Parshas Vayera ideas

Parshat Vayera in 30 seconds

Check out our teaching aids for parshat Vayera and the entire Sefer Beraishit. Print these adorable characters and turn them into puppets to enhance your lessons.

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Parshas Vayera Summary

For Parshas Vayera, we focused on the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim, inviting guests and bikur cholim, visiting the sick.

Avraham was 99 years old when he had a bris mila. Avraham loved to do the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim - inviting guests and had many guests. Avraham’s tent had 4 doors so that guests would be able to come in from all directions. He would give them food and drink and teach them to thank Hashem for what He gives us.

Avraham had a special tree. The guests would sit under the tree. If they were good people, the tree would give them shade. If they served idols, the branches would not spread out and give them shade.

Avraham wasn’t feeling well after his bris, so Hashem made it extra hot so that there wouldn’t be guests. Avraham was sad, so Hashem sent 3 angels. One came to heal Avraham, the other to tell Sara that she would have a baby, and the third to destroy S'dom. We discussed how to properly fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim and make our guests feel comfortable and happy. (By greeting them with a smile, sharing our toys, offering them food and drink, and when they leave to thank them for coming and invite them over again.)

We also spoke about bikur cholim - visiting the sick - and different ways to help someone sick, feel better. (Visiting, calling, making a card.) We are so excited to bring home our “iphones” (our class contact list). We’ll now be able to call our friends and invite them over to our house and do the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim or if someone isn’t feeling well Ch'v, we’ll be able to call and wish them "Refuah Shelaima, get well soon!".

Hashem destroyed S'dom because they were mean to their guests and to each other. The angels went to save Lot and his wife and told them not to look back at the destruction, we don’t look when someone is getting punished. Lot's wife looked back and turned into salt.

Yitzchak was born a year later on Pesach. Avraham was 100 and Sara was 90. They were so happy, they named the baby Yitzchak which means laugh. Yitzchak had a bris when he was 8 days old.

We learned a story of the Rebbe Rashab, how when he was 4 years old, he went to his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek and cried. “Why did Hashem come visit Avraham, and not me?” The Tzemach Tzedek told him, “Avraham Avinu had a bris when he was 99 years old so he merited to have Hashem come to him. He listened right away when Hashem told him.”

Parshas Vayera craft and activities

Welcome Sign craft

We made a "Bruchim Haba'im" - Welcome sign to hang on our door to welcome guests. In the photo I outlined the steps we took to create it.

We filled in the letters with glue.
Then we poured salt over the glue. We shook the paper until all the glue was covered in salt.
Then used liquid watercolor and droppers to drip color on the salt. We watched the color spread through the salt and not on the paper!

Avraham's tent math game

We played a simple math game. I created tents with 4 doors like Avraham's and a number on each tent. The kids had to put that amount of 'guests' in the tent. You can use lego people or mentchies or any tiny people you have on hand.

Class contact list ipad craft

Here is a sample of what I created. Each child had their first and last name and phone number along with a photo. This was the front. The back had the school logo and that is what the students decorated. I then glued them together and laminated it.

For the mitzvah of visiting the sick, I created a contact list to look like an iPad . I had a small photo of each child with their contact information underneath. I had the students decorate their "iPad case". We used the marbling effect by mixing liquid watercolors into shaving cream. The students then dipped their paper into the mixture and used popsicle sticks to scrape it off. This created a beautiful marble texture on the paper. We then pasted it onto the back of the contact list.

The students were so excited about their ipad and couldn't wait to use it to arrange playdates etc.

I also hung an additional copy in the classroom and whenever a student is absent, we call them and wish them a speedy recovery.