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DIRECTIVE OR CHOICE? 4:51 PM February 9, 2018 כ“ד שבט תשע“ח פרשת משפטים · February 15– 21– mid-winter break.– no school · February 22—regular classes resume · March 4 –Torah Academy 36th Anniversary Dinner · Thank you to all the parents who attended parent teacher conferences this past week. Your presence shows your commitment to your children's’ education. · 7th and 8th grade boys had the זכות , privilege, of listening to Rabbi Simcha Horowitz, a Rosh Yeshiva, in New York. He talked about fences that the חכמים make promote greater עבודת ה‘ . · 1B celebrated completing the first perek of Sefer Bereishis with a grand siyum. · מזל טוב to 4B on Maseches Rosh Hashonah. They celebrated this accomplishment with a trip to Altitude Trampoline Park. · מזל טוב to 7G on completing Parshas Chukas. They celebrated with a waffles and ice cream siyum. · 4G celebrated their siyum of Parshas Vayechi with a special Bircas Yaakov project and pizza party. Thank you Mrs. Rosengard for picking up the pizza. · 5G, when learning a new רש״י , put a chocolate chip in a jar. מזל טוב to them on filling the jar. They melted the chips in a chocolate fountain and enjoyed dipping pretzels, cookies and marshmallows. · מזל טוב to 8G on completing Parshas Matos and their unit on the בית המקדש . They celebrated with a siyum that included delicious potato kugel prepared by Mrs. Rochel Leah Rodkin and her able assistant, Brocha Yehudis. The possuk in this week’s parsha reads: אם כסף תלוה את עמי את העני עמך . Literally translated, the possuk is explained as follows: When one lends money to a poor individual, he should not forcefully demand repayment. Rather, if he knows that the borrower cannot repay, he should refrain from embarrassing him, and ask for the money with empathy. In this scenario, the word אם is not translated as its more familiar term ‘if’, but as Rashi notes, referencing other instances, it is translated as כאשר , when. Based on the possuk of העבט תעביטנו , the גמרא cautions that lending money to someone in need is not merely an optional activity, but is an obligation. If a person has the wherewithal to lend money to an individual requiring assistance, and he is assured that he will eventually be repaid, the Torah directs him that he must help the needy petitioner. The מהר״ל questions why, if the Torah obligates the loan, the Torah uses the ambiguous language of אם .אם can be easily interpreted as ‘if’ – implying that the person chooses to lend the money. Translating אם as ‘when’ is not the typical usage of the word. The מהר״ל answers by explaining that the Torah desires to impart a powerful lesson. There are different levels possible when performing the mitzvah of lending money. The Torah is not just interested in the actual dollars and cents of the loan, but in the performance of the entire mitzvah. A mitzvah can only be considered a מצוה מן המובחר when completed with the appropriate attitude. Are you lending the money because it’s your Torah obligation to do so, אם , translate as ‘when’? Or are you lending the money because you truly desire to help another Yid , אם , translated as ‘if’? If your אם is ‘if’, indicating choice, then you have reached the level where the Torah’s demands are your own personal will. We often wonder how to gauge our fulfillment of a מצוה , and what benchmark to use to evaluate our performance. The לימוד of the מהר״ל provides this understanding. Have you arrived at the point where your choices align with the Torah’s directives? Or are you performing the mitzvos because that is what you are obligated to do? This concept extends to our job in Chinuch as well. It is not enough to be mechanech our children to perform mitzvos out of obligation. We need to instill in them a love and joy in Torah and mitzvos so that they perform the mitzvos by choice. גוט שבת Rabbi Ochs

Bulletin Board WEEK OF LEARNING · 15-22 Shevat—Sponsored in honor of Eliezer Melech ben Chasya Rochel by his Shiur Mates CONDOLENCES · Mrs. Devorah Millman and Mrs. Michelle Zimmerman on the passing of their father, Chonon ben Moshe z”l, Mr. Herb Hausman. COMMUNITY EVENTS · 26 Sivan, Sunday February 11—Septimus bris at the Kollel of Greater Boston, after the 7:45am Shacharis Grade 5 Y. Feldman , Y. Fontek, M. Leff, D.T. Krochmal, N. Youshaei Grade 6: A. Bier, Y. Gould (also Parshas Bshalach), N. Halpern, M. Miara, N. Ochs Grade 7: Y. Gluckin, M. Hain, Y.A. Leff, S.M. Solomon, Y. Zyto Grade 8: M. Fontek, Y. Miara Raffle Winners: N. Halpern, Y. A. Leff, Y. Miara SHNAYIM MIKRA Mazel Tov to learners for Parshas Yisro MAZEL TOV! · Penina (’11) Polter on her engagement to Binyomin Greenberg and to parents, Rabbi Raphael (3B Kodesh) and Mrs. Sara Polter HEALTH ALERT Many of our students and faculty have the flu and other viruses. Please be vigilant about keeping your child home if s/he is showing symptoms. Please follow your pediatrician’s guidelines for the sake of others. PRESCHOOL REQUEST The Preschool classes are looking for empty Pringles cans for Purim projects

HAMILTON SNAPSHOTS 1. 7G working as a team on their history project for the Torah Academy Dinner. 2. K2 enjoying recess in the playground. 3. 4G made HaMalach HaGoel projects at their siyum on Parashas Vayechi. 4. The Pre-K classes celebrated completing their unit on brochos with a brochos fair. 5. K2 curling up like a Python for P week. 6. 4G tests the voltage of an apple, a potato, & a lemon battery. 2. 4. 1. 6. 6. 5. 5. 4. 6. 4. 4. 4. 3.

WILLISTON SNAPSHOTS 1. A story about my great grandfather by Tzvi Taylor- Grade 1 2. 1B siyum celebrating completion of perek א in Parshas Bereishis 3. 1B finishing learning perek א in Parshas Bereishis 4. 3B engaged in learning with Mrs. Johnson 5. 4B trip to Altitude trampoline park in honor of Siyum Maseches Rosh Hashonah 6. 4B student, Yehuda Leib Feldman, presents a Divar Torah at their siyum of Maseches Rosh Hashonah. 2. 4. 6. 3. 1. 5.

Mazel tov to Yosef Aryeh Leff on his becoming a Bar Mitzvah! A seforim registry is available at the Israel Book Shop ___________________________________ _______________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ANNOUNCING ARTSCROLL’S 30% OFF TALMUD & MISHNAH SALE Dear Customer We are pleased to announce an incredible sale on the Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud, Yad Avraham Mishnah, the new Schottenstein Mishnah Elucidated, and Ryzman Hebrew Mish-nah through Monday, February 19th . During this sale an amazing 30% discount will be offered to the public on all of the following editions: · Schottenstein English Talmud Bavli Full Size and Daf Yomi Size · Schottenstein Hebrew Talmud Bavli Full Size and Compact Size · Schottenstein English Talmud Yerushalmi · Schottenstein Hebrew Talmud Yerushalmi · Yad Avraham Mishnah Individual Full Size volumes and Complete 44 volume set · Yad Avraham Mishnah Pocket-size Sets · Schottenstein Mishnah Elucidated – Full Size volumes and Sets of Sedarim · Schottenstein Mishnah Elucidated Pocket-size Sets Ryzman Hebrew Mishnah – Full Size volumes and Sets of Sedarim *Sale does not apply to the Paperback Talmud Travel Edition individual volumes ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AVAILABLE FROM THE ISRAEL BOOK SHOP 410 HARVARD ST, BROOKLINE,MA 617-566-7113 INFO@ISRAELBOOKSHOP.COM FREE DELIVERY IN BROOKLINE, BRIGHTON AND NEWTON