’t have to look sooo close, from far you can’t tell”
Girl 3: “But legs are not allowed to be seen; it doesn’t matter if it’s from far or close.”
Nechama: Says who? You know, whenever there’s something pretty to buy, there are
always those ‘frum’ people saying’ “It’s not ‫ ”!צניעות‬I can’t stand it! It doesn’t say in
the ‫ תורה‬that we have to wear bullet proof tights! These lace tights are so Shabbosdig
and Summery.
The discussion leads on to other topics; however, you don’t feel comfortable
about the previous discussion. You are confused. Something has entered your mind.
Q: What is it that entered your mind?
A: Doubts

Aim: 1) What is the danger of doubts on doing what’s right according to the Torah?
2) How could we remove these doubts?

Lesson:
A: 1) It covers kedusha - doing what’s right ‫על פי תורה‬. It makes the right act fuzzy and
gray in our minds.
 The yetzer hara has a special enjoyment in planting these doubts in your mind. It
creates confusion. It weakens you. It takes away your strength from doing
what’s right.
 Let students think of their next visit to the tights store. Let them realize that with
these doubts in their mind, they’ll have a very hard time making the right
decision.
  Teacher may want to discuss different situations where students start doubting
their right actions.
Q: 2) What can help you remove these doubts; so that the kedusha - the right action
should be clear? What can help that the doubts shouldn’t even enter your mind?
A:2) Continuously learning halachos, listening to parents and teachers, surrounding
yourself with positive influences. We need to invest a lot of effort in these practical ‫עצות‬
because these doubts are very dangerous.
Tell students about a specific time in our history, when ‫ כלל ישראל‬was
challenged with doubts about doing what’s right according to the Torah. The
chachamim of that time we’re very upset at the people that brought in these
doubts and therefore added a tefilla to shemone esrei with harsh words
against them (‫)ולמלשינים‬.
 Ask students how many brachos they would think shemona esrei has according to
its title: 18. Let them look through their siddurim and count the brachos. Let
students tell you that we have 19 brachos. Why then is it called shemona esrei?
Originally shemona esrei consisted only of 18 brachos. This bracha of‫ ברכת מינים‬is
unique, as it was not part of the original eighteen blessings of the Amidah composed
by the Anshei Kneses Hagdolah. Rather, it was instituted five hundred years later
by the great yeshivah in Yavneh, under the leadership of Rabban Gamliel 2, after
the destruction of the Second Bais Hamikdash. The bracha was composed in
response to the threats made upon Yiddishkeit by different groups of Yiden that left
Yiddishkeit and started a new lifestyle against the Torah. By behaving in the wrong
manner that they did, they caused the yidden who watched them to have doubts
about doing what’s right according to the Torah. These groups made every attempt
to lead Jews astray through example and persuasion. They used their considerable
political power to harshly oppress observant Jews and slander them to the anti-
Semetic Roman government. They informed against the Jews and brought torture
and death to thousands.
 Under ordinary circumstances, it would not be the Jewish way to ask Hashem to
destroy our enemies; we would rather that they be inspired to repent. In this
extremely dangerous atmosphere, however, with the future of the Jewish nation at
stake, Rabban Gamliel felt the urgent need to compose a prayer against the heretics
and informers. As recorded in Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah 2:1). When Rabban
Gamliel recognized that this was a threat to the greatest of all possible human needs
[the need to preserve the true faith], he and his court introduced this blessing. He
went so far as to incorporate it into the Shemona Esrei so that it would be universally
accepted and repeated thrice daily, thus making Klal Yisroel aware of the danger
that they are constantly facing.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Rhinestone or pearls
 Clear large letters spelling the word ‫קדושה‬
 Parchment paper
 Gray chalk pastel
 Hairspray
Instructions:
1. Spell the word ‫ קדושה‬/ ‫ תורה‬with the rhinestones or pearls on the background page.
2. Cut parchment paper to the size of the entire page. Then glue or fasten (paper clips/
fasteners) one side of the parchment paper to the scrapbook paper to show how
‫ טמאה‬causes our pure Emunah in ‫ הלכות‬and ‫ השקפות‬of the Torah . It causes the
truth(‫ )תורה‬to turn fuzzy and unclear. Optional: Chalk pastel the parchment paper
with gray and then hairspray to prevent smudging.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 14 - Birkas Tzadikim
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will learn how they can prepare themselves in this world in order
to be able to sit with the higher-ups when mashiach comes/in Gan Eden.

Motivation: Teacher asks students the day before to bring to school their favorite
thing. For example: doll, camera, stationary etc. Teacher sets up all the students’
items in the setup of a store.
Use Tehilla to teach students that when we work ,‫ בעולם הזה‬we will get rewarded in Gan
Eden. Tehilla will help them understand that every cent counts, and of course the more
you earn the greater privileges you will receive.
 Tehilla is thrilled! She has dreamed of this day for a very long time. She’s
preparing herself for this special day, for eight weeks already. Today, her
parents are taking her to a huge toy store, where she will choose her
prize. In her purse she has money. Ask students to guess how much.
Tehilla doesn’t have a small amount; twelve dollars, she has one hundred
and seventy three dollars!
 Ask students how they think she earned so much money. Continue the
mashal by telling them how she earned it.
 Each dollar reflects hard work. Tehilla collected them slowly; dime by
dime, quarter by quarter. She was collecting since Rosh Chodesh Adar,
when her mother told her that although she knows how much Tehilla
always helps her with Pesach cleaning, she wants Tehilla to help her more
this year. Her mother offered her then money for all her hard work until
after Pesach. And oh, how Tehilla worked! She’s a good girl, she would
have helped anyway but the vision of her purse filling up really motivated
her to work even at times when she wasn’t in the mood! After all her hard
work, she earned one hundred and seventy three dollars!
 Ask students what they would choose if they would have 173 dollars. Ask
them if they would buy a few small items or one big item.
 Students will probably have a hard time deciding what they would buy with
so much money. Tell them that Tehilla too can’t decide. She has never
seen so many good things in one place!
 Ask students if Tehilla has enough mone to buy all the items that she
wants.
 Ask students how Tehilla feels after she sees all the items in the store; is
she still satisfied with the large amount of money that she has? Build the
feeling of wanting more. Tehilla feels, “I wish I had more money”
  Ask students how Tehilla could acquire more money to be able to buy
more or better items. If she’ll save her hard earned money, help more,
and then return to the store, she’ll then have accumulated more money to
be able to buy the real good stuff!

Aim: When will we be given the chance to enter a huge store filled with the most
exciting and fabulous items and buy great rewards?

Lesson:
When mashiach comes/ in Gan Eden we will all be surrounded by the greatest gifts.
 Ask students the following questions to explain that there will be different
categories of ‘shoppers’.
 Will we all have the same amount of money to spend?
 What will the amount depend on? The amount of mitzvos that we do.
Point out to students that although we any way do mitzvos, Hashem
wants to reward us for doing them.
 Who will have the most money? The tzadikim.
Explain students that there will be very clear levels of ‘shoppers’ when mashiach
comes/in Gan eden. Every Yid will clearly see in which category he belongs. The
following words in ‫ על הצדיקים‬explain the categories. We ask Hashem to help each
category serve him and accumulate his deserving schar

1. ‫ – על הצדיקים‬On the tzadikim

 Let students share with you the attributes of the tzadikim.
 Discuss with them that the tzadikim is the highest level. They are those
outstanding individuals who, may make a mistake once in a while,
however, he almost never sins; not even accidentally. They keep
themselves back from doing things that are ok to do because they want to
behave in a manner that is best of the best.
 We wish and strive to be in this category! How could we part of this
outstanding category if we aren’t as careful as them in '‫?עבודת ה‬
a. If we think highly of them and don’t mock them. Example: We
admire girls that dress more refined than us even if our dressing is
ok. We admire girls that only eat certain ‫הכשרים‬. Even if our
hechshairim are ok. We admire girls that don’t go to circuses on
Chol Hamoed even if it is ok to go.
b. Once we admire them, we could then try to befriend them. When
we befriend such people we could learn from them. And when we’ll
do what they do, then we’ll be able to shop with them for the most
exclusive items!

