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IN THIS ISSUE: - To donate
- In case you missed it, watch 'Holding on to Faith' Tisha B'Av video
- NEW: OU Israel L'Ayla Sefer Yeshayahu Yom Iyu for women (in-
- Understanding Our Communities Conference highlights
- Torat Imecha Parsha: Dr. Esther Shkop
- Rosh Chodesh Lunch 'n Learn with Dr. Danielle Bloom
- Rabbanit Shani Taragin - Introduction to Yeshayahu
- Upreaching Campaign
- Siyum Melachim II with Mrs.Tzivi Zuckerman
- From the four corners of the earth
- From Rabbi Jack Abramowitz's Torah Blog
- Melachim II Chart
- Nach Yomi calendar 2022-2024
- From the Women's Initiative desk: Dvar Haftorah with Pamela Simonsson
- Torat Imecha recording for this week's Haftorah
- Let's Meet Rebbetzin Tzipora Weinberg
- Link to previous shiurim
- Nach in the News
- Share your community's Torat Imecha learning initiatives with us!
Thank you to ALL the donors for your generosity during the OU Women's Initiative fundraising campaign! 
To see our Upreaching video or to donate please click here. www.ou.org/women22
From the four corners of the earth (Yeshayahu 11:12)
Welcome to Torat Imecha Nach Yomi cycle 2- we are so excited to have women join from: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States! Welcome to all!
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. http://www.ou.org/women/nach22
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)
Nach Yomi participant locations include Brazil, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Mexico and more!
From the Women's Initiative: Dvar Haftorah
Pamela Rivka Simonsson
Haftarat Shabbat Nachamu: Yeshayahu 40:1-26
We can have dedicated intent to fulfil our word, wholehearted commitment to follow through on what we say, and yet circumstances can present that obstruct us from keeping a promise. When we think it is certain that we will deliver, perhaps a gesture that is so small and seemingly feasible, we would never conceive of the weightiness of the promise we are making as our lips offer assurance of it to another person. We know that we should say "bli neder" so as not to vow when we promise in case we cannot come through. There is a powerful opportunity for connecting with Hashem in the moment when we give our word.
This week's haftorah draws on Hashem's power, framing the start of a series of perakim of comfort that there is a redemptive future ahead in assurance that Hashem's promises will come true. Hashem is omnipotent and His promise is guaranteed. Hashem tells Yeshayahu to say:
כָּל־הַבָּשָׂר֙ חָצִ֔יר וְכָל־חַסְדּ֖וֹ כְּצִ֥יץ הַשָּׂדֶֽה
…."All flesh is grass, and all its kindness is like the blossom of the field"
יָבֵ֚שׁ חָצִיר֙ נָ֣בֵֽל צִ֔יץ כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ ה׳ נָ֣שְׁבָה בּ֑וֹ אָכֵ֥ן חָצִ֖יר הָעָֽם
"The grass shall dry out, the blossom shall wilt, for a wind from Hashem has blown upon it; behold the people is grass."
יָבֵ֥שׁ חָצִ֖יר נָ֣בֵֽל צִ֑יץ וּדְבַ֥ר אֱלֹקֵ֖ינוּ יָק֥וּם לְעוֹלָֽם
"The grass shall dry out, the blossom shall wilt, but the word of our G-d shall last forever." (Yeshayahu 40:6-8)
Mahari Kara explains these pesukim to mean that every human is like grass and every kindness that a person promises to his friend is similar to the blossom of the field. Grass dries out and blossom wilts. So it is with a human, one serves another who is greater than him, the greater one promises him that tomorrow he will make him rich and elevate him to greatness, but then he goes to sleep and does not wake up. Where is he? And where is his promise? The word of Hashem, however, lasts forever.
The example given here is in relation to more extreme circumstances, but the reality is that we can never guarantee to do something because we are not in control of life's events.
As we give our word to someone, let us of course be committed to keeping it, and, also, let us take the opportunity each time we say bli neder in recognition of our lack of control over the world to remind ourselves that we are at the will of our Creator. Let us use the moment when we make a promise not only to strengthen ourselves in loyalty and trustworthiness, but also to humble ourselves in the knowledge that we are dependent on the Ribbono Shel Olam and let us feel closer to Him in the heightened awareness that He is present with us in every phase of a promise fulfilled or one that is impossible to keep.
Link to Torat Imecha recording for upcoming Haftorah with Tzipora Weinberg Yeshayahu Perek 40
As sefer Yeshayahu is 66 perakim long, we will be switching educators along the way. Perekim 21 through 40 will be taught by Rivka Alter and perakim 41 through 66 by Tzipora Weinberg.
