Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)         Midreshet News – Danielle Slater

2)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Avigail Arfe

3)         Mazal Tov

4)         Mi SheBerach

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Midreshet News

Danielle Slater, Cleveland, Ohio, Shana Bet

Midreshet ended last week with a wonderful Shana Aleph Rakezet Shabbaton in Ramat Eshkol. Friday night the girls ate at their respective Rakezets' homes, eating the challah they baked during the week and listening to their friend's Dvar Torahs.  Later that night all the girls met up to listen to Channa Galandauer's inspiring story followed by a thought provoking meeting with Bashie, the daughter of the Toldos Aaron Rebbe.  The girls were able to ask questions and hear insightful answers regarding Chasidut.  Shabbat day, the girls ate lunch at their host's homes and returned to their Rakezet's for seudah shlishit until Shabbat ebbed away.  

On Tuesday, both Shana Aleph and Shana Bet took a trip trough time.  Shana Aleph traveled back in time on a Tanach Tiyul starting at Tel Azekah, where they watched the dramatic battle between David Hamelech and Goliath (thanks to our wonderful guest actors).  They continued on in time crawling through the Bar Kochvah caves and learning about the guerilla warfare and the brave Jewish "rebels".  Meanwhile, Shana Bet traveled back to the 20th century and visited the Begin Center to learn about Menachem Begin's powerful story and his role in the development of the State of Israel.

Both Shana Aleph and Shana Bet saw their classroom learning come to life and had great time doing so!    

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Everyday Decisions

Avichayil Arfe

Based off of Rabbi Ressler's The Weekly Dvar

Parshat Chayei Sarah tells of the death of Sarah, and how Avraham had to buy the plot of land to bury her in. Following that episode, the Torah tells us about Avraham ordering his servant Eliezer, to find a wife for Yitzchak, Avraham's son. The beginning of the new episode describing Eliezer's mission begins with a seemingly strange statement. It says "V'Avraham zakein ba ba'yamim, v'Hashem beirach et Avraham bakol...", "Avraham was old, getting along in years, and Hashem blessed Avraham with everything. And Avraham told his servant...to find a wife for Yitzchak" (24:1-3). Why do we have to know about Avraham's condition, that he was getting old, right in between these two unrelated stories of Sarah dying and Eliezer's search for Yizchak's wife? Also, if Avraham was blessed with everything, why does the very next pasuk tell us that he had to find his son a wife? He therefore didn't have quite everything!

The Ramban explains that when he lost his wife, Avraham realized that he was getting old and wanted to make sure he found a wife for his son before he dies. Although it seems like it doesn't answer the question, it just might: Avraham realized that he was getting older, and it was because he was seemingly blessed with everything that he now had to move on to the next step for the future, by finding his son a wife. The word "bakol" (with everything) in Gematriah is 52, as well as the word "ben", (son) also 52. Avraham's good fortune seemed worthless to him, unless he found a wife for his son.  

The same applies to our lives. We're often very busy with our own lives that we fail to think of the future. We're busy earning a living, going to school, planning vacations, and taking care of our families, which are all true necessities.  Our parsha is showing us the natural progression of our lives, and how one decision we make leads to another and eventually turns from "what to do" to "what we've done." Every decision we make can have a long-term effect on our lives. If we stay focused on our goals in life when faced with little decisions, those little decisions will help us overcome more difficult ones and turn our lives in to a happy, productive, blessed and meaningful one. 

Shabbat Shalom.

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Mazal Tov!               

Mi SheBerach List

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

Names added this week:

Aryeh Leib ben Leah
Tirza bat Sarah
Chana Golda bat Chaya Sarah
Sharon Esther batShoshana
Feiga Chana bat Rochel

For complete 5772 list, please go to: http://midreshetmoriah.com/alumnae/?id=464