What is the genre to which "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" belongs? I have no idea; so if you know, please enlighten me. In any case, we have a family one of those. Most often performed by an older/elderly member for the family for the younger children. You take a napkin and pinch it in the middle to make sort of a bow looking thing. You put it over your ear and say in falsetto, "But I can't pay the rent; I can't pay the rent; I can't pay the rent today." Then you put it over your lip (thus transforming it into a mustache) and say in a villainous tone, "But you must pay the rent; you must pay the rent; you must pay the rent today!" That is repeated once or twice (or more...depending on the age and mirth of the audience). Then you put it over your collar (thus transforming it into a bow tie) and say in a valorous voice, "I'll pay the rent." Back over your ear, "My hero!" Back over your lip, "Curses! Foiled again."
My eldest granddaughter decided try her hand (and napkin) at this ditty. Everything went according to script until she merged the last two lines into an exclamation of relief and praise by the heroine (including appropriate eyelash batting): "My foil cutting hero!"
We (the proud elderly so delighted to see the baton being passed to the next generation) burst out in delighted laughter. My granddaughter also burst out into delighted laughter with a look of such sweet innocence. I was laughing with delight because I immediately realized that she had never heard the word in any context except for "aluminum foil" and was impressed by her improvisation given her understanding. She was laughing with delight for having successfully entertained her Bubbie and Zeidy. Everyone was happy.
Let's analyze this situation using the methodology well know methodology of פרדס -- that is:
פשט, רמז, דרש, סוד
פשט/simple meaning -- At the most basic level, the situation revealed that she was missing a fact; namely, that the word "foil" can be both a noun (as in "aluminum foil") and a verb (as in "curses; foiled again").
רמז/hint -- Hmm... let's think... here's an opportunity to teach grammar in a way that is fun and will certainly be retained. Start with nouns and verbs... who knows where it could go?
דרש/homiletic lesson -- My granddaughter had completely misunderstood the ending, and she had no idea! We had completely failed to transmit our intent, and we had no idea! Grammar is a part of communication, and of course communication is a two way street. But it is more than simple street... it has neighborhoods of context and potholes and informational signs. To really communicate you need to process every exchange really think through how to respond.
סוד/secrets/foundation -- Why did this all work? Why didn't she get upset that we were laughing at her -- how did she know that we were laughing with delight and not derision? Why weren't we disappointed that she missed the point -- how did we focus on the clever way she used the knowledge she had to craft such a clever conclusion? One word: Love. To love one's fellow as oneself is the fundamental law of the Torah. The rest is commentary. It's a great way to foil -- both as a noun and a verb -- that yeitzer hara! (sorry... I couldn't/didn't want to control myself...)
Next time you run across one of those dreaded dikduk Rashi's... spend some time with it. Here's a place to start: the second Rashi on Chumash -- בראשית ברא: אין המקרא הזה אומר אלא דרשני
My eldest granddaughter decided try her hand (and napkin) at this ditty. Everything went according to script until she merged the last two lines into an exclamation of relief and praise by the heroine (including appropriate eyelash batting): "My foil cutting hero!"
We (the proud elderly so delighted to see the baton being passed to the next generation) burst out in delighted laughter. My granddaughter also burst out into delighted laughter with a look of such sweet innocence. I was laughing with delight because I immediately realized that she had never heard the word in any context except for "aluminum foil" and was impressed by her improvisation given her understanding. She was laughing with delight for having successfully entertained her Bubbie and Zeidy. Everyone was happy.
Let's analyze this situation using the methodology well know methodology of פרדס -- that is:
פשט, רמז, דרש, סוד
פשט/simple meaning -- At the most basic level, the situation revealed that she was missing a fact; namely, that the word "foil" can be both a noun (as in "aluminum foil") and a verb (as in "curses; foiled again").
רמז/hint -- Hmm... let's think... here's an opportunity to teach grammar in a way that is fun and will certainly be retained. Start with nouns and verbs... who knows where it could go?
דרש/homiletic lesson -- My granddaughter had completely misunderstood the ending, and she had no idea! We had completely failed to transmit our intent, and we had no idea! Grammar is a part of communication, and of course communication is a two way street. But it is more than simple street... it has neighborhoods of context and potholes and informational signs. To really communicate you need to process every exchange really think through how to respond.
סוד/secrets/foundation -- Why did this all work? Why didn't she get upset that we were laughing at her -- how did she know that we were laughing with delight and not derision? Why weren't we disappointed that she missed the point -- how did we focus on the clever way she used the knowledge she had to craft such a clever conclusion? One word: Love. To love one's fellow as oneself is the fundamental law of the Torah. The rest is commentary. It's a great way to foil -- both as a noun and a verb -- that yeitzer hara! (sorry... I couldn't/didn't want to control myself...)
Next time you run across one of those dreaded dikduk Rashi's... spend some time with it. Here's a place to start: the second Rashi on Chumash -- בראשית ברא: אין המקרא הזה אומר אלא דרשני
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