e-mitzion“כי מציון תצא תורה ודבר ה’ מירושלים”

The official newsletter ofMidreshet HaRova

e-mitzion

In this Edition:

A message from Rav Milston

The Story of an Ashet Chayil-Miriam Wolf

Torat Eretz Yisrael- Rav Avigdor Meyerowitz

Catching Up with Bogrot

Special prayers for Limud Torah

Al HaTorah...

Announcements

The Shulchan Aruch instructs us to read

Parashat Bamidbar before the festival of Shavuot.1

The Biur Halacha2 (the Chafetz Chaim’s extended comments on his Mishna Berura) explains this custom has less to do with the content of the parasha and more to do with the last parasha of Sefer Vayikra, Parashat Bechukotai. As we know, Bechukotai lists the multiple curses Am Yisrael will incur if they do not adhere to the Torah. The Chafetz Chaim says it is preferable to distance this parasha from our celebration of the giving of the Torah. We would not want to dampen our spirits on the eve of Chag Matan Torateinu by suggesting our relationship with the Almighty could be placed in jeopardy if we fail to fulfill our unique role in this world. Similarly, Chag HaShavuot is traditionally the festival on

1 Orach Chaim, 428:4.2 Which can be found parallel to the Mishna

Berura.

which God judges the people regarding the fruit of the trees for the coming season. That being the case, we distance ourselves from any parasha implying we are unworthy of our upcoming harvest. He further proves his point by explaining in detail that in a leap-year, we will often read Parashat Naso before Shavuot, thus showing our issue has little to do with the juxtaposition of Bamidbar to Shavuot, and everything to do with the distancing of Bechukotai. But there are some commentators who see an inherent connection between Parashat Bamidbar and the festival of Shavuot: Many Chassidic Rabbis were quick to note the significance of the juxtaposition. For example, the Slonimer Rebbe teaches in his third sicha to Bamidbar:3

3 Netivot Shalom – Bamidbar, pp.10-13, quoting

an intriguing Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 1) that

relates to the very first verse of our parasha. Our

comments here are not his exact words, but rather

ideas developed after having learned this particular

sicha.

Fire, Water and Wilderness

A Mes

sage

from

Rav M

ilsto

nשה

דרהמ

ש רא

ל ש

רו אמ

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6th edition- TAMMUZ 5768

The Mitzvah of Limud Torahעץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה

“And God spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai…” (Bamidbar, 1:1) Why specifically in the wilderness? Our Rabbis deduced three essential ingredients necessary for a successful Kabbalat HaTorah: fire, water and wilderness. The Torah was given through the medium of fire: “And Mount Sinai smoked in every part, because the Lord descended upon it in fire…”4 We similarly learn about the presence of water at Matan Torah, from a famous verse in ‘Shirat Devorah’ that refers to the giving of the Torah: “…the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel.”5 And from the very first verse in Bamidbar we see the Torah was given in the wilderness. Why did Chazal see fit to connect fire, water and wilderness to the giving of the Torah? What do fire, water and wilderness symbolize that makes them so crucial for a person to become spiritually fulfilled in the world of Torah? If a person is to truly possess Torah he must initially subdue the negative fire within; control it, and consequently redirect it in positive fashion. But what ‘fire’ are we referring to? More often than not, we use our natural desires and positive traits like inner strength, enthusiasm, ambition and determination negatively or at best wastefully. Every person on this earth is passionate about something or other, yet we often find that passion expressing itself in futilities such as supporting a basketball team or idolizing a rock group. People can and do dedicate a large chunk of their lives to 10 men bouncing a ball around a court. They display unbelievable loyalty and unending enthusiasm. They will prepare themselves for a game as if it were a wedding, and if their team loses it can trigger bad moods, depression and worse. The truly hardened fans travel the world wherever their team goes and can spend most if not all their savings on a season ticket. Others will stand in line for hours to buy tickets for a concert. And they’re prepared to pay over the odds just so they can get a slightly better view of a two-hour performance. So we all know we have that fire, that drive, that passion. Sometimes it may not even express itself in a hobby, but rather in a physical desire. Driven unrelentingly

4 Shemot, 19:18.5 Shoftim, 5:4-5.

to satisfy our ‘needs’, we will be unstoppable as we search to quench our physical thirst. There is nothing wrong with ‘fire’, just as there is nothing wrong with money or any other character trait. It’s what we do with it that counts. And if we cannot control and direct it we are lost. Imagine if the same enthusiasm and passion one has for the Super Bowl or World Cup was redirected to the Yamim Noraim. Imagine if the time and effort we spend searching for a good restaurant and choosing from the menu was spent struggling through a page of Gemara with Rashi and Tosafot. What if we were as fussy about our seats in shul and their proximity to the Aron Kodesh as we are about front row seats at a top show on Broadway. Like anything else, our passion must be tempered and directed to what will help us grow spiritually. We need

to be ambitious in our Judaism; hungry for more, unfaltering in our search for truth. We need to be prepared to stay up late and get up early, constantly searching for freshness in our service of the Almighty. Without the fire, our Judaism will simmer or even fizzle out completely, Heaven forbid. At best, one could still be going through the motions, but without the inner conviction; without the constant drive. Without inner fire we cannot possibly attain Torah.

