Final Project

Teaching Navi - Dr. Ilana Turetsky

Leora Balk Lesher

Section 1: Unit Plan

● School Context:​ 11th, female, intermediate-advanced, modern orthodox, 45 min per

class session

● Unit that I chose for the project:​ Sefer Yeshaya, Perek Vav, Pesukim 1-8

● Unit Context:​ Sefer Yeshaya takes place during the reigns of Kings Uziyahu, Yosam,
Achaz and Chizkiyahu. Over the years, Bnei Yisrael fall deeper and deeper into sin, both
bein adam la-makom, as well as bein adam la-chaveiro. By the time one hits the book of
Yirmiyahu, the destruction is already occurring and only a tiny remnant of the Jewish
people remain in the land of Israel. Yechezkel details the experience of the Jewish
people at the same time as the destruction, but particularly those who have been sent
into Babylonian exile. What makes Yeshaya unique is how the divine presence has only
begun to depart from the temple and from the land, but hope still remains. As the sefer is
not recorded in chronological order, Perek Vav actually is where Yeshaya the prophet’s
mission first begins, at the height of national sin, when even the leaders have been
found guilty of violating the Torah.

● Learning objectives:
○ Cognitive: Students will know…
-historical context of the perek
-what Yeshaya sees in his vision - basic storyline according to peshat
-deeper meaning of the vision according to select meforshim
○ Behavioral: Students will be able to…
-read and translate pesukim
-read and translate select meforshim
-work in chavrusas
-analyze and question text independently before relying on meforshim
-“retranslate” select pesukim according to select meforshim
○ Affective: Students will value/appreciate…
-high-level, textual Torah learning as meaningful, deep, and fulfilling
-reference to this perek in the siddur
-the true meaning of kedusha and the purpose of a mikdash
-Yeshaya’s humility upon “seeing” Hashem
-Hashem’s call for us to do teshuva, even when we have sinned
-the greatness of man and his power of choice
● Big Ideas
1-”I saw Hashem” is not literal, but reflects Yeshaya’s newfound intellectual
understanding of how Hashem conducts the world upon receiving this nevuah
2-The Jewish people are a “mamleches kohanim ve-goy kadosh”, ​holy for becoming a
holy, changed people​ through doing holy acts, not merely by doing supposedly holy acts
alone.
3-The angels proclaim “the world is full of His glory” because they look down at the lower
world in awe of man’s ability to choose right from wrong, truth from falsehood

● Major questions that drive the learning of the unit

○ What does Yeshaya see in his vision starting from pasuk 1? Is anything
surprising or unusual about how he describes what he saw?
○ How could Yeshaya claim to see G-d, who is not physical?
○ If we believe G-d is everywhere, how could Yeshaya claim to see Him in a set
place, ie sitting on a throne, as if bound to one location?
○ What is the significance of the legs of the throne filling the heichal, as opposed to
the whole throne?
○ Why the firey angels, as opposed to some other kind of angels (or unspecified
ones)? Sound so satanic and negative.
○ How could angels be above G-d?
○ What may be the deeper message of the whole nevuah?
○ What is the purpose of the angels’ many wings? Why does the navi care to
inform readers of their appearance?
○ Where one finds ambiguous pronouns and descriptions in these pesukim- are
they referring to G-d or to the throne?
○ Why is the mikdash the “location” in this vision?
○ From where are these words “kadosh, kadosh, kadosh” etc familiar? When and
where do we find them? Why are they a part of our daily tefilah routine even
today?
○ Why do the angels first call to each other, “ve karah zeh el zeh”, and only then
“ve-amar”? Isn’t this repetitive language?
○ How does Yeshaya react to the vision? Based on the text, was this the reaction
G-d would have hoped for?
○ Why did Yeshaya think he was going to die?
○ How does Yeshaya realize his mistake? After this realization, how does Yeshaya
then react when Hashem calls him to service?