2. ‫ – ועל החסידים‬And on the Chasidim

 Chasidim are those that love Hashem to such an extent that they act lifnim
mishuras hadin; they do more in the area of mitzvos and maasim tovim
than people are required to do. Additionally they do the mitzvos to the
best of their ability; with great simcha!
  Ask students to share with you times when they did more than what was
expected of them.

3. ‫ – ועל זקני שארית בית ישראל‬and on the elders of the remainder of Your nation
Yisroel
 These elders are not necessarily more advanced in years, but are the
‫אין זקן אלא שקנה חכמה – תלמידי חכמים וגדולי התורה‬. They live with the Torah.
These are the people to whom we can turn to answer our questions, and
who instruct us to make smart decisions – to choose right over wrong.
 Explain students that except for the year that we grow older every year,
we grow older with new wisdom; we are smarter than last year. Ask
students to tell you, how they are 1 year smarter.

4. ‫ – ועל פליטת בית סופריהם‬and on the leftover of the house of scholars

 The words ‫ סופריהם‬refers to people who teach children the sefer – the
torah. These are the teachers and ‫מלמדים‬.
 Let students share the teachers and ‫ מלמדים‬that they know.
 Why do the teachers belong to such a special category – why will they
receive such a special ‫ ?שכר‬We yidden are all Hashem’s children and
therefore very precious to him. The teachers get a special sechar
because they teach Hashem’s precious children.
 Why are the teachers described as ‫ פליטת‬the few remaining ones - why
are there so few that choose to be teachers? It requires a lot of hard work!
Let students tell you what work it takes to teach. Discuss that teaching is
hard work but it comes along with great rewards! Ask students, “Who
wants to be a teacher when she grows up?”
 Tell them that although they won’t choose the profession of a teacher,
they will all teach their own children!

5. ‫ – ועל גרי הצדק‬And on the righteous geirim

 Ask students if they know any geirim. Discuss the challenges that they
face. Discuss how they have no family support, not easy to do mitzvos –
they didn’t grow up with it; they need to work hard not to turn on a light on
Shabbos, at times shame of being different etc.
 Ask them if it is possible for a yid who was born a yid to face a very
challenging ‫נסיון‬, similar to the ger. Let them share with you examples of
a mitzvah that it very hard for a third grader to do. For example: Sticking
up for a girl who is being insulted or left out; telling you friend that what
she is telling you is Lashon Hara, even if you’re very interested in what
she is saying. Etc.

6. ‫ועלינו‬- And on us
 We ask Hashem to help us with our job. Each one of us has the potential
to be great.
 Ask one student, Chany if she has the same potential as Blimy. Does
Hashem want Chany to grow up being a special Blimy? Discuss with
 students that Hashem wants Chany to grow up being a special Chany and
the same is with all of us. We need to try to be the very best that we could
be, and use our strengths in the best way.

Medial Summary: The six categories on the board, our six categories of shoppers are
the people that are here on this world to work and make money. Ask students what our
work is and what our money is.

7. ‫ – יהמו נא רחמיך ה' אלוקינו‬may Your compassion be aroused Hashem, our

Hashem
 We ask Hashem, with his rachmunus to help all the categories with their
work. He should help us do mitzvos to be able to earn ‫שכר‬.

8. ‫ – ותן שכר טוב לכל הבוטחים בשמך באמת‬and give a goodly reward to all who trust
in Your name, sincerely
 We ask Hashem to prepare a good ‫ שכר‬for all those special people that
believe in You and work hard for You.

9. ‫ – ושים חלקנו עמהם‬and out our share with them

 We ask Hashem to help us appreciate those people so that we should be
among them – and shop together with them for the glorious rewards.

10. ‫ – ולעולם לא נבוש‬and forever we will not be ashamed

 If we will be among those special people and learn from them, and
constantly think of Hashem and what he expects of us, then we won’t be
embarrassed in ‫ !עולם הבא‬We won’t come into the grand store with empty
purses!

11. ‫ – ועל חסדך הגדול באמת נשעננו‬and upon Your truly great chesed do we rely, in
truth
 We tell Hashem that the only way we could focus on the right goals and
succeed in our work of mitzvos, is because we rely on your help.

12. ‫ – ברוך אתה ה' משען ומבטח לצדיקים‬Blessed are You, Hashem, a support and trust
for Tzadikim

Application:
 White velvet paper/ Pretty white paper
 Glitter and Elmer’s glue
 Small Award stickers
 Black marker

Directions:
1. Cut sectional circle on white paper
2. Outline the circle and sections with glitter.
3. Write the five categories of special Yiden on the award stickers: ,‫ חסדידם‬,‫צדיקים‬
.‫ גרי הצדק‬,‫ פליטת בית סופרים‬,‫זקנים‬
4. Paste each sticker in a different section of the circle.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 15 - Birkas Binyan Yerushalayim
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Goals/Objective: To evoke in our students a strong desire to go home to

Yerushalayim.

Materials Needed:
 Two identical pictures of a house (provided)
 Two identical maps of Eretz Yisrael (provided)
 DVD of the Bais Hamikdash (optional)

Motivation: Hang the two of the same house posters on the board. Write above one
Mommy is home. Write above the other, Mommy is not home.
Lead students into discussion of how it feels when Mommy is home in contrast to when
Mommy is not home: Write their feelings in the right house.

Mommy is home Mommy is not home

 Mommy is home: secure, warm, cozy, safe, cooked food, baked goods, clean,
family, playing games etc.
 Mommy is not home: I have an empty feeling, I keep on checking the window to
see if Mommy is coming home already, I check the clock, I’m scared, I’m bored,
There’s no one to talk to/complain to….
 Point out to students that the actual house doesn’t change when Mommy is not
home. The closets, cabinets, walls, doors all stay the same, yet the feeling is
very different.
 We all like being home with Mommy and our family.

Aim: Where do we Yidden love to be?

Lesson:
1. We love being home in Yerushalayim with Hadadosh Baruch Hu and all of Klal
Yisroel! We want to go home! We don’t only want to go to the physical land
 yerushalayim because the atmosphere in yerushalayim is not the same as it
used to be. Although the land, the layout of yerushalayim is the same, the
shecina is not there the way it used to . The atmosphere is not the atmosphere
that we long for .
2. Hang on Board the two shapes of Eretz Yisroel: Write above one Shechina is
home. Write above the other, Shechina is not home.
3. Lead students into discussion of how Yerushalayim looked and felt when we had
the Bais Hamikdash in contrast to Eretz Yisroel today. Write their descriptions in
the right map.

‫ שכינה‬is home ‫ שכינה‬is not home

 Shechina is home:
Safe, holy, we had
a close connection
with Hashem, we had a magnificent bais hamikdash, the ‫עבודה‬, neviim, all
the yiden were in one place, the open nissim, the ‫ לויים‬singing with their
instruments, warmth, we felt Hashem’s presence, we felt him watching us,
and we felt like he was listening to us!
A live DVD of the Bais Hamikdash will help the students vision the beauty
and warmth that we once had.
 Shechina is not home: War, arabs, ‫ פריצות‬, no Bais Hamikdash, no ‫עבודה‬,
no neviim, no shechina….etc
 Build students desire for the warm home we once had and let them feel
disappointed with our loss. Then ask them if it’s possible to have it back?
Ask them, How? Let students understand the power of our prayers.
 We need to daven for mashiach and then we’ll be able to live with
Hashem in Yerushalayim with our Bais Hamikdash.

‫ ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב‬- Please return to Yerushalayim, YOUR city, with mercy
 We want to come to Yerushalayim when You are there. Then it will be called
YOUR city.

‫ותשכן בתוכה‬- And You should rest in her

 We ask Hashem that He should be “home” with us.

‫ – כאשר דברת‬As You said you would

 As You promised us through Your neviim. The neviim told Klal Yisroel that after
Galus we will be zoche to the third Bais Hamikdash.

‫ובנה אותה בקרוב בימינו‬- and build it soon, in our days

 We ask Hashem to make it happen fast, in our days, today or tomorrow, because
we want to be there already.
 We ask Hashem that He should rebuild it fast according to our definition of fast.
Hashem’s definition of fast could also be one hundred years. We tell Hashem we
 can’t bear being here any longer without you! We want to go home fast, fast
according to our feeling of fast.

