"Chodesh Elul" is the month of remorse and "Chazara Betshuva" - this month prepares us for a new beginning starting "Rosh Hashanah

Chazara Betshuva

Written by: Rachel and Hadas, Cleveland

Goal:   "Chodesh Elul" is the month of remorse and "Chazara Betshuva" - this month prepares us for a new beginning starting "Rosh Hashanah".

Suggested Age: Chevraya Aleph, Zach

Suitable for Shabbat

Instructions:

a.    Shooting game (a.k.a. BANG!)- all of the "Chanichim" stand in a circle.  One "Chanich" calls out someone else's name, this "Chanich" bends down and the "Chanichim" to his left and right shoot each other.  The "Chanich" who shoots first wins, the looser goes out of the game. If the person whose name was called doesn't duck and someone on either side of him shoots, that chanich whose name was called is out. (The point of this game is to show the "Chanichim" that if you are out of the game you can't come back in).

B.   Chinese nail story:

In a little village in china lived a boy named Chan.  He was always getting into trouble and doing bad things.  One day his father was fed up with his behavior and Chan himself realized that he has gone to far already.  His father sent him to the wisest (and oldest) man in the village to teach him how to correct his ways.

When Chan arrived at the old man's house he saw a 100 years old man, with only nails and a hammer on his table.  Chan didn't understand, the old man explained to him that every time he does something bad he would bang a nail in the wall.

The days passed and there were 300 nails in the wall.  The old man told Chan that every time that he stops to do something bad he should take out a nail.

The days passed and all of the nails were out.  Chan was glad- now finally he's a good boy.

The old man replied- there are no more nails in the wall but the holes that your bad deeds did even your good deeds can't fill.

•      Explain to the "Chanichim" that in Judaism this story is not true.  In Judaism a person who does "Tshuva" is not allowed to be reminded of his prior sins.  Each person must concentrate on his own sins, and not on other people’s sins.

• Zach only!

Harav Kook says- "Tshuva" must be divided into two:

1.    "Tshuva" for personal sins.

2.    "Tshuva" for national sins- such as fasting on "Tishah beav", which we are not far from today because we are enjoying ourselves here and not making "Aliya".

C.  Explain to the "Chanichim" that the way to do "Tshuva" is to take each time one bad thing (sin) that needs to be changed- and fix that.

“ ... Even a trip of a million miles starts with one step..."