This week our return to school coincided with Rosh Chodesh Shevat. The building was beautifully adorned with palm trees and hanging flowers, thanks to Mrs. Bodkins, Director of Student Life, who came in over vacation to decorate the school. After Rosh Chodesh davening, Mrs. Wolf, our Principal, explained to our girls the concept of four Roshei HaShana including, Rosh Hashana La’ ilanot - The New Year for Trees. She explained and demonstrated through a vibrant slide show presentation why and how Tu B’shvat is important in determining Maaser Sheyni and Maaser Ani מעשר שני ומעשר עני. I told the girls that while we don’t necessarily see great seasonal changes here in Florida, in Israel, as you travel up the road from the airport to Yerushalayim you can actually see the Almond Trees beginning to blossom (Remember the song השקדיה פורחת Hashkaydia porachat?)
I had the opportunity, while in Israel over the break, to witness how the seeds we plant ripen given the right conditions. I had the greatest pleasure reuniting with our alumna who are spending their gap year in the various seminaries in Israel. Each one of the young women expressed how well prepared they were for the advanced studies required of them. It truly gave me a great deal of nachas to see these girls growing in Torah, mitzvot, and emunah. At our reunion dinner I shared with them a thought that I had actually learned from one of my former students. The farmer exemplifies the height and depth of emunah. He takes a seed, plants it in the ground and waits, and waits and waits. Finally when the seeds sprout and grows, the farmer cuts the wheat down, but he is not finished yet. He then beats the sheafs of wheat until they becomes flour. Still not done, he uses the flour to bake bread, puts it in the oven, hopes that it won’t burn - and only then - after recognizing that this agricultural miracle comes from Hashem can he make the bracha “Hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz” המוציא לחם מן הארץ. So too is it with our talmidim or talmidot. Parents and teachers plant the seeds of emunah, yirat shamayim, middot tovot, but just as with any seed, one needs the right environmental conditions, so too is it if we want to see our seeds blossom, we must make sure they have the right atmosphere. The girls in Israel clearly actualized הזורעים בדמעה ברינה יקצורו - the joy we have when our hard work is realized.
There is a well known parable in the Talmud that relates the following An old man was planting a tree. A young person passed by and asked, What are you planting? A carob tree, the old man replied. Silly fool, said the youth. Don't you know that it takes 70 years for a carob tree to bear fruit? That's okay, said the old man. Just as others planted for me, I plant for future generations. The Torah is likened to the Tree of Life, עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה, and just as the Torah values were planted in us, so too we plant the tree for future generations, for our children and grandchildren. This is why a Sha’arei Bina education is a very worthwhile investment!
I look forward to greeting you all at our Dinner, next Motzei Shabbos, February 8th, as we pay tribute to our newly created Rabbinic Advisory Board, as well as our Bikur Cholim Dream Team. We will also be commemorating the dedication and naming of our middle and high school, recognizing the people who plowed the land, planted the seeds, toiled the fields to see the beautiful fruits of their labor in 16 years of Sha’arei Bina Torah Academy graduates.
Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom!
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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