Pedagogy
Our Rationale
We believe that: Students who know how to learn and love to learn will become life-long learners of Torah
Knows How to Learn:
In each discipline of Mishna, Halacha, and Tefilla, we demonstrate a derech in learning providing the students with essential tools on how to interpret and understand the texts. Students engage with the original Hebrew text. We explain the halachic concepts and Mishna fundamentals needed to understand the text. We use the COMDaT system to decodify the Mishna text, so that the students clearly see the flow of the Mishna. In the study of Halacha, we utilize the approach of Halacha mimekora – Halacha from its source – where we trace the halacha from the Torah through the gemara to poskei zemaneinu.
Loves to Learn:
We bring the Mishna text and halachic questions to life with the help of characters students meet in the workbooks and case studies that concretize the issues. We bring relevant examples from everyday life, so that students can see the connection of their lives. Students are excited to ask questions, curious to learn the reasons for the Mishnaic law or the Halachic ruling, and motivated to understand the issues being studied.
Rav Rimon’s "Halacha MiMekora" Method
HaRav Rimon has developed a unique methodology for the study of Halacha, beginning with the sources and culminating with practical Halachic rulings applicable to modern life. This methodology reviews the origins and foundations of Halacha in the Torah, Mishna and Talmud, through the major Halachic adjudicators across the generations – Rishonim, Acharonim, and the Sages of the Last Few Generations (פוסקי זמנינו). This cumulative learning process leads to greater understanding and appreciation of the practical application of Jewish Law in our modern reality.
COMDaT
-
כותרת (yellow)
Title of a Mishnah -
אומר
(red)
Speaker listed in the Mishnah -
מקרה
(purple)
Case presented in the Mishnah -
דין
(green)
Mishnah's ruling on the case presented -
טעם
(light blue)
The reason behind the ruling of the Mishnah
Titles help us identify the subject even before we know any of the details.
The first opinion mentioned in the Mishnah will always be Tana Kamma (First Sage). When there is more than one opinion or there is a disagreement on a ruling there may be a few Rabbis mentioned. That is our אומר, our speaker, who presents an opinion disagreeing with the previous opinion.
Some keywords to look for when trying to identify a אומר are:
- דברי
- אומר
Every situation is made up of details that make it unique. Like the setting of a story or a plot of a movie, specific information that contributes to the incident is part of the case. This would include a circumstance, question, time, or date.
It is the law for the case presented in the Mishnah and the Halacha that we follow in similar situations.
Some keywords to look for when trying to identify a דין are:
- טהור
- טמא
- מותר
- אסור
- פטור
- חייב
- כשר
- פסול
- יצא
- לא יצא
- לא
- אין
- עד
It explains the meaning behind the ruling. A טעם doesn’t appear in every Mishnah, though each statement has a reason even if the Mishnah doesn’t always explicitly mention it.
Some keywords to look for that will help recognize the טעם are:
- שנאמר מפני
- שמא
- תלמוד לומר (ת”ל)
- לפי ש…
- כי…
Mishnah Standards
How do you design a rigorous, stimulating, and relevant lesson that aligns to Mishna standards?
Part of the answer is found in Lewis Carrol’s saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” In teaching any subject, it is important for instructors to clarify their goals so that they choose the correct path to accomplish their objectives. Sulamot seeks to assist teachers in defining their goals in Mishna and designing their lessons, utilizing the Understanding by Design (UBD) Model.
In the UBD framework, the Standards establish what we want students to know and do. The Enduring Understandings provide instructors with the key ideas critical to the Mishna that students should retain. The Essential Questions prompt students to scrutinize and analyze the understandings and aid students in constructing meaning.
How should we practically use these tools in preparing for class?
The tools should serve as a framework for approaching lesson preparation.The Standards, Understandings, and Questions found in this pamphlet are written in a general way so that they can apply to any Mishna being studied. However, in order to address the specific ideas in individual Mishnayot, adjustments and additions will be necessary.
In preparing to teach a Mishna, instructors can review these tools and choose which Standards, Enduring Understandings, and Essential Questions will be the focus of the class. Additionally, they can adapt these tools for the specific Mishna being studied.
Let’s use Bava Kamma (1:3) as an example.
