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Parashat Chayei Sara, November 19th, 2011, 22 Cheshvan, 5772

 

Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

 

1)         This week at Midreshet Moriah

2)         Condolences

3)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Mrs. Yehudis Smith

4)         Mazal Tov

5)         Mi SheBerach

           

 

 

 

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This Week at Midreshet

 

FUN, INSPIRING, GROWING, BONDING, MOVING!!!! Those were just some of the words that described this past week's Shabbaton. Each girl spent Shabbos by their respective Rakezet in Ramat Eshkol, Jerusalem.  They began Shabbos with Kabbalat Shabbat at various different shuls in the neighborhood, followed by seudah at their rakezet's house. What a beautiful seuda, singing, eating, sharing divrei torah!! The girls ate their delicious homemade challahs that they made at their Rakezets house before Shabbos! After the seudah, all three groups gathered together to hear an unbelievable speaker, Jen Meltzer, who taught us through her own personal challenging life story  how to live with emunah, bitachon, and simcha in our everyday lives!! The entire room was glued to her for the 2 hours that she graced us with her presence!

 

Our night didn't end there! We were then off to Meah Shearim to The Toldos Aharon Tisch. First we met with the Rebbe's daughter, who spoke to us a little bit about her life and what it means to be Chassidish. Then she led us to the beautiful Tisch where tons of men were draped in their royal garb, singing and dancing till the wee hours of the night!!! Walking home, we were all on such a high talking and appreciating all that we had seen and heard throughout the night.


The next day girls were placed at different homes for seudah and had the opportunity to meet the wonderful families in the neighborhood.


Following some free time, the girls met back at their Rakezet's home for Seuda Shlishit filled with more divrei torah, zemirot, and a lot of great food. It was surely a Shabbos to be remembered! 


This past week was also the annual alumnae Shabbaton in New York! Rav Eitan Mayer and Bracha Krohn spent Shabbat together with 45 of our alumnae. We thank Stern College for hosting everyone and it was a very special Shabbat spent learning together, talking together, singing together and eating together. Conversations and shmoozes with Rav Eitan, Bracha and the alumnae lasted well into the night and all of Shabbat afternoon. We are so thrilled that so many of our alumnae attended and are so proud of their continued accomplishments.


This week was, Baruch Hashem, a very rainy week in Eretz Yisrael. Our students have learnt to truly recognize the importance and significance of rain in Israel and they rejoiced at the rain. May it continue to be a rainy year!


This Shabbat is Parshat Chayei Sarah, the annual 'Shabbat Chevron'. Many of our students will be spending Shabbat davening together in Mearat HaMachpela with thousands of others. It's always a highlight of the year and we are looking forward to hearing about it. 

 


We've added more photos from our visit to Chevron and Shana Bet's trip to the Golan-

Check them out at: http://midreshetmoriah.com/pictures/

 

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Condolences

 

Shloshim for Meira Bresler Riemer A"H in Eretz Yisrael

Shiur by Rav Judah Mischel this Motzaei Shabbat, November 19th, at 8:45 PM in Talpiyot,

Jerusalem.

 

Call Shaena Cantor to RSVP and for the address, at 054-328-1303, shaena.cantor@gmail.com

Aliya Lakever with Rav Chaim Eisenstein, meeting at the lower parking lot/bus stop of Har Hamenuchot at 3:15 PM on Sunday, November 20th

 

Our sincere condolences to Cara (Stamler) Shapiro on the loss of her father.

May Hashem comfort her along with all of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

 

 

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The Good Life

Mrs. Yehudis Smith

 

In Parshat Chayei Sarah there is a very interesting pasuk: "Veyehiyu chayei Sarah meah shana viesrim shana vsheva shanim, shnei chayei Sarah”. This pasuk tells us the age of Sarah Imeinu in a very strange way! The years of Sarah were one hundred years, twenty years and seven years these were the years of Sarah’s life. Did the pasuk not just tell us the years of Sarah’s life, why does it suddenly end with this strange statement "Shnei Chayei Sarah”? Rashi explains that when the pasuk ends with these seemingly extra words it is coming to tell us that all of Sarah’s years were equally good.