‫ בנין עולם‬- a lasting ‫בנין‬

 We’re so happy that this ‫ בנין‬will be forever and ever! This ‫ בנין‬will never be
destroyed!
 Hashem will build the third Bais Hamikdash and therefore it will last forever.

Tell students that we are partners with Hashem in building the Bais Hamikdash.
Ask students if Hashem needs our help with anything that He does. “How do we
help Hashem in building the Bais Hamikdash If Hashem doesn’t need our help?”

 With each mitzvah that we do we add a brick to the Bais Hamikdash in

shamayim. When the building will be finished by our mitzvos Hashem will
make the Bais Hamikdash come down from shamayim onto Har Habais in
Yerushalayim. The Midrash says that we will be able to see which bricks are
our bricks!
Teacher could explain this concept by drawing bricks on the board and filling
in mitzvos along with names on the bricks.

‫ – וכסא דוד עבדך מהרה לתוכה תכין‬And may you prepare the throne of David quickly
within Yerushalyim
 We ask Hashem to quickly prepare Mashiach, who is a descendant of David.
Once he is prepared in this world he will be able to redeem us.

‫ ברוך אתה ה' בונה ירושלים‬- Blessed are you Hashem, who builds Yerushalayim
 Why are we saying who builds, in present tense? Because we believe that
the ‫ בנין‬is already in the process of being built. It is happening now in
shamayim! We hope for it to be finished very soon with our mitzvos!

Application:
Materials needed
 Gold paper
 Sponge cubes

Directions: Create a Bais Hamikdash Decoupage.

1. Teacher should copy the Bais Hamikdash on gold and have the students cut it
out.
2. Place the sponge cubes between each layer to give that layer height.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 16 - Birkas Malchus Bais David
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will understand how to continue hoping for mashiach although they
don’t see their hopes being answered.

Materials Needed:
 Fake planter with leaves that has a tag attached with a picture of a sunflower
 Large picture of sunflower to attach to plant

Motivation: Teacher brings in a fake planter with leaves that has a tag attached with a
picture of a sunflower.

1. Let students picture the scene: Your mother sends you to the flower shop to get
a planter with sunflowers. You look around and try to find a planter with
sunflowers but there are none to be seen; not a single sunflower is in sight.
What you do see is this:
(Teacher holds up planter with leaves. The only sunflower seen is a picture of a
sunflower on the tag of the plant.)

2. Ask students the following questions to lead them to the ultimate point that
although you might not see the flower on the planter you will buy the planter for
you know and believe that it will sprout into a beautiful sunflower.
 Would you buy this planter?
 Why would you buy it if you don’t see a grown sunflower?
A: Because the tag shows you that this will eventually become a
sunflower.
 How long will it take for it to sprout into a beautiful sunflower? Let students
tell you from their previous experiences that it’s hard to know. It might take a
week, or maybe even a month.

3. Let students imagine that they actually bought this planter and they leave it on
their porch. Ask them how they feel when they run to the porch the next morning
to see their sunflower and there is no sunflower! The planter looks as empty as
yesterday! Is it damaged? Let students tell you that the growth process of a
plant takes time. You need patience. You can’t give up.
 Explain that although you don’t see anything changing or happening, many
things are changing and growing under the earth. For example: The roots are
growing and being strengthened.
  Let students imagine the next few days. Each day, you awaken with the same
thought: my plant. You head straight towards the porch to check on your plant.
When you see that your sunflower didn’t grow today, you wait for tomorrow. The
same actions continue on for the next few days. Ask students to name what you
are feeling. A: HOPE!
Each morning you wake up with the feeling of new hope, “Maybe today is the
day!” Although you may be disappointed that it didn’t grow today, you hope that
maybe tomorrow will be the day.
 Finally the day arrived! (Teacher puts sunflower onto the leaves.) It sprouted!
Ask students which event is more exciting: 1) To buy a ready plant with a flower
from the flower shop
2) To see the flower after waiting and hoping for a
long time

Aim: What do we hope for every day?

Lesson:
Use Tehilla to teach the concept of hoping for mashiach.
1. Ask students with which hope Tehilla wakes up every morning? She says it
every day in ‫“ אני מאמין‬Maybe today is the day?! She waits and hopes for
mashiach.

2. When we hope for mashiach it effects our actions throughout the entire day; we
do mitzvos all day.
 Tehilla is very lucky that this is what she thinks when she wakes up because this
thought has a positive effect on her behavior the entire day. Tehilla only wants
to do ‫ מצוות‬today because mashiach is almost here; he’s coming already!

3. It is very hard to hope and then be disappointed. It gets especially hard when one
hopes and is disappointed many times.
 What does a person naturally want to do when he is disappointed
repeatedly? He wants to give up. He wants to stop hoping.
 Mashal: You hope to be best of the week in day camp. It is very
disappointing when you worked hard for it and a different girl was
best of the week. It is especially disappointing when you try four
weeks in a row and each week a different girl was best. What
happens the fifth week? Do you still feel like trying to be best?

4. Discuss with students that when you really want something and it is a good thing
that you are hoping for, it is good to continue hoping because one day Hashem
will send you your dream.

5. When Tehilla davens the bracha of ‫ את צמח דוד‬in ‫שמונה עשרה‬, she understands
how the bracha relates to hope. Tell students that Tehilla will explain us the
concept while we learn each phrase separately.
‫ את צמח דוד‬-The sprout; the descendant of David.
 Mashiach is the sprout of Dovid Hamelech.

‫ מהרה תצמיח‬- Make it sprout fast!

 We know that he’s coming and we wait every day for mashiach. We ask
Hashem not to keep us waiting too much longer. We ask him to make it happen
already!

‫ וקרנו תרום בישועתך‬- And with your help, raise his horn.
 Ask students for information that they know on the topic of Jewish Kings. Explain
the process of anointing a new Jewish king. This was done by a process of filling
a horn with holy oil; ‫ שמן המשחה‬from the ‫בית המקדש‬, and pouring it over the king’s
head. Teacher may want to discuss that great ‫ ניסים‬happened when pouring the
oil. (The horn automatically refilled.)
 We ask Hashem to anoint Mashiach with the special oil of the horn, to be our
king. When Hashem will do that, our geula will be complete and the good times
of mashiach will start.

‫ כי לישועתך קוינו כל היום‬- Because we hope the entire day for Your help; Your salvation
‫ כי לישועתך‬-We ask Hashem for Your help because we know that You, Hashem
are the one that will send ‫משיח‬. Only when we will be worthy for ‫ משיח‬will
Hashem let ‫ משיח‬know that the time has come to redeem ‫כלל ישראל‬. Only
Hashem has the power to redeem us.

‫קוינו כל היום‬
 Ask students how we hope for Hashem the entire day? When we do mitzvos
throughout the day it clearly reflects our earnest belief and hope in mashiach’s
coming. Refer to the example of best of the week: What actions would prove that
a girl wants to be best of the week? She cooperates, cheers, davens nicely,
listens to rules, nice to other girls….
 Teacher should close the light and let her students stop a minute and think one
thought: “ I wish ‫ משיח‬comes today! Imagine ‫ משיח‬comes today!” Let students
imagine all the details that they have learned of the times of ‫משיח‬. Tell them that
here; after the words ‫ קוינו כל היום‬is the time to take a minute and think that we
truly want and hope for ‫משיח‬.

‫ – ומצפים לישועה‬and we long for Your help

Teacher turns on the light and asks students
 Ask students why it is so important to make sure to hope for ‫ משיח‬every day.
After 120 every yid will be asked by the ‫ בית דין של מעלה‬the question pertaining to
‫משיח‬, ‫ ?צפית לישועה‬Did you hope for Mashiach? And of course every Yid wants
to be able to answer, “Yes!” If we will hope for mashiach like we did before, and
we’ll do it every day, then we will be able to tell the bais din a definite yes!
 In the times of Gemara, our Chachamim saw that the Yiden weren’t truly hoping
for ‫ משיח‬and they were concerned that the Yiden wouldn’t be able to answer ,
 “Yes” to the question asked, therefore they added the words ‘‫ ‘ומצפים לישועה‬in
parenthesis next to the words ‫קוינו כל היום‬. The words reminded the Yiden that
here is the time to be ‫ מכוון‬for ‫משיח‬. Later, when the ‫ תפילה‬was reprinted the
words were accidentally printed as part of the ‫תפילה‬. Although the words are
only there to remind us what to have in mind then, we do say it as part of our
‫תפילה‬.
 In addition to saying the words ‫ומצפים לישועה‬, we need to make sure to think
about and truly hope for ‫משיח‬.

