
THE REAL REWARD
This week’s השרפ states: םהל שעיו םיקולאה תא תודלימה וארי יכ יהיו .דאמ ומצעיו םעה בריו תודלימל םיקולא בטייו
םיתב, and Hashem repaid the midwives, and the nation multiplied greatly. And it was because the
midwives feared Hashem, and he made them houses.
4:08 PM
January 5, 2018
י‘‘עשת תבט ח‘‘ח
תומש תשרפ
January 9—- General Studies
Faculty meeting– Hamilton 3:50
pm dismissal all grades,
Williston 4:00 pm dismissal, no
aftercare both buildings
January 15—Faculty
professional development day–
no classes both buildings.
January 24—STEM Fair– details
to follow
Welcome to the Birnbaum family from England. Sara, Tobi, Shimon
and Nechama have joined 1G, 3G, 6B and 8G classes.
1B completed learning Yom Shlishi of Maaseh Bereishis
3B finished Parshas Vayetzei and is beginning to learn Mishnayos
Sukkah.
We have wonderful learners in 5B. They completed their first daf of
Gemara and even stayed for an extra half an hour of learning on
January 1. They celebrated with Slurpees.
6B completed the first half of the complicated “shishim sugiya”,
culminating with skit, gramin and poster presentations.
Girls in grade four created dioramas for Sefer Yehoshua and each
girl described the scene that they depicted.
Grades 2-4G participated in an exciting Chidon for Sefer Bereishis.
Thank you Morah Fontek for preparing the chidon and for
moderating it in such an animated fashion. Thank you Morah
Sternfield for your innovative PowerPoint presentation equipped
with applause for correct answers.
Rashi, according to the םימכח יתפש, learns the
second possuk םיתב םהל שעיו as a continuation of
the possuk that precedes it. Measure for measure –
the midwives were responsible for saving Jewish
children – so Hashem repaid them by building
their individual homes.
Rav Pam ל״צז notes in the name of the םייחה רוא
שודקה that the simple reading of the possuk
connotes that the primary reward of the תודלימ was
the outstanding success of their mission: םעה בריו
דאמ ומצעיו the nation multiplied greatly. The fact
that they saw the fruits of their efforts and
sacrifice with the incredible growth of לארשי ללכ
paled in comparison with their other reward of the
construction of their own homes. Therefore,
explains Rav Pam, the possuk only mentions the
reward of םיתב םהל שעיו
after the primary reward
of םעה בריו
.
Their success, continues Rav Pam, was not only
because of their שפנ תריסמ in keeping the baby
boys alive, but because of the way they performed
their holy task. The תודלימ were דבכוי and םירמ.
Within the story of the תודלימ, however, they are
not referred to by their real names, but rather are
called הרפש and העופ. These names, explains
Rashi, reflect the quality and tenderness of their
care. Even in an environment of דחא סרכב השש
where women were regularly bearing sextuplets,
Shifra and Puah lavished attention and care on
each individual baby as if that baby was an only
child. Thus it was the ultimate reward for them to
see Klal Yisrael flourish. They saw the success of
their dedication.
Conversely, Chazal inform us that the work Klal
Yisrael did in Mitzrayim was meaningless. They
built םותיפ and ססמער, Both which were situated on
quicksand. Anything the Jews built the day before
sunk into the ground when they returned to work
the next day. This was the ultimate ךרפ תדובע, to
labor and toil, and see no results. Even had they
not benefited from their work, but they would
have witnessed the results of their labor, it would
not have been as crushing. To work and see no
outcome was the greatest of disappointments
May Hashem bentch us that we see the success of
the efforts we invest in raising our precious
children.
תבש טוג
Rabbi Ochs