 

Rashi answered our questions beautifully but I was still struck with a question! Going back to my many years of Jewish education and learning about the life of Sarah Imeinu, her life did not seem to be so easy. The sefer Darchai Musar asks the same question, her life does not seem to have been easy so how can Rashi say that all her years were “equally good”. Sarah was barren for ninety years and had many other hardships! I have a close friend who is married for six years and does not yet have children. The pain and suffering she has experienced is unimaginable, watching all her peers having one baby after the next (she is currently in her second trimester of her first pregnancy). Sarah’s life was not easy in the slightest, so how can Rashi say such a statement!

 

The sefer Darchai Mussar teaches us an amazing lesson. Tzadikim do not look at this world as the ultimate world, rather they constantly look to the next world, Olam Habah. When they suffer in this world they look at it in a positive way, for the best. They are happy in their suffering because they believe that suffering atones for any possible sins they may have done. They wish to be free to bask in Gods glory in the world to come without the need for any suffering there. Therefore, Sarah viewed her life as purely good. No one can deny that she did suffer some of the time but she viewed it as a good that god was giving her for her ultimate best. Sarah did not ask for hardships, but when presented with them she looked at them in an amazing way.

 

Rav Yisrael Salant says a very relevant thing. He teaches that one can not say that Hashem does bad things when he makes a person suffer. He says that a person should say that Hashem gives man bitter things some times. When a doctor gives medicine to his patient, often the medicine is bitter but it helps cure the patient. So too, Hashem gives us ‘bitter medicine” to help us become the best people we can be. Most of us are not on this lofty level, but Sarah Imeinu was. This may be one of the reasons so many people run to her Kever on Shabbat Parshat Chayei Sarah to daven at the burial site of this unbelievable Tzadeiket! I wish you all lives of happiness and the ability to be close to god through good times, but when the bus comes late or we lose something….it may be for the best.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

 

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Mazel Tov!               

 

Engagements:

Kayla Freilich (08-09) and Jon Moerdler on their engagement

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

 

Michal Mazurek ('05-'06) and Michael Twersky on their engagement

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

 

Weddings:

Rachael Samet (07-08) and Aaron Hakakzadeh on their wedding

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael


Birth:
Naomi (Lichtenstein) (06-07) and Ely Schicker 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.

 

 Bat Mitzvah:

Aviva(Witkin)('87-'88)and David Akeribupon on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Atara Bracha. 

 

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

 

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Mi SheBerach List

 

We have started a new list. Please email midmoriah@gmail.com if there is a name you would like to add.  

 

Baruch Yehudah ben Leah (17/11)

Charna Leah bat Shaindel (17/11)

Mazal bat Pircha (3/11/11)

Malka bat Tova (10/10/11)

Shimon Dovid Yehoshua bat Rena (6/10/11)

Rifaela Chana Rivka bat Shayna Dena (6/10/11)- diagnosed with Non-Hodgken's Lymphoma

Rachel bat Mindel (6/10/11) - Lymphoma

Tzuriya Kochevet bat Sara - mother of 4 with inoperable stomach cancer (25/9/11)

Chaya bat Zecil (22/9/11)

Perel bat Malka (21/9/11)

Rachaylle bat Turan (21/9/11)

Miriam Leah bat Reizel Dena (21/9/11)

Zechariya Kalman Hakohen ben Yael Margolit (18/9/11)
Refael Matityahu Yaakov ben Gittel Rivka (18/9/11)

Tzipora Sara bat Esther Leah (18/9/11)

David ben Miriam (18/9/11)

David ben Rachel (18/9/11)

Rachel bat Kochava (18/9/11)
Hilda bat Yaffa (18/9/11)

Chana Gitel bat Sarah Chana (18/9/11)
Sarah Sipora bat Shifra (18/9/11)

Moshe Eliezer ben Esther Miriam (18/9/11)
Hilda bat Yaffa (18/9/11)
Moshe Yitzchak ben Shoshana (18/9/11)

Aviva Miriam bat Esther ( 11/9/11)

Osnat bat Clara (11/9/11)

Refael Matisyahu Yaacov ben Gittel Rivka (11/9/11)

Avraham Yehuda ben Davida Yehudit (11/9/11)

Tziporah Faiga Bat Sima Shaindel (11/9/11)

Chava Deena Etya Bat Chaya Tziporah Sheva (11/9/11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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