NnnLesson Plan (based on experiential 5E model)
Materials (to community):
- URJ online Torah portion plus commentary in advance.
- A read version of the Torah portion by Martin in advance
Goals:
- Space for personal narrative and voice for class members to find the Torah of their lives in reading the weekly Torah portion. Bring in commentary from individual's comments when possible.
- To wrestle together in finding relevance and challenge in the weekly Torah portion.
- To dive deeply into one aspect of the weekly pasha that has a psycho-spiritual teaching, a teaching about how our traditions have meaningful application to our lives and a life well lived.
- This week's focus: Moses and Korach - the story of leadership models
Stage 1: Personal Tshuva
Stage 2:
Essential Question: What can we learn from the story of Moses and Korach?
Explore: stage 3 read aloud - text and commentary
Explain: seek to understand with commentary, visualization, backgrounding, princpal at stake, what is the question and what way is the answer in an answer
Elaborate: Stage 9/10 Action Directive/Review Apply
End: Wrap up of reading of Leviticus - Chazak, Chazak. Prayer for Studying Torah
Personal Tshuva:
‘Ribbono shel olam’, I would like to become a better person, and if what I am about to learn can help me, please show me.”
-
Reb Zalman
(1) Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben— (2) to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute.
(7) while you and your sons shall be careful to perform your priestly duties in everything pertaining to the altar and to what is behind the curtain. I make your priesthood a service of dedication; any outsider who encroaches shall be put to death.
Persepectives on Leadership
Rabbi Shai Held:
Aspiration vs. arrival at holiness - look at the words Korach uses. An assumption of arrival at holiness.
Not about ambition - about service. Priesthood a service to G!d.
This is a verision for the nature of leadership in a Jewish context - all about servant leadership
16.1 - ya-yika = "took" - need to be givers, not takers - vision of religious leaders.
Rabbi Sacks:
Maimonides: those who have not share in the world to come - someone who "imposes a rule of fear on the community, not for the sake of Heaven." Such a person "rules for his own glory and personal interests." This is not the Jewish way to behave
Rabbi Gamliel- said to two people who declined his offrer to accept postion of leadership: "do you tihnk I am giving you a position of honour [serrarah]? I am giving you the chance to serve [avduf]"
C.S. Lewis - not as thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
Rashi:
related to 18.7 - Priestley service is "a gift I have given you"
Obligation is a privaledge
Perspectives on Self
Rabbi Janet Marder:
Moses= courageous, imaginative, humble
Korahc: negative energy, our demon within
"Seeing Korach in this way - as a figure employed by the rabbiis to wresttle with demons in their own soul - makes me want to suggest that we look at Moses and Korach not only as two seperate indivudals - but as two opposing forces within the self.