Lifecycles
Mazel Tov to Chaim and Yael Greenwald (Class of 1996) on the birth of twin girls!
Mazel Tov to Baruch and Chanie Delman (Bais Medrash) on the birth of a boy.
Mazel Tov to Mr. Yehoshua and Chaya Glatt (Bais Medrash) on the birth of a boy.
Mazel Tov to Rabbi Michoel and Rifkie Abrahamson (Bais Medrash) on the birth of a boy.
Mazel Tov to Benyamin and Chani Yachnes (Bais Medrash) on the birth of a boy.
 Donate $18 to WITS in honor of a lifecycle. E-mail me at alumni@witsyeshiva.com which lifecycle the donation is in honor of. |
 
WITS Alumni Basketball Game Scheduled for January 10, 2009The third annual WITS Alumni Basketball game is scheduled for Motzei Shabbos, January 10th at 8 PM at the JCC in Milwaukee. All alumni are invited to come and help the alumni get a victory. Contact me at alumni@witsyeshiva.com. Arrangements can be made for Shabbos. Watch highlights of last year's game here.MARTY CONLON is planning on attending!
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A new alumni collaborative mishnayos project is underway for 2008-2009. The goal is for alumni to collectively complete all of mishnayos by June 7, 2009. (graduation). Go to shloshim.org and grab your mesechata now. Listing is under Leah Chinyah bas Kalman Melech A"H.
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| Thank you for staying connected! |
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| Upcoming Events |
- 10 Year Reunion- Class of 1999- Shabbos of January 23rd in New York, contact Dovid Weiss- zliff99@yahoo.com for more details
- WITS Alumni Basketball Gamne- January 10th in Milwaukee, 8 PM at the JCC
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Chanukah- Natural Miracles by Rabbi Yehudah Prero (1989)
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The Talmud (Sanhedrin 42a) relates that "Rav Yochanan said
'All who make the blessing on (the new moon for) the month in the proper time,
it's as if they have greeted the Divine Presence."
Rabeinu Yona (on the Rif at the end
of the 4th chapter of Brachos) offers an explanation of Rav Yochanan's
statement. He says that we know that G-d is not visible; our eyes cannot see
any corporeal embodiment of G-d. However, we can "see" him by witnessing the wonders He
creates and manifestations of His might.
The verse in Yeshaya (45:15) states, "Indeed, you are a G-d
who conceals Himself, the G-d of Israel,
the Savior." This means that even though G-d is hidden from our eyes, as we
cannot see him, He is still the G-d of Israel,
for whom he performs countless wonders, and He is our Savior at all times.
Through the acts of salvation performed for us, we, mankind, are able to "see"
Hashem, He is revealed to us, and we are cognizant of his presence. Through the
monthly cycle of the waxing and waning of the moon, we are able to catch a
glimpse of the wondrous workings of G-d. As such, when we recognize this and
bless G-d accordingly, it is as if we are greeting G-d Himself, as we are
acknowledging His presence.
The Alter of Kelm elaborates on Rabeinu Yona's message. Once
a person becomes accustomed to certain behaviors or certain happenings, the
person no longer becomes emotionally moved upon witnessing those behaviors or
happenings. These matters fade into the background and become simply facts of
life. The person no longer gives any thought as to how or why those events
occurred, or who made them happen.
The sun, as we know, shines during the day. Its rise and set
comes with regularity, day in and day out. As nightfall comes, the light of the
sun fades and the moon takes its prominent place in the heavens above. The
moon, unlike the sun, does not look the same two days running. The verse in
Tehillim (104:19) says "He has made the
moon for appointed times, the sun - he knows its coming."
On this verse, the Talmud (Rosh HaShana 25a) says that "it
is only the sun whose coming an ordinary person knows, but the moon - (as its
time cycle varies) he does not know." This aspect of change present in the moon
counters the regularity we experience in everyday life. It causes a person to
reflect on who placed the moon in the sky, who made the moon come and go in a
cycle of change from night to night. The differing appearance of the moon gives
us a glimpse of G-d by presenting us
with a visible manifestation of His presence. Because, monthly, the change
starts anew, we take the opportunity to recognize His presence, we bless Him
accordingly and thereby greet G-d Himself.
The miracle of Chanukah encapsulates this duality of our
recognition of G-d's presence. In truth, the very fact that oil burns is
miraculous in it of itself. We could easily say to ourselves that just as G-d
said one day's worth of oil should burn for one day, He could say that it
should burn for 8 days.
The "miracle," at its core, is essentially the same.
However, the Alter says, familiarity and habit blind us. Those happenings,
however miraculous, that occur on a daily basis, lose their emotional impact.
We, over time, fail to recognize that
nature is only nature because Hashem made it nature. The occurrence of the out
of the ordinary event is what causes us to stand up and take notice. It has the
effect of not only causing us to appreciate G-d's hand in the outright miracle,
but also enables us to appreciate the
miraculous nature of nature. Seeing oil burn for seven days longer than it
should not only brought about an appreciation for this apparent miracle, but
for Hashem's hand in everyday life as well.
The Bais Yosef asked a well known and oft-repeated question:
If there was enough oil to last one day, why then do we celebrate Chanukah for
8 days - the first day was not a miracle! The Alter from Kelm says the answer,
we now know, is readily apparent. Through the miracle that occurred for seven
days, everyone was vividly reminded that it was Hashem who miraculously allowed
oil to burn in the first place. Just as by the cycle of the moon we make a
blessing upon encountering this realization, we do similarly by Chanukah.
On the first night of Chanukah, we acknowledge the miracles
of Hashem inherent in nature. On the remaining nights, we acknowledge the
supernatural miracles of Hashem. Chanukah is a holiday on which we have the
opportunity to thank Hashem for all manifestations of His presence of our
lives.
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Jay Hellman |
WITS Alumni Director
(414)963-9317 x124
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48 Current Alumni Members
The Mach-WITS-a shekel automatic Monthly campaign is back! We currently have 47 monthly members at amounts ranging from $10 a month to $300 a month. Help us reach our goal of 75 total members for the year. Click here to sign up! I know you want to see WITS on your credit card statement every month! Make Paypal your pal!
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Shabbos Sponsorships 
Are you looking to do something special in honor or in memory of a loved one or someone special to you? You can help make a Shabbos special for the talmidim at WITS by sponsoring
-An Oneg Shabbos for $100
-A Shabbos Kiddush for $180
-A Shalosh Seudah for $360
-A Shabbos Day or Night Seudah for $540
-A Festive Yom Tov Seudah- $750
-All three Shabbos Seudahs for $1250
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Shabbos in WITS 
Have you been back to WITS recently? Contact me at alumni@witsyeshiva.com and I will try and make arrangements for you to spend a Shabbos at WITS. I can arrange for you to stay by one of the Rebbeim. Get away and come back! |
Focus on Alumni
Nominate a fellow alumnus(or yourself) you know for focus on alumni at alumni@witsyeshiva.com
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Alumni Association
iA
