כ“ט טבת תש“ע January 15, 2010

פרשת וארא Candle Lighting 5:34 PM

Rabbi Binyomin Luban Yisroel Y. Niman Rabbi Mordechai Palgon ראשי הישיבה

Inside this Issue: Dvar Torah - The Influence of Materialism by Rabbi Yehuda Bergida

then did he ignore the plague. Rabbeinu Bachya שהיא מדה טובה מכל המדות “ Dvar Torah 1 attributes Paroh’s ability to tune out the call to טובות Dvar Halacha 1 – It is the best of all virtuous character traits.” repent, due the pride and arrogance he felt upon Gedolei Roshei The Ramban in his Igeres, entering his palatial home. Visit YTC 2 extols the benefits of humil- ity, and warns of the dangers When one analyzes this, it is truly astonishing. 5 Tips for of haughtiness. A person who lacks modesty All of Egypt was in turmoil; there was no water Hatzlocha on Mid- 2 and humility can remain impervious to even to drink. The Medrash tells us that even the Term Exams the most compelling motivating factors to do walls of Paroh’s palace were dripping blood! teshuva. Many factors can influence a person’s Paroh, however, when surrounded by his royal

Scholastic Writing pride, not the least of which is one’s sur- trappings, was impervious to the message of the 2 Awards Submission roundings. devastating plague.

We see an example of how one’s environment We see how far one’s being in comfortable, ma- can affect his humility in our Parsha. After terialistic surroundings can dampen the effects of Paroh is subjected to the plague of dam, we a call to teshuva. Let us recognize that when we are told that he returned to his palace and his are in our own “castles” and feeling quite com- heart did not heed the message of the plague. fortable with our worldly successes, there is a Rabbeinu Bachya, at the beginning of Parshas Bo, danger that we too could come to ignore the comments on the fact that the Torah tells us call to teshuva. Thank You! Paroh first returned to his palace, and only

מדבר שקר תרחק – Dvar Halacha

by Meir Palgon, Grade 11 ,Distance yourself from a about the content of their conversation - מדבר שקר תרחק” We would like to thank everyone who lie.” Our sages tell us that this halacha ap- you will be causing them to lie. Addition- participated in this plies even if the falsehood will not hurt an- ally, one should not make a statement that other person. This halacha not only prohibits has a dual meaning in a situation where year’s Annual Dinner outright verbal lying, but a number of other the listener will be led to misinterpret the and for making this types of deceptions as well. If two people statement. Even using simple body lan- year’s campaign are whispering amongst themselves, one guage in a way that misleads others is con- such a success! should not approach them and ask what they sidered a violation of this halacha. are talking about. Since they will likely lie

5 Tips for Page 2 Hatzlocha on Mid-Terms YTC Spotlight By School Counselor Gedolei Roshei Yeshiva Visit YTC Eli Feldman, LMHC

1. Know Yourself!: Discover your personal learning style. If you are a visual learner, make flashcards & charts; an auditory learner - record your voice. Perhaps mnemonics, rhymes or song work Learning Torah in South The Rosh HaYeshiva was Also visiting this week was Rabbi for you. has many advantages, not the least mechazek the Yeshiva in regards Mordechai Tropper, Mashgiach of of which is the benefit that so to the koach ha’tefila. , , 2. Brain Foods like many Gedolei Torah visit our area NY. Rabbi Tropper delivered the almonds, salmon and The Torah Umesorah President’s as part of their avoda for K’lal w e e k l y other omega 3’s, as Conference brought HaGaon Yisroel. This week, the Agudas m u s s a r well as lots of water, HaRav Dovid Harris, Rosh Yisroel convention in South shmues to have been showing up HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Florida brought HaGaon HaRav our High in research studies to Chaim in Queens, NY to YTC as Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh S c h o o l increase focus, well. The Rosh HaYeshiva shared HaYeshiva of the Philadelphia talmidim. concentration and with the bachurim Torah insights memory. Yeshiva, to North Miami Beach. into how to attain true happiness.

3. Cheer Up! Test- takers that were The Jetty at John Lloyd Beach, Hollywood, FL happier, & getting along with friends and by Yosef Hostyk, Grade 9 family, did slightly better than their Yosef Hostyk's poem below is one of six catch the thin cord and straighten pulsating hostile, depressed Creative Writing pieces by YTC stu- its curls and spirals into a tautened jellyfish, its rhythm slowing down to dents submitted this year to The Scho- peers. tripwire of ocean, straight-backed in match his lastic Writing Awards. Mr. Aaron Gil- replication son’s heart for a second before deflating lego, our Language Arts instructor, is of the rod and its master unnatural into a useless 4. Have a Positive again serving as one of the Awards in his surroundings, stranded plastic bag, partially filled with blue waste Attitude! Believing judges for Miami-Dade County. in his refusal to become (even if it seems This piece demonstrates Yosef's com- ingrained Into Florida’s undesiring shuttered arms slightly delusional) that mand of language and his concern for Wilma spun, disturbing the jetty’s founda- you will do well, has the environment: the poem's lyricism Away from the deserted jetty, crabs tion been associated with captures the sublime power of nature. scuttle With huge rocks lining its sides, the jetty increased test scores. On rocks in the sheltered harbor over shards of sea glass towards the boy stands, now humbled facing the force of the ocean placed into a collapsible beach by a chain-link fence separating it 5. Be alone, stands the pair of weathered men chair rather like his legs ex- from the beach, the boy, and the fisher- cept they never work men who can only view Realistic! Nobody Outsiders on the bay boundaries the older seemingly embedded in the but he doesn’t notice and vacantly looks through the gaps the neglected spot knows ALL the rock as the sun sets where they once tackled answers. Don’t let a as if bedecked with moss and algae Hands helpless in pockets, sunken the might of ocean wrong answer depress his back postured like a humpback whale pirate ships of no use to any except you. Know yourself hands firmly holding the pole, his line barnacles finding the hidden The fishermen unmoored on the fish-less and have realistic never straying cargo holds that frustrated all their rocks, the boy adrift in other expectations. into the guarded territory of the other, customs worlds – all forever whose drifting officers, barnacles clinging tightly to the broken, John Lloyd’s about no longer makes an impression sturdy mast forgotten flotsam

on the water’s currents, for here no fish until his father leaves to look at the