In my remarks at the dinner this past week I referred to a curious pasuk in Sefer Yechezkel which describes the way in which Jews entered and exited the Beit Hamikdash:

"One who enters the Temple through the north gate must exit through the south gate, and one who enters through the south gate must exit through the north."

Why the insistence on this traffic pattern? Shouldn't the focus be on what we do inside the Beit Hamikdash, regardless of which door we use to enter and exit? Rav Yehonatan Eibschutz, in his sefer Yaarot Devash, offers a beautiful insight. The Temple is the center of religious experience and, of course, what happens inside the Temple is of the utmost importance. However, in order to develop a deeper, richer religious understanding, you need to be able to see things from multiple perspectives. If you enter the Beit Hamikdash through the northern gate, challenge yourself with a different perspective by exiting through the southern gate. Familiarity breeds contempt and also complacency. By opening ourselves up to new experiences and fresh perspectives we are better able to develop an attitude of religious growth.

Our dinner honorees are all people who have each in their own way challenged us to see WYHS from a new perspective and helped us reach new heights. As you can see in this edition of Highlites, our students are constantly being challenged to see the world from multiple perspectives and to engage in a variety of new experiences. It has been a terrific year but we're not done yet! I look forward to continue seeing new perspectives that challenge us and help us grow.

Shabbat Shalom,