Making this Year Count written by Shayna Udman
This Friday, erev Shabbos Parshas Vayeira, Mesorah High School was privileged to host three amazing speakers. The day was set aside to have classes that weren’t for the grades earned; rather they were created for our own personal growth.
Our Yom Iyun began with a delicious breakfast and an introduction to the day by Mrs. Aliza Rodin, first grade teacher at Torah Day School. She spoke about having Emunah and Bitachon, and how they work hand and hand. Her speech was followed by two interactive discussions. Rabbi Daniel Ringelheim, Rosh Yeshiva at Texas Torah Institute spoke to us about personal growth. He taught us not only to focus on the mitzvos we take on but to also work on our relationship with Hashem. We discussed that we can each be as great as Moshe Rabeinu. How is that possible? We each have a different amount of potential; we need to focus on OUR potential and not compare ourselves to others.
Rabbi Shlomo Pacht, Rosh Yeshiva at Texas Torah Institute and father of Yaffa Leah (Class of ’13) discussed the story in this week’s parsha about the entire city of Sodom surrounding Lot’s house (intending to capture and murder him and his guests). How is it possible that the entire city, thousands of people, surrounded his house? It must mean that not one person in the city protested, not because they felt they could be killed for doing so, but because they truly agreed that Lot and his guests should be killed! This goes to show us that often times we say “everybody does it” to excuse a certain action, saying that if everybody does it, it cannot possibly be wrong. Based on this incident in Sodom, we see that it is possible that a large crowd of people can be wrong. We must be extremely careful not to do things just because “everybody else is.”
Thank you to Shayna Udman, Laetitia Sebbag, Sapir Shimon and Rachel Bermanski for organizing this incredible day of inspiration.