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Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)       This week at Midreshet Moriah

2)       Faculty Devar Torah – Mrs. Bracha Krohn

3)       Mazel Tovs

4)       Mi She-Berach List

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This Week at Midreshet

It was so wonderful to see all of the Midmo students return to school this week after a long Pesach break!!!!

The new 'Zman' began with a breakfast cooked and served by Midmo's very own staff, followed by guest speaker Ahuva Gray, who shared with the girls her individual journey from Christian minister to Orthodox Jew. Her story was truly inspiring. Following that, the students boarded buses and headed out to the Old City where they had a tour with an extraordinary tour guide, then had pizza for lunch and ended their visit to the Old City davening Mincha at the Kotel.

When they returned, it was time to prepare for Yom HaShoah, Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day. Rav Zvi Ron gave a shiur about how the date was chosen, and various Halachic implications of the day. After the shiur, the Midreshet students set out up the road to Yad Vashem for a very special evening. The main ceremony in Israel at the beginning of Yom HaShoah takes place at Yad Vashem. It's a live telecast watched in thousands of homes throughout the country and around the world. The main speakers are the President and Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Midreshet students were privileged to recieve exclusive tickets and it was truly an unforgettable evening.

The next morning began with learning mishnayot in memory of the 6 million victims. Michal Porath Zibman gave a shiur discussing different Halachic questions which came up during the Holocaust and how various communities dealt with these issues. When the shiur was over, the students went up the road towards Har Herzl, to a main intersection to watch how people stop and stand still for 2 minutes as the siren sounds throughout the country in honor and memory of the Holocaust victims. It is always amazing seeing the cars and buses stop mid traffic and the people getting out and standing silently in memorial. When the girls got back to Midreshet, they had the great honor to hear Holocaust survivor Rena Quint speak. Rena's story of survival is unusual and amazing. The girls were spellbound listening to her and she ended up staying for an additional hour answering their questions.  Yom HaShoah at Midreshet ended with Vicky Berglas speaking to the girls about 'The Day After'...how Holocaust survivors coped with their loss and what they did when it was all over. It was an inspirational and powerful day for all.

This past week was the 2nd Yahrtzeit of former Midreshet student, our beloved Aliza Nat Shull. Aliza z"ls close friend and Midreshet roomate, Batsheva Reich Reinitz, together with Michal Porath Zibman and Malka Hubscher, organized an evening in her memory. It took place in the Beit Midrash, where Aliza was a huge presence during her 2 years here. Both Michal and Batsheva spoke about Aliza and Malka gave a shiur in her memory about Ahavat Yisrael, a quality that Aliza truly possessed. Aliza continues to be missed by those who knew her, loved her, and taught her. Yehi Zichrah Baruch.

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

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Anticipating the Moment

Bracha Krohn

In this week’s parsha, Emor, Perek 22 Pasuk 31 reads:  “You shall guard my Mitzvot and do them, I am Hashem.”

What does “you should guard” mean? What is G-d commanding me to do here? How is guarding the mitzvot different than doing the mitzvot?

Ramban explains this by equating “guarding” with “observing”,   like the phrase “to be shomer mitzvot”.  He writes that this pasuk is telling Bnei Yisrael to keep the commandments that were just taught to them, i.e. about waiting until day 8 of an animal’s life to offer it as a korban and about not slaughtering a mother animal and her baby on the same day etc.

Rashi, however, quotes the Midrash, Torat Kohanim, which teaches us that “guarding” is equivalent to learning and it’s only the next word, “doing”, which refers to performing the command.  How does “guarding” imply learning? We see from here that education is the best insurance for safe-guarding and treasuring our halachot. One must know a mitzvah thoroughly in order to ensure that he/she performs it as G-d intended it to be fulfilled.  To learn is the best way to guard, when it comes to Torah and Mitzvot.

Another interpretation is brought by the Chatam Sofer. He says that when the pasuk tells us to guard the mitzvot, “shomer” here means what it meant back in Sefer Bereishit, after Yakov heard Yosef’s second dream and “guarded” it (See 37:11). What it means there, some explain, is that Yakov held on to this dream of Yosef’s and waited to see “just how will this come to be…." There was anticipation and curiosity, and close attention was paid to the next few years…

The Chatam Sofer says that here we are being taught to have that attitude about Mitzvot. “Guard them” means – think about them and see how and when they can be implemented, fulfilled and applied. You learn about a mitzvah and then just hold on to it in your mind as you look for the opportunity to do it.

Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells an amazing story which illustrates this lesson:

In Amsterdam, the community consecrated a new cemetery. They purchased a piece of land and had a ceremony that everyone attended. It was a memorable event. After the ceremony, a Jew died and he had the "honor" of being the first person to be buried in this particular cemetery.

The procession arrived at the cemetery with the coffin, and to everyone's surprise they found that the grave had already been fully dug out. Normally, this was something that occurred after arriving at a gravesite. The members of the Chevra Kadisha were at a total loss to explain who dug up the grave.

Finally, they found out that there was a Kohen in the city. Never in his life did he merit the mitzvah of burying the dead. The reason was obvious -– a Kohen is not allowed to go to a cemetery because he is prohibited from coming into contact with tumat hamet (the ritual impurity caused by being in proximity with a dead body). When this Kohen found out that a Jew died and was going to be buried in a new cemetery that had no pre-existing grave sites, he was overjoyed at the opportunity that presented itself. Although designated as a cemetery, the land in question did not yet contain any corpses. Therefore he was allowed to enter and dig up the grave himself. He jumped at the opportunity. He dug up the ground by himself so that at least once in his life he would fulfill the (very rare - for a Kohen) mitzvah of burying the dead.

Let’s all try to approach mitzvot with this attitude of “shmira” which challenges us to be on our toes, awaiting anxiously for the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah. 

Shabbat Shalom!

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Mazel Tov  

Engagements:

Batsheva Davis (Shana Bet 04-05) and Gilad Adamit

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Weddings:

Julie Fessel  (05-06) and Alex Fenigstein 

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Birth:

Shani (Glanzman) (04-05) and Moshe Sladowski  on the birth of baby girl

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadla lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim.

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

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Mi SheBerach List

Please email midmoriah@gmail.com if there is a name you would like to add or remove  

Karen bat Lena - undergoing chemotherapy (5/4/11)

Faiga Leah bas Henya (5/3/11)

Eliezer Baruch Chaim ben Rochel Leah - severe pneumonia/critical (4/14/11) 

Chaim ben Chashka (3/3/2011) – diabetes complications 

Matityahu Yaakov ben Gittel Rivka (3/5/2011)

Tziporah Feiga Bat Sima Sheindel (2/26/2011)

Shira bat Deena Miriam – premature baby on a ventilator (2/19/2011)

Noa Batya bat Daniella Rut – 7 month old with leukemia (2/5/2011)

Leah Alona Bat Tziporah (2/5/2011)

Leora bat Sarah (2/5/2011)

Frimit bat Devorah (2/5/2011)

Rivah bat Jane (1/29/2011)

Amitai Yaakov ben Bracha - a 16 yr. old just diagnosed with leukemia (1/29/2011)

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

Aharon Yitzchak ben Deena Yehudis (1/6/2011)

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)

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

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