‫ ברוך אתה ה' מצמיח קרן ישועה‬Blessed are you Hashem , Who makes the seeds of our
salvation grow.
 We thank You, Hashem for we know that although we don’t actually see the
process, You are preparing our geula.

Stories of our Gedolim that hoped for ‫ משיח‬the entire day:

 It was Erev Pesach and everybody was waiting for the Yismach Moshe’s son to
arrive. The son arrived when his father was preparing himself for Pesach, he
was in the mikveh. The people ran to tell him, “He’s here! He’s waiting for you!”
The Rabbi was in total shock and excitedly exclaimed, “Why did he come first to
my city, why did he come first to me?! As he got ready to run towards him, his
people told him that his son could wait a few minutes. From his disappointed
look on his face, it was clear to everyone that the Rabbi was waiting for someone
else; he was waiting for ‫משיח‬. ‫ משיח‬was on his mind every minute of the day.
Therefore when they told him, “He’s here!” His first thought was ‫משיח‬.
 The Yismach Moshe always had his stick, and his Shabbos clothing prepared by
his bed. When asked why, he exclaimed, “How will I be ready to run towards
‫ משיח‬if he comes in the middle of the night?” His emuna in the coming of ‫משיח‬
was so strong and real! And although morning came without ‫משיח‬, he didn’t
relinquish, he hoped for ‫ משיח‬with the same strong belief.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Yellow ,green, and brown felt
 Brown salt / sand
 Lima bean
1. Cut 2 stars on yellow. Place one on top of the other and then shift the top one
slightly to form a sunflower.
2. Cut stem and leaves on green
3. Cut sand shape on brown/ optional: paste brown salt onto felt. Paste lima bean
onto sand.
 
 
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 17 - Birkas Kabbalas Tefilla
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Objective: Students will appreciate the special gift of davening to Hashem.

Do now: Have Students write a time when they waited on line. For example:
park, store etc.

Materials Needed:
 Tehilla in velour zip-up
 Picture of door (provided)

Motivation:
 Teacher could tell students a short story where people traveled very far
to gain audience with a ‫ בעל מופת‬in order to be helped with their
troubles. This will help students tap into the earlier times
 Tell students that now we will create such a scene. We will be the
people coming to the ‫בעל מופת‬. We’ll try to get a glimpse of what the
waiting room looked like. Let students create their own stories in their
minds. Have some of them line up at the door. Teacher calls in one at
a time to say her fabricated story explaining where she comes from,
how exhausting and difficult the traveling was, and finally why she is
here. Have the students watch the people waiting on line. Ask them
how they think the people on line are feeling. Whose feelings are the
strongest? Give Students the feeling of the people waiting on line.
They are apprehensive, “Soon, soon will be my turn, the ‫ ישועה‬is so
close! I hope I’ll be helped!” The feelings of the person that is next on
line are the strongest. His heart is beating the fastest; his hopes are
the most intense. Teacher then sends students back to their seats.

Aim: When are we waiting in front of this door; the door to have our pleas
heard and our wishes answered?

Lesson:
We are like the person next on line when we daven to Hashem. We are filled
with the feeling of, “I want Hashem to hear my pleas; I want Him to answer
my wishes.
(Hang Tehilla on board next to a door.)

1. ‫ – אב הרחמן‬Merciful Father
  We knock on our Father’s door. Why do we have the privilege to knock on
His door? Because He is our Father and we are His children. Children
always have the privilege to ask their Father to hear and answer their
desires.
2. ‫ שמע קולנו ה' אלקנו‬- We ask Hashem to listen to our voice.
 Why do we ask Hashem to listen to our voice if we daven shemoneh esrei
quietly? We ask Hashem to listen not merely to the words we say, but to
our kavanah, our intent, while we say them. It is the inner voice, the
requests that lie beneath the words that we say, that give the words of
tefillah their true meaning. Explain to students that people will only know
your wishes if you explicitly tell it to them, whereas Hashem is the only
one that could hear and understand our inner wishes even if we don’t say
it.

3. ‫ – חוס ורחם עלינו‬Have pity on us

 We ask Hashem to have pity and mercy on us when we ask Him our
wishes. He should do this for two reasons:
1. Have pity on us because we are Your children. We are Your
handiwork; You made us and therefore You take care of us with
great care and thought. You don’t want anything bad to happen to
us because You have special interest in conserving his handiwork.
2. We can’t exist without Your mercy.

‫ – וקבל ברחמים וברצון את תפלתנו‬And accept with compassion and favor our
prayers
 We ask Hashem with a double loshon ‫ברחמ ים וברצון‬. Please Hashem
accept our pleas ‫ – ברחמים‬even if we don’t deserve it. Please Hashem
accept our pleas ‫ – ברצון‬when we do deserve it; we understand the
great chassadim that lies within your listening and accepting our
prayers even at times when we do deserve it.

‫ כי קל שומע תפילות ותחנונים אתה‬- Because You are Hashem who hears prayers
and requests
 Refer to the waiting line used before.
o Point out to students that we don’t need to travel to ask Hashem
to help us.
o Ask students why the people need to wait on line to speak to the
Gadol. Why can’t they all go in at once? Explain students how
Hashem, unlike people who could only listen to one person at a
time, could listen to everyone at the same time.
o Not only could Hashem listen to everyone at once, but He could
listen to any language, any time, and in any place.

‫ – ומלפיך מלכנו ריקם אל תשיבנו‬And from before You, our King, don’t turn us away
empty handed
  Ask students if they’ve ever asked Hashem for something and didn’t
receive it.
Does Hashem always listen to our prayers? If so why doesn’t he give us
what we asked for?
1. Explain students that although we think and feel and know that we
desperately need something, Hashem, who sees the full picture
knows that what we’re asking for, is not good for us.
Mashal: Child that’s allergic to milk tantrums for an ice cream pop.
Mother understands that it’s not good for the child.
2. Hashem loves when we daven to him. He loves to hear our voice.
Sometimes He doesn’t give us what we wanted immediately
because He wants to hear from us more. (He knows that once we
receive what we asked for, we won’t turn to him in prayer.)
 We ask Hashem, that at times when Your answer is “No.” help us accept it
without feeling rejected.
 Ask students how they feel when they ask someone a favor and
they’re answered with a mean “No!” (Insulted, rejected,
embarrassed)
 Ask them how it is possible to tell someone no without causing the
person to feel rejected. (I’d love to help you, maybe next time etc.)
This is what we ask for when we ask ‫ – ריקם אל תשיבנו‬even if your
answer is No, help us accept it without feeling rejected, help us feel
that you answered us with a pleasant answer, “It’s not good for
you, at this specific time, maybe later.”

‫ – חננו ועננו ושמע תפלתנו‬Be gracious with us, and answer us and hear our prayer
 Tell students that here’s the time for your own tefilla using your own words.
You could ask Hashem for whatever you want. For example: success on test
or contest, get along with brother, find a good friend.

‫ – כי אתה שומע תפלת כל פה עמך ישראלתפלת ברחמים‬Because You hear the prayer
of each mouth of Your people Yisroel with mercy
 We turn to You because You, Hashem are at the other side of the door – in
Your hands are whatever wishes we could possibly want. Only You, Hashem
could grant us our wishes.

‫ – ברוך אתה ה' שומע תפלה‬Blessed are You, Hashem who hears prayer
We’re so grateful to Hashem for granting us the special privilege of davening and
for listening to our tefillos at all times.

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Palace doors on transparency over gold oak tag/ palace doors on hard gold
paper
 Present boxes on purple paper
 Gold fasteners
 String
Instructions:
1. Students should write on each present box a personal tefilla that
they could ask Hashem in shema koleinu. Example: Help me find a
friend, Help me succeed on my test, Help my aunt find a shidduch
etc.
2. Fold the present boxes: first one facing up , second facing down,
and so on.
3. Cut palace doors on perforated lines
4. Paste the sides of the palace doors onto scrapbook page. Fold the
two doors open.
5. In the open space paste the pop up onto scrapbook page
6. Use 2 gold fasteners as door knobs on the door.
7. Close the doors by tying the string around both fasteners
8. When opening the string and doors present boxes will automatically
pop up.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 18 - Birkas Avoda
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah

Grade Level: Elementary

Goals/Objectives: 1) To evoke in our students a desire for the Avoda and how
we can be ‫ זוכה‬to see the ‫ עבודה‬again. 2) To teach students how our tefillos are
in the place of Korbanos.

