תרנגולת אחת קטנה

עלקה וובר

תרגום לאנגלית של ההצעות לגננות Teachers' Guide for One Little Chicken by Elka Weber

How much trouble can one little chicken cause? One little chicken loses her way and wanders into the Ben Dosa's yard. Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa and his family find the chicken and offer to care for her until her owner shows up. They soon realize that caring for the chicken is harder work than they had thought! This modern rendition of a Talmudic tale of Rabbi Hanina Ben Doa focuses on the Jewish mitzvah of returning lost items (hashavat aveida), the importance of safeguarding others’ possessions until they are claimed, and the need at times to go out of one’s way in order to do good for others.

At one time or another each of us has lost something that was dear to us. We can surely recall how upset we felt for the loss, and how elated we were when it was returned to us. Despite the Ben Dosa family's poverty, they cared for the lost chicken – and then the baby chicks, the goats and their kids… until the day when the rightful owner passed by looking for one little chicken.

Returning lost items (Hashavat Aveida)

Returning lost items is not a simple matter. We don't always know how to locate the owner, and it is sometimes hard for us to relinquish the object we found. Because of this inherent difficulty the Torah teaches us the importance of making the effort to return lost items to their rightful owner: If your countryman is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall remain with you until your countryman looks for it; then you shall restore it to him. (Deuteronomy 22:2).

Young children are fond of collecting "treasures", even if they belong to another child! How can we help children relinquish something they found, and how do we foster in them the responsibility to return lost items to their owners?

Classroom Ideas:

 "One Little Chicken" is a modern rendition of a Talmudic tale. Alongside the moral of the story and its lesson in Jewish values, the story acquaints the children with a famous person in Jewish tradition: Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa. Before reading the story, think of ways to introduce Rabbi Ben Dosa and the historical context of the story. Perhaps you'd like to dress in period clothes and announce yourself as Rabbi Ben Dosa's wife, adding details about their lifestyle, the time the story takes place and the geographic setting. This will help the children "get into the mood" of the story before you actually read the book.

 You might want to expand on the story and tell the children about the "Claiming Stone" – an ancient "Lost and Found" department from the time of the Second Temple. During pilgrimages to Jerusalem, a special area was set aside for claiming lost items. If a person found an object that did not belong to him, he would bring it to the Claiming Stone and declare that he had something to return. If the owner of the lost item could describe the item with identifiable signs, it would be return to him. A more detailed explanation of the Claiming Stone and the responsibilities of one who found a lost object can be found in the Talmudic tractate Baba Metziya 28:2.

Do you have something comparable to the Claiming Stone in your classroom? Is there a designated place where lost objects are placed? Do the children know what to do if they find something that is not theirs, and how to re-claim lost items? You may wish to re-instate the tradition in your classroom by creating your own Claiming Stone where children can declare and re-possess lost items.

 This is an opportunity to discuss ways to safeguard our belongings, and tell the children about Lost and Found departments in public areas.

 You can play the "Signs Game". One child leaves the room, and the others hide an object in the room. The child returns and tries to guess which object was selected by describing its identifying signs.

 The text and illustrations in the book show how the Ben Dosa household becomes more and more crowded with each additional animal. Be sure to include costumes and relevant props to the dress-up area in the classroom, so the children can re- enact the story and incorporate its theme into their spontaneous socio-dramatic play.

 A classroom discussion of the characters' feelings in the story may help raise the children's sensitivity to the importance of returning lost items in their own world.

 Despite his family's poverty, Rabbi Ben Dosa was not tempted to keep the lost chicken for himself or to ask for a reward upon returning it. You might ask the

children: Do they think he behaved correctly? Why did he not ask for even a small reward for his effort? And what do they think the man who lost the chicken felt when he recovered his lost item, and learned that it had even increased in value?

 At the end of the story we briefly meet the family who lost the little chicken. You can ask the children to imagine what went through their minds when their chicken was lost and the Ben Dosa family cared for it. The children may continue the story and propose a different ending.

Who was Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa?

Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa was one of the Tana'im – a wise man from the time of the Mishna – who lived in the Galilee 2000 years ago. He was a wonderful righteous man, and many legends speak of his humility and character. Despite his family's poverty, he was not tempted to take that which was not his, and waited to return it to its rightful owner. The source of the children's story One Little Chicken appears in the Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 25A.

A short interview with Elka Weber, author of One Little Chicken:

How did you come up with the idea to write a story about Rabbi Hanina Ben Dosa?

A number of years ago I wrote a children's book in English about Passover. Following that book's publication, my publisher in the US asked me to write a story with Jewish values that children of all religious could enjoy. I sat down with my family around the kitchen table, and we discussed a number of traditional Jewish tales with a universal message. It was actually my son Menachem, who was then 14 years old, who suggested this story.

You originally wrote the story in English, and had it translated into Hebrew for Israeli children. What changes were made to adapt it to American and Israeli children?

Overall, it is the same Talmudic story. But I made some small changes in order to reach out to the general public in America. For instance, the Talmud tells us that the Ben Dosa family was so poor that they had carob seeds for a meal. Children in America do not know what a carob is or what it looks like, so I wrote in the English story that they ate lentils – another simple food that has Biblical connotations. Another difference between the English and Hebrew renditions is in the coins used to purchase the goats. In Hebrew, Rabbi Ben Dosa sells the chickens for two "zuzim". Israeli children will surely know what "zuzim" are from the song sung at the Passover seder – Had Gadya. Most American children are not acquainted with this.

[Other changes were made in the Hebrew version of the story: First, Rabbi Ben-Dosa retains his title of "Rabbi", in contrast to "Mr. Ben Dosa" in the English version. Furthermore, to remain faithful to the Talmudic source, the Rabbi's daughter is not named in the story, and the entire book was re-illustrated to more truly reflect the environs of the Galilee in Mishnaic times. – SH]

Are you working on another book now?

At the moment I am working on a story for older children, as well as a book for adult readers. I also write book reviews. As my own family made 'aliyah' and moved to Israel a number of years ago, I would like to write a book about the experiences of a new kid arriving in Israel. I am sure that one day I will write such a story.

What is your suggestion to encourage a love for books?

Read, read, and read more! Libraries and book stores have so many good books on their shelves, with Jewish content and with universal values. We are blessed to live in this wonderful time, and the experiences of reading at a young age remain with us for many

years. I can testify that to this day my own children enjoy citing from books that my husband and I read aloud to them when they were young.