Eli and Rafi Fall Down

“Okay, kindalach,” said little Yaeli, walking into her bedroom. “Everyone take your seat so Morah Yaeli can teach you all about Torah.”

Little Yaeli carried all of her dolls and arranged them neatly on her bed. Eli the elephant and Rafi the rhinoceros were so happy to see that they got to sit near the edge of the bed, next to their friend, Kalman the dog. Doug the fish, on the other hand, was pleased that he was closer to Shaindel Shprintzel Yentel, who always knew the answers to Morah Yaeli’s questions.

“Today,” little Yaeli said, sitting down, “we’re going to learn a lot of Torah. Who can tell me whether a mitzvah is a good thing or a bad thing?”

Little Yaeli turned to her fluffy bunny rabbit. “Yes, Bunim? You raised your ears?”

“Kalman Nachman Zalman!” little Yaeli said sharply, turning to the stuffed dog. “You need to be quiet!”

Eli and Rafi looked at each other, still smirking at the joke Kalman had told them.

“That’s right, Bunim!” said little Yaeli proudly. “A mitzvah is a good thing! And knowing the right answer was a big mitzvah! Here, take a sticker!”

“Okay, next question! Who knows what Paraoh wore in the middle of the night?”

The teddy bear at the back of the bed’s eyes lit up. He knew this one!

“Berel,” called little Yaeli, turning to the bear.

“Amazing! It was pink fluffy pajamas! You can have Bunim’s sticker when he’s done with it.”

Little Yaeli turned to the edge of the bed again, glaring.

“Kalman Nachman Zalman! I don’t want to have to warn you one more time! No talking when we are davening Torah!”

“Now, Kindalach,” little Yaeli said, bouncing up and down on the bed. “I want to teach you about Shabbos. On Shabbos we eat yummy yummy challah! Mommy makes the most yummiest challah in the whole world! I wanted to give all of you some challah to taste, but Mommy doesn’t let me bring challah into the classroom and if you get dirty you’ll have to take a bath in the washing machine.

“Last week, Yitzy helped Mommy make the challah. And even though he’s a boy, the challah still tasted so so so yummy! So you see, it is not an aveirah if a boy helps make the challah, as long as a mommy is there watching to make sure the oven isn’t hot.”

Little Yaeli looked to her right again and raised her voice. “KALMAN NACHMAN ZALMAN! How many times do I have to tell you NO TALKING when we are learning Gemara?”

Eli and Rafi looked shocked as little Yaeli yanked hard on the blanket, causing Kalman the dog to tumble off the side of the bed. Eli and Rafi, who were also close to the edge, teetered for a moment before falling off as well.

“Kalman Nachman Zalman,” said little Yaeli, peering down at him. “You didn’t listen to your morah, just like Korach didn’t listen to Moshe Rabbeinu. You kept opening your big mouth, so the floor opened up its big mouth and you fell in, just like Korach.”

Eli and Rafi felt hurt. They weren’t talking, so why did they have to fall on the ground?

“And you, Eli and Rafi,” continued little Yaeli, almost as if she could read their minds, “you are like Dosom and Avirun. You know why they fell into the hole with Korach? Because they lived too close to Korach and their mommies let them go to Korach’s house to play every day. And then? And then they became bad reshaim like Korach and they also didn’t listen to Moshe and Hashem. And so they fell down the hole too. Why didn’t you sit next to Doug the fish, who listened nicely and quietly the whole time? Instead you sat next to Kalman Nachman Zalman who wasn’t listening. And when Kalman Nachman Zalman got punished, you fell down too.”

Little Yaeli hopped off the bed and picked up the three stuffed animals.

“Now, I’m going to let you back on the bed because I love you. But I want you to listen nicely to me and not be like Korach and Dosom and Avirun.

“Now who wants to learn why we don’t light a menorah on Pesach?”

Have a Wonderful Shabbos!

Let’s review:

• Is Little Yaeli a good teacher?
• Why did Eli and Rafi get punished?