Do now:

Motivation: Teacher divides board in three: How does your family prepare for
the Yom Tov: 1)Succos, 2)Pesach, 3)Shavuous. Teacher divides class in three
groups. Each group gets 1 expo marker. Let the girls in each group take turns
in answering their question on the board. Once the girls are done, teacher should
look over their answers and briefly discuss their preparations for each Yom Tov.
Teacher brings in Tehilla. She uses Tehilla to teach students how the
preparations for Yom Tov differed in the times of the Bais Hamikdash.

Aim: How was Yom Tov and its preparations in the times of the Bais Hamikdash
different than today? How can we have a little taste of their enjoyment on Yom
Tov?
1. It is in the times of the Bais Hamikdash and Tehilla is on her way to ‫ירושלים‬
with her ‫קרבן‬. It is before Yom Tov and therefore Tehilla and her family
are also busy with Yom Tov preparations; refer to board with students’
preparations. They are also busy cooking, cleaning, and preparing for this
wonderful Yom Tov. In addition they are also packing and preparing for
their major trip.

2. Ask students, “Where are they going? Why are they going to
Yerushalayim? Why are they bringing along an animal?” Three times a
year: Succos, Pesach, and Shavuous all the yidden were ‫ עולה רגל‬to
‫ירושלים‬. They brought along an animal to be slaughtered as a ‫ קרבן‬to
Hashem.

3. Describe the scene when klal Yisroel were ‫עולה רגל‬. Thousands of Yidden
all on the same road; everyone (except if ‫ !)טמא‬Teacher may want to use
the Venn diagram to show the difference of a traffic scene and the busy
scene on the roads up to Yerushalayim.
 Discuss a traffic scene due to many cars on the same road at the
same time. Honking, angry and impatient drives, pollution, etc.
Sitting in such a traffic scene is an unpleasant experience.
  The roads leading to Yerushalyaim, on Erev Yom Tov beheld a
beautiful sight! There were no cars, no honking! Smiling, happy,
and excited yidden calmly riding in wagons, all traveling together!
There were heartwarming songs emanating from the wagons. The
excitement was palpable – They were looking forward to spend the
Yom Tov with Hakadosh Baruch Hu, in His home – the Bais
Hamikdash, in Yerushalayim.
 Why can’t they stay home for Yom Tov? There was one specialty
that they Yidden were only allowed to do in the Bais Hamikdash.
That was the korbanos.

4. Discuss Tehilla’s feelings while watching the Avoda:

 She watches the beautiful Avoda of the Kohanim.
 She watches the emotional singing of the Leviim
 She watches as her family’s animal is brought as a Korban to
Hashem.
 She’s enveloped with warm feelings. We find her feelings in the
word ‫קרבן‬. She feels a closeness to Hakadosh Baruch Hu – ‫קרב‬.
 This time and feeling is the climax – the most important part of
Tehilla’s entire trip. The Avoda in the Bais Hamikdash. The great
closeness that she feels to Hakodosh Baruch Hu. She loves
spending time with Hakodosh Baruch Hu in His home! She
appreciates the closeness! She feels so comfortable talking to
Him! She feels privileged in being His daughter and therefore is
ready to do anything to make Him proud!

5. Tehilla is filled with wonderful feelings! Can we also have those feelings?
Can we also feel so close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu? After all our hard
work and preparation for the Yom Tov, we enjoy Yom Tov; yet we also
want to have the enjoyment of spending it with Hashem. How is that
possible?

6. Through Tefilla. Our Gedolim set aside special tefillos for Yom tov, that
help us connect to Hashem on Yom Tov. For example: ‫ הלל‬, - ‫ – מוסף‬we
say the exact ‫סדר הקרבנות‬
7. There were other times, except for Yom Tov that a Yid was ‫ מקריב‬a ‫קרבן‬.
Today, instead of those ‫ קרבנות‬we also have tefillos. For example:

Reason for Yid to connect to Times of Bais Tefilla –

Hashem: Hamikdash Today:
Person did an ‫עבירה‬ ‫קרבן חטאת‬ ‫ וידיו‬-‫תשובה‬
Mother had a baby ‫קרבן יולדת‬ ‫ ברכו‬in shul
Saved from ,‫ יוצא מבית אסורים‬,‫מדבר‬
‫קרבן תודה‬ ‫ברכת גומל‬
‫ חולה‬,‫ים‬
 8. "‫ "ונשלמה פרים שפתינו‬And let our lips pay in the place of the cows. We
daven to Hashem with our lips instead of bringing korbanos. We could
acquire the great closeness to Hashem through tefilla.

9. Although we have tefilla today, we still yearn to have the true Avoda of
Korbanos in the Bais Hamikdash.

‫רצה ה' אלוקינו בעמך ישראל‬

We want Hashem to want us as his nation. In the times of the Bais Hamikdash,
Hashem showed us Klal Yisroel that He wants us as His nation, through
accepting our karbonos.

‫ולתפלתם שעה‬
Today when we don’t have Korbanos show us that You want us as Your nation,
through accepting our tefillos. We ask Hashem, please accept our tefillos
because this is our only thing that we have to offer.

‫והשב את העבודה לדביר ביתך ואשי ישראל‬

Although we have tefilla today that Hashem accepts, we tell Hashem that we’re
not satisfied with tefilla itself; we want more. We want to bring a Korban in the
Bais Hamikdash!

‫ותפלתם מהרה באהבה תקבל ברצון‬

‫ותהי לרצון תמיד עבודת ישראל עמך‬
‫ותחזינה עינינו בשובך לציון ברחמים‬
Let students pretend that Hashem answers our tefillos NOW and we’re all flying
to Yerushalayim, and the shechina is waiting there for us. There will be kedusha
radiating there.
Elicit in students excitement to see something that they never saw – the shechina
hakdosha! Ask students, “Who wants to see the shechina?”
Mashal: Long awaited major play. Does everyone in the audience see the
actresses and dancers equally? Does it make a difference if you’re seated in the
first row or balcony? This is your only chance to see the performance. You want
to make sure that you can see everything clearly! You don’t want to miss out
even one detail!
Nimshal: When mashiach comes we will have the chance to see the shechina.
This will be my chance! How can we ensure that our eyes should be able to see
the beautiful kedusha,
By protecting your eyes throughout galus. Discuss with students examples of
sights that Yiddish girls’ eyes shouldn’t see.
 Movies and unfiltered internet
 Catalogues, magazines ; Billboards - with not tznius pictures
 Browsing in malls, surrounded by many non-Jewish items and pictures
Let students picture that they are in a dark room for a while and then enter a
bright room. Ask them to show you what they would do with their eyes: squint.
After being in the dark for a while, it’s hard for us to handle the strong light. After
being surrounded by ‫ טומאה‬in galus, it is hard for us to handle the strong
kedusha. Therefore we need to make sure to absorb light – kedusha throughout
galus.
Discuss examples of kedusha that we should absorb.
 Learning in a Yiddish school
 Reading Yiddishe materials
 Shul
 Yiddish friends
 Tiferes
We need ‫ סייעתא דשמיא‬that our eyes should be able to see the return of the Bais
Hamikdash with all its glory. It is difficult for us to choose to absorb kedusha on
our own and therefore we ask Hashem for his help, ‫ותחזינה עינינו בשובך לציון‬
‫ברחמים‬.
‫ברוך אתה ה' המחזיר שכינתו לציון‬

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Silver oak tag
 Markers
Instructions:
Place the icons of the ‫ שלש רגלים‬onto the silver oak tag. With a pointy and sharp
pen, press on the lines of the icons so that it should give an engraved look on the
silver. Optional: Let students color the engraved pictures with permanent marker.
They could either color each yom tov with one color; for example, Succos –
green; or color each yom tov with different colors; for example, Succos – succah-
brown, schach- green, esrog- yellow etc.
 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 19 - Birkas Modim
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah
Grade Level: Elementary

Goals/ Objectives: Students will recognize all the chasadim that Hashem does
with them daily and learn how to express their gratitude to Him.

