Parshas Shoftim

Supplies

Trees printed on the green cardstock; the larger trees corresponding to the darkest shade and the  smallest to the lightest

Optional: cityscape printed on the lightest cardstock sheet

5 shades of green cardstock sheets

Square foam stickers

Dark green marker

Scissors

A pen

Template- Trees

Specialty Item List

Instructions

1. Take darkest shade of green cardstock. With a pen draw a very big squiggly shape. Fold the paper a bit and in the middle make a few cuts. Now you have holes in the middle, cut out the entire middle part, up until the line you drew.
2. Place your cut out on top of the next lighter shade, draw the same shape but smaller. Cut out the middle the same way.
3. Repeat step 2 with the next 2 lighter sheets, every time drawing the shape a bit smaller.
4. Either print cityscape on the lightest shade of cardstock. Or on the lightest shade of cardstock draw a cityscape, as shown.Put all the papers together, lightest on the bottom and darkest on top. Option #2: . Put all the papers together, lightest on the bottom and darkest on top. Take a dark green marker and draw the city as shown. First draw the shapes of the buildings, then add sun and windows.
5. Take the printed tree template papers and cut out the trees. Put them aside.
6. Put the bottom paper with the city on it in front of you. Take the next darker shade, flip it, place 8 foam stickers on the corners and sides. Flip again and stick that cut out on top of the paper with the city. Repeat with every other shade.
7. Now take your trees. Put stickers on the side where it was printed. Stick them starting with the smallest to the biggest.
8. Your garden decoupage is ready!

Imagine…

The Jewish people were on their way to war against an enemy. They needed to set up a base and camp. One young soldier, Shlomo, wanted to help with the war effort. He looked around for what he could do. Noticing a vineyard at the edge of the main city, he had an idea. “I’ll set fire to the vineyard! This will set the city’s soldiers back and make it easier to capture the city!” He went off to find his friend Moshe to help. When Moshe heard the plan, he looked horrified. “We can’t do that! There’s a Mitzvah not to cut down the fruit trees of our enemies!” Shlomo suddenly remembered. “Thank you for reminding me, otherwise I would’ve made a mistake.”

Delving Deeper

In giving us this Mitzvah, the Torah teaches us that we may not destroy useful resources such as fruit trees for no reason. In the context of war, this includes not destroying such trees just to scare the enemy. If there is a situation when there is a need to cut them down, there is room for doing so. But doing so needlessly is in opposition to what Hashem wants of us. This idea applies especially to a fruit tree (even one that is simply growing in your yard) since the fruits growing on it provide an additional level of sustenance. But the same concept also applies to any sort of materials we interact with. The Torah tells us that it is not ok to ruin or destroy anything that has use, also known as the Mitzvah of Bal Tashchis.

Point to Ponder

What is one way to be careful not to waste food or other materials for no reason?