Lesson Plan on Pidyon Shevuyim: The Redemption of Captives
Prepared by the middle school faculty of the Jewish Community Day School, Newton, MA
Appropriate for grades 5 through 12
Process
- This lesson is part of a broader curriculum on Beit Midrash taught in a discussion format. Each lesson is begun by introducing the main topic — in this case Pidyon Shevuyim — to the whole class first. The teacher describes and then the students as a group briefly discuss the concept and where the discussion might lead after the textual study.
- Students are broken into study groups of two to four children each to read through the tex , discuss, and answers questions in about 45 minutes.
- The students come back together as a class for a final discussion which summarizes the small group work.
Test & Questions
Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, "Gifts to the Poor" 8: 10-11
The ransoming of captives takes precedence over the feeding and clothing of the poor. Indeed there is no religious duty more honorable than the ransoming of captives, for not only is the captive included in the general category of the hungry, the thirsty, and the naked, but his very life is in jeopardy. He who turns his eyes away from ransoming him, transgresses the commandments:
You shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand (Deut. 15:7)
Neither shall you stand idly by the blood of thy neighbor (Lev. 19:16)
and
You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19;18),
To sum up, there is no religious duty greater than the ransoming of captives.
Questions
Do you agree with Rambam? Is the redemption of captives the greatest mitzvah? Why or why not? Please share your idea with your hevrutah.
The Tosafot, Commenting on the Talmud, Tractate Baba Kamma, 8b
The redemption of captives is a religious duty of great importance. And yet, we read (in Tractate Megillah 27a) that one may not sell a Torah scroll except for the purpose of enabling people to study Torah, or for helping a woman to get married. Nowhere does it mention that one may also sell a Torah scroll in order to finance the redemption of captives. Why?...
Questions
Why do you think these two acts are singled out the the Rabbis of the Talmud? Please answer the question posed by the Tosafot.
The Talmud, Tractate Horayot, 13a
Our Rabbis taught: If a man, his father, and his teacher were in captivity, he (the man) take precedence over (he is saved before) this teacher and his teacher takes precedence over his father, while his mother takes precedence over them all.
Questions
Why is this order established? How would you organize it?
The Talmud, Tractate Gittin, 58a
Our Rabbis taught: Rabbi Joshua the son of Hananiah once happened to go to the great city of Rome. While there, he was told that there was a child with beautiful eyes and curly locks of hair who had been imprisoned. The rabbi went and stood at the entrance of the prison and said "Who gave ... Israel over to the robber (who allowed this child to be imprisoned by the Greeks?) The child answered, "Is it no the Lord, the One against we have sinned..." Rabbi Joshua responded, "I feel sure that this child will be a (great) teacher in Israel. I swear that I will not budge from here until I ransom him, regardless of the price demanded."
Questions
What reason does the child give for his imprisonment? Do you agree or disagree? Does God punish children for the sins of their people? What draws Rabbi Joshua to the prison? Why does he commit himself to saving the child? Do you think the Rabbi would have saved the child even if he was not beautiful or smart?
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