Course Description: Mishnah Sukkah

Course Name: MIshnah Sukkah
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Mishnah Sukkah, Chapters 1-3
For Grades: 5-8
General Course Description:
Mishnah Sukkah is one of the first tractates taught to children beginning their study of Torah She’beal Peh. It introduces students to basic concepts fundamental to Mishnah study, including the notion of arguments, applying halachic logic, and understanding rabbinic terminology. It’s also an area of halachah that kids are familiar with, making the study more approachable and fun.
In this course, we’ll cover the first two chapters of Masechet Sukkah, which cover the laws of the construction of the Sukkah, and many other aspects connected to the fulfilment of the commandment to “dwell” in the Sukkah over Sukkot.

The student will learn the following skills during this course: 

• How to read and translate the Mishnah texts
• The connection between the verses in the Torah and how the rabbis in the Mishnah interpreted them
• The application of the rules in the Mishnah in the real world
• How to chart an argument in the Mishnah
• Basic fundamental Mishnah terminology and vocabulary
• Basic commentary of Rav Ovadia of Bartenura on the Mishnah

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge: 

• The basic halachic requirements of a Sukkah
• What are the halachic qualities of kosher Schach? How much schach does a Sukkah need?
• How many walls must a Sukkah have? How high must they be?
• Can one eat outside the Sukkah?
• Must a person sleep in the Sukkah?
• Can you put a Sukkah on a truck? What about a boat?

Number of lessons: 18
Sample Lesson: You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.

Course Description: Gemara Baba Metzia – Eilu Metziot

Course Name: Baba Metzia – Perek Eilu Metziot
Teacher: Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Text Studied: Gemara Baba Metzia
Chapter 2, Pages 21a – 22b
For Grades: 7-9
General Course Description:
The second chapter of Baba Metzia is a foundational text for the beginning Gemara student. The chapter deals specifically with issues of ownership, property and “lost and found” – topics relevant to students in their daily lives. Students begin to think in a legal framework: Why is your bicycle “yours”? What does it mean to own something? When is it considered lost, so that someone who finds it can keep it? These questions introduce the student not only to the topic of the Gemara, but also to the way that the Gemara teaches us to think about ideas, issues and concepts.

The student will learn the following skills during this course: 

• How to read and translate the Mishnah and Gemara texts
• How to identify different source texts that appear in the Gemara
• The difference between Tanaim and Amoraim, and how they interact in the Gemara
• The flow and logic of a Gemara text
• How to chart the flow of questions and answers in a Gemara text
• Basic fundamental Talmud terminology and vocabulary

The student will learn the following Judaic knowledge: 

• The Mitzvah of Hashavat Aveidah – returning lost items
• Aspects of ownership in Jewish legal thought
• What is yiush and when does it happen?
• The famous argument about yiush shelo mida’at – and the extensive sugya that deals with the debate between Abaye and Rava
• What is a siman and how does it work?
• The debate about a temporary siman

The student will understand:

• How to relate to their own property
• How to care for the property of others
• The importance of returning lost items to their original owners

Number of lessons: 20
Sample Lesson: You can progress through the lesson to get a sense of how we present and organize Kitah materials. To access the sample lesson click here.