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Simchat Torah: The Torah as Something Precious
Abstract
This lesson will focus on the importance of the Torah in people’s lives, as viewed through the eyes of the Sages, and its relevance for students’ lives. To do this, we will use the sources “The Torah Is Compared to Water” and “Torah Is Better Than Any Merchandise”.
- Learning about the holiday of Simchat Torah.
- Understanding the importance of Torah for an individual person through the use of texts and images.
- Experiencing the customs of the holiday through an interactive game.
- Opening Hook (5-10 minutes)
- Hand out pieces of paper to the students.
- Instruct them to write or draw things that are especially important in their lives.
- Display the papers and discuss their answers, asking them to explain why the things they chose are important.
2. Main Activity (20-25 minutes)
- Part 1: Studying a Piyyut (Liturgical Poem)
- Study the poem “Ashorer Shirah,” which is customarily sung on Simchat Torah.
- Listen to a musical performance and discuss how the poet describes the Torah and its value as being “more precious than gold”.
- For younger students (Level 1): Listen to the song “Tov Li Torat Picha” (from Psalm 119) and create dance steps for it.
- Part 2: Studying a Midrash
- Students study the midrash “The Torah Is Compared to Water” in pairs (havruta) using a study sheet.
- Lead a class discussion about the comparisons between Torah and water and their importance in our lives.
- For younger students (Level 1): Study the story “Torah Is Better Than Any Merchandise”. Read the first part and have students guess what the wise man’s “merchandise” is before finishing the story. Discuss its advantages over material goods.
3. Conclusion (5-10 minutes)
- Ask the students what is celebrated on Simchat Torah and explain the holiday.
- To illustrate the joy of the holiday, watch videos of Simchat Torah celebrations.
- Based on the lesson, ask students to explain the reason for the joyous celebration.
4. Optional Activity: Interactive Game
- Play the “Uncover the Picture” game to review concepts learned about Simchat Torah. The game has two difficulty levels with questions about the holiday and the Torah.
- Pieces of paper
- Writing or drawing materials
- A projector or screen
- Internet access for music, videos, and the interactive game
Bonus Material.
- Students can prepare a short video for social media or a picture under the heading “Torah Is Important”.
- All the student videos can be edited together to create a single class video.
- Another option is to have students write slogans or design bumper stickers explaining why the Torah is important to them.