● Annotated List of Mefarshim

○ Rashi 1, “‫ “ושוליו‬,” ‫ “בשנת מות‬,”‫ ”בשנת‬- historical background setting stage for why
Yeshaya receives this nevuah and call to his divine mission at this particular time
- King Uziyahu sinned by bringing ketores in the Beis HaMikdash where he
 lacked the authority to do so, thereby elevating an already sinful people to an
even greater degree of sin - even the leaders, supposed role models, are sinning
○ Radak 1, “‫ ”בשנת מות המלך עזיהו‬- more explanation on Uziyahu’s sin and historical
context
○ Metzudas Dovid 1, “‫ ”בשנת מות‬- from this point forward, Uziyahu is considered as
if dead, because a person with tzaraas (his punishment for bringing the incense)
is considered dead - years of kingship start to be counted for his son, Yosam
○ Malbim 1, “‫ ”'ואראה את ה‬all of the way through “‫ ”עומדים ממעל לו‬- No one can see
Hashem, rather Yeshaya perceived Him intellectually through the way He
conducts the world using His forces of nature, angels, and miracles
○ Rashi 2, “‫ “ובשתים יעופף‬,”‫ “ובשתים יכסה רגליו‬,”‫ “בשתים יכסה פניו‬,”‫”שרפים עומדים ממעל‬
- explains the purpose of each set of wings, the angels’ middos of tznius and
humility before the shechinah, and their readiness to serve Him at any moment
○ Radak 2, “‫ ”שש כנפים לאחד‬- last few lines - angels called “serafim” from language
of “saraf’/burning, warning that, as things are now, the mikdash will be full of
destructive flames, rather than pure, harmless firey angels
○ R’ S. R. Hirsch, ‫ הפטרת יתרו‬with further explanation from R’ Shimon Schwab in
“R’ Schwab on Yeshayahu”- the purpose of the temple is not to serve merely as a
place where the Jewish people do holy acts, but where they transform
themselves through those acts into a changed, holy people - they are failing to
accomplish this in Yeshaya’s time, so G-d is beginning to retract his presence
from the mikdash
○ Targum Yonason 3, “...‫ ”ומקבלין דין מן דין‬- Aramaic slightly abridged translation of
“kadosh, kadosh, kadosh” passage which we say today in the “U-va Le-Tzion”
prayer
○ Rashi 3, “‫ ”וקרא זה אל זה‬- first line - the angels would call to each other to ask
permission before beginning to praise Hashem, so that all would recite the praise
in unison
○ Rashi on Vayikra 1:1 with further explanation from R’ Schwab, “‫ ”ויקרא אל משה‬-
any lashon of “karah” is a language of love - before the angels could sanctify
Hashem, they would create a unified feeling amongst themselves of true ahava
○ Radak 3, “‫ ”מלא כל הארץ כבודו‬- three worlds, including the world of angels, world
of stars and luminaries, and lower world, exist - while the “olam ha-shafel” seems
to us the lowest of them all and negative even by name, in truth, the angels look
down at our world in awe just as we view theirs, for only in the “olam ha-shafel”
does bechira exist - only through choice of good over evil can true greatness be
achieved, and for that the angels proclaim “‫”מלא כל הארץ כבודו‬
○ Radak 4, “‫ ”והבית ימלא עשן‬- the smoke filling the Beis HaMikdash in Yeshaya’s
vision represented Hashem’s nose flaring and smoking in anger, so to speak
○ Rashi 5, “‫ ”כי נדמיתי‬- Yeshaya thought he was going to die from seeing the
shechinah - thought he was unworthy
 ○ Metzudas Dovid 5, “‫ ”'כי איש וכו‬- Yeshaya thought he was going to die because he
was a “man of impure lips” and could not even be saved by the merit of the
people for, they too, he claimed had impure lips
○ Metzudas Tzion 5, “‫ ”נדמיתי‬- this word comes from the root which means “silent”,
like “‫”וידום אהרן‬, because the voice of one who passes is forever silenced, never
heard again
○ Radak 5, “‫ ”ואמר אוי לי כי נדמיתי‬- starting about halfway down - “woe to me for I
was silent” - when Yeshaya experienced the angels praising Hashem, he
observed silently in awe, afraid to speak up and join in for he felt unworthy - once
the angel took a hot coal and pressed it to his lips, he realized he is being
rebuked for having not joined in to praise Hashem along with them - he lacks
spiritual self confidence that ends up holding him back - don’t be afraid to be the
one to start the kumsitz… or even just to join the one started by someone else
because “I’m not that girl” or “people don’t think of me like that”.