In Chassidic literature, water represents the traits of Chessed and love. Water is the ultimate giver of life, our basic sustenance here on earth, so Chessed is also essential when discussing the requirements of a Torah-inspired life. Without mutual respect and love for one’s fellow man, it is hard to believe a person can attain real love for the Almighty. Man is the creation of God. If we desecrate Man we are desecrating his Creator. Our drive and determination must be accompanied by love and warmth.

The foundations of our Torah life must be loving kindness, not only towards our fellow man but towards the Almighty Himself. Our aim is to develop our relationship with Him until we reach a stage of true devotion in every way. We can only really possess a life of Torah if we become obsessed (in a positive sense of course) with this way of life. On the one hand we need positive fire and brimstone but on the other we need a statement of intent as well, a real, long-term commitment of love for our Creator. That love should be nurtured on the basis of infinite ‘hakarat hatov,’ i.e. we should start developing our awareness of the Almighty by becoming more alert to everything He does for us. The more sensitive we are to our reality the more thankful we will be to the Giver.

In Chassidic literature, water represents the

traits of Chessed and love

A Mes

sage

from

Rav M

ilsto

nשה

דרהמ

ש רא

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But what does wilderness represent? The desert tells us something about God, something about ourselves, and something about life: Midbar (wilderness) is a place of abandonment. It has no status; it is an empty and desolate land. If a person is to advance in his search for truth, he must battle against his ego, and that will require of him to see himself as a desert. There are two opposite roads we can choose to take in life. Either God will be God – we will see Him as the center of the world, and we slowly but surely become entirely subservient to Him... or Man will be god – we will ignore or deny the existence of God and choose to believe that Man is the supreme power on earth. Judaism obviously follows the former philosophy, whilst constantly supplying us with the tools to reject the latter, more humanly natural approach. In order to discover the truth about ourselves and the truth about the world we have to gradually remove the layers of self-importance and egocentricity that are an inherent part of us all. We must annul ourselves while simultaneously nurturing subservience towards the Creator. If we are to possess Torah we must transform ourselves into a midbar. We must free ourselves of any delusions of grandeur, and focus on living God’s Will. Midbar suggests humility, and only through humility can we succeed in derech Hashem. But the symbolism is not purely ecological. The desert reveals man for what he really is. If we leave our concrete jungle and enter the desert – without our cells, laptops or iPods – we will clearly see our entire existence is dependent on the benevolence of the Almighty. We will soon discover we cannot exist even for a short period of time without His kindness.

And what is blatantly obvious in the extremes of the desert is no less true in the streets of Manhattan. We must aim to bring that desert perspective back into the city, because only a person who understands what the desert represents will see the essence of God. They and they alone will attain Torah, because they can remove themselves from center stage when they realize they have no right to be there. Wilderness can also symbolize a reality with no

meaning; a huge area devoid of life, vast spaces of nothing. Man walks in the desert and all he sees is desolation. Just as we learn about our dependency on God by wandering the wilderness, we also see what the world is when all of its ‘natural jewelry’ is removed. As it stands ‘naked’ before us, we see the physical world in its most telling demeanor. The world without Torah is a desert. And to simply live for the sake of living, with no direction and no objective, is similar

to wandering purposelessly in the midbar. This whole world is a spiritual desert with a physical essence, and the Torah was given to us to be lived here. Not in Olam Haba, but for the here and now. It was given in the wilderness to infuse holiness into our physical being. The Torah shows us how to transform a mundane journey through the desert of life into a most fulfilling experience in a man-made Garden of Eden. We do not only receive the Torah on Shavuot, every day is a day of Matan Torah, and as we aim to move upward on our spiritual escalator, we are reminded that Torah cannot be attained by surfing the Internet, by credit card or by any other artificial means. It is a lifetime project requiring fire, water and wilderness – enthusiasm, devotion and humility.

The world without Torah is a desert. And to simply live

for the sake of living, with no direction

and no objective, is similar to wandering purposelessly in the

midbar.

