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Torah Lesson 1 Tanach: Getting to Know You

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Torah Lesson 1 Tanach: Getting to Know You INTRODUCTION This lesson is an introduction to the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew term Q³b©T, “Tanach,” is an acronym formed from the names of the three sections of the Bible: v¨r«uT, Torah; oh¦thc±b, N’vi’-im (Prophets); and ohcU,F, K’tuvim (Writings).1 The lesson is designed to provide students with a brief overview of the Tanach and a taste of the content of each of the sections. The focus of the Level 5 Torah strand is the second section of Tanach, the N’vi- im/Prophets section. It is helpful, however, for students to understand where and how the N’vi-im section fits into the bigger picture of the Tanach. An additional hope is that the students will be able to recognize at least some small part of this section of the Tanach before they formally begin learn- ing about it. Students will study K’tuvim in Level 6. The Tanach is referred to by Jews as the Hebrew Bible, not the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the Christian name for the first section of the Christian Bible. It differs from the Tanach in several signifi- cant ways. Among them are the order of the books and the translation of some key verses. Conceptually, the term “Old Testament” implies that there is a newer, more modern testament (the New Testament), superceding the “Old” Testament. This is not accurate for Jews, hence the term “Hebrew Bible.” The first books of the N’vi-im section (Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, and I and II Kings) are considered the “historical prophets.” The remainder of the prophetic books are referred to as the “literary prophets.” If you have not worked with a copy of the Tanach in the past, it is suggested that you skim through one. Note how the table of contents is organized and where certain books are found. You might want to read through some sections of N’vi-im that draw your eye. Some of the prophetic books, such as Micah, Amos, Joel, or Jonah, are short and relatively easily accessible. This might be helpful in getting a feel for prophet- ic language and style (even though the styles are somewhat varied). The Level 5 Torah strand assumes that students are able to find a biblical citation. If your students are unable to do so, it is recommended that you teach the section of Level 4, Torah Lesson 1, that introduces students to the skill of finding a biblical citation (pages 12–13). 1Depending on its place in a word, the letter F can also appear as f, in which case it is pronounced ch. Like several other Hebrew letters, f has a final form, l. 7 8 Torah Lesson 1 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS • Torah is an ongoing dialogue between the text and its students. • Torah is real in our daily lives: It goes with us wherever we are. • Developing the skills to study Torah is essential to integrating Torah into our lives. • The prophets were focused on reminding the Jewish people how God wants us to live, and their mes- sages are at the heart of Reform Judaism. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1. What does the Torah have to say to me and my world? 2. How can Torah study help me in my everyday life? 3. Why is the Torah different from other books? 4. What is prophecy? 5. What is a prophet? 6. In what ways do the prophets and what they said (prophecy) remind us how God wants us to live? 7. How can I as a Reform Jew understand how God wants me to live through the writings of the prophets? QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED 1. What is the meaning of the term “Tanach”? 2. What are the characteristics of the three different sections of the Tanach? EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING • Students will respond to questions about the different sections of the Tanach: Torah, N’vi-im, and K’tuvim. • Students will describe or characterize the Tanach either visually or in writing. LESSON OVERVIEW • Set Induction (15 minutes) • Tanach Stations (35–40 minutes) • Conclusion (15 minutes) MATERIALS NEEDED • What Is in the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible)? (page 12) • Group Leader Instructions (pages 14–16) • Three signs, one for each station: 1. Ta ; 2. Na; 3. Ch (see template on page 17) CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Tanach: Getting to Know You 9 • An adult or madrich (high school student/teacher aide) to run the stations (the K’tuvim station, if at all possible, should be run by a music teacher or a volunteer with musical talent) • Music teacher or volunteer who can lead the students in song • A CD player (if there is no music teacher or the teacher wants/needs accompaniment) • CDs or cassettes with the chosen songs (if there is no music teacher or the teacher wants/needs accom- paniment) •A siddur/prayer book for every two students (the one commonly used by the congregation is recom- mended) •A Tanach for each student or one for every two students (TANAKH [Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1999 (Hebrew/English); English only, 1985] is recommended) • Copies of The Gift of Wisdom (New York: UAHC Press, 2001) for the N’vi-im and K’tuvim groups (one copy for one-third of the students, to be used at the N’vi-im station) LESSON VOCABULARY thc²b Prophet (pl. n’vi-im). navi oh¦thc±b Prophets. The second section of the Hebrew Bible consisting N’vi-im of eight books (Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets). Some scholars count the Twelve Minor Prophets as one book and some count them as twelve books. Therefore, some scholars say there are eight books in the N’vi-im section of the Tanach and some say there are nineteen books in this section. ohcU,F Writings. The third section of the Tanach. This section consists of K’tuvim eleven books: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, I and II Chronicles. historical prophets The first four books of N’vi-im: Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, and I and II Kings. The prophets in these books are referred to as the historical prophets as their content is historic in nature, telling the story of Am Yisrael’s conquest of and residence in Eretz Yisrael. They also relate the stories of Israel’s monarchs. literary prophets This section of N’vi-im is comprised of four books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor prophets. These prophets are known as the literary prophets because of the prosaic nature of the writing and the moral and ethical content of their books. 10 Torah Lesson 1 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life LESSON PLAN SET INDUCTION (15 MINUTES) This set induction is designed to help students get an overview of the Tanach and to orient them to the Books of the Prophets within the Bible. The students will do a “preview quiz” that will be reviewed together as a class. 1. Distribute the What Is in the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible)? quiz sheet on page 12. Tell the students that they can work alone or with a friend or two to try to answer the questions. They have not studied this information before and may not know the answers. Let the students know that you will be reviewing the answers together as a class to get an idea about what they will be learning over the next few months. Instruct them to place a check or an X next to each thing listed that they think is found in the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible. Remind them not to worry if they do not know the answers or if they do not complete all the questions in five minutes. 2. Review the correct answers (see page 13) and tell the students that in this class, they will be learning some important things about each section of the Bible. Point out to them that over the next several weeks, the class will be focusing on one section in particular, the Books of the Prophets. LEARNING ACTIVITY Tanach Stations (35–40 minutes) 1. Divide students into three groups to visit three stations, one each for Torah, N’vi-im, and K’tuvim. If the class is small, students can visit the stations as a whole group or in two groups instead of three. 2. Using the template on page 17, create one sign for each of the three sections of the Tanach and place the appropriate sign at each of the three stations. These signs should be brought back to the classroom from each of the stations at the end of the third rotation (see Conclusion). Teachers should have an extra copy of each sign in case one group forgets to bring its sign back. Instructions for each of the stations can be found on pages 14–16. Each station will need an adult or madrich (high school stu- dent/teacher aide) to lead the station. The teacher’s role is to circulate among the stations to ensure that they are running smoothly and to let students know when to move on to the next station. 3. Start each group at a different station. Each group will spend ten minutes at each station with two minutes for moving around. Students do not need to begin with the Torah station. It is recommend- ed, however, that as they proceed, they move in the order of the Tanach (from Torah to N’vi-im to K’tuvim; from N’vi-im to K’tuvim to Torah; and from K’tuvim to Torah to N’vi-im).
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