Kitah Gimmel Practices Kindness--Chesed

     We began the year being kind, helpful and cooperative.  Then, the situation really took off.   
(Above, cleaning our room, we decide to share the responsibilities.  We call out "teamwork, teamwork" to our friends.  Our classmates, wanting to be helpful and kind, eagerly join us.)

      Last week during our Parsha lesson, we learned about our matriarch Sarah's qualities.  Sarah was a Tzedaket, a holy woman, and in her merit three miracles occurred:  her candles stayed lit from one Shabbat to another, her challah dough was blessed, and a cloud hovered over her tent.  (Above, Noa uses our blocks to demonstrate the tent with the cloud.)

     We know that when Sarah died, these three miracles stopped.

     Avraham then sends his servant to find a wife for his son Yitzchak.  What quality should this young woman have?  We chatted about this in class.  Should the girl be smart?  Pretty?  We learned that Yitchak's bride, the woman who would become the next "Mommy" of the Jewish people, must have the attribute of kindness, chesed.  How would the servant, Eliezer, know if a woman possessed this characteristic?

     When Eliezer stopped at the well, kind Rivka gives him water to drink.  She then offers to draw water for his ten camels.  (Above Levi uses the pulley with our "well" to get an understanding of this process.)

     On Friday, while we were sharing this information, Reed expressed some concern about his spot on the rug.  He preferred to move, to sit at the other side of the circle.  But that spot was already taken, so what could be done?  Henia immediately stood up, offering her own spot on the rug, so that Reed could sit in her place.  Everyone was pleased with their new positions on the rug.  What a sweet display of kindness!

     We then "wrote" down some other ways that we show kindness, chesed.  We began by talking about all the ways we know how to share.  Pearl, Ari, Levi and Noa share their snacks and treats with their siblings, and Ruthie and Hannah share their room with each other.
    
     When we returned to our Kitah Gimmel room on Monday, we had more to say about being kind, showing chesed.  Shaya told us that he moved on the rug so Henia could sit next to her sister.  Yoni and Sam told us that they share food with their sisters. Rami graciously allows his Saba and Savta to sleep in his room when they come to visit.

     When we went outside to go to the Third Building for recess, we noticed Mr. Leonard.  He works very hard to keep our school clean, neat and safe.  Mortimer asked him, "What are you doing?"  Mr. Leonard told us that he was blowing the leaves away.  We know that this is his job, but he does it so sweetly and kindly.  Now our walkways are clear of many of the slippery leaves.  We repaid his kindness and said, "Thank you" to him.

      Later at lunch, Ari found a food container on the floor.  Who could it belong to?  Rami claimed it.  He could have picked it up from the floor himself, but Ari very kindly (yes, so very kindly--that's our operative word here) picked it up for him.  Such thoughtfulness, such sweetness.  (And this is one reason why the Morot love lunchtime so much.  We always have something to learn from the children's actions and conversations.)

     And kindness is so contagious!  Shlomit found a Zip-Loc of Pearl's crackers on the floor, and very kindly picked it up and returned it to her.  

     So, our little story ends where it began:  here we are again, kindly helping each other clean-up our room.  Look at our faces!  Doing acts of chesed is a mitzvah--so much more so when we go about it so happily!

Morah Susan and Morah Sterny,

with a big thank you to Kitah Gimmel for all their acts of kindness.