Our small Monday group of ענפים (Anafim, “branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) was wondering about how many conversations the early Rabbis wrote down, so we took an impromptu trip to visit the תלמוד (Talmud- one of the core compendia of Rabbinic literature). They asked tons of questions, bouncing off of each others’ observations and ideas, and also made a lot of connections with things they already knew.
Child 1: What are all those different sections of writing?
Child 2: Isn’t the middle part the one that comes first? The Mishna?”
Morah Leah: Well, look, this section begins with a big letter מ (Mem), which identifies one layer of text, but this next part in the center section has a big ג מ (Gimmel mem)…
Child 2: like ‘Gemara!’
Child 3: Wait, so this is already two sets of ideas? Then what’s the stuff around the edges? More later rabbis?
Child 1: Like when we put our ideas on post-its.
Child 2: Look! The books are numbered with גימטריה (Gimatria, a system of writing numbers with Hebrew letters). See? Aleph– One. Bet– two. Gimmel…
Later, on our way out:
Child 1: Hey, what’s that one? The blue one.
Morah Leah: What does it say?
Child 2: ha…zohar. Zohar?
Child 1: Oh, the Zohar!
Child 3: The one where the guy said…
Child 1: He said he found an ancient text from the Rabbis, but maybe he wrote it himself…
Child 3: And the story we read about welcoming guests with a joyful face into the sukkah. The special guest!
Child 1: It says, ta chazi mah k’tiv…
Morah Leah: ‘Look. As it is written…’ so it sounds like it’s quoting the Torah…
Child 3: MORE commentary!
