Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1) This week at Midreshet Moriah

2) Faculty Devar Torah – Dr. Yael Ziegler

3) Mazel Tovs

4) Mi She-Berach List

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This Week at Midreshet

Midreshet students had a great time at much anticipated Lani "madricha"'s wedding this week! It was a leibidik wedding, with much of the extended Midreshet family taking part. Teachers, faculty, former madrichot, and current students danced the night away together with the Kallah. Mazal tov Lani and Josh Berman! We welcome Lani's friend and former Midreshet student Sivan Kerem as the new "Midmo" madricha.

Upon completing their first semester, students had a 2 day vacation to rest up for second semester which began this week! There is a lot of excitement in the air as many exciting and new shiurim are being offered. We wish our students much hatzlacha with their new schedules and we are looking forward to continuing another amazing semester of serious learning over the next few months.

It continues to give us much nachas as our alumnae come back to spend some time learning and shmoozing with us back home at Midreshet. Shiurim were given by Rav Ron, Vicky, Evyatar, Rav Eitan, Rabbi Lerner, and Rabbi Berglas. The highlight of the week was definitely the trip out to Neve Daniel where alumnae were treated to a delicous home cooked dinner by Fagie "The Gush Gourmet" Reves. Teachers Malka, Bracha, and Michal came as well. They shared Torah, and there was a lot of shmoozing and laughing as we all reminisced about the year at Midreshet. It was such a fun night! We were sad to say good bye to our beloved Shana Bet students this week, as they returned to the USA to begin their college careers. We wish you much hatzlacha in this transition and we miss you guys already!!!!!!

Pictures from our year can be seen at http://midreshetmoriah.com/pictures/ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 Parshat Beshalach

by Dr. Yael Ziegler

This week’s parshah features Shirat Hayam, the Song at the Sea, sung in the wake of Kriyat Yam Suf. The song is actually divided into two distinct sections, each of which has a completely different theme. I would like to illustrate some of the differences between the two sections and offer several explanations for this phenomenon.

In the first part of the shirah (1-11), the reasons for the praise are the immediate events at hand, the drowning and final demise of the arrogant Egyptians, the salvation of the Jews, and the evident presence of God which drives these miraculous events. This section culminates with the recognition that there is none like God (Mi Kamocha!), His wonders are awe inspiring.

However, as noted by the Ibn Ezra (15:13, Peirush HaKatzar) the second part of the shirah (12-17) consciously shifts our attention to the future, to events which have yet to occur (despite the fact that it is framed in past tense). This section anticipates the next stage in our geulah, the conquest of the land. The juxtaposition of the sections illustrates that the two events are inseparable, two sides of the same story. Indeed, Yetziat Mitzrayim is largely meaningless devoid of a national homeland, a setting from which to disseminate the word of God. And by phrasing it in the past tense, as if it has already taken place, the Shirah illustrates Israel’s extraordinary faith in the imminent realization of the conquest of their homeland. This sections ends with God’s Malchut (Hashem Yimloch leOlam Va’ed), a concept which is closely linked to Am Yisrael’s settlement of the land, and setting up their own national kingship.

A second distinction is that while in the first section we see the exhilarated reaction of the Jews to recent events, in this second section, we are privy to the panic and terror of the gentiles in response to these events. This binary song closes the narrative of Yetziat Mitzrayim by accomplishing its stated goals (see Shemot 6:7 and 7:5): that Israel shall recognize God in its way (by expressing reverence) and that the world at large shall recognize God in its way (in this case through fear and trembling).

Finally, if in the first section we saw God’s destruction, here we see God’s kindness. See the alliterative first verbs which describe God leading us into the land (pesukim 12-13: Natita, Nachita, Nayhalta) which are framed by the last verbs in pasuk 17 (Te’vieymo, Ti’taeymo). Thus, this shirah moves us from God’s destructive nature to His merciful, kind nature. This point is made also in the Makkot narrative. God is not either\or. He is not sometimes functioning as a destructive God and sometimes merciful. Rather, God is a complex amalgamation of both, all of the time, which emerges as a prominent theme in the shirah which praises God’s essence. [For further reference to this idea see Rashi on 15:3.] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mazel Tov

Engagements:

Adina Leidner (03-04) and Elliot Bernstein

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Weddings:

Adina Weinblatt (07-08) and Adam Feldstein

Rebecca Weinstein (06-07, 07-08) and Yossi Westreich

Lani Lederer (05-06, madricha 09-10, 10-11) and Josh Berman

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Birth: Rabbi Hillel and Rina Zinkin (current faculty) on the birth of a boy.

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadlo lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim. Kshem shenichnas lBrit kein yikanes lTorah lChupah ulMa'asim tovim.

Please help us stay informed - http://midreshetmoriah.org/send-mazaltov.asp >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mi SheBerach List **** Due to the length of the list we started a NEW list. Please email midmoriah@gmail.com if there is a name you would like to add or remove! Aharon Yitzchak ben Deena Yehudis (1/6/2011) Shilo Ariel b-n Hadas Tziviah (toddler with brain tumor and metastases in his spine) Adi bat Zahavit (twin baby who is sick) Reut bat Zahavit (twin baby who is sick) Chaim Yissachar ben Chaya Mushkit (26 year old with 2 children, leukemia) Shraga Feivel ben Sasha Ari ben Rivka (young husband with brain tumor) Inbal bat Nelya Zacharia Kalman HaCohen ben Yael Margalit Shai Ben Meital - 4 yr old with brain damage and seizures Aviva Miriam bat Esther - 9 month old baby with cancer going through chemo Tzipora Fayga Bat Sima Shaindel- 33 year old mother of 3 with Leukemia(9/19/2010) Ester bat Rivka- baby undergoing treatment for rare heart condition (9/19/2010) Tzvi Ilan ben Gita (8/12/2010) Chaya Tziporah Sheva bat Faiga (8/12/2010) Chisha Bayla bat Miriam Chaya Meira Mindel bat Chava Golda - Midreshet alumna with cancer Refael ben Nomi- 10 month old baby who has meningitis Avraham ben Elka (5/21/10) Rivka Bracha bat Yehudit - mother of 6 with cancer, doing better BH Rivka Margalit bat Ita - 12 year old girl with a brain tumor (5/27/2010) Rachel bat Re-ayah - mother of 7 with cancer that has spread Batya Leah bat Sara - cancer Noa Chaya bat Nava Yehudit - baby Yehuda Moshe Yosef ben Miriam Rayzel bat Rifka _______________________________________________ Midreshet Moriah The Educational Wing Shaare Zedek Medical Center P.O. Box 3235, Jerusalem, Israel tel: 972-2-652-7449 fax: 972-2-651-1524 www.midreshetmoriah.com