One Person Can Make A difference

Dear Parents, Can one person really make a difference? The Holocaust is a very important yet difficult subject about which to speak. On the fast day of Asarah B’Teves, we held assemblies for our middle school boys and girls and our high school to educate the students about the Holocaust from a Torah perspective. We showed a video about the Holocaust and its tremendous significance that was produced by Torah Umesorah specifically for students of this age. The video was about the life of Rav Yonah Tiefenbrunner and the orphanage he established in Belgium during the Holocaust. Eyes were riveted to the screen as students learned how one man and his wife saved children during the war. All Jewish children were accepted into his orphanage regardless of religious background. Yonah sacrificed his own life and the lives of his family in order to make a difference and save lives.

The Midrash in Eichah Rabah relates the story of a time in history when Hashem wanted to punish the Jews for their grave sins. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov all plead before Hashem to save the Jews based on their personal merits, and Hashem denies their request. Rachel Imeinu comes before Hashem and states that the Jews should be saved because she had given the secret signs that she and Yaakov shared so as not to embarrass her sister Leah when Lavan forced her to stand in Rachel’s place at the wedding. Hashem tells Rachel that her request is granted and the Jews will be saved. Why does Hashem listen to Rachel in an important, but seemingly less consequential action than the actions of our forefathers? My Rosh Yeshiva answered this question by saying that while an action may seem small and inconsequential, the long term ramifications are actually quite great. The shlaimus, completeness, of the Jewish people required that there be twelve tribes. Each of the brothers possessed unique traits and skills that were necessary for the future survival of the Jews. In this way, we can understand that Rachel’s small deed of giving the signs to her sister created an outcome that allows for the completeness of Klal Yisrael.

Every action that we do has long term ramifications. Let us take a simple example. You open your home for Shabbat to a family that never experienced it before. As an outcome of that meal, the family becomes more observant. The credit that you receive isn’t just for the meal that you served but for every mitzvah that this family and their children and grandchildren perform until the end of time. A simple meal heaps great reward on you even though you may never speak to that family after that initial Shabbos meal. “Small Stuff Really Counts.”

Over the past few weeks, the middle school teachers, under the direction of Mrs. Elisheva Bielory and Rabbis Taitelbaum and Yudkowsky, have sponsored meaningful and inspiring Shabbatonim for their students, and in a few weeks, the high school will hold a similar Shabbaton in Monsey, NY. Each of these events requires a great amount of time, thought and preparation. Aside from the gratitude that I express to all those who have worked so hard, I am sure that there are all of the hidden rewards that come from Hashem. Each student who left inspired and who carries that inspiration forward and transmits it to his children brings tremendous zechusim, merits, to the initiator of the inspiration: our rabbeim and moros. We thank our entire staff for all that they do to inspire and educate our children on a daily basis.

Yaakov mourned for Yosef when he was missing and refused to be comforted. My Rosh Yeshiva explained that Yaakov’s mourning was based on the fact that he felt failed as a leader because of the impact that was lost on his family that was now missing Yosef and his special strengths. As parents, we have the tremendous responsibility to study with our children and to transmit our heritage to the next generation. May Hashem give us all the strength and wisdom to transmit the values of Torah, mitzvos and good deeds to our children who will eventually serve as the conduits to continue the chain of our mesorah.

Good Shabbos
Rabbi Peretz Scheinerman