Under the Sun - Parshat Vayelech

5 Tishrei, 5783

September 30, 2022

Parshat Vayelech

This Shabbat is traditionally referred to as Shabbat Teshuva, or Shabbat Shuva, which occurs in the middle of the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the Ten Days of Repentance.

Repentance is defined as feeling sincere regret or remorse. This does not encompass the Hebrew word “teshuva,” it is merely the first step of the process. Imagine if we went through this entire process of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, and that was all we had gained - feelings of remorse and regret!

Teshuva means returning. It means initially feeling remorse and regret for our actions, but then taking steps to “return” and restore our relationship with Hashem and with each other. Towards the end of the Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu describes this process as he contrasts the exile with the redemption. In describing the exile, the Torah says the following in Devarim 29:27:

וַיִּתְּשֵׁ֤ם יְהֹוָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל אַדְמָתָ֔ם בְּאַ֥ף וּבְחֵמָ֖ה וּבְקֶ֣צֶף גָּד֑וֹל וַיַּשְׁלִכֵ֛ם אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ אַחֶ֖רֶת כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

Hashem uprooted them from their soil in anger, fury, and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as is still the case.

Upcoming Events:

October 2 - Sunday Morning Tefillah in the Kohelet Yeshiva Middle School Beit Midrash at 8:45 am (note the earlier start time due to Selichot)

October 4 - Erev Yom Kippur, No School

October 5 - Yom Kippur, No School

October 10-18 - Sukkot Break, No School

October 17 - Hakafot for Kids in the Kohelet Yeshiva Beit Midrash at 4:30 pm

October 19 - School Resumes

October 21 - Early Friday Dismissal Begins

See what else is coming up at Kohelet Yeshiva here.

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The pasuk says “Vayashlichem” - Hashem “tossed” us with great anger to another land. Shortly thereafter, in Devarim 30:1, the Torah notes that Moshe described Hashem as הִדִּיחֲךָ֛, “pushing” us into another land.

The great 19th century commentator Malbim (1809-1879 Ukraine) notes several differences between these two words, which he says represent two stages of our exile. “Vayashlichem” is a random act of throwing where the thrower does not know or care where the object will land and he is free to leave it to rot. “Hedichacha” is a much more involved process. When someone pushes an object, the pusher is in constant contact with it and knows exactly where he wants it to land. While Hashem may have initially tossed us into foreign lands, He did not leave us to rot. While we may not always feel His presence, Hashem is with us all the time. He knows exactly where we are because He is the one that intentionally brought us there!

Rashi goes so far as to say in Devarim 30:3 that the Shechina has been with us through the entire exile and will be redeemed with us. Malbim continues to describe our job at this stage of the exile, which is to awaken our hearts and desire to do His mitzvot. Hashem will then carry us back to the land as He has been with us constantly.

May we merit to feel Hashem’s gentle push and to awaken our hearts to move closer to Hashem with all our heart and with all our soul (Devarim 30:10).

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Nechama Goldman

Shana Tova From Kohelet Yeshiva!

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Coming Up:

High School Happenings

News from Kohelet Yeshiva

The ninth graders started their grade bonding trip with a mitzvah - toveling their new school-donated water bottles at the mikvah and committing to use less plastic waste in and outside of school! At Fireball Mountain students collaborated to overcome different fun team challenges, fine-tuning their communication skills, discovering hidden talents, and learning to rely on and trust one another in order to achieve a common goal. We continued to build our ninth-grade community through a fun and competitive game of outdoor laser tag! Students were smiling all day and made lasting memories that will accompany them throughout high school and beyond.

Rabbi Yonah Gross, who is the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Hamedrosh in Wynnewood and the Kashrus Administrator for Community Kashrus of Philadelphia, was a guest speaker at the high school Mishmar this week. Rabbi Gross spoke about kashrut in restaurants, which was a complement to our Halacha curriculum, in which our students are studying the laws of kashrut.

Our middle school students built Sukkot for some of our neighbors in the community who needed help and also made Sukkah decorations to hang in those Sukkot to make them more festive for the upcoming chag.

In First Grade SEL, students worked in pairs and shared how we are alike and different in many ways, and how we can still be friends even if we are different and have different opinions.

Mazal tov to Mrs. Yocheved and Rabbi Moshe Abrams (KYHS Judaic Studies Teacher) on the birth of a daughter!

Mazal tov to Ms. Lena Gershman (KYHS Office Manager) on the birth of a grandson, born to Marc (KYHS '12) and Dani Dolitsky (KYHS '11)!

Updates from the Kohelet Beit Midrash

Parnas HaYom

Sponsor a day or a week of learning at Kohelet Yeshiva. Contact Miriam Gowar at mgowar@koheletyeshiva.org for details or click here to sign up.

Thank you to this past week's Parnas HaYom Sponsors!

September 30th

Josh and Tamar Katz

In memory of Ken and Hannah Sterling, z"l, whose yahrtzeits are on Rosh Chodesh Elul and 6 Tishrei (Shabbat Shuva), respectively.

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September 28th

Learning during the Aseret Yemei Teshuva

is sponsored by

The Jacobson Family

In honor of Samuel Raanan's birthday on Rosh HaShanah and Rabbi Ari Jacobson's birthday on Yom Kippur.

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