Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)       This week at Midreshet Moriah

2)       Faculty Devar Torah – Rav Ezra Starr

3)       Mazel Tovs

4)       Mi She-Berach List

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This Week at Midreshet

This week we had one of those bittersweet moments at Midreshet -- our "predah" (farewell) for our Shana Bet girls.  Although most of the girls are still going to be with us for another two weeks, we wanted to give them a sendoff while the whole crew was still here.  This Monday, the faculty, staff, and Shana Aleph students came together to say goodbye to Sharona, Molly, Shevs, Betsy, Tikki, and Aliza.  It was a moving preidah, and everyone was inspired by all the Shana Bet girls’ commitment to Torah and Avodat Hashem.

This year, Shana Bet decided to undertake a Mishnayot project and was able to finish Seder Zera'im, Seder Mo'ed, and Seder Nashim.  The preidah began with a siyyum, with the "Hadran" (celebratory siyyum text) said by Betsy Magilnick.  The girls were addressed by Rabbi Berglas, Vicky, and Rav Eitan, each sharing a message for the future while acknowledging the amazing growth that each Shana Bet student has experienced in her time at Midreshet.  We also heard from Sarah Bayer as a representative of Shana Aleph about the amazing impact and influence that Shana Bet has had on Shana Aleph’s time here at Midreshet.

Of course, the most moving and inspiring part of the day was hearing from the Shana Bet girls themselves.  Each girl had an opportunity to share some words of Torah as well as some take-away messages as they leave Midreshet.  Through a few tears, we recognized the accomplishments of the Shana Bet girls and how they maximized their opportunities here at Midreshet.

Just as we are starting to brace ourselves for Shana Bet to leave, we are comforted because many of our alumnae are starting to return to Midreshet and to our Beit Midrash!  We are so excited to see our bogrot and can’t wait to learn, schmooze, and hang out with them.

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

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Parshat Vaera

By Rav Ezra Starr

In this week’s parshah, Moshe still seems to be very reluctant to take the reins of leadership.  Even after finally agreeing, he becomes discouraged after an initial setback when he first approaches Pharaoh.  Worse still is how Bnei Yisrael lose faith in Moshe when Pharaoh increases their workload in response to Moshe’s request.  When Hashem tells Moshe to approach Pharoh a second time, Moshe asks a very powerful question: If he is unable to get Bnei Yisrael to listen to him, how can he expect to get Pharaoh to listen?  It is this question that can give us insight into the mindset of Bnei Yisrael and also provide a teachable moment for our own religious development.

On the surface, it appears to be a basic kal va-chomer ("a fortiori"), but the Sefat Emet asks a very intriguing question: The pasuk tells us that the reason Bnei Yisrael are unable to listen to Moshe is “kotzer ru'ach va-avodah kashah,” "shortness of spirit and hard work."  Certainly, these reasons does not apply to Pharaoh!

The Sefat Emet's answer yields important insight into who we are and what motivates us: The fundamental reason that Bnei Yisroel could not listen to Moshe was that they were too involved in the avodah zarah (idol worship) of the Egyptians, and therefore they were unable to separate themselves to hear what Moshe was saying.  Logically, then, the second half of the kal va-chomer would work, because as drawn into Egyptian idolatry as the people of Bnei Yisrael were, Pharaoh was far worse. 

This also teaches us a more profound lesson.  Often, when we are given the opportunity to be inspired or to grow religiously, we are not in a place to hear it. The issue is not that we are occupied by idolatry in a literal sense, but that our energy and focus are somewhere else.  There are all sorts of things in the world that can provide distractions and unless we take a few moments to turn them off, we will not be able to hear when inspiration calls us.

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Mazel Tov 

Engagements:

Amanda Tammam (08-09,09-10) and Menashe Benadict

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Weddings:

Rebecca Weiser (03-04) and Moshe Fischbein

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Birth:

Devora (Deutsch) (00-01, 01-02) and Amit Golan 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 

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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!  

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 - 7 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

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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

דף זה יוצא בסיוע משרד הקליטה

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