Do now: Hand out ‫ת‬-‫ א‬sheet. On each line, students write a thing that makes
them happy that starts with each ‫אות‬.

Motivation: Ask students to share a time when they were very happy; for
example: wedding, good mark, won a contest, etc. Have them explore how they
felt at the time, did they feel only happiness? How did they act?

Lesson:
A. Discuss with students that when a person is filled with a happy feeling, it
leads him to a grateful positive feeling. Explain this concept by using
examples given by the students earlier: Before her sister’s wedding,
Chani didn’t complain about anything, she spoke nicely, and was happy to
help her mother. A feeling of happiness results in positive actions!
B. Teacher could use Tehilla as an example.
Tehilla has a new beautiful bedroom. She and her mother designed it,
choosing colors, Her mother designed it, asking her opinions. Tehilla’s
mother took her along to choose the color of the paint. Tehilla chose the
material for the linen and matching curtains. Her mother put in hours of work
and ‫ כח‬to treat her to her dream room. Every time, Tehilla enters her room
she feels very happy.
Since she knows that it is all from her mother, how do you think she feels
towards her mother? Thankful ‫ הכרת הטוב‬is a wonderful midda which makes
us happy, keeps us happy, and results in positive behavior
 How do we express the feeling of thanks? We say thank You!
 How does a thankful feeling affect your behavior towards your
mother? Helping more, trying to make her proud, etc.
Let students look at their list ‫ת‬-‫ ; א‬things that make them happy. Ask them
whether they’re always happy because of these wonderful things that they have.
 Ask students why we aren’t happy at all times if we have so many things
to be thankful for? Because we don’t think about them we forget that we
have these gifts. What a pity! Tell students to take this time to think about
all the things they wrote and be happy; and smile!
  Ask them who bestowed on us all these gifts that they’re thinking about.
Towards whom do we feel grateful? Hakodosh Baruch Hu. How do we
express our feelings of thanks? We say thank you!

‫מודים אנחנו לך‬- We thank You Hashem.

 We thank You Hashem because we know that all the gifts that we have
are from You!

‫ – שאתה הוא ה' אלוקינו‬That You are He, Hashem our Hashem
 We feel so grateful and lucky that You - our father- is He – the one that
is the source of all the good in the world.

‫ – ואלקי אבותינו‬And the Hashem of our Fathers

 Not only does He grant us with all His chasadim but He also granted our
parents with them.
 When a person grants us with gifts we sometimes worry that his goods are
limited and there will come a time when he won’t have enough money to
give us what we need.
Let students look into their siddurim and see the unlimited greatness of Hashem
and therefore there is no need to worry that his abundance of goods will diminish.
Teacher may want to ask the following questions and have her students answer
‫בלשון הסידור‬.

‫לעולם ועד‬- Forever and ever

 His Chasadim are forever!

‫צורנו צור חיינו‬- our Rock, the strength of our lives

 Will Hashem be strong forever? Let students answer ‫בלשון‬: ‫צורנו צור חיינו‬

‫מגן ישענו‬- the shield of our ‫ישועה‬

 He protects us, helps us and cares for us at all times

‫ אתה הוא לדור ודור‬- You are He, in every generation

 We’re happy that He helps us. We may wonder, “Will He also be there for
our children and grandchildren? Let students answer ‫בלשון‬: ‫אתה הוא לדור‬
‫ודור‬

‫ נודה לך‬- we thank You

 Hashem grants us with his protection, strength and goods so that we
should appreciate his gifts, be happy with them and then direct our thanks
and positive feelings towards Him! How could we do that? One way of
thanking Hashem is expressing our thanks with the words “Baruch
Hashem.”
o Let students give you a situation where they were very grateful with
the way a situation turned about.
 For example: You woke up late. You are so happy and grateful to
Hashem that you made the bus. We have a simple two word thanks that
we tell Hashem. Baruch Hashem!
o Tell students to think into the words Baruch Hashem. Blessed are
You Hashem! Let them realize that although these words are
sometimes used as fillers or as a way of answering the question,”
How are you?” , we need to direct these words to Hashem- Thank
you Hashem for helping me catch my bus – Baruch Hashem!

‫ ונספר תהלתיך‬- and we tell Your praise

1. When one is excited about an incident they want to share it with others
and they share it excitedly so that the other person should feel their
feelings.
Situation: Your mother had a baby!
 Would you tell others about it? How would you share the news?

2. When we’re filled with deep feelings of appreciation to Hakodosh Baruch

Hu, we want to repeat it to others. Then our listeners also feel grateful to
Hakodosh Baruch Hu for the great nissim that He does and they too thank
Hashem for his wonders. This is a form of ‫פרסמי ניסא‬.
Situation: Your friend shared with you her special Rosh Chodesh snack.
You repeat her nice act to your mother and sisters.
 With what feeling is your family filled towards your friend?
Appreciation. Not only are you grateful, but you are so happy with the
favor that she did to you that your feelings overflow to those that are
close to you, and they too feel grateful towards her.
 Let students think of a time when they experienced a very special nes.
Have them share with you the emotional grateful feeling that they felt.
Ask them if they shared their story with others and why.

The next few phrases are things that we thank Hashem for:

1. ‫ על חיינו המסורים בידך‬- for our lives, which are given in your hand
We thank Hashem for helping us feel calm and secure. When we know that our
lives are in Hashem’s hands we feel secure and safe. We don’t need to worry
about illness, accidents, our future, etc.
 Ask students if a newborn baby would worry to have a nice outfit for his
Bris, or if his mother will prepare him a bottle, or if his father will set up his
crib for tonight. A baby feels secure in His mother’s hands. He knows
that my mommy will take care of all my needs. We are like a newborn
baby in Hashem’s hands. We feel secure, no matter what’s going on
around us. Our lives are in His hands.
 We thank Him for taking charge of our lives and letting us feel secure in
His hands.
2. ‫ ועל נשמותינו הפקודות לך‬- and our souls which are entrusted to You.
 Your mother gives your little sister a set of new markers. Instead of
coloring with them, she chews on them, breaks them, takes out the ink,
and smudges the ink onto the walls and furniture. Would your mother give
them to your sister tomorrow? Why? She doesn’t know how to use this
gift and therefore your mother will not return them to your sister the day
after.
 What is the most special thing we own? Our neshama. Hashem takes
our neshama every night and He watches over it all night. He then returns
it to us every morning even if we didn’t use it properly the day before and
don’t deserve to get it back.

3. ‫ ועל נסיך שבכל יום עמנו‬- and for Your wonders and goodness that are with us
every day
 Let students share of anyone they knew that experienced a great nes.
For example: grandmother during World War 2, a car accident, ‫קריעת‬
‫ים סוף‬, fire, flood, etc.

4. ‫ – ועל נפלאותיך וטובותיך שבכל עת ערב ובקר וצהרים‬and for Your wonders and
goodness that are at all times, evening, and morning, and afternoon
 Let students share the nissim that we encounter at all times; the nissim
that we view as small nissim. For example: breathing, good mark, new
friend etc.
 Have students realize that these small nissim are just as great as the
big nissim. We could never do or accomplish these things without
Hashem’s help.
 Divide the board in three ‫ צהריים‬,‫ בקר‬, ‫ ערב‬and categorize students’
answers according to what time in the day they experience the nes.

‫ – הטוב כי לא כלו רחמיך‬You are the Good One, for it never ends Your mercy

‫ – והמרחם כל לא תמו חסדיך‬and You are the Merciful One, for it never ends Your
kindness

‫ כי מעולם קוינו לך‬-We always put our hope in You.

 Throughout all the generations, Klal Yisroel always put their hope in
Hashem.
 We thank Hashem that we could always hope for his ‫ישועה‬. There is no
such thing as a hopeless situation. Hashem takes the bleakest situations
and fills them with light. For example:
 Person is very sick – although doctors may claim that the situation
is hopeless, we hope to Hashem because with His help the patient
could get better.
 Student couldn’t study for the test – although it seems as though
there is no hope, she hopes to Hashem because with His help she
could succeed. (Hashem will help her remember the information)
  You messed up a friendship – although it seems that the friendship
is lost, you hope to Hashem because with His help you could make
shalom and restore the friendship.

