Ready, Set, Go!
Ready, Set, Go! Mishna Avot 2:5
ה:משנה מסכת אבות ב
He used to say: A fool cannot have fear of sin, and an ignoramus cannot be pious, and one who is embarrassed cannot learn, and one who is overly strict cannot teach, and not all those who increase business endeavors will become wise, and in a place where there is no man, strive to be a man.
הוא היה אומר אין בור ירא חטא ולא עם הארץ חסיד ולא הביישן למד ולא הקפדן מלמד ולא כל המרבה בסחורה מחכים :ובמקום שאין אנשים השתדל להיות איש
What does it mean to be a man? Brachos 32a
תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף לב עמוד א
And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying “Go down, descend.” What does it mean to go down and descend? R’ Elazar said: Hashem said to Moshe: Moshe, descend from your greatness, haven’t I given you greatness only because of the Jewish people, and now that the Jewish people sinned, why do I need you? Immediately Moshe’s strength waned and he did not have strength to speak. And once He said: Leave Me for a moment and I will destroy them, Moshe said that this matter depends on me, and immediately he got up and he strengthened himself and he requested mercy. It is comparable, to a king who gets angry at his son and he strikes him with a great blow, and the king’s close friend is sitting there and he is afraid to say anything in front of the king. The king says, if not for my close friend sitting here, I would kill you! The friend says, the matter depends on me, and immediately he got up and saved the son.
אמר לו, מאי לך רד? אמר רבי אלעזר,וידבר ה' אל משה לך רד רד מגדולתך! כלום נתתי לך, משה:הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה ? אתה למה לי- ועכשיו ישראל חטאו,גדולה אלא בשביל ישראל יגהרף: וכיון שאמר.מיד תשש כחו של משה ולא היה לו כח לדבר מיד עמד ונתחזק- דבר זה תלוי בי: אמר משה,ממני ואשמידם למלך שכעס על בנו והיה מכהו מכה, משל.בתפלה ובקש רחמים : אמר המלך. והיה אוהבו יושב לפניו ומתירא לומר לו דבר,גדולה - דבר זה תלוי בי:אלמלא אוהבי זה שיושב לפני הרגתיך! אמר ידועתה הניחה לי ויחר אפי בהם ואכלם ואעשה.מיד עמד והצילו 'אותך לגוי גדול וגו
Why did Moshe get up immediately after God said he was going to destroy the Jewish people?
Song Tag Rules:
Everyone forms a circle
Someone jumps in the middle and sings a song
Someone else around the surrounding circle can then jump in with a song that is related. For example: person 1 sings Old McDonald, and person 2 sings the chicken song (both have to do with animals).
The first person then jumps out and the process continues.
Anyone can jump in at any time.
Processing Points:
Why is it sometimes so hard to take initiative?
What is the fear that people sometimes have of starting something new?
What opportunities do we miss if we’re too scared to take initiative?
“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” - Bob Bennett
ה:משנה מסכת אבות ב
He used to say: A fool cannot have fear of sin, and an ignoramus cannot be pious, and one who is embarrassed cannot learn, and one who is overly strict cannot teach, and not all those who increase business endeavors will become wise, and in a place where there is no man, strive to be a man.
הוא היה אומר אין בור ירא חטא ולא עם הארץ חסיד ולא הביישן למד ולא הקפדן מלמד ולא כל המרבה בסחורה מחכים :ובמקום שאין אנשים השתדל להיות איש
What does it mean to be a man? Brachos 32a
תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף לב עמוד א
And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying “Go down, descend.” What does it mean to go down and descend? R’ Elazar said: Hashem said to Moshe: Moshe, descend from your greatness, haven’t I given you greatness only because of the Jewish people, and now that the Jewish people sinned, why do I need you? Immediately Moshe’s strength waned and he did not have strength to speak. And once He said: Leave Me for a moment and I will destroy them, Moshe said that this matter depends on me, and immediately he got up and he strengthened himself and he requested mercy. It is comparable, to a king who gets angry at his son and he strikes him with a great blow, and the king’s close friend is sitting there and he is afraid to say anything in front of the king. The king says, if not for my close friend sitting here, I would kill you! The friend says, the matter depends on me, and immediately he got up and saved the son.
אמר לו, מאי לך רד? אמר רבי אלעזר,וידבר ה' אל משה לך רד רד מגדולתך! כלום נתתי לך, משה:הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה ? אתה למה לי- ועכשיו ישראל חטאו,גדולה אלא בשביל ישראל יגהרף: וכיון שאמר.מיד תשש כחו של משה ולא היה לו כח לדבר מיד עמד ונתחזק- דבר זה תלוי בי: אמר משה,ממני ואשמידם למלך שכעס על בנו והיה מכהו מכה, משל.בתפלה ובקש רחמים : אמר המלך. והיה אוהבו יושב לפניו ומתירא לומר לו דבר,גדולה - דבר זה תלוי בי:אלמלא אוהבי זה שיושב לפני הרגתיך! אמר ידועתה הניחה לי ויחר אפי בהם ואכלם ואעשה.מיד עמד והצילו 'אותך לגוי גדול וגו
Why did Moshe get up immediately after God said he was going to destroy the Jewish people?
Song Tag Rules:
Everyone forms a circle
Someone jumps in the middle and sings a song
Someone else around the surrounding circle can then jump in with a song that is related. For example: person 1 sings Old McDonald, and person 2 sings the chicken song (both have to do with animals).
The first person then jumps out and the process continues.
Anyone can jump in at any time.
Processing Points:
Why is it sometimes so hard to take initiative?
What is the fear that people sometimes have of starting something new?
What opportunities do we miss if we’re too scared to take initiative?
“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” - Bob Bennett