הַמַּנִּיחַ אֶת הַכַּד בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּבָא אַחֵר וְנִתְקַל בָּהּ וּשְׁבָרָהּ, פָּטוּר
Standard 2b states, “To define the concepts and explain their significance.” When studying this particular mishna, this standard can be more specific: “To define the concept of בור and explain its significance.”
Enduring Understanding 2a states, “Readers can understand the background of a topic and uncover the author’s overall meaning by defining concepts.” This understanding clarifies the “why” of studying and defining concepts. Students perceive that identifying the concept in this passage and then defining it provides them with the information to understand the case properly. This understanding is enduring in that it is something that students should retain and applies to many other Mishnayot.
Essential Question 2a states, “How can identifying, classifying, and defining concepts help with an overall understanding of a Mishnaic passage?” This can be applied specifically to the concept of בור and how defining it helps with understanding the law in this Mishna. This question provokes discussion and motivates students to engage with the material. Furthermore, it can serve as a summary question after students finish learning a topic. It ensures that the specifics that were studied in class relate to a broader theme which aids in retention of material.
Finally, beyond the general tools in this guide, teachers will also need to formulate Standards, Enduring Understandings, and Essential Questions for the specific content of the Mishnayot. For example, In this Mishna, it would relate to a person’s responsibility when placing his property in the public sphere.
Dynamic repeater questions
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Halacha Standards
How do you design a rigorous, stimulating, and relevant lesson that aligns to Halacha standards?
Part of the answer is found in Lewis Carrol’s saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” In teaching any subject, it is important for instructors to clarify their goals so that they choose the correct path to accomplish their objectives. Sulamot seeks to assist teachers in defining their goals in Halacha and designing their lessons, utilizing the Understanding by Design (UBD) Model.
In the UBD framework, the Standards establish what we want students to know and do. The Enduring Understandings provide instructors with the key ideas critical to the Halacha that students should retain. The Essential Questions prompt students to scrutinize and analyze the understandings and aid students in constructing meaning.
How should we practically use these tools in preparing for class?
The tools should serve as a framework for approaching lesson preparation.The Standards, Understandings, and Questions found in this pamphlet are written in a general way so that they can apply to any Mishna being studied. However, in order to address the specific ideas in individual Mishnayot, adjustments and additions will be necessary.
In preparing to teach a Mishna, instructors can review these tools and choose which Standards, Enduring Understandings, and Essential Questions will be the focus of the class. Additionally, they can adapt these tools for the specific Mishna being studied.
Let’s use Bava Kamma (1:3) as an example.
הַמַּנִּיחַ אֶת הַכַּד בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וּבָא אַחֵר וְנִתְקַל בָּהּ וּשְׁבָרָהּ, פָּטוּר
Standard 2b states, “To define the concepts and explain their significance.” When studying this particular mishna, this standard can be more specific: “To define the concept of בור and explain its significance.”
Enduring Understanding 2a states, “Readers can understand the background of a topic and uncover the author’s overall meaning by defining concepts.” This understanding clarifies the “why” of studying and defining concepts. Students perceive that identifying the concept in this passage and then defining it provides them with the information to understand the case properly. This understanding is enduring in that it is something that students should retain and applies to many other Mishnayot.
Essential Question 2a states, “How can identifying, classifying, and defining concepts help with an overall understanding of a Mishnaic passage?” This can be applied specifically to the concept of בור and how defining it helps with understanding the law in this Mishna. This question provokes discussion and motivates students to engage with the material. Furthermore, it can serve as a summary question after students finish learning a topic. It ensures that the specifics that were studied in class relate to a broader theme which aids in retention of material.
Finally, beyond the general tools in this guide, teachers will also need to formulate Standards, Enduring Understandings, and Essential Questions for the specific content of the Mishnayot. For example, In this Mishna, it would relate to a person’s responsibility when placing his property in the public sphere.
Dynamic repeater questions
Cannot be completed due to Gloo not being present on server/insufficient ram memory allocation
Madrichim and Lesson plans
You can find our Teacher’s guides, model lesson plans, posters and much more at our Reference Library:
https://www.classe.world/library/sulamot/home-page
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