Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1) This week at Midreshet Moriah

 2) Faculty Devar Torah – Dr. Yocheved Debow

3) Mazel Tovs

4) Mi She-Berach List

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This Week at Midreshet

It has been a super busy week at Midreshet! Last week we went on a very eye opening and inspirational visit to Yad Vashem led by Michal and Vicky. On this visit we had the special privilege of being accompanied by a Holocaust survivor, our very own Allie Mayer's grandmother Judith Botnick, who survived the Thereisenstadt ghetto as a child. The trip was a very moving experience for all.

We have also had an amazing array of speakers. First, Rabbi Goldvicht with his powerful words on Tu Bishvat. Following that, Lavi Greenspan shared his personal life experiences about losing his eyesight at age 26. He spoke so movingly, showing us how blessed we all are. The Midreshet students were very captivated by his presentation and asked him many questions when it was over. Finally, Rabbi Weinreb came and told us all about the different services the OU offers.

This week we also has our second joint Midreshet Moriah- Midreshet Darkeinu program of the year. This program began 3 years ago and was the idea of Midreshet 08-09 student Kayla Freilich in loving memory of her brother Max z"l. Many of our students joined the Darkeinu students (Darkeinu is a seminary for students with special needs) in learning together about the upcoming Tu bShvat. As always, it is a unique and moving experience.

For Tu Bishvat the girls went on a mini tiyul to plant trees, followed by a very unique musical Tu Bishvat seder led by Rabbi Ari Shvat.

Everyone is very excited for the Kedma Choir competition on Motzei shabbat, our girls have been working so hard on the songs, the duets and the harmonies! Thank you in advance to our dedicated Kedma heads Zeva Epstein, Arielle Kestenbaum, Lauren Winter and Allie Mayer. Go team Midreshet!!

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

 Parshat Yitro

Dr. Yocheved Debow

In this week’s Parsha, Hakadosh Baruch Hu reveals Himself to Bnei Yisrael and enters into a Brit, a covenant with them, a covenant which we are still committed to all these thousands of years later. Mepharshim argue as to whether the famous opening statement “I am the Lord your God” (Shemot 20:2) is in fact the first of the ten commandments or simply Hakadosh Baruch Hu introducing Himself to Bnei Yisrael before giving them the ten commandments, which start with “You shall not have other gods besides Me.” (Shemot 20:3) Whether a commandment or an introductory statement, we may wonder why it is that the word, Anochi is used rather than Ani, the more common form of the word I. Rabbi Mordechai Yosef of Ishbitz in his work the Mei HaShiloah makes the following comment:

“I (Anochi) am the Lord your God”. The verse does not state “Ani”, for if it stated “Ani” that would imply that the Holy One Blessed Be He revealed Himself completely, precluding the possibility of further delving into his words, for He is completely revealed. The letter “kaf” (of Anochi) however, denotes that the revelation is not complete rather an estimation and comparison to the light which God will reveal in the future.”

According to the Mei Shiloach, the “kaf” of “Anochi” is the “kaf hadimayon”, the kaf of comparison. The translation of the statement would then be “I am as the Lord…” Even the revelation at Har Sinai, the fullest revelation that Am Yisrael has ever experienced, is not an experience of full clarity but rather one in which the sense of HaKadosh Baruch Hu remains elusive. Rabbi Kalonymos Kalman HaLevi Epstein explains in his commentary the Maor Vashemesh that the kaf in the name Anochi allows for the possibility of growth and change in our relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. If we had been introduced to God as Ani, that would have required a static and unchanging God and our relationship too would have been static and unchanging. The Kaf Hadimayon allows for the fact that each Jew will experience HaKadosh Baruch Hu in many different ways in an ever growing and changing relationship. As a person learns more, has further life experiences, grows older they experience different kinds of relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Our relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu then becomes dependent on how much we are willing to continue to seek Him out and allow new experiences to open our eyes to new facets of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Your year in Israel is perhaps a year when your relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu can take a quantum leap but it is important that you continue to feed that relationship and allow it to grow as you grow as a person. In that way we each keep our personal relationship with the Anochi alive and ever-renewing itself, Shabbat Shalom.

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Mazel Tov

Engagements:

Rachel Berg (06-07) and Josh Teitcher

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Birth: Tovah (Cohen) (02-03, 03-04) and Chemi Jacob on the birth of twins, Elisha Avraham and Liviah Meital

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadlam lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim

Ariella (Leve) (02-03) and Noah Schmutter on the birth of a baby boy

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

Condoloences

Midreshet Moriah extends our condolences to Rachel (Leib) Silverman (00-01) on the untimely passing of her father, Barry Leib. HaMakom Yinachem...

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 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! Dina Eta bat Chaya Tzippora Sheva (1/22/2011) 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