● Major issue(s) to be uncovered

○ How could Yeshaya claim to have seen Hashem? Likewise, how could Hashem,
not physical, not limited, appear as if sitting on a throne? Big philosophical issue!
○ What is going on in Bnei Yisrael at this particular time that calls for this nevuah
and Yeshaya’s appointment as Navi in this narrative?
○ What significance do the angels’ words of praise carry so important for Yeshaya
to hear then and still important for us to not only read in Sefer Yeshaya, but recite
regularly X3 daily in the siddur today?

● Values/morals
○ Hashem is limitless, uncorporeal, and beyond anything we can ever fully
perceive, but He allows us to “see” Him by showing us His actions.
○ Going through rote motions achieves nothing in the realm of holiness. The goal
is, rather, to transform oneself through those actions to become a holy people.
○ Love and unity is a prerequisite to sanctifying G-d’s name in the world.
○ Greatness is achieved through hard work and the power of choice, not simple,
robotic, angelic behavior.
○ Spiritual self confidence is a must to be the best members of the Jewish people
we can be.
○ The power of lashon harah is unbelievable; we must be so careful what we say,
even with no other person around.

● Relevant maps
○ No locations listed in this perek, but students are asked to create a digital or
hand-drawn depiction of “Hashem sitting on a throne, high and mighty, it's legs
filled the heichal”, according to Malbim.

● Cross-references to other relevant sections of Tanach

 ○ Shemos 19:6 and 25:8 - R’ Hirsch quotes these sources about being an am
kadosh and building a mikdash to describe what the ideal Beis HaMikdash is
supposed to be and how Bnei Yisrael are failing in the era of Yeshaya to reach
even close to that expectation
○ Vayikra 1:1 - Rashi here references “ve-karah zeh el zeh ve-amar” from our text
in Yeshaya, Perek Vav, explaining how any language of “karah” indicates a
sense of love and unity

Section 2: Lesson Plans

Lesson #1

Objectives:
-Analyze peshat of pasuk 1 and “attack” with questions
-Read Malbim “ve-ereh es Hashem” to start getting familiar with text
-Recognize break-up of Malbim and general flow of the text
-Understand general gist of Malbim by being present during the reading, following along, only
limited note-taking allowed

Hook: 5 min →
*Read pasuk 1 dramatically a few times, stressing certain words or phrases that should
set off light bulbs and question marks in student heads - first time, just in hebrew, next
two times in english.

Description of the Learning Process:

