By Maya Yehezkel

Learn the words in Hebrew to figure out the joke below:

Tell me – אֱמֹר לִי

Only – רַק

Flat tire – תֶּקֶר

Front wheel – גַּלְגַּל קִדְמִי

Bottom part – חֵלֶק תַּחְתּוֹן

Solution:

The driver in the car asked the boy whether he has a flat tire. He answered that the flat is only on the bottom of his tire.

Teacher’s Corner:

When one of my students failed a Hebrew test, he was dejected and said, “I’m a failure.” I took him aside and said, “Failing does not make you a failure! You might fail in one test but on other tests you have succeeded. Also, you have succeeded in having good friends and you are good at sports. One test does not determine your value. Failing on a test just means that you have succeeded in identifying an area that needs more attention and focused work.” There are always areas in which we are stronger and areas that require us to invest more time and effort. Look at the entire picture.

Don’t focus on what you don’t have. If you only focus on what you don’t have, you will always be unhappy. If you focus on what you do have, you will always have the strength to overcome whatever flat tires come your way.

Maya Yehezkel is a Hebrew teacher at Yeshivat Noam middle school. For private tutoring, all levels, email [email protected].