Ohr Torah Stone Wishes You a Wonderful Pesach
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NSPRINGewsbrie 2021 • 5781 f Ohr Torah Stone Wishes You a Wonderful Pesach Your support of Ohr Torah Stone brings light to people throughout the world and ensures that all Jews are welcomed to the Jewish family with warmth and passion. Rabbi Brander and Rabbi Riskin further explore these themes in their divrei Torah for Pesach. in Israel to open Talmud study to women. It houses the Rabbi Soloveitchik, Women’s largest women’s Beit Midrash in the world. Women com- Learning and Redemption plete tractates of Talmud, and some complete all of the Babylonian Talmud. Last year, perhaps for the first time Rabbi Kenneth Brander, in Jewish history, a 17-year-old young woman from our President and Neveh Channah High School completed the entire Talmud. Rosh HaYeshiva We have taken the Rav’s vision to its next stage. Not only do the women of Midreshet Lindenbaum study n 1977, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Talmud; they teach (the Rav) gave one of the most I it across Israel and important shiurim (classes) of the It cannot be that Jewish around the globe. 20th century, focused on the identity of the 14th of Nisan, the In his class, the women can achieve the day before Passover. Its importance was not due to the Rav explained that highest levels of scholarship pearls of wisdom revealed in the lecture; rather that the 14th of Nisan the Rav delivered the first formal lecture on Talmud is referred to in in all fields of knowledge, to women in New York. He wished to make a state- the first chapter of yet are shuttered from ment to the Jewish world. If we are to guarantee the the Tractate as ohr eternality of Torah, we need to continue the innova- le’arba asar (the light engaging with the dialogues tion of the Chofetz Chaim and Sara Schneir and fully of the 14th day) educate women in our tradition. and in the tenth of the Talmud. chapter, as ervei The “inner halls of Torah she-ba’al-peh” (the oral Torah) pesachim (the day leading up to Passover). He contrasted should be opened to the hearts and minds of women. these dual identities. It cannot be that Jewish women can achieve the highest levels of scholarship in all fields of knowledge, yet are shut- In many ways it is ervei pesachim. Like every other tered from engaging with the dialogues of the Talmud. erev chag, the identity of the 14th of Nisan is a day of preparation for the Seder and the holiday. Rabbi Soloveitchik hoped that women would create and participate in new institutions that would enable the sea Yet this day is also known as ohr le’arba asar. It has of Talmud to become part of Torat imecha (the Torah and its own identity, its own personality. It is NOT just a prepa- wisdom of women). It was his dream that women would ration day. It has its own mission and purpose. Specific be able to engage with the rabbinic sages — Ravina activities are reserved for this day, including the ritual & Rav Ashi, Rava & Abaye, Rabbeinu Tam, Ravad and slaughtering of the Pascal offering and the prohibition the Rambam, to become talmidot chachamim. of consuming and enjoying chametz. This day has its At Ohr Torah Stone we have seen this dream actualized. own light, its own uniqueness. Midreshet Lindenbaum was the first Torah institution continued on page 2 2 OTS NEWSBRIEF continued from page 1 (Exodus 12:26) Why does the Haggada assume a The Rav explained that as the holiday of Passover negative attitude on the part of this child, who is merely focuses on the redemption of the Jewish people, it must seeking a relevant explanation for a ritual he doesn’t be celebrated in the context of a journey. One does understand? The Haggada’s answer to this child also not transform from a slave nation to a free people in a seems unduly harsh. “‘What is this service to you’ — moment. Therefore, unlike any other holiday in the to you and not to him. He removed himself from the Jewish calendar, the holiday of redemption does not historic Jewish community. And so you must set his begin at the strike of the clock on the 15th day of Nisan. teeth on edge [hak’heh], and tell him, ‘It is because of It begins gradually throughout the 14th day, emerging the wonders that God did for me in taking me out of into Passover, journeying through the months of Iyar Egypt’ (Exodus 13:8). Had he (the child) been there, he and Sivan, culminating with Shavuot. would not have been redeemed.” Ohr Torah Stone and its commitment to women’s learn- Indeed, it is in the context of the response to the wicked ing and leadership also has a dual identity. On the