13 Tevet, 5783

January 6, 2023


Parshat Vayechi

Yaakov has been plagued by sibling rivalry his whole life, literally from the womb. Yet, in his waning moments, he seems, once again, to engage in an act of favoritism that seems likely to spark rivalry. He picks Yosef’s, and only Yosef’s sons, for a special honor. Why would he do this?


We might be able to understand this by looking at Yaakov’s last act in conjunction with his last request. He requests that he be buried in the Land of Israel.


The fact that Yaakov wanted to be buried in Israel is not shocking. It is where he came from, the land where his parents and wives are buried, and the future home promised by Hashem to all of Bnei Yisrael.


But what is the relationship between this request and indicating that Yosef’s sons, unlike any of the other brothers’ sons, would be considered like Yaakov’s own children?


Rashi explains that what Yaakov means by saying that they will be like his own sons is that they will be given a portion of the land of Israel just as his other sons will. Rashi often makes connections in his commentary to the idea that owning a piece of the Land of Israel is the ultimate goal of a true member of Bnei Yisrael. For instance, in the very first Rashi in the Torah, Rashi indicates that the purpose of all of Sefer Bereishit and the beginning of Sefer Shemot is to firmly establish our connection with the Land of Israel.


So, according to Rashi, both Yaakov’s request to be buried in the Land of Israel and his designation of Efraim and Menashe as like his own sons, were based on how important the Land of Israel was to Yaakov.



Upcoming Events:


January 8 - Sunday Morning Tefillah in the Kohelet Yeshiva Beit Midrash at 9:00 AM


January 8 - 11th Grade Fundraiser at Kohelet from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Featuring Local Vendors and Food


January 11 - The Shirley and Enoch Trenchler z"l Memorial Blood Drive from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM


January 13-14 - 9th Grade Lower Merion Shabbaton



January 16 - Parent Ed Night Regarding Substance Abuse from 7:00 - 8:00 PM


January 20-January 23 - Mid-Winter Break, No School


January 25 - College Night for Juniors on Zoom from 7:30 - 8:30 PM


January 27 - 4/5 Fridayton


January 28 - 4/5 Motzei Shabbat Event


January 30 - 9th Grade Parent: Let's Talk! from 7:00 - 8:00 PM



See what else is coming up at Kohelet Yeshiva here.

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But why does he want to give this designation only to them and not his other grandchildren?


Chizkuni gives several explanations for why only Yosef’s sons were given this honor. He explains that this was a reward for the fact that their father sustained Yaakov and his family in Egypt. Perhaps if one combines the two approaches of Rashi and Chizkuni, one could say that for Yaakov, the best reward he could ever give someone who deserved a reward was to give them a portion in the Land of Israel.


According to Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin, there might be more to designating Efraim and Menashe as Yaakov’s sons than rewarding them.


When Yaakov calls for Yosef’s sons, he refers to them as having been born in Egypt before Yaakov came down to Egypt. This description is intentional. It is true that Yosef and his sons sustained Yaakov and his family and deserve a reward. But they are also missing some important things that Yaakov’s other grandchildren already had. They were not born in Israel, and they did not grow up around Yaakov. These deficits could have left Efraim and Menashe spiritually crippled without a Mesorah from their grandfather and without a connection to the Land of Israel. Yaakov, who valued these things so much, wanted to make sure that his two grandchildren who were missing them had what they needed to spiritually flourish. So, he gave them the gift of being like his children and having a portion in the Land of Israel. Not to favor them over the other grandchildren, but because they needed it more than they did.

 

Shabbat Shalom, 


Mrs. Amy Stein

Alumni Corner

Calling All Kohelet Yeshiva High School and Stern Hebrew High School Alumni...


Click here to fill out the Kohelet Yeshiva/Stern Hebrew High School Alumni Association Google form and you could win AirPods Pro!