A Mes

sage

from

Rav M

ilsto

nשה

דרהמ

ש רא

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Throughout the ages Jewish women have

displayed exemplary characteristics allowing

for their survival as Jews and the survival of the

Torah and the Jewish Nation. They have served

as educators, nurturers, mothers and

guardians of the Jewish people.

One little known but exceptional

woman was Devorah the daughter

of Shmuel Nachman of Minsk, who

lived in Belorussia in the seventeenth

century. Her life story can be

found in the Lubavitcher Rabbi's memoirs, and

below are some of her outstanding

accomplishments.

Devorah was the only child of

her parents who survived early

childhood and was the center of their

efforts and concerns. Her father

took it upon himself to personally

educate her in Torah and a number

of worldly subjects. By the time she

was 10 years old she was fluent in

all of Tanach and began to study

Mishna and the Shulchan Aruch,

making a name for herself as a

brilliant student.

When her first husband and three

children died in an epidemic

she returned to learning and dedicated herself

to teaching Torah to the women of Minsk. Later

she remarried and moved with her husband to

Vitebsk where she took full responsibility for the

family business while her husband ,Nachum

Tevel, dedicated himself to Torah and Teffilah.

The stark difference between the Jewish

communities of Minsk and Vitebsk rallied her to

action. Just as she had done in Minsk, she set up

classes for Torah learning for women,

she then went on to establish a Bikkur

Cholim society to care for the sick

and needy. In an effort to raise the

general spiritual level in Vitebsk she

and husband supported a number of

promising students who they sent to

Yeshivot in Eastern Europe with the

intent that after completing their studies they

would return to lead the community.

In the meantime Devorah invited

rabbinical teachers from Eastern

Europe to settle with their families in

Vitebsk. Their efforts bore fruit and

Vitebsk became a flourishing Torah

center.

Much later they were blessed with

a daughter who was born after her

father's death. Devorah raised her

and in keeping with Nachum Tevel's

will, Devorah founded a Yeshiva in

their daughter's name. This Yeshiva

was known as Nechama Devorah's

Yeshiva.

Devorah the daughter of Shmuel

Nachman was an exceptional woman whose

strength of character, resilience and unflinching

commitment to Torah and the Jewish People

place her among the many "Neshot Chayil" with

whom the Jewish People have been blessed.

Miriam Wolf

"The Story of an "Aishet Chayilאשת חיל מי ימצא

Torat Eretz YisraelRav Avigdor Meyerowitz

As students of Midreshet Harova, both in the past and present, and in general as belonging to the Modern

Orthodox community you are certainly familiar with the phrase "Am Yisrael, Torat Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael." We all belong to Am Yisrael, we live our lives according to Torat Yisrael and we appreciate the importance and centrality of Eretz Yisrael. These are the three pillars that our philosophy of Judaism stands on (as in the title of Rav Milston's books).

Each one of these pillars is important. Some would argue though, that Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael are not pillars that have intrinsic value (kedusha if you like) if they are not realized together with Torat Yisrael. Torat Yisrael on the other hand, seems to be the one pillar that stands alone and is independent of the other two. Even at times when Am Yisrael were dispersed in the exile and ceased being an "Am" we were still faithful to the Torah. Similarly, even almost two thousand years of Gaglut out of Eretz Yisrael could not break our devotion to Torat Yisrael. Torat Yisrael retains it kedusha always and under all circumstances!

Rav Kook, however, taught differently.

While all the above may be true, Rav Kook say's we must differentiate between Torat Eretz Yisrael and Torat Chutz La'aretz. The Torah learned in Chutz La'aretz during the Galut is learned in an atmosphere where the Jewish people are dispersed, lack any national awareness and are concerned first and foremost with the survival of Judaism.

"The Torah of Chutz La'aretz only recognizes and is concerned for the soul of the individual, for its spiritual and physical perfection, both transient and eternal. Not so is the Torah of Eretz Yisrael. It is concerned for the whole (klal), for the nation (umah), for it's soul and spirit, it's body and soul, for the present and the future etc (Rav Kook "Torat Eretz Yisrael" Ma'amrei Ha'Rayah Pg 78). (In passing it is interesting to note that Rav Kook uses this idea to explain many phenomena in Judaism including the centrality and prominence of Olam Haba in the galut in contrast to it's inconspicuousness in the period of the Tanach.)

Torat Eretz Yisrael is inherently different from Torat Chutz La'aretz as it is addressing Am Yisrael in its ideal state. In this reality, Limud Torah alone is not the only ideal, but agriculture, finance, politics, army and security,

environmental issues, even culture and other "mundane" issues have national importance. Torah must be learned and taught with a deep appreciation of the returning of Am Yisrael to its state of normality.

