Parashat Re'eh for Kids
Moshe stands up in front of everyone and says one big word: רְאֵה — Re'eh — “See!” See, he says, today I am putting in front of you a blessing and a choice. Every single day, you get to choose good. Told for ages 5–9, with a ready 30-minute lesson and this week’s Hebrew words.
Torah reading: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 · full text on Sefaria
Read on Shabbat: August 8, 2026 · August 28, 2027 · August 19, 2028 (diaspora — see the full schedule)
What happens in this parasha?
Moshe gathers the whole nation, looks out at all the children and grown-ups, and says one bright word: Re’eh — “See!” See, he tells them, today I am putting in front of you a blessing and a choice. It is like opening your eyes in the morning to a brand-new day. Hashem gives us good paths to walk and the freedom to choose them — and the wonderful secret is that we don’t choose just once. Every single day we get to choose kindness, choose mitzvot, choose the good way. That is the gift hiding inside the word “See.”
So what does choosing good look like? Moshe gives one of the gentlest, clearest mitzvot in the whole Torah. When you see someone who has less than you — someone hungry, someone who needs help — open your hand to them, and do not harden your heart. This is tzedakah: sharing what we have so that everyone has enough. A little tzedakah box on the kitchen counter, a coin dropped in before Shabbat, a sandwich shared — these are small hands opening wide, exactly the way the Torah asks.
Then Moshe talks about simchah — joy — and he makes the joy big enough for everyone. When we celebrate Hashem’s holidays, the Torah says: you shall rejoice — you, and your children, and the helper in your house, and the stranger, and the child with no parents, and the grandmother all alone. Nobody is left outside the happiness. Real Jewish joy always saves a seat at the table. When we make sure the person beside us is smiling too, our own simchah grows even brighter.
Moshe also names three special times each year when the whole people would travel up to the place Hashem chose — later, this is Yerushalayim, our heart-home. These are the shalosh regalim, the three pilgrimage festivals: Pesach in the spring, Shavuot when the Torah was given, and Sukkot in the fall. Families packed up and went together, singing on the road. We don’t live in Israel, but when these holidays come around our calendar, our hearts still turn toward Yerushalayim — and we celebrate, full of joy and gratitude, right where we are.
The 30-minute lesson
Tell the story
Start with Moshe’s big word — “Re’eh! See!” — and the gift of choosing good every day. Then the two pictures of what good looks like: opening your hand (tzedakah) and joy that includes everyone. Finish with the three festivals when families traveled up toward Yerushalayim.
Wonder together
Ask: “Moshe says we get to choose good every single day, not just once. What is one good thing you already chose today — and what is one you could still choose before bedtime?”
Learn the Hebrew word
This week’s word: tzedakah — giving to someone who has less. Say it slowly together. Talk about the Torah’s picture: “open your hand, do not harden your heart.” Open your own hand wide as you say it.
Make a tzedakah box
Decorate an empty jar or box together and cut a coin slot in the lid. Write צְדָקָה (tzedakah) on the front. Drop in the first coin right away, and pick a spot — the kitchen counter is perfect — where the whole family can “open their hand” before Shabbat each week.
Wrap up with a wide-open hand
End with the week’s gentle promise: tomorrow is a brand-new day to choose good again. Ask each child to name one person they could include or help this week — and remind them that making someone else’s simchah bigger makes ours bigger too.
This week’s Hebrew words
| Hebrew | Say it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| רְאֵה | Re'eh | See! — Moshe's big opening word: see, you get to choose good |
| בְּרָכָה | berachah | A blessing — the good Hashem sets in front of us |
| בְּחִירָה | bechirah | A choice — every day we get to choose the good way |
| צְדָקָה | tzedakah | Giving to someone who has less — “open your hand” |
| שִׂמְחָה | simchah | Joy — the kind big enough to include everyone |
| שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים | shalosh regalim | The three festivals — Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot |
Three questions to ask
- Moshe says we get to choose good every single day. What good thing will you choose tomorrow morning?
- The Torah says to "open your hand" to someone who has less. Who is one person you could open your hand to this week?
- At the holidays, the Torah makes sure everyone is invited to the joy. Who is someone you would want to make sure isn't left out of the fun?
Parashat Re’eh FAQ
What does Re'eh mean?
Re'eh means “See!” — the portion’s very first word: רְאֵה (Re'eh). Moshe calls out to the whole nation: see, today I set before you a blessing and a choice. It’s a wake-up word, an invitation to open our eyes and notice that every single day we get to choose good.
Isn't there a scary “curse” part in this portion? How do I handle it?
The portion literally opens with “a blessing and a curse,” and it later warns grown-ups to stay far from things that would pull them away from Hashem. None of that needs to be dramatized for young children. We teach it as “a blessing and a choice” and keep the focus on choosing good. If your child asks, a short, calm “that’s a grown-up part we’ll learn when we’re older” is a complete and honest answer.
Is tzedakah really in this week's portion?
Yes — Re'eh is home to one of the Torah’s gentlest, clearest tzedakah teachings: when you meet someone who has less, “open your hand” and do not harden your heart. It’s a wonderful week to start (or refresh) a family tzedakah box and make sharing a weekly Shabbat habit.
Why are the three festivals listed here, and we don't even live in Israel?
Re'eh lists the shalosh regalim — Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot — the three times families once traveled up to the place Hashem chose, which became Yerushalayim. We celebrate these holidays joyfully right where we live, and we let our hearts turn toward Yerushalayim, our heart-home. It’s a lovely calendar tie-in: when each festival arrives, you can remind kids that this very portion named it.
Make the parasha a weekly rhythm
New kid-level parasha pages are published ahead of each Shabbat — the full 2026–2030 schedule shows what’s coming. Pair this lesson with candle-lighting times for Friday night, the Hebrew glossary, and free K–6 Hebrew printables.