Pesach

Earlier this year, Rabbi Kenneth Brander from Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future, came to speak to Yeshiva Atlanta students about prioritizing our philosophy among these three choices: Jews in our community, Jews in Israel and across the U.S., and the world at large. As those of you who have read our "Inside YA" newsletter (http://www.yeshivaatlanta.org/uploads/8/0/5/3/8053654/april_2012_ya_newsletter.pdf) know, this is not merely idle musing for YA students. Our students have been actively engaged in supporting such worthy causes as Od Yosef Chai, AIPAC, ML4, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, disadvantaged children around Atlanta, Ethiopian children in Israel, and are currently raising funds for a bomb shelter in Israel for a school in an at-risk area. (To support this bomb shelter, please send a tax-deductible donation to Operation Lifeshield to the YA main office.)

This Shabbat's Pesach reading indicates an order of priorities for Jewish giving. Re'eh 15:7 begins "If there shall be a destitute person among you, any of your brethren in any of your cities, in the land that Hashem gives you...you shall not harden your heart..." Rashi and Sifre suggest that this verse means the destitute come first, followed by relatives in order of closeness, local individuals, those in Eretz Yisrael, and then those outside of Israel. This is yet another example of why the Torah is timeless, anticipating questions that arise to this very day.

May we all continue to have our questions answered and supported by Hashem and our Torah.

This week's d'var Torah is sponsored by Nancy Weissmann in honor of the YA business office and the YA budget subcommittee.

Please join us for a lunch and learn at noon on Monday, April 16 in the media center at Yeshiva Atlanta.

Shabbat Shalom, and Chag Sameach--
Paul Oberman