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Torat Imecha Sefer Bereishit Siyum
From the four corners of the earth (Yeshayahu 11:12)
We continue to add to our Torat Imecha community. As we embark on our new Sefer, it is not too late to join and to encourage others to sign up.
https://www.ou.org/women/torat-imecha-sign-up/ כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ דֵּעָה֙ אֶת ה' כַּמַּ֖יִם לַיָּ֥ם מְכַסִּֽים׃
For the land shall be filled with knowledge of Hashem as the water covers the sea. (Yeshayahu 11:9)
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From the Women's Initiative: Dvar Haftorah Yeshayahu 27:6 - 28:13
This week's Haftorah is not obviously connected to the parsha. The parsha primarily focuses on the descent of the Jewish people into Egyptian slavery and the rise of Moshe as their leader. The navi's major emphasis is on the downward spiral of The kingdoms of Ephraim and Yehuda.
The Navi Yeshaya describes how the Jewish people will fail to properly study, observe and live the Torah. He famously decries a time when it will have to be taught to them:
״צו לצו צו לצו קו לקו קו לקו זעיר שם זעיר שם״
"Commandment by commandment and commandment by commandment, measuring line by measuring line and measuring line by measuring line, a bit here and a bit there."
Prima facie, this seems positive, not negative. It would seem that for us to learn the Torah commandment by commandment, line by line and bit by bit, would be a way to assure that we study the Torah in its entirety and get to know all of its minutiae.
Rav Kook observes that the Torah is supposed to be understood, appreciated and lived in a holistic manner. When we engage in halachic reductionism and slice and dice the Torah into teeny bits we fail to appreciate the scope of its grandeur and the depth of its eternal truth.
Yeshaya bemoans a generation that is not only the ignorant of Torah information, but more importantly of its beauty.
The connection of Yeshaya to Shemos is now more obvious. The Jews in Egyptian times had not yet received the Torah and had nothing to turn to for inspiration and encouragement. The generation of Yeshaya had it, but did not look to it for guidance.
We are blessed to have the Torah. We must study and observe it carefully. We must also look at its greatness to guide us in times of difficulty and despair. May we always value the magnificence of the Torah and merit to see the fulfillment of the beginning of the Haftorah:
״הבאים ישרש יעקב יציץ ופרח ישראל ומלאו פני תבל תנובה״
"Days are coming when Yaakov will take root, Yisroel will bud and blossom and fill the face of the earth like fruit."
Link to Torat Imecha recording for this week's Haftorah (Mrs. Amy Horowitz) Sefer Yeshayahu 27 Sefer Yeshayahu 28
LET'S MEET: Batyah Brander 1. Why did you decide to participate in Nach Yomi?
I love the opportunity to share Torah with the broad Jewish community.
2. Why is this program important?
I love that it is for women, by women. Women have a unique heritage and unique voice in Torah Learning and this Nach Yomi Program really captures that heritage and voice.
3. Have you ever learned Nach Yomi? How was it?
For a short time, many years ago I started learning Nach Yomi. It was enriching.
4. What will you be teaching and how will you present it?
I will be teaching the Sefer of Zephaniah. I will try and explain what the Navi is telling the Jewish people, and its relevance for it's time period and ours. I will read each Pasuk in Hebrew and translate or explain it in English.
5. Where do you live?
Los Angeles
6. Do you teach anywhere else or have another job within the Jewish world?
I currently teach at Machon Bais Yaakov High School, Los Angeles and have been teaching Adult Education for the LINK Kollel Women's Program for many years.
7. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Although I have taught various books of Trei Asar, I had neither studied nor taught Zephaniah before I was asked to teach it for Nach Yomi. I was amazed that three chapters could be so dense in material! I found it very difficult to pare the material down to three- 15 minute presentations. I hope that these presentations whets one's appetite to study the book further, and to plumb the depths of this meaningful sefer.
Tzephanya Reflection: Batyah Brander It is very… strange to have studied Tzephanya for the first time at the worst stage of COVID-19.