We want to thank Hashem for all these great things that He does with us.

‫ – ועל כלם יתברך ויתרומם ויתנשא שמך מלכנו תמיד לעולם ועד‬and for all these things
may it be blessed and may it be uplifted, Your name, out King, always forever
and ever
 If we remember to thank Hashem for all the wonders that He does, then
Hashem won’t need to put us into a situation that will force us to be
thankful. Hashem may put us into a difficult situation, where we need to
beg for his help. Then when he helps us we’re finally truly grateful for his
chesed. We could avoid the discontinuation by thanking Hashem while
He is still granting us with His chasadim.
 Mashal: Children don’t thank Mother for warm, healthy supper because
they take it for granted. When mother doesn’t make supper for a while,
and children have sandwiches for supper, they realize what they’re
missing. They ask their mother for warm nutritious supper. Now, when
their mother serves supper, they appreciate it and thank her. The
absence of supper forced them to realize and appreciate their mother’s
warm supper.

‫ – וכל החיים יודך סלה‬and all the living will thank You forever
 As long as we’re alive; as long as our neshamos are alive in us we
need to thank Hashem.
 Review with students how we can thank Hashem with our actions;
mitzvos. As long as we’re alive we want to thank Hashem by doing
mitzvos and correcting our middos.
 Story: Reb Yisroel Salanter. See attached story- “Dramatic
Reading for Chanukah”

‫ ויהללו ויברכו את שמך הגדול באמת‬- and bless Your great name with sincerity
 When we thank Hashem, our thanks needs to be with the pure intention of
thanking Hashem for the great deeds that He grants us.
 Mashal: Your little sister gives you her biggest smile and hugs and
exclaims, “You’re the best sister! Thank you so much for lending me your
markers, yesterday! I love you! I want to tell all my friends what a special
sister I have!”
What is usually the underlying purpose of her thanks? What does she
want from you today? She wants you to let her use your markers again.
The highest madreige of thanking is when our intentions of thanking
Hashem are not because we want Hashem to give us more, but because
we appreciate His kindness.

‫ לעולם כי טוב‬Forever Because You are good

‫ הקל ישועתנו ועזרתנו סלה‬The Hashem of our saving And our help forever

‫ הָ ֵקל הַ ּטֹוב‬The Good Hashem

‫ ּבָרּוְך אַ ּתָ ה ה’ הַ ּטֹוב ׁשִ מְ ך‬- Blessed are You, Hashem Your name is ‘Good’

‫ ּולְ ָך נָאֶ ה לְ הֹודֹות‬- And to you it is proper to thank

 Ask one student, Leah, to hand out a small treat to the class. Let them all
thank the student that gives them the treat. Then, ask your students to
whom, in addition to Leah, is it proper to give thanks. The teacher.
Although we need to thank people who do chesed with us, we need to
remember who stands behind all the chasadim, and thank Hashem.

Application:

Materials needed for scrapbook:

 Color paper
 Markers
Instructions:
1. Decorate 5 present boxes.
2. Let students label 5 papers with a different present from Hashem: For
example: Family.
3. Then students should draw on the paper pictures that portray that present For
example: a father, mother, sister, and brother.
4. Slide the paper into the present box.
 ‫ברכת מודים‬
For each letter, write something that makes you happy.

______________________________________________________________‫א‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ב‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ג‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ד‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ה‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ו‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ז‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ח‬
_____________________________________________________________ ‫ט‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫י‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫כ‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ל‬
_____________________________________________________________ ‫מ‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫נ‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ס‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ע‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫פ‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫צ‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ק‬
______________________________________________________________ ‫ר‬
______________________________________________________________‫ש‬
______________________________________________________________‫ת‬ 
 Dramatic Reading for Chanukah :
“Kol z’man she’haner dolek, efshar l’takain”
“As long as the candle is still lit, it is possible to fix…”

(This story should be recited in a darkened room, with the storyteller holding a
candle. The lines should be recited slowly and rhythmically, accompanied by
hand motions for “push and pull it tight.”) *Note: This was originally written as
the opening for a Chanuka Chagiga whose theme was the same as the title.

It was a cold, dark evening. Not a star glittered in the sky, nor did the
moon illuminate with even the tiniest flicker. Clouds hung over the dusky sky,
and a chill wind sliced through the thin walls of the simple houses. Men hurried
home from Ma’ariv, their coats clutched about them.

The Rebbe walked alone. He had bypassed his usual entourage by

hurrying out of shul through a side door before they realized it. He was lost in
deep thought, and did not wish to be distracted.

“Ribono Shel Olam,” he sighed to himself. “I am getting older, yet there is

still so much I have yet to accomplish. People come to me for chizuk,
considering me a Tzaddik shaleim, but only You, Bochain Levavos can clearly
see my lackings – I am far from shaleim. What will be? There is so little time. So
little time. It is said that it can take a lifetime to change a middah, and it is late.
Oh, Ribono shel Olam, it is so late!”

Suddenly, a small flicker of light captured his attention. As if in a trance,

he walked slowly toward the glow. He found himself before the shop of Yossele
the tailor. The Rebbe entered slowly, not quite sure why he was driven to pursue
the tiny ray of light that had penetrated his introspection.

He stood in the doorway, mesmerized. Yossele sat hutched over a tiny

candle; a half finished garment in one hand and an almost invisible threaded
needle in the other. In a gentle, rhythmic motion, he pushed the needle through
the garment, and pulled it, drawing the thread tight. The small flame flickered to
and fro as Yossele pushed the needle, and pulled it tight.

Push the needle and pull it tight…

The Rebbe stood silently for a moment, watching Yossele’s eyes squinting
in concentration by the light of the candle stub.

Pushing, and pulling tight…

“Yossele,” the Rebbe spoke hoarsely. “Yossele, why don’t you stop now?
It is dark, and the night is cold.”
 Yossele looked up at the Rebbe. His eyes seemed to glow with a gentle
intensity that surpassed the glow of the candle.

“But Rebbe,” he almost whispered, his fluid hands never ceasing to push
the needle through and pull it tight, “There is much to fix…”

The Rebbe’s eyes swept over the room, taking in the piles of clothing
waiting to be mended.

“Rebbe,” the tailor repeated almost reproachfully, “As long as the candle is
burning, one can sill fix . . .”

Push and pull…

Push and pull…

The Rebbe’s eyes widened, He felt an all-encompassing lightness

overtake him. He was free of his burden.

“Ribono shel Olam! Now I understand! As long as the candle is still

burning, one can fix . . . and mend . . . his soul . . .

one . . .

stitch . . .

at a time…”

Push, and pull it tight…

Push, and pull it tight…

Kol z’man she’haner dolek, efshar l’takain.

 Beiur Tefilla Shemona Esrei Unit:
Part 20 - Birkas Shalom
By Chaim and Chaya Baila Wolf Brooklyn Teacher Center of Torah
Umesorah

Grade Level: Elementary

Materials Needed:
 Toy shopping cart
 Sentence strips (see body of lesson plan)

This is the third bracha of ‫ – הודאה‬thanks.

Why are we asking Hashem for Shalom if we’re supposed to be thanking him?
The biggest praise that Tehilla could give to Hashem, is by showing him how much she
relies on him and needs him. When asking him ‫בקשות‬, she believes that Hashem could
help her with anything. That is Hashem’s ultimate praise – our realization that we’re
fully dependant on Him.

Do now: Write ‫ שלום‬onto board and let students brainstorm on shalom. What is
shalom?
Liking each other, no fighting, no war.

