Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)         Midreshet News – Noa Rabin and Dara Zukerman

2)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Rav Aharon Wexler

3)         Mazal Tov

4)         Mi SheBerach

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Midreshet News

Noa Rabin, Highland Park, NJ,Shana Alef

Dara Zukerman, Beachwood, OH,Shana Alef

This past Shabbat was Parashat Chayai Sarah, which is also one of the ten days out of the year where Rivka and Yitzchak's graves are open for Jews to visit. Many of us had the unique opportunity to go to Chevron and experience a very uplifting Shabbat. Friday day we arrived in Kiryat Arbah, where we would be staying in a local school together with many other visitors.  Kabbalah Shabbat took place outside of Ma'arat HaMachpelah with hundreds of other Jews. Davening with so many others really made us feel part of Klal Yisrael. It was very inspiring to see soldiers every couple of feet protecting us and we all felt a sense of pride being part of the Jewish nation. 

Shabbat day a couple of us woke up early to daven near Ma'arat HaMachpela and on the way we handed out homemade challot to the soldiers which immediately lit up their faces. The feelings that we experienced are hard to explain but this will definitely be a Shabbat we will never forget.

Twice in one week our Madrichot surprised us with two special events in the dorm. Monday night we had an ice cream party where they surprised us with delicious homemade cookie crumble (yum!) and Wednesday night, another surprise, we had a movie night in the common area and watched Pay it Forward.  We really love them and appreciate all their hard work - Lisa, Nechama and Aliza- you're the best!

On another note, the past couple of weeks have been very interesting with a couple of our teachers away recruiting for next year in America and England. We missed them more then we thought we would, but, thank God, one Rabbi has returned and the rest will follow next week! Welcome home Rav Lerner, we can't wait to return to our normal schedule and have an amazing rest of the year.

Good Shabbos everyone.

Noa Rabin and Dara Zukerman

P.S. We are going to Tzfat this Shabbat on a school Shabbaton and we couldn't be more excited. Knowing Tzfat, it will be very spiritual and inspiring, but you'll hear more about that next week!

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Just Reward

Rav Aharon Wexler

In this week’s parsha we are introduced to one of the most important concepts in Jewish belief, Zchut Avot, the Merit of our Ancestors.

The Passuk says “I am the God of your father Abraham. Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and increase your offspring for the sake of my servant Abraham.” (26:24)

We beseech God with Zchut Avot through out our liturgy, most notably in the Amida which opens with the words: “Blessed are You Our God and the God of our Fathers, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, The God of Jacob.”

The sages who formulated the words of the Amida instinctively knew that before one can address God, God needs to be “reminded” who we are; that it’s not just us standing there, but all of our ancestors that came before us.

Others may argue that the reminder is really to ourselves. When we mention that God is the God of our Fathers, we are subtly reminding ourselves who we are and where we come from. It is this realization that gives us the right to address God and speak with Him on such familiar terms.

The real question though is why would Zchut Avot work?

The answer seems to be two fold. The first is that our ancestors were so great that their recompense spills over into each and every generation after them. On a deeper level, I would like to suggest that Zchut Avot works because we, the children of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, are the ones who give their lives meaning.

The reality is we are only as good as our grandchildren. Someone once quipped, “The best definition of a good Jew I know is one who has Jewish grandchildren.”  Our lives give the previous ones meaning. To what end were their struggles and sacrifice, if not for us?

Seen in this light, Zchut Avot is not some mystical construct, but rather just reward to the ancestors who lived before us.

Shabbat Shalom.

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Mazal Tov!               

Mi SheBerach List

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