“Who knows which is Mitzvah 18?” asks the rav who is testing the children
”Kiddush Bechoros (sanctifying the firstborn) in the Land of Israel!” confidently answers 11-year-old Moishe from 5th grade.
“And who knows which is Mitzvah 40?” asks the rav.
“Not to build [an altar] with aveni gazis (hewn stones)!” answers third grader, Dovid, aged 9.
This all happened during a public examination of students from the Yesodei Hatorah School who were tested on the first 48 of the 613 mitzvos in the presence of their parents.
The atmosphere was tense.
Question followed question, one answer after another.
The students answer at a rapid pace.
Now the tester shows the verse “Let no man leave his place on the seventh day” on the screen. “What do we learn from this verse?” “Not to go out of the techum Shabbos”, answers sixth grader Yedidya.
Onto the next stage.
“What is the Torah source for Mitzvah 12?” “You shall not eat any leavening.”
“And what is the ta’am (reason) for the mitzvah?” “Chometz symbolizes the yetzer horo (evil inclination) within a person…”
The tester continues to be amazed at the fluent answers and the incredible knowledge displayed by the students, and the parents sit there bursting with nachas.
If you want your students to study, review, and know, and be able to answer these questions and many more, the Taryag Children project is just right for you.
The students who join the project master the mitzvos in an incredible fashion. What is so amazing is that we are not only speaking about children who excel, but also that those students who are not usually connected to their studies love the material and joyously and enthusiastically learn and review the mitzvos.
One of the rebbes who is already teaching this material for the second year running, expresses his opinion on the Taryag Children project: “Aside from the students who feel exceptionally connected to this, and in addition to all the other points already mentioned, there is much more. For example, the students acquire amazing concepts in Judaism along the way. Concepts like bik’dai achilas pras, ger toshav, chameshes minei dagan, sheva mitzvos b’nei Noach, and many, many more – and this helps them later when they learn Mishnayos and Gemorra.
One of the rebbes who is already teaching this material for the second year running, expresses his opinion on the Taryag Children project: “Aside from the students who feel exceptionally connected to this, and in addition to all the other points already mentioned, there is much more. For example, the students acquire amazing concepts in Judaism along the way. Concepts like bik’dai achilas pras, ger toshav, chameshes minei dagan, sheva mitzvos b’nei Noach, and many, many more – and this helps them later when they learn Mishnayos and Gemorra.
The Taryag Children is a project for studying the 613 mitzvos with the details of the halachos and ta’amim (reasons) and sources for the mitzvah. Tremendous efforts have been invested in making the material accessible to the students in an attractive, interesting, and fascinating way. The project is still being developed, with more and more material being added all the time. Everyone who sees the material is excited about it and feels connected.
The project was developed by Rabbi Chaim Deman, principal of the Jesode Hatora School in Antwerp, Belgium, under the presidency of the moro d’asro, Hagaon Hagadol Rav Aharon Schiff shlita. This is already the second year running in which the students are studying the 613 mitzvos, with them knowing all the first 48 mitzvos by heart during the first year.
The students know by heart – the name of the mitzvah. Its explanation. The source in the Torah. Whether it is a positive (aseh) or negative (lo taaseh) mitzvah. The ta’am (reason). The time for the mitzvah. And many other details and special halachos, with them acquiring endless concepts along the way.
The materials which the students receive:
Student’s book
Workbook
Review questions
Stories from Chazal – in the project
Sticker album
Coloring sheets for young children (in the project)
Detailed videos for each mitzvah
And more…
Dear Principal!
Yes. You can do it too.
You too can have your students tested on the mitzvos.
To join and for more information…