I think it's fair to say that some people still believe that the more religious a person is and the more they are connected to Torah, the more they should remove themselves from secular life. While that may or may not be true of the Torah of Chutz La'aretz, it is certainly not the case of Torat Eretz Yisrael.

Rav Kook insisted that in our generation it is of the utmost importance that the Rabbis and teachers become aware of this important difference. Educating a generation that

is familiar and is experiencing Eretz Yisrael with the Torah of Chutz La'aretz, will not only be ineffectual but can even have worse consequences.

A few of weeks ago we read about the sin of Moshe and Aharon in Mei Meriva. Rashi says that the sin was that they hit the rock instead of speaking to it. The Mefarshim ask many questions on Rashi. Especially powerful is the question of Ramban who asks: "what difference does it make if one hits or speaks to a rock? A rock is a rock!"

More so, it is peculiar that in almost the identical circumstances some forty years earlier when there was no water for the Am, Hashem commands Moshe to hit the rock and cause the water to flow. Why was it correct then to hit the rock but not now?

Based on what we said before, I think the answer is that what was good for a nation of slaves coming out of slavery after two hundred and ten years, was not good enough for a nation on the verge of crossing over into Eretz Yisrael. The language of the stick is something a slave can relate to but it is not the language of a free man. A rock cannot hear or feel, but the people watching are influenced by their experience. (see Maharal, Gur Aryeh on Rashi there).

The Torah indeed is eternal, perpetual and stands alone, however, every generation speaks its own language and we have to know and be sensitive more than ever to the language of the generation of the ge'ulah.

"In every generation we should have love for the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, but more than ever do we need to have that love in our generation." (Rav Kook ibid)

May we all be zocheh to learn and teach Torat Eretz Yisrael.

ToratEretz Yisraelis inherently

different fromTorat

Chutz La’aretz

Catching Up with Bogrot by Deborah Davidson

MTA 2007

Nechama Emmet 1999-2000

Nechama studied in Midreshet Harova in the year

1999-2000.

She was born and grew up in England. Having

come from an irreligious background, she chose the

Midrasha as it stood out as the most accommodating

and accepting school-catering to students from a

variety of backgrounds and levels.

The Midrasha's location in the heart of the Old City

was of course another pull factor.

Ironically the highlight of her year was on the very

last day-Nechama got married!

Today, Nechama lives in Israel on campus of

Yeshivat Shaalavim, where her husband teaches.

She is the mother to four beautiful children, a

role which takes precedence over all her activities

and at which she is very successful. She recently

completed a course in Family Studies at the Neve

Yerushalayim College. She currently works as a

therapist.

Her message to students studying at Midreshet

Harova is to take hold of every moment-utilize this

rare opportunity in life in which you have freedom

without real responsibilities like marriage and

motherhood.

Her Bracha for the Midrasha is to continue to do

wonderful work and provide limmud opportunities

for young women and to raise awareness of Maasim

Tovim and Mitzvoth.

Devora Marks 2002-2003

Devora Marks, originally from Manchester,

England, was a student at Midreshet Harova in the

year 2002-03.

Knowing that she wanted to make Aliya immediately

after her year of learning, the Midrasha was an

appealing option.

The ongoing connections she formed with her

Rabbanim and teachers provided her with a

special family and home in Israel, making her Aliya

experience so much more successful.

A major influence on Devora's year was that it

fell in the midst of the second Intifada. This meant

that the students would spend a lot of time on

security "lockdown" within the walls of the Old

City. Amazingly, this contributed to a more intense

learning experience as most free time was spent in

the Beit Midrash!

Today Devora is married and lives in Yerushalayim.

She is currently completing her masters in

Genetics.

Devora extends a Bracha to the Midrasha to

continue giving as much to as many young women

as it gave to her!

ואני תפילתי לך עת רצון

רבי נחוניה בן הקנה היה מתפלל בכניסתו לבית המדרש וביציאתו תפילה קצרה.

אמרו לו: מה מקום לתפילה זו?

אמר להם: בכניסתי אני מתפלל שלא תארע תקלה על ידי,

וביציאתי אני נותן הודיה על חלקי.

משנה ברכות, ד, ב

Special prayers for Limmud Torah

The Baraita in the Gemara gives the detail of the prayer:

בכניסתו )לבית המדרש( מהו אומר?

יהי רצון מלפניך ה' אלהי, שלא יארע דבר תקלה על ידי, ולא אכשל בדבר הלכה, וישמחו בי חברי, ולא אומר על

טמא טהור ולא על טהור טמא, ולא יכשלו חברי בדבר הלכה ואשמח בהם.

