Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)         This week at Midreshet Moriah

2)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Mrs. Malka Hubscher

3)         Mazal Tov

4)         Mi SheBerach

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This Week at Midreshet

Last Thursday, Midreshet students enjoyed a Tanach Tiyul (postponed from a few weeks ago thanks to the rain) to the area near Beit Shemesh where David fought Goliath! We began by studying the perek (in our Beit Midrash) in Sefer Shmuel that describes the war with the plishtim and the salvation that David, as a young boy, brought the nation. Then we hit the road and saw the area first-hand.

We were surprised when a real-live David and Goliath were at it again right before our eyes - thanks to 2 actors/tour guides that joined us. We walked a short trail, had a yummy picnic lunch and then jumped ahead in history to the Bar Kochva revolt and once again "met" the people from those times (same actors, different costumes!) before entering the caves to see what it felt like to be hiding from the Romans.

Sunday night we had our annual night hike, following a trail by the light of a full moon - learning about the stars, having a kumzits in the dark and roasting smores. It was amazing! The students are requesting another one next month!!

See all our great tiyul photos on our website: http://midreshetmoriah.com/galleries/

As Chanukah approaches, we are offering optional lunch shiurim about the holiday and the mitzvah of hadlakat neirot. Each day a different teacher teaches a 20 minute shiur in the Beis.

We look forward to a fun and inspiring 8 days of Chanukah!

Rabbi Lerner- 5 minutes of Chizuk for Chanuka!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQuQvPK_Y44

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Settle Down, Take it Easy?

Malka Hubscher

The parsha begins with the words “Vayeshev Ya’akov” and Yaakov settled down in the land of Canaan.  After years of running from his brother Esav and being mistreated in the house of Lavan, Yaakov and his family finally make it back to Eretz Yisrael. They settle in the land of their fathers and hope to lead a normal and calm life.  Rashi, based on the Midrash, criticized Yaakov for his desire to live this calm and uneventful life: “bekesh Yaakov le’yshev beshalva kafatz alav rogzo shel yosef, “Yaakov desired to settle and live a tranquil life and at that very moment the troubles with Yosef began.  As the narrative unfolds we see that life in the house of Yaakov was anything but calm and tranquil. Yosef who was beloved to his father was hated by his brothers, which led to his being sold and taken down to Egypt as a slave.  Yaakov refused to be comforted after the loss of Yosef, Yehuda separates from his brothers and has troubles in his own household and ultimately Yaakov and his family face famine and hunger leading them to Egypt in search of food.

Why do Chazal see Yaakov’s desire of peace and tranquility as a negative characteristic?  After so many years, doesn’t Yaakov deserve to be able to settle down and raise his family peacefully? The midrash continues and explains that it is not only Yaakov, but any true tzadik should not expect to find peace in this world, for they will be rewarded with true peace in the world to come.

What message is Chazal trying to teach, and why can a person not desire to have peace in both this world and the world to come?

As we mentioned, Yaakov had faced many struggles in his life so far. In his father’s house he had to fight for his father’s love and well as the bechorah. In Lavan’s house he had to fight for the woman he loved and the right to earn and honest wage for his hard work. When Ya’akov comes back to Eretz Yisrael, he wants nothing more than to give his children everything that he lacked during his youth. He recognizes Yosef, the firstborn of Rachel, as the natural leader of the family. He wants to ensure that Yosef never has to fight for his love and attention.  By making Yosef the ketonet passim, Yaakov wanted to make certain that there was no question of who was the rightful firstborn in his household. Yaakov pampered his son in order to ensure that he did not have to face the all of challenges that he himself had to overcome. However, by trying to protect his son and giving him everything on a silver platter, Yaakov did not realize that he was denying his son the key to a successful life.  Maybe what Chazal mean by this midrash, is that a true Tzadik can not sit back and relax in the world but rather has to work hard, and only then will he merit the world to come. This world is the place to where we must put in our maximum effort, truly fighting to live up to our potential, and to stand up for what we believe is right.  By trying to save his son from hardships, Yaakov was denying him the ability to work for and merit his world to come.  Yaakov did not desire a calm and tranquil life for himself; it was too late for that, but rather for his beloved son Yosef.  But as the story unfolds, we see that Yosef has ended up facing the exact challenges of his father. He faced the hatred of his brothers, he was misunderstood and mistreated in a foreign land and ultimately has to defend his status as the bechor of the family. However, these challenges did not weaken Yosef but they were ultimately the source of his spiritual strength making him into Yosef HaTtzadik.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Mazel Tov!               

Births:

Ruthie (Staff) and Ahituv Gershinksy on the birth of a granddaughter

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadla lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim.

Natanya (Horowitz) ('06-'07, '07-'08) and Simcha Tropp on the birth of a baby girl

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadla lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim.

Lani (Lederer) ('05-'06, madricha '09-10, '10-'11) and Josh Berman on the birth of  a baby boy

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadlo lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim.

Weddings:

Dorya Jerusalem ('08-'09) and David Barth on the occasion of their wedding

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Engagements:

Rachelit Mitnick ('09-'10) and Gavriel Bernstein on the occasion of their engagement
Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael
 

Condolences to Lilly (Aviner) Kates ('05-'06) on the passing of her mother.
  

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.  

Dorit Chaya Bat Geulah (15/12)

Briget Joan bat Marion Patricia (15/12)

Dorit Chaya bat Geula (15/12)

Dovid Chaim ben Brina (15/12)

Avraham ben Esther (15/12)

Adina bat Rivka (15/12)

Moriel Raizie bat Feige Kaylee (13/12)

Rachel Yehudit bat Mancha Zaisel (8/12)

Aron ben Reizel (1/12)

Yehudah ben Shoshanna (1/12)

Haddasah Leah bat Shoshana (24/11)

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)

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)