Category Archives: Parshiot

Leading Idea: When is enough enough?

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Leading Idea: When is enough enough?

Sarai doesn’t do just one thing to Hagar; rather, it seems that she treats her badly time after time. Hagar finally runs away because she decides she has taken enough of Sarai’s harsh treatment. How do we make the decision that enough is enough? There are two things to consider here (i) When to draw the line and say “no more!” and (ii) What constitutes good reasons for leaving a situation or person. Here the question is not only one of quantity, but also a matter of deciding what factors are the relevant ones in the first place. For instance, two people might both ‘draw the line’ at eating one candy bar per day – but the relevant factor to consider for one person might be health, while the relevant factor for the other might be the cost.

Exercise: Identifying Different Forms of Laughter

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Exercise: Identifying Different Forms of Laughter

What kinds of laughter are these?
What feelings might be involved in each case?

  1. Sam laughed out loud as he watched the funny movie.
  2. As soon as Yair began to speak in front of the class, he burst into laughter.
  3. As soon as Yair began to speak in front of the class, his classmates burst into laughter.
  4. When Sam told a joke in front of the class, his friends burst into laughter.
  5. Shelley laughed to herself as she remembered the funny things that had happened that day.
  6. The roller coaster ride was very scary, but at the end we laughed about it.
  7. When I was little my mother used to tickle me, and I would laugh so hard that I cried.
  8. When I realized the mistake I’d made I started to laugh.
  9. The magic trick was a huge success – all the children laughed
  10. Josh’s friends said to him: “We are not laughing at you; we are laughing with you.”

Exercise: Drawing Lines

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Exercise: Drawing lines

In each case, how do you decide that enough is enough? In each case, what factors do you take into account in making this decision?

  • Deciding how much homework to do
  • Deciding how much candy to eat before putting the rest away
  • Deciding when you have watched enough television
  • Deciding how late to stay up
  • Deciding when your hair needs cutting
  • Deciding when to stop playing a computer game
  • Deciding whether to continue asking your parents for something after they have said ‘no’
  • Deciding when teasing your brother/sister has gone far enough
  • Deciding how much tzedakah to give
  • Deciding when you need to clean your room

Discussion Plan: The Effects of Laughter

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Discussion Plan: The Effects of Laughter

1. Do you think laughter is infectious? If so, why?

2. Can you ever laugh too much?

3. Is laughter always pleasurable?

4. When people say “laughter is the best medicine” what do they mean? Do you think laughter can effect your health?

5. If you laugh just on the inside, have you still laughed?

6. Are there some kinds of laughter you can’t control? Are there kinds you can control?

7. Can you ‘laugh on demand’? If so, is this the same as real laughter?

8. Could you ever laugh out of fear?

9. Do you think that there are differences in the way women and men laugh or use laughter?

10. Can you use laughter as a way of controlling a situation? Explain.

Leading Idea: Consequences and Responsibility

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Leading Idea: Consequences and Responsibility

In verses 4-6 Sara speaks to Avram complaining of Hagar and Avram says to her “do what you want to do” – Sarai then treats her badly. Hagar then runs away.
In this passage Avram seems to take no responsibility for addressing the situation – is he then partly responsible for Hagar’s leaving? Our actions can have consequences we don’t foresee, but does that absolve us from responsibility toward the outcome?
The discussion plan “Consequences and Responsibility” explores the relationship between actions we take, their consequences and our responsibility toward the outcome.

Intertextual Sources: Kinds of Laughter

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Intertextual Source Comparisons:  Kinds of Laughter

  • Compare Sara’s laughter with Avraham’s laughter when he is told that Sarah will have a son. Bereshit 17:17
    • Do you think it is the same kind of laughter?
  • Compare Sarah’s laughter with God’s laughter in Tehilim 34:13
    • Do you think it is the same kind of laughter?
  • Compare Sarah;s laughter at 18:12 with Sarah’ comment about laughter when Yitzak is born – Bereshit 21:6
    • Do you think this is the same kind of laughter?

Discussion Plan: Consequences and Responsibility – PS

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Discussion Plan: Consequences and Responsibility

  1. If I give you permission to play ball outside the house and a ball goes through the window, who is responsible for the broken window?
  2. You loosen the wheel on the bike of someone intending to scare them, but they ended up getting hurt. Are you responsible for them being hurt?
  3. You help your friend with their homework. Are you responsible for their good grade?
  4. You introduce two people and they become friends. Are you responsible for their friendship?
  5. Your parents don’t give you permission to go to your friend’s sleepover party and your friend is angry with you. Are your parents responsible for the anger?

Exercise: Recognizing Different Types of Laughter – LPS

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Exercise: Recognizing Different Types of Laughter

  1. What kind of laughter do you think each of these pictures shows?
  2. What is the difference between them?
  3. After looking at the pictures, think about which kind(s) of laugh you think are closest to Sarah’s laugh?
  4. Try performing that laugh.
  5. Which kind(s) of laugh do you think are like Sarah’s laugh?
vayeira-laughter-e-image-1
vayeira-laughter-e-image-2
vayeira-laughter-e-image-4
   
vayeira-laughter-e-image-3  

All images are open source from creative commons: https://pixabay.com/

Discussion Plan: Consequences and Responsibility – MS, HS

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Discussion Plan: Consequences and Responsibility

  1. If I give you permission to play ball outside the house and a ball goes through the window, who is responsible for the broken window?
  2. You loosen the wheel on the bike of someone intending to scare them, but they ended up getting hurt. Are you responsible for them being hurt?
  3. You help your friend with their homework. Are you responsible for their good grade?
  4. You introduce two people and they become friends. Are you responsible for their friendship?
  5. Your parents don’t give you permission to go to your friend’s sleepover party and your friend is angry with you. Are your parents responsible for the anger?
  6. You know your friend is shoplifting but don’t say anything to anyone. Later, she gets caught and gets into trouble. Are you at all responsible?
  7. Your sister stays out after curfew . Your parents ask your opinion on what to do, but you tell them to do whatever they want. They ground her for a whole month. Are you responsible for her harsh treatment?
  8. You tell your parents that your brother has started smoking. They ask you to try to get him to stop. Are your parents living up to their responsibility?
  9. You give a beggar a dollar. They buy a lottery ticket and win. Are you responsible for them now being wealthy?
  10. Your friends ask to borrow some money. You think they are going to buy cigarettes. They do. If they get sick, are you responsible for their health?

Exercise: Recognizing Different Types of Laughter – UPS, MS, HS, A

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Exercise: Recognizing Different Types of Laughter

What kind of laughter do you think each of these pictures shows? What is the difference between them? After looking at the pictures, think about which kind(s) of laugh you think are closest to Sarah’s laugh? Try performing that laugh.

vayeira-laughter-e-image-1
vayeira-laughter-e-image-2
vayeira-laughter-e-image-3
vayeira-laughter-e-image-4
vayeira-laughter-e-image-5
vayeira-laughter-e-image-6
vayeira-laughter-e-image-7
 

All images are open source from creative commons: https://pixabay.com/