Motivation:
 Use shopping cart as a mashal
Teacher puts toy shopping cart onto desk. Teacher writes the word ‫ שלום‬and puts it on
the cart. Place shopping items into cart. Ask students if it is possible to have all these
items without having a container? The contents will fall out. ‫"אין כלי מחזיק ברכה אלא‬
"‫ – שלום‬Shalom is the ‫ כלי‬container for all good things. When there’s no shalom it is
not possible to have any ‫ ברכות‬. Use the following example to prove this point:
 Let students imagine that there’s no shalom ‫ ח"ו‬in the class; fighting, jealousy,
hatred, etc. Atmosphere is cold, uncomfortable, and uninviting. Pretend that
teacher wants to treat you to a great trip – a water park. Students can’t enjoy
treats when they’re not ‫באחדות‬. The bus ride won’t be enjoyable – no discussion,
you’ll need to go on rides yourself; lonely and hurtful.
 Ask students to describe the trip when there is shalom.
 We need shalom all the time, among all people. Point out to students that
Shalom is not only between you and your friend. Let students share where
shalom can take place. Categorize their answers in three columns:
1) Shalom in a family - between: brothers and sisters, mother and daughter,
husband and wife
2) Shalom in the world- between: countries, government, ‫אידן וגוים‬
3) Shalom between people: workplace, friends, neighbors, etc.
Once Tehilla has shalom she could ask for all the other brachos. While reading the
brachos, teacher creates sentence strips of different brachos and puts them into
shopping cart. Have the translation on the other side of the card
‫טובה‬ ‫חן‬
‫ברכה‬ ‫וחסד‬

‫חיים‬ ‫ורחמים‬

‫עלינו ועל כל ישראל עמך‬

This activity will demonstrate how all these ‫ ברכות‬can stay with us only when there’s
shalom:
 Tell students to move their desks to the two sides of the classroom. Then, tell
them to form a circle. Teacher gives 6 students one strip from the shopping cart
and tells them to remain in the center of the circle. Let each of the center girls
read their title and explanation. Tell the rest of your students to think of
examples for each strip. After the strip was discussed let student sit down in the
center of the circle.
 Girl #1: “‫ – טובה‬We ask Hashem should give us brachos and we should see the
good in it”
Sometimes Hashem sends us good things and we think and feel that they’re not
good things at all.
Let students give you examples of situation when thought it wasn’t good and only
later realized how good it was.
For example: rain, taking bitter medicine, new school, move.
 Girl #2: “‫ברכה‬- We ask Hashem to send us brachos without a limit. ( ‫ברכה מלשון‬
‫ ב ְֵרכָה‬-a well)
Discuss with students brachos with a limit: For example: Food – just enough for
everyone. Money- no extras, 1 dress, 1 friend, 1 good neighbor. Ask students if
they would buy just enough food for a trip, or if their mother would cook exactly
enough food for Yom Tov. Why? Because we like and enjoy unlimited brachos!
 Girl #3: "‫ – חיים‬good life". When person is alive but is not happy with his life, then
his life is not considered a good life.
Discuss with students healthy life, happy life – emotionally and physically
 Girl #4: “‫ –חן‬appealing to Hashem and to people”
Discuss with students how we could be appealing to the people around us. “Can
we only be appealing to others if we’re pretty, and we’re wearing a pretty dress?
For example: Happy, smiley, calm, doing what’s right,
Although the bracha of ‫ חן‬seems to be something that we earn by our actions, it
is a special bracha from Hashem. It is a special chesed of Hashem when people
like us.
( ‫ חן‬girl sits down in the center of the circle.)
 Girl #5 –“ ‫ וחסד‬- people should do chesed with us”
Discuss with students when we need people to do chesed with us.
Examples: friend gives shares her snack, neighbor cooks supper when mother
has a baby, sister lends her markers, etc.
 ( ‫ חסד‬girl sits down in the center of the circle.)
 Girl #6 – “ ‫ –ורחמים‬Give us good things even if we don’t deserve it.
Discuss with students that in order to receive a prize we need to earn it.
For example: When a mother makes a chart with you: 20 stickers will earn you a
camera. Will she give you the camera when you only have 5 stickers?
Hashem grants us with many ‘prizes’. Would we want that every prize should
only be ours if we fully deserve it? health, friends, family, clothing, parnassa, etc.
What would happen if Hashem would be so strict with us?
We wouldn’t have the bountiful gifts that we have. Therefore we ask Hashem for
‫רחמים‬.
(Girls #6 sits down in the center of the circle.)

Continue the activity: Tell students to get up and put their hands behind their
backs. Tell them not to hold on hands to show that there’s no shalom. Tell the 6
center girls to try to run out of the circle. The girls will have an easy time
escaping. Then tell the 6 girls to go back to the center of the circle. Students
should hold on hands and come very close together – there’s shalom, we all like
each other. Now let your students see if the brachos girls could escape. (
brachos girls can’t escape.)
When we yiden are bshalom, Hashem’s brachos can stay with us.

Lesson #2:
‫ – ברכנו אבינו כלנו כאחד‬bless us, our Father, all of us as one
 We’re one happy family with Hashem as our father. We ask Hashem, our father
to give us, and treat us like a father gives and treats his children.

‫ – באור פניך‬with the light of your face

 Discuss the difference of getting a treat from a person that wants to give – he’s
happy when he gives, in contrast to a person that has to give – he’s unhappy
when he gives.
o Example: Refer to previous example of teacher taking students on trip to
a water park. Ask students to explain the feeling when told that they’re
treated to this trip.
Pretend that teacher doesn’t want to take you on the trip but she needs to
take you because you earned points, finished a chart, etc. Discuss how
her mood would affect the trip.
“Do you think I would be very smiley, and happy?”
“Do you think I would let you go on extra rides?”
“Do you think I would prepare a game for the bus ride?”
Now let students picture the trip when the teacher is thrilled to take them
on the trip. Let them tell you that the teacher would go that extra mile to
prepare extra games, to upgrade the trip as much possible.
 When we ask Hashem to give us all the brachos mentioned before ‫באור‬
‫ פניך‬-
We ask Hashem to give us in a way that will show us that He wants to
give us; rather than giving us in a limited way. Give us because you want
 to give us, because then the treat will have all the extras that come along
when a parent wants to treat his child.

‫ – כי באור פניך נתת לנו‬because with the light of Your face, You gave us
We ask to be given the brachos ‫ באור פניך‬because we have past experiences of being
given ‫באור פניך‬. We know that at times of ‫ באור פניך‬Hashem treated us with great things.
The following phrases are the great things that we received at times of ‫ אור פניך‬and we
want Hashem to do the same with us.
a) ‫ נתת לנו ה' אלוקינו תורת חיים‬- this is the greatest gift that we ever received.
b) ‫ – ואהבת חסד‬Hashem gave us many chasadim. For example: ‫ קריעת‬,‫יציאת מצרים‬
,‫ ים סוף‬, saved from wars, etc…
c) ‫ – וצדקה‬He remembered ‫ זכות אבות‬. Cross reference: When do we mention ‫זכות‬
‫ אבות‬in our tefillos? First bracha, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashana – Shofar – ‫עקידת‬
‫יצחק‬
d) ‫ – ברכה‬Hashem gave us Parnassa ‫בשפע‬. How does parnassa help us? Discuss
with students buying necessities with money earned.
e) ‫ורחמים‬- Hashem gave us even if we didn’t deserve. For example: ‫יציאת מצרים‬
f) ‫ וחיים‬- Hashem gave us a life so different than the ‫ גוי‬- a life of Torah and
Mitzvos.
g) ‫ – ושלום‬Hashem gave us the gift of shalom. Ask students to list examples of
shalom discussed before.
h) ‫וכל טוב‬
i) ‫– וטוב יהי'ה בעיניך‬When are we good in Hashem’s eyes? We ask Hashem to help
us do mitzvos and ‫ מעשים טובים‬which cause us to be good in His eyes.
‫ לברכנו‬- Let students answer blashon hasiddur.
 And when we’ll be viewed in Hashem’s eyes as ‘good’, then Hashem will
bless us.
 Not only us but ‫ולברך את כל עמך ישראל‬

‫ – בכל עת ובכל שעה‬at every time and hour

‫ בשלום‬- With the most special bracha that will retain all of the other brachos.

‫ ברוך אתה ה' המברך את עמו ישראל בשלום‬- Blessed are You, Hashem who blesses His
people Yisroel with peace

Application:
Materials needed for scrapbook:
 Felt – purple and white
 Tall Toothpicks
 Green and purple marker
 White paper
 White ribbon
 Purple thread (optional)
1. Cut flowers on purple felt.
2. Cut circles on white paper.
3. Color tall toothpicks with green marker
4. Write brachos with purple marker on the white circles. Paste white circles on
purple flowers.
5. Paste flowers onto toothpicks
6. Sew with purple thread on ribbon the word shalom or write with purple
marker. Tie the ribbon around the toothpicks.