READING A GIFT for Jewish Children and their families. GUIDE

MOTI THE MITZVAH MOUSE Written by Vivian Newman Illustrated by Inga Knopp-Kilpert

Moti is just a little mouse, but he can perform good deeds all the same. Will the Berman family ever figure out who has been cleaning messes, feeding animals, and returning lost objects? Pepper the cat seems to be catching on.

Jewish ConCepts using this book at home People often use the word mitzvah to mean “good Moti is such a little mouse that it’s easy to forget what deed.” Moti the Mouse is doing good things, but the big philosophical concepts he’s introducing. Consider Hebrew word mitzvah actually means “commandment.” with your child: In the (the first five books of the ), there are 613 mitzvot (plural of mitzvah) – things God has • Why does Moti do his good deeds at night? commanded people to do. As a mouse, Moti is • What good deeds do you do every day? technically exempt, but performing mitzvot can be • Have you ever done a secret good deed? fulfilling for everyone – even the smallest among us. Make a placemat for like Moti does. Moti uses One mitzvah Moti really gets is tza’ar ba’alei hayim, crayons to decorate his placemat, but how about caring for animals. And when Moti finds his friends’ toys, cutting up old magazines and making a collage? This is he takes part in the mitzvah of hashavat aveidah, an example of hiddur mitzvah – making a mitzvah more returning lost objects to their owners. Moti also gives beautiful. (charity) and rests on Shabbat, the Sabbath. Doing mitzvot seems to come easily to this mouse. You Supplies: may not have known that some of the good things you do – sometimes without even thinking -- are mitzvot, Paper too. Scissors Old magazines Moti does his mitzvot at night, while everyone’s asleep. Glue stick This means the Berman family never finds out who is Crayons and/or stickers (optional) doing all these good deeds. According to the renowned Clear packaging tape medieval Jewish philosopher , one of the highest forms of charitable giving is the anonymous Cut pictures from old magazines. (Adults can help.) donation, because it preserves the recipients’ dignity. Use the glue stick to create a collage from the photos. Moti is a Jewish sage! (Or maybe he’s just a little shy.) Pictures can be spaced out or overlap. Fill in white Visit pjlibrary.org’s resource page to learn more about space with crayon or stickers if desired and then cover Maimonides and his “ladder of tzedakah,” with its eight with packaging tape to waterproof. Shabbat Shalom! rungs of giving. Moti has been climbing it steadily!