ביציאתו מהו אומר?

מודה אני לפניך ה' אלהי ששמת חלקי מיושבי בית המדרש, ולא שמת חלקי מיושבי קרנות. שאני משכים

והם משכימים, אני משכים לדברי תורה, והם משכימים לדברים בטלים. אני עמל והם עמלים, אני עמל ומקבל

שכר, והם עמלים ואינם מקבלים שכר. אני רץ והם רצים, אני רץ לחיי העולם הבא, והם רצים לבאר שחת.

Prayer for Success in Torah Learning-Rav Avraham Yishayahu Karlitz(The "Chazon Ish")

יהי רצון לפניך

שתרחם על )פלוני בן פלונית(

ותהפוך את לבבו לאהבה וליראה שמך

ולשקוד בתורתך הקדושה

ותסיר מלפניו כל הסבות המונעות אותו משקידת התורה הקדושה

ותכין את כל הסיבות המביאות לתורתך הקדושה

כי אתה שומע תפילה הרחמים

ברוך אתה שומע תפילה

שלש מתנות נתן הקב"ה לעולם וכולן לא נתנן אלא על ידי ייסורין: תורה, ארץ ישראל ועולם הבא... )ברכות ה(

הרואה רימונים בחלום - אם תלמיד חכם הוא יצפה לתורה )ברכות נז(

חביבה תורה על לומדיה בכל יום ויום כאילו נתנה מהר סיני )ברכות סג(

כל העוסק בצרכי ציבור כאילו עוסק בתורה )ירושלמי ברכות ה א(

לא נתנו שבתות וימים טובים אלא לעסוק בדברי תורה )ירושלמי שבת טו ג(

המהלך בדרך ואין עמו לוייה יעסוק התורה )ערובין נד(

לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ומצוות שלא לשמה ,שמתוך לשמה בא לשמה )פסחים נ(

כל העוסק בתורה אפילן יום אחד בשנה,מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו עסק כל השנה כולה )חגיגה ה(

כל העוסק בתורה בלילה - הקב"ה מושך עליו חוט של חסד ביום )חגיגה יב(

כל יהודי שאין לו אישה שרוי בלא תורה )יבמות סב(

היזהרו מבני עניים שמהן תצא תורה )נדרים פא(

תורה תחילתה גמילות חסדים וסופה גמילות חסדים )סוטה יד(

לימוד תורה גדול, שהלימוד מביא לידי מעשה )קידושין מ(

כל המלמד את בן חברו תורה זוכה ויושב בישיבה של מעלה )בבא מציעא פה(

כל המלמד את בן חברו תורה - כאילו ילדו )סנהדרין יט(

כל הלומד תורה ואין חוזר עליה,דומה לאדם שזורע ואינו קוצר )סנהדרין צט(

אין אדם לומד תורה אלא במקום שליבו חפץ )עבודה זרה יט(

על התורה...Words of Chazal about Torah…

Websitewww.harova.org

Emailoffice@harova.org

Tel:972-2-626-5999 ext. 970

Fax:972-2-6284690

Midreshet Harova sends condolences to Esther, Shani(Singer)

and Shulamit Myerson the passing of their mother.May Hashem comfort you amongst the

mourners of Tzion and Yerushalayim

Mazal Tov toOn the engagement of:Amanda Alexander (5767)Sheara Cowen (5764)Yael Malkin (5762)Vicki Lukacs ( 5765)Leora Lent (5765)Miriam Arkush (5765)Batya Berger (MTA 2004)Ariella Kleinberg (5764)Marni Elmaleh (5759)

On the marriage of:Dalia Buchbinder (MTA 2000)Shira Hyman (5766)Mashi Jones (5762)Russie Taubes (5764)

May you build a Bayit Neeman BeYisrael!

On the birth of:A girl to Rachel Harris (Shay) 5752A boy to Shani Adelman (Kandel) (5762)A boy to Heidi Tapnack (Spruch) (MTA 1998) A girl to Riffi Rosen (Bleichman) (5763)

Staff Mazal Tovs:To Yakira Wald on the birth of a baby boy, Eliyahu ChayimTo Miriam Friedler (Shemlah) on the birth of a baby girlTo Rav Susman on the birth of a granddaughter, NoaTo Jeremy on the bar mitzva of AyalTo Rav Berg on the bar mitzva of YosefTo Rav Susman on the bat mitzva of Naama

Please share your Simchas with Mishpachet Midreshet Harova-tell us the good news!!

E-mitzion is the official e-mail newsletter of Midreshet Harova Editor: Rav David Berg

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