We had a great time at the "Stern Hebrew High School Reunion - Classes of 2004-2008" on Motzei Shabbat, December 17th, at Le Vin Cellar! It was wonderful seeing so many alumni, and our faculty truly enjoyed catching up with some of their former students.

Coming Up:
Click Here to Register for the Blood Drive at Kohelet


Blood Drive Date: Wednesday, January 11th


Location: Kohelet Yeshiva High School Beit Midrash 


Time: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM


What is needed: Picture ID and/or student ID 


What to expect: Each session will last approximately 15 minutes, not including the wait time before and after your donation, which could be up to 15 minutes each. Food and drink will be given before and after your blood is drawn. 


If you are available to help out as a volunteer, please email jazmine.rose@koheletyeshiva.org.

High School Happenings

Mitzvah Momentum!

We are excited about a school-wide (K-8), year-long initiative that we introduced to the students called Mitzvah Momentum!


Students in grades K-8 will be focusing on a particular mitzvah during each part of the year. In January-February we are focusing on Bikur Cholim, March-April will be Tzedakah, and May-June will be Hakarat HaTov. 


There are various components to this program depending on the age of your child, outlined in the Mitzvah Momentum At Home Chart that appears above. 


As part of this program, we are asking each Kohelet family to discuss a Chessed that you would like to get involved in as a family during December. Please click here to download the Mitzvah Momentum At Home Chart and then fill in your family's Chessed and attach a picture of your family performing the Chessed (if you'd like).

Chanukah at Kohelet Yeshiva

We had a wonderful week of Chanukah at Kohelet Yeshiva before starting our winter break! Our students spent time learning, building, playing, contemplating, giving, singing, and of course, eating!


The special programming culminated with our annual Chanukah learning program, where our High School students learned together with our Lab School and Middle School students, which was followed by a beautiful K-12 chanukiyah lighting in the gym.


Please click on the link below to enjoy some Chanukah scenes from school.

KYHS students enjoyed several fun Chanukah activities, including Chanukah Sugar Cookie Making & Decorating, Dreidel Scattegories, Make Your Own Ugly Sweater Contest, Steal the Salami Gelt, and Spin It To Win It.

The Chanukah fun at KYLS and KYMS included wrapping presents and making cards for the Bikkur Cholim Chanukah Toy Drive, latke making, a dreidel spinning contest, KYLS Minute To Win It, learning about the science of Chanukah with special guest KYLS and KYMS parent Josh Katz, and "recycled Chanukiyah making."

It was an incredible feeling seeing our KYHS students learning together with our KYLS and KYMS students as part of our annual schoolwide Chanukah learning program!

News from Kohelet Yeshiva

Mazal Tov to all of our high school students who completed this year's Chanukah Learning Initiative! The 3-week long program focused on learning the halachot of Al Hanissim, Shemoneh Esrei, and Birkat Hamazon. Students spent several hours of independent learning time learning Gemara, Rishonim, Shulchan Aruch, and various other sources. The students that participated in this special learning program enjoyed a celebratory barbecue lunch at Rabbi Horn's house!

Our middle school boys and girls basketball teams were both in action before winter break. Thanks to Politz Day School of Cherry Hill for hosting us in their beautiful brand new gym!

It was a pleasure welcoming back Kohelet Yeshiva alumni Eric Dolitsky (KY ‘20) and Noam Troodler (KY ‘20) for a special Lunch and Learn with our current KYHS students!

Updates from the Kohelet Beit Midrash
Parnas HaYom

Sponsor a day or a week of learning at Kohelet Yeshiva. Contact Nachi Troodler at ntroodler@koheletyeshiva.org for details or click here to sign up.

Thank you to our recent Parnas HaYom Sponsors!


December 19th-23rd


Lisa, Jordan, Meira and Matan Booty


In honor of Yoni Booty’s second Yahrtzeit.



Kohelet Yeshiva | www.koheletyeshiva.org | 223 North Highland Ave, Merion Station, PA 19066
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