one child that the Haggada teaches that the most basic hand, our pioneering activities must be consistent with principle of our faith is to include oneself within the the norms of the Jewish people. At the same time, historical community of Israel, to be part of the eternal redemption and continuity require shaping a new reality. chain of Jewish being, to be a member of the family. We must never underestimate our capacity to bring Therefore, the problem with this child’s question is not new paradigms to transform the world. What a privilege his search for relevance. The problem is that he has to be on this journey together! excluded himself from the familial-national celebration. This d’var Torah is in memory of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The author of the Haggada tells the head of the family zt”l, whose yartzheit is on Passover. to hak’heh his teeth; the unusual Hebrew hak’heh, which means to blunt or remove the sharpness by means of And You Shall Tell Your the warmth of fire (Ecclesiastes 10:10; B.T. Yevamot 110b). Tell him that Children although we are Tell him with the flame living thousands Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, of years after the and passion of fire that Founder and Rosh HaYeshiva fact, God took me blunts sharp iron, with he Passover Seder is dedicated — and you — out of the warmth and love of Tto parents communicating Egypt, because we to their children the agony and are all one historic a family that is claiming ecstasy of Egyptian enslavement family. and welcoming its own and exodus. Indeed, the masterful And don’t tell him booklet that tells the tale is called matter-of-factly or as one who belongs — the Haggada (literally, telling), from the biblical verse harshly. Tell him no matter what. Then, “And you shall tell your children [vehigadeta] on that with the flame and but only then, will the day” (Exodus 13:3). passion of fire that But what if one of your children is not interested in blunts sharp iron, child feel redeemed. hearing? What if he or she is turned off to the ritual that with the warmth surrounds and informs the meal? How are we supposed and love of a family that is claiming and welcoming its to respond? The Haggada is not only a text of the own as one who belongs — no matter what. Then, but Egyptian experience; it is also a masterful guide to the only then, will the child feel redeemed. art of parenting. We learn that we can only successfully Your support of Ohr Torah Stone does just that, impart a value that we ourselves believe in; children will connecting Jews of all backgrounds, cultures and learn not by what we say, but by how we perform. perspectives to the worldwide Jewish family through But what of the apathetic, uninterested child? One passionate Jewish leaders and warm, welcoming of the four prototypical children of the Seder is the Jewish communities that give each Jew a sense of “wicked child,” whom the author of the Haggada belonging. designates as such because of the biblical question Chag kasher v’sameach! ascribed to him: “What is this service [avoda] to you?” SPRING 2021 • 5781 3 Yachad Welcomes All Jews to the Seder Table “I wasn’t halakhically Jewish, and as I went through the conversion process, Yachad became my Jewish community and the place where we celebrate Jewish holidays and Jewish life.” According to Jenya, “I wanted my daughter to learn about her roots. We enrolled her in a religious school and we began attending Yachad programs. For Russian-speakers who are not halakhically Jewish, their involve- ment with Yachad is often the first step on the road to conversion. RUT (JENYA) AND ELIYAHU CELEBRATE THEIR RELIGIOUS WEDDING WITH YACHAD FOLLOWING Yachad’s warm approach enables RUT’S CONVERSION TO JUDAISM them to learn about Israel and hen discussing the message Connecting Russian- Jewish life in an environment that is Wof Pesach, the rabbis teach comfortable for them, and in many Speakers to Jewish cases, to subsequently embark on that everyone has a place at the Heritage table. We welcome all Jews, regard- conversion. less of their upbringing, religious or Jenya and Eliyahu grew up in Jenya explains, “I wasn’t halakhically cultural backgrounds. Russia just after the fall of the Jewish, and as I went through the Today, approximately 1.2 million Soviet Union. With no Jewish conversion process, Yachad became people from the Former Soviet education of their own, their my Jewish community and the place Union (FSU) live in Israel, of whom parents weren’t equipped to teach where we celebrate Jewish holidays and Jewish life.” 25% are not halakhically Jewish.