15 min →
*Students have 5 min to ​reread pasuk 1 on own and make a list ​of as many questions
or “problems” in the pasuk that come to mind (“Ask yourself instead ‘How can I prepare
and lead them, so that they themselves should express that which needs to be said?’...
proceed in a roundabout way, taking a little longer and making use of tactics and
strategy aimed at producing a situation where they will grasp by their own efforts that
which we admittedly could have conveyed to them in a shorter time.” -N. Leibowitz
article, pg. 65)​. ​They submit questions via texting app​ and, when teacher sees fit,
allows questions to start appearing on board for all to see. Teacher goes through the
questions, ​asking students to stand up if they had the same question​. Teacher zones in
on a few of the most key questions and explains each further, sometimes ​calling on
students to explain why they thought of the same question​. Teacher adds and explains
any important questions (note: “major questions that drive the learning of the unit”
section of unit plan) that have not already been suggested by students.
25 min →
*Students receive graphic organizer dividing Malbim into sections with room to write in
translation above words and aligning column for note-taking. Students can use Navi or
graphic organizer to follow along in the text, but today almost no notes are allowed! ​The
 goal is to become familiar with the flow and break-down of the text and begin to absorb
its meaning (pg. 66)​, ​not​ to scramble down every word uttered by the teacher. Students
are encouraged to try taking no notes at all, except for writing in the english for the
occasional more difficult hebrew words - ​not​ the english to full sentences. Teacher
begins reading Malbim and ​ensures students stay on task by randomly inviting students
to recite the next word or the next line,​ keeping the entire class on their toes! Teacher
should cover first half or so of the Malbim, translating and explaining as she goes. If any
time remains, students pair off to practice reading just the hebrew to each other to
practice getting a nice reading flow and to become more familiar with the text. ​Chavrusa
pairs are pre-assigned by teacher. Pairs are instructed to switch off reading by “boxes”
(divided text on graphic organizer)​. They can try to translate what they can, but it’s ok if
they cannot this time- it’s a long and wordy Malbim! ​They have until the end of class to
get through what they can, indicated visually by a digital timer set on the board.
Students are not expected to finish early, so need no additional task “just in case”- time
for finishing is allotted in following lesson.

Handouts/Worksheets: (graphic organizer attached)

CFU:
*​Teacher walks around during chavrusa learning​ to listen in and see how confident
students feel reading and trying to explain (in a basic way) first half of the Malbim.
*​Teacher uses questioning​ as reads and explains Malbim to check for understanding -
sometimes, ​has one student repeat another’s answer​ to ensure everyone is listening not
only to the teacher, but to each other.
*Homework assignment - ​send teacher voice memo/voice note​ reading first half of
Malbim in hebrew and then explaining basic question and overarching answer to a family
member/friend.

Lesson #2

Hook: 5 min → ​Do-now - 2 questions on desk to re-engage from day before​ - hand in when
finished.

Description of the Learning Process:

10 min →
*​Finish reading first half of Malbim from previous lesson with chavrusa​.

15 min →
*Teacher finishes Malbim, translating and explaining along the way. Teacher asks
questions throughout to keep students engaged​. Students, again, are expected to limit
note-taking this round of reading.

15 min →
 *Upon completing Malbim together as a class, ​students​ ​regroup with chavrusas with
same instructions from the previous day​, but for practicing reading the second half of the
Malbim. By now, students should feel comfortable filling out some of their graphic
organizer, having already read and discussed the text with the teacher at the lead.
Teacher walks around and gives students a check in gradebook for an in-class
assignment mark to ensure students stay on task​… but most are inherently interested in
the Malbim by now, anyhow! Students are still not expected to know the translation of
each and every word at this point. ​Students who finish reading early can review the first
half of the Malbim, now fully understanding the commentary as a whole.

Handouts/Worksheets: (same graphic organizer as used in previous lesson)

CFU: *​Submit google form​ (link copied below) for homework due by midnight answering
questions that show deep understanding of the Malbim - ​likely requires multiple readings of the
text in order to answer - as suggested by N. Leibowitz in her article, pg. 66 (goal is to become
more and more familiar with the text and its meaning, not merely to hand in a homework
assignment). ​Teacher will receive all valid submissions by midnight and be able to review
answers during morning prep period to get general gist of how well students have absorbed
material and can, thereby, adjust next day’s lesson accordingly. All students will be given the
option later (and only later, or else they won’t try their hardest this time around!) to re-answer
these questions and resubmit the form for extra credit, after having more thoroughly learned the
Malbim next lesson.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9NsWnQID44rTQHJBLzt8nDumtjFmq_o2xXV3z3-
2x46chZQ/viewform?usp=send_form

Lesson #3
Hook: 5 min → Quick buzz-questions to reengage students - great review, as well as CFU from
previous two lessons.

