The fruits of Tu Bishvat are on a plate on the table. Yehuda
hands his mother the blessing for fruit which he copied. It
is set in a frame decorated with rubbings from leaves that he
made himself. He reads it out loud and sets it down on the
table, ready to use. There is a second blessing, as well,
that of Shehechiyonu, since Ima has found new fruits
for this. She and the children talk about Tu Bishvat and
about fruits. Meanwhile, feeling spring in the air, Yehuda
opens the window and hears a rustling sound outdoors coming
from the trees in the yard. It reminds him of another part of
the tree that we don't eat but which also brings us benefit
and pleasure, and opens our eyes to the wonders of Hashem's
creations. This is the LEAF.
Man is compared to a tree of the field. The leaves are
compared to the sichas chulin, the everyday talk, of
the Torah scholar, who provides lessons for us in himself.
The leaves complete the tree. The description of leaves may
not be something that we give much thought to except in our
poetic moments. Or -- on Tu Bishvat, when we take the time to
appreciate the magnificence of the tree and its parts.
How do we describe a leaf?
Yehuda steps outside, bends down and swoops up a handful of
fallen leaves piled at the base of a tree. The richness of
the color and the paper thin delicacy of the leaves in his
open hand impress him. He brings his discovery into the
kitchen and shows it to his brothers and sisters.
There is a lot to say about the leaf. Let us take a walk
outside and look at the leaves around us and learn about the
various kinds of leaves and trees in our neighborhood. Focus
in and look carefully at the multitude of different textures,
from spiney veins to velvety smooth teardrops, the colors
from olive green to silver to burnt orange. With the leaves
in particular, the shapes lead the mind to the parable
connecting them to the human hand: a palm with fingers and
veins. Leaves in many parts of the world change colors,
called the autumn colors. This is our fall spectrum of warm
rust and gold colors.
CRAYON RUBBINGS are a fascinating way to learn about the
tree. When doing leaf rubbings, the children are brought face
to face with a perfect specimen of Hashem's creations. They --
and you -- stop and take a momentary look at a simple leaf so
full of marvel. For that one moment, the wonders of the leaf
become huge to the eye and mind.
Rubbings are made by placing a piece of paper over the
surface of a flat three dimensional object such as a leaf or
a coin. A dark crayon is then rubbed over the object on the
paper, reproducing a facsimile on the paper. With each stroke
of the crayon, the `hidden' object becomes visible and
complete. Children can transfer a leaf or other object onto
paper simply by rubbing over it with a crayon. The youthful
astonishment at the revelation of the object on paper is an
appropriate way to enhance children's appreciation of this
New Year of the Trees.
CRAYON LEAF RUBBINGS
Materials
1. Leaves such as maple, sycamore, olive or whatever is still
on the tree at this time of year. Choose varieties of sizes
and shapes.
2. Paper: computer, newsprint, manila or other thin paper.
3. Crayons with paper removed: brown, black, light green,
orange and yellow.
4. Optional: cellophane or masking tape.
4. Optional for frame: pencil, pen or markers, cardboard,
scissors and glue.
DIRECTIONS
1. Place leaf under sheet of paper.
2. Optional: tape paper in place to prevent from moving.
3. Rub area LIGHTLY on paper with brown or black crayon, held
widthwise.
4. If needed, rub over the edges of the leaf to darken
them.
5. For added color and interest, rub a second color: light
green, orange or yellow over the brown or black.
LEAF PRINT
Us the same one or two leaves over and over.
* Arrange one large leaf such as a maple or sycamore in the
center and surround it with small leaves such as olive or
almond leaves, even pine needles.
* Or -- arrange leaves of one species in fan formation.
* Cut out random leaf `prints' and count them.
REAL LEAF DRAWING
1. Arrange three to six small thin leaves (or others) upright
at bottom of paper.
2. Rub leaves and add additional color if desired.
3. Draw a real scene of house and a view above the leaves.
This will give the impression of distance. The large leaves
at the bottom of the paper will be considered close and the
house and view will seem further away because it is smaller
proportionately than the leaves. [A lesson in
perspective.]
FRAMED BROCHA
1. Do several leaf rubbings on a sheet of paper (A). Plan how
many and what sizes you will need to decorate your frame.
2. Write the brocha for Pri Ho'etz / Shehechiyonu on a
second sheet of paper (B).
3. Glue text onto the center of a sheet of cardboard (C) that
is at least two inches larger all around than the paper.
4. Cut out with scissors leaf rubbings (A) and glue on to the
four corners of the `frame' or around all the sides of the
`frame' (C).
THE LEVELS OF ENRICHMENT
Along with the pure enjoyment of doing rubbings, it is an
extra benefit to parents to be aware of the skills the
children will be using. There are four levels in the above
projects if your child does the framed brocha. Do all
four or stop at level one or two. There is great satisfaction
for children in working with natural materials and in
accomplishing all the steps in any goal they set out to do.
Accomplishments bring confidence.
Level 1 emphasizes awareness of nature, its variety of
textures and shapes and functions. Its design and beauty.
Level 2 is hand pressure control. This occurs during the
actual rubbing.
Level 3 is scissors-related skills and coordination.
Level 4 is writing and reading.
Devora Piha, our Creativity expert, offers consultation,
lectures, crafts groups and instruction for individuals and
institutions on creativity and art. She can be reached at 02-
9931-592. Creativity, as you have seen, affects all areas of
our lives, and should be used to enhance and heighten it.
E-mail address: newpiha@hotmail.com.
