Haazinu- Looking for patterns

Parshat Haazinu is made up entirely of a single Chapter- Perek 32- towards the end of the book of Devarim. The majority of the parsha is a song written by Moshe. If you look at the parsha directly in the Torah scroll, the section of the song is written completely in two divided columns. Below is a picture that I took of this section from a tikun, or book that people use to practice the cantillation and pronunciation of the words. It is written exactly as it appears in the Torah scroll, but I took pictures of the practice side rather than the actual Torah side. (Please note that because these pictures contain G-d's name written out in them, please do not print them out or print them out and discard them.) 

The reading is in the two larger print righthand columns on each page. The pictures only include the sections with the song, not    the entire parsha.

If you've ever studied poetry in school, you'll be familiar with patterns of rhyme, beat, measure, line fragments, word placements, etc. that writers use to enhance the aesthetics of their poetry. Reading through the parsha as it is written in the Torah, do you find any patterns? Lyrical patterns- beat or measure to the pattern of the words? Visual patterns- patterns in the placement of the words or repetitions of words in the scroll? Is there a pattern in the number of words in the lines, or the way the words are broken up into columns or lines throughout the song?

Younger students can listen to the parsha being read and listen for beat or measure. Older students can investigate this on their own, or in partners. Students of all ages can look at patterns in numbers of words per line, or looking for any alliteration of letters that may appear. Younger students could handle smaller sections and maybe look at the whole as a class, while older students can look at the entire text as in partners. 

Please note that I have not investigated these questions myself, yet, but rather this is a proposed investigation. 

Vayeilech- Communicating Clearly

"Take this book of the Torah and place it at the side of the Ark of the Covenant of Hashem, your G-d, and it shall be there for you as a witness." ~Devarim 31:26

Rashi on 31:26 
At the side of the Covenant of Hashem- The Sages of Israel argued about this in Tractate Bava Basra. There are those among them who say that there was a board protruding from the Ark on the outside and there [the Torah scroll] was placed. And there are those who say that it was placed beside the Tablets inside the Ark.

Discussion Point:
Clarity of descriptions and directions are a key aspect of communication. If I say something that I think is clear, it's only really as clear as the way the other person hears and understands it. Sometimes there are language or cultural barriers that create a need for extra-specific clarity or explanation, but, in general, even in an everyday setting with people who speak the same language and use the same cultural cues, it is still important to include details and descriptions that add to the clarity of the information that you are trying to communicate. In the statement above from this week's parsha, there is enough ambiguity that it's unclear exactly where the Torah should be stored in relation to the Tablets in the Ark. 

Consider the following- I could tell you to:

1. get the dish from the kitchen
2. get the dish from the cabinet in the kitchen
3. get the dish from the bottom left cabinet under the window in the kitchen

All three of those directions request the same item and sound fairly clear, but the third one will leave my messenger the most sure of their task and help them formulate their plan for following my directions.

Suggested Activity:
Students of any age who have reached a level of interactive play and communication with peers can practice formulating a direction and sharing it with the class or in partners. Partners should test their friend's direction to see how clear it really is when they try to follow through. How much do you need to amend your directions or help your friend in order for them to do what you asked? The fewer changes you need to make, and the less help you need to give, the clearer your original directions are. Younger students might want to do this with directions for a physical task- moving around the room to complete a task. Older students can give directions for a physical or written task- moving around the room, following a specific path through a section of the school, creating a drawing, a pattern, or a sequence.
Students can adapt this activity to whatever their developmental level. Moving from verbal directions to clear, specific written directions also increases the difficulty level for students.

Nitzavim- Thinking about Mathematical Language

"...your small children, your women, and your convert who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water..." ~Devarim 29:10
"Hashem, your G-d, will bring you to the land which your forefathers took possession and you shall take possession of it; He will do good to you and make you more numerous than your forefathers." ~Devarim 30:5
"...that which I command you today, to love Hashem, your G-d, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances; and you will live and you will multiply, and Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in the land to which you come, to take possession of it." ~Devarim 30:16
"...I tell you today that you will surely be lost; you will not lengthen your days upon the land that you cross the Jordan to come there, to take possession of it." ~Devarim 30:18

Math Connection:
I first wrote about mathematical language back in my 1st posting on Parshat Shemot. When speaking about mathematically related words and descriptions, students (and sometimes adults) will mix up or interchange terms without realizing the implications of the words that they choose to use. Careful word choice is important in any use of language, and that applies to mathematical language, as well. 

Some specific mathematically related descriptions to consider from this week's parsha:

• "small children"- what information does that tell you? why is that an important detail? how might you define small?
• First it says "make you more numerous", and later it says "you will multiply"- (note that my quotes are from my Artscroll edition; in the Sefaria.org translation, it actually translates both locations as "multiply") How does the second description further define the first description? Does it make it clearer? In what way will you become more numerous? How much greater will you be? In what way will the numbers increase?
• Later it says "lengthen your days"- what's the difference between multiplying and lengthening? Is one description more specific than the other? Or do they indicate different meanings?

Ki Tavo- Leveled activities for division

"Moshe commanded the people on that day saying, 'These shall stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim, when you have crossed the Jordan: Shimon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin. And these shall stand for the curse on Mount Ebal: Reuven, Gad and Asher, and Zevulun, Dan and Naphtali...'"~Devarim 27:11-13

Some activity suggestions:

• Younger students can talk about dividing the 12 tribes evenly between the two mountains. How many should be on each mountain? Connect the separation to division of 12 by 2-- will have 6 on each mountain. 
• Pattern finding: If you cross-reference with charts of children from each mother (Rachel, Leah, Bilha, and Zilpah) and the birth order of the 12 sons, can you find any connection between the siblings who were grouped together on each mountain?
• For Older students- if we take the most recent census information- from Bamidbar 26:1-51, we have a listing of the numbers of men in each tribe. Taking these numbers, was the division of people equal between the two mountains? Did one mountain have more people and one have fewer people? Could there have been a different way to divide the tribes that would have made the division more equatable between the two mountains?