Description of the Learning Process:

25 min →
*Teacher reads Malbim from start to finish and students are finally allowed and
encouraged to take whatever notes they desire. They will not have to write nearly as
much as they would have initially two lessons prior, for they have already listened
carefully for two days, practiced reading and roughly translating, explaining, and lightly
note-taking on their own and the material is now rather familiar. Now is the chance to
write down every unknown word or idea that may have been missed the previous two
lessons. ​Graphic organizers to fill out while reading through the Malbim provide a
structure and set tasks for learning that keep students active and engaged.

~Last 15 min of class involve CFU project (listed under “CFU” section below)~

Handouts/Worksheets: (same graphic organizer as used in previous lesson)

CFU: 15 min → *​Depict Yeshaya’s vision according to Malbim using a technology tool like
Google Drawing, Pixir Editor or other teacher-approved ed tech program. ​Make rough draft and
choose app/program in class. What is not finished in class is to be completed at home, due in 2
lessons time. Alongside visual project, each student will submit a 1-2 page explanation of (a)
what he gained from the 3-day Malbim experience ​as a learner​ and any struggles he, perhaps,
faced along the way (if relevant), ​(b) his favorite part of the Malbim and why, and (c) a lesson he
learned from what Yeshaya experienced in ancient times that can impact and inspire us even
today

Section 3: Personal Reflections

What an amazing experience teaching Navi this year and then getting the opportunity to
learn more about it through this course. I genuinely enjoyed the learning process, content, and
ultimately even the challenges inherent in each lesson. In many ways, I wish I had had the
opportunity to take this course ​before​ my first year of teaching, especially teaching the rather
challenging Neviyim Achronim. Nevertheless, I felt very much I was able to look back upon my
experiences this year teaching Navi and reflect upon each lesson with a unique and valuable
perspective, as a result.
My year of teaching Navi was a year of highs and lows and certainly tremendous lessons
learned for which I am forever grateful. The first of my greatest challenges stemmed from feeling
overwhelmed balancing content mastery vs. educational strategy and lesson planning. I was
used to giving divrei torah, shiurim, running chaburas, running educational programming, even
teaching here or there… but I had never before experienced having to be “on” each and every
day with new material. I felt many times like I was drowning in the poetic words of the Neviyim
Achronim and the accompanying meforshim, and had little time or brain space to then also
focus on the “how” of teaching. I absolutely believe teaching any Tanach material (or really any
material in general!) a second time would provide a greater opportunity for focusing more
specifically on the “education” side of the coin, not just the “Jewish” part of it.
My second challenge was that I had never before ​taught​ meforshim in a way that
ensured active student learning and girded my students with the tools for independent study. I
believe I learned from each success and, likewise, from each failure, and benefited greatly from
the guidance of my assigned mentor, Mrs. Leah Feinberg. The style I adapted for the three
lessons detailed above come from what she taught me this year about teaching very long (but
too juicy to skip) texts of commentary in Navi.
What I, perhaps, appreciated most about this course was the beautiful balance of
content exploration and educational strategizing and skill-building in each and every lesson. I
feel my understanding of the Sifrei Neviyim as a whole has been enriched, as well as particular
themes and narratives therein. The tasks required of us as your students have taught me what I
might expect of my own students to ensure they are constantly engaged and learning for life,
indeed, can take place. My goals for teaching navi in the future would be following some of
Nechama Leibowitz’s strategies for mastering content and then presenting it to students in a
way that ​leads​ them to understand, but does not overtly give everything away so that they can
sit passively, as well as some of her other tips for Navi teaching success. I hope to continue to
apply some of the chavrusa strategies, as I have ever since Teaching Chumash class.
Additionally, I would love to incorporate more ed tech tools in my classroom and, perhaps, have
my students take advantage of some of the same tools to demonstrate understanding or to
express a particular commentary in a deeper or more personal way.
Thank you for providing such an exciting, deep, challenging, all-encompassing kind of
Teaching Navi learning experience for us this summer!