It is impossible not to wonder if the Yom Hashem, often referred to by the navi, is upon us now. In the first chapter, Tzephanya refers to the Judgement of Gehenna, and in the last chapter, he refers to the war between the nations (i.e., Gog Umagog), and the birth pangs of Moshiach. From these three very painful states, we can find protection, shares the Gemara Shabbos 118A, by eating three meals on Shabbat. And here we are, in the midst of a pandemic that has caused untold suffering, has medical experts stumped, and has brought economies to a halt, with malls empty, stores boarded, ICUs filled to capacity, and overworked healthcare staff manning the "front lines." It feels like all three perils rolled into one!
Tzephanya offers an antidote: humility of faith.
Tzephanya tells us in the second chapter:
בַּקְּשׁ֤וּ אֶת־יְקוָק֙ כָּל־עַנְוֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְׁפָּט֖וֹ פָּעָ֑לו בַּקְּשׁוּ־צֶ֙דֶק֙ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ עֲנָוָ֔ה אוּלַי֙ תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּ בְּי֖וֹם אַף־יְקוָֽק׃
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who have fulfilled His law; seek righteousness, seek humility! Perhaps you will find shelter on the day of the LORD's anger.
And just before the words describing the final redemption, Tzephanya shares:
... כִּי־אָ֣ז ׀ אָסִ֣יר מִקִּרְבֵּ֗ךְ עַלִּיזֵי גַּאֲוָתֵ֔ךְ וְלֹֽא־תוֹסִ֧פִי לְגָבְהָ֛ה ע֖וֹד בְּהַ֥ר קָדְשִֽׁי: וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּ֣י בְקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ עַ֥ם עָנִ֖י וָדָ֑ל וְחָס֖וּ בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְקוָֽק׃
… For then I will remove from your midst those who exult in their pride, and you will be haughty no more on My sacred mount, i.e., Yerushalayim. But I will leave in your midst a nation humble and low of spirit, and they shall find refuge in the name of the LORD.
I feel like Tzephanya is warning that Hashem will have a world of humility, one way or another. If we do not get there ourselves, Hashem will make it happen regardless.
Personally, I have a really hard time ceding control to anyone. A member of the giving, stiff-necked people, I too like to give: "give" instructions, "give" orders, "give" unsolicited advice. Here, in the midst of the pandemic, we are forced to take: "take" a step back, "take" stock of how little we know, "take" advice from experts who themselves scratch their heads in uncertainty. This has been a time of grave humility. We are clearly not in the driver's seat.
Since learning Tzephanya and the related Gemara Shabbos, I have tried to eat three meals on Shabbat. On these short winter Shabbatot, Seudah Shlishit is a conscious decision. I wonder why, how, that elusive third meal will protect from the Yom Hashem. Perhaps Tzephanya's words, "seek humility," have been the key all along.
Manna is the ultimate faith food. During the week, the symbiosis between our nutritional need and G-d's fulfillment of that need was so very clear. In the desert, we could not rely on ourselves to supply our needs. We had no natural resources, and no amount of sweat of the brow would provide for our families. And yet, we were fine, because we had manna, day in and day out… except when we didn't! Shabbat required humility within humility, a complete trust in Hashem. The three meals on Shabbat commemorate the miracle within the miracle of the manna in the desert. As we eat the third meal every Shabbat, we remember the manna and we remember that we have only G-d to rely on. We recognize that G-d "opens his hands and satisfies all living things." As Tzephanya teaches us, this humility of faith, ceding our own dominion while accepting G-d's dominion, is the protection from the perils of the great Awesome Day of G-d.
Tzephanya has taught me that my personal redemption will only come when I can let go of control and trust completely that Hashem will catch me. As I write this, the vaccine is slowly trickling its way into the population and still the death toll rises. May Hashem remove this terrible decree from upon us and may we merit the ultimate redemption quickly before our very eyes.
Let's Meet Marcy Stern: Mrs. Marcy Stern has over 40 years of high school teaching and administrative experience. She has taught at Shevach High School in Kew Garden Hills, NY, Bruriah High School in Elizabeth, NJ, and was the founding principal of Bais Yaakov Machon Ora in Passaic, NJ. She taught in the Tanach department in Stern College, as well. Her expertise is in teaching Neviim Achronim to young women. Her goal is to show her students the beauty and depth of the words of the Navi while at the same time revealing to them the relevancy of the words of the Navi to their lives.
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