This week, Nitzanim children heard Genesis 3:1-10 for the first time, and wow were they ready to dive right in!
All of the work we’ve been doing over the last few weeks to listen to our inner voices (see post here) has prepared children to notice details in the text and ask big questions. In many cases, children’s biggest questions led them to explore issues not only at the core of the text but also central to how they understand the world around them.
For example, one child is wrestling with ideas about breaking rules.
“Even though it’s shiny, God said don’t eat it, so don’t eat it. It’s like breaking a promise. The girl [breaks a rule]. Nachash (snake) didn’t know which one it (the tree of knowing good and bad) was so it’s not his fault.”
Another child is curious about power and motivation.
“He [God] said not to eat from it. They thought it was worth it because it looked so beautiful and they wouldn’t die because the snake said so. They’re like God now.”
And children continue to wrestle with concepts of right and wrong. Is the נחש (nachash–snake) trying to help or trying to hurt?
“Maybe the snake’s lying because [it] doesn’t know as much as God. [The] snake thinks it’s helping.”
Nitzanim children are getting to the heart of the text, and I can’t wait to see how their interpretations continue to unfold!
