MHA-FYOS Dean's Blog

The beginning of this week’s parasha, Parashat Ki Tavo, describes the mitzva  of bikkurim – the obligation to bring the first of one’s fruit to Yerushalayim to be given as a gift to the kohen . The Torah enumerates an additional aspect of this commandment – an obligation to be performed immediately after this gift is given – to recite four specific verses that describe the sojourn of our forefather, Jacob, in Egypt and Hashem’s subsequent salvation of the Jewish People. Incidentally, these four verses – and their explication – also serve as the backbone of the maggid section of the Passover seder . In his explanation of this mitzva , the author of the Sefer HaChinuch writes that by making this declaration about Hashem’s kindness to the Jewish People at this time – when he has reaped the produce of his land and Hashem has blessed him with the means to give this gift to the kohen – the farmer reinforces the idea in his own mind that his blessing is the result of Hashem’s handiwork an...

This week saw the arrival of two Bat Ami   shluchot   – Hinda Leah Felberman and Yocheved Morgenstern. Immediately upon their arrival, Hinda Leah and Yocheved began making an impact on the school community – meeting our students and quickly acclimating to their important role at the MHA.  Please help welcome them to Memphis!  This week also saw the final three Upper School overnight trips.  GMSG went on a rafting trip on the Spring River (CYHSB went the previous week), the Junior High boys camped at Meeman-Shelby State Park and the Junior High girls had a unique “lock-in” program at the Midrasha.  Thank you to the teachers and staff who helped organize and supervise each of these outstanding programs. This week’s   parasha , Ki Tavo, describes the blessings and curses that HaShem will visit upon b'nei Yisrael in response to our adherence to or disobedience of the   mitzvot .  One blessing that the Torah assures us of is, “HaShem   ...