Last Sunday we had a lovely session focused on the Jewish value of tz’ar ba’alei chayim, compassion or kindness to animals. My Sunday School class this year is full of animal lovers and they loved getting to talk about how to take care of and treat animals, both pets and wild animals, with respect.
We paired the focus of tz’ar ba’alei chayimwith a discussion of the Torah story of Eliezer finding a wife for Isaac. He finds Rebecca and knows she is the perfect wife for Isaac because of the kindness she shows to people and animals.
This short and sweet lesson can easily be paired with discussion and activities about Rebecca, or it can stand alone as an important Jewish value to which young children can easily relate.
Lesson Objectives
The objective for this lesson was simple and straightforward: Students will learn about the Jewish value of tz’ar ba’alei chayim, compassion or kindness to animals. I also wanted them to learn (and practice) the Hebrew. And, as always, I wanted them to put this value into practice with a meaningful activity so they felt involved and empowered to make this Jewish value a part of their daily lives.
Introducing the Lesson’s Concepts
I introduced the lesson’s concept of tz’ar ba’alei chayim with the book How to Heal a Broken Wing
This book tells the story of a bird with a broken wing who is stranded and very vulnerable in the middle of a busy street. Lots of people (mostly adults!) walk by continuing their important lives. But one little boy, Will, stops. With the help of his parents, he takes care of the bird and nurses her back to health. At the end of the book she is healed and flies off, free as wild animals should be.
The book sweetly captures the importance of having compassion for wild animals. It shows that all animals, even a bird, should be treated with respect and cared for when they are hurt. It also highlights important practical considerations related to animals, such as making sure an adult is with you when helping animals and letting the wild animal go free once it’s healed.
Discussion Questions
After we finished How to Heal a Broken Wing
- What do animals need to live?
- What things did Will do to care for the bird?
- Who helped Will care for the bird?
- How can we protect wild animals?
- How can we protect pets?
- What are ways we can respect animals?
Bird Feeder Activity
Making a bird feeder is an easy and fun way to practice tz’ar ba’alei chayim. There are so many different types of DIY bird feeder options out there, but I wanted one that would let my students also practice the Jewish value of hiddur mitzvah, beautifying objects. These kids already love decorating things so it makes perfect sense to emphasize that what they are doing by creating beautiful things is actually a Jewish value!
While I was preparing for this activity I discovered that the way I used to make bird feeders as a child–with all that peanut butter–is actually harmful to birds! Apparently the creamy peanut butter gets stuck in the birds’ mouths. Yikes! As I discussed with my students, that’s pretty much the opposite of tz’ar ba’alei chayim. So instead of the bird seed on peanut butter way of my youth, we did an even simpler version where the bird seed is poured (at home!) on a decorated plate. The children also got to use beads to decorate the twine that will attach the bird feeder to the tree branch. Easy, safe for the birds, and fun!
Check out the Bird Feeder Activity here!
Fun, Meaningful and Successful Lesson
This Tz’ar Ba’alei Chayim (Kindness to Animals) lesson was sweet and simple. The children learned some new Hebrew and Jewish values. They also got to put these values into practice in ways that were meaningful for them.
And, as always, I brought the materials home and shared with my own children. They loved decorating the plates and twine for the bird feeders. Even better was watching when birds came to visit!
For the complete lesson plan in pdf format, click here.
Want to connect the Jewish value of tz’ar ba’alei chayim with the story of Rebecca? Check out these short and simple activities:
Torah Activity: Coloring Book of how Eliezer Finds Rebecca, a Wife for Isaac
Looking for more information on tz’ar ba’alei chayim? Check out these articles:
PJ Library: Kindness to Animals
My Jewish Learning: Ethical Treatment of Animals in Judaism
Have you taught your children or a class about tz’ar ba’alei chayim? We would love to hear what activities you used! Please share in the comments 🙂
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