Let's Meet Rebbetzin Tziporah Weinberg
 Rebbetzin Tzipora Weinberg is an acclaimed lecturer, educator and consultant, serving museums and educational institutions in the US and abroad, with specialization in the fields of Tanakh and Holocaust Education. She is the founding Director of The WELL, a groundbreaking daytime women's learning center in Brooklyn and Rebbetzin of Kahal Lev Avos in North Woodmere. At the OU Women's Initiative, Rebbetzin Weinberg presented has given multiple shiurim including: Rosh Chodesh Lunch 'n Learn, Counting Toward Sinai Tefillah Series, Nach Shabbat Scholar-in-Residence Program, and Sefer Tehillim 42-89 for Torat Imecha Nach Yomi.
Click here to listen to previous shiurim
Thoughts on Shabbat Chazon
Written by Deborah Schick Laufer, Silver Spring, MD and currently enjoying Jerusalem
This upcoming Shabbat, as all know, has great heaviness. While this year it coincides with Tisha B'Av, it is also known as Shabbat Chazon - the Shabbat of Foretelling. While, yes, the prophecy is about the Beit HaMikdash, we know that the moniker is from the first words of this week's Haftorah - Yeshayahu Chapter 1:
חֲזוֹן, יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן-אָמוֹץ, אֲשֶׁר חָזָה, עַל-יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם--בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּהוּ יוֹתָם אָחָז יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה.
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amotz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
As complicated as Sefer Yeshayahu is, as we move forward through the chapters it becomes more evident that the words are not an endless harangue about oncoming doom. Yeshayahu provides ideas, reasons and themes about how a society can become out of touch with its core functions, practices and Emunah. Further, while we have learned the visions of Yeshayahu and also his worse masaot/burdens regarding other nations, we also study his incredible words of uplifting comfort.
The word comfort is a complex one which unfortunately I don't have time to write much more about now. If there is one "chazon" (in sequence) to Rosh Hashana and seven Haftorot of Nechama, it must tell you that nechama/comfort isn't easily achieved.
Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri (אלעזר בן משה אזכרי) (1533–1600) was a Jewish kabbalist, poet and writer from Tsfat, Israel. To us his name is most familiar as composer of the Shabbat zemer Yedid Nefesh. He also composed the words for another poem of particular note:
בלבבי משכן אבנה להדר כבודו, ובמשכן מזבח אשים לקרני הודו, ולנר תמיד אקח לי את אש העקידה, ולקרבן אקריב לו את נפשי, את נפשי היחידה
In my heart I will build a Mishkan/Tabernacle;
to glorify His honor;
In this Mishkan I shall [also] place an altar; to acknowledge His splendor;
And [as for what fire I shall use] I will take to me the fire of the eternal light - [which is] the fire of the Akeidah;
And as [for what] sacrifice will I bring; I will offer my soul, my own unique and special soul
Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt'l, (the Pachad Yitzchok) (1906-1980) (Rosh Yeshiva Chaim Berlin) read these words and was inspired to set them to music … not the tune you probably know! Then he heard a niggun composed by Rabbi Shmuel Brazil and he said these two belong together, and a shidduch was born.
Why do I raise this, a song, on practically the eve of Tisha B'Av? Because it isn't a song. It is a prayer. The Beit HaMikdash was built on the site of the Akeidah (Moriah). When Shlomo HaMelech dedicated the Beit HaMikdash he not only gave us a building but bestowed us with the power of prayer (Melachim 1 Chapter 8:39):
וְאַתָּה תִּשְׁמַע הַשָּׁמַיִם מְכוֹן שִׁבְתֶּךָ, וְסָלַחְתָּ וְעָשִׂיתָ, וְנָתַתָּ לָאִישׁ כְּכָל-דְּרָכָיו, אֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע אֶת-לְבָבוֹ: כִּי-אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ לְבַדְּךָ, אֶת-לְבַב כָּל-בְּנֵי הָאָדָם
then hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest--for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men
When we read and eventually sing the words of Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, we are acknowledging the same words of the first paragraph of Shema as we want it written on our hearts. In the zechut of our learning Yeshayahu and our collective chesed may we merit to have an easy fast and see a Geula Shelaimah.
Thank you Deborah Schick Laufer for sharing!
Nach in Your Community If you have a Torat Imecha Nach Yomi Whatsapp group, please email ouwomen@ou.org.
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