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MIDRASHOT IN ISRAEL

Rabbi Morrie Wruble Rabbi Eitan Mayer

lessons from

my garden

few years ago, I started Commitment. Sometimes, planting
growing berries in my garden means depositing a sapling in a field
A – strawberries, raspberries and and then getting back on the bus and The “Moriah Family”
blackberries. I kept my expectations disappearing forever. But I learned Come learn in a warm, friendly, non-
low. Between the Gush Etzion cold, the what happens when we “set it and competitive, no-pressure atmosphere with
teachers who really know you.
Neve Daniel wind, Israel’s punishing forget it.” I set up a system to water my
summer sun, armies of hungry Middle garden automatically, but then I didn’t More Choices
Eastern bugs, and my own spotty check whether it was still watering a Launch your adult connection with Torah
record in the garden, I was hoping for a few months later. Only once the plants by building a schedule reflecting your
few edible berries. In the end, my crop were literally dying did I finally realize interests, learning style and level from
exceeded all my expectations. And I’m that the batteries had died. among our over 100 courses each semester.
not even talking about the berries.
We need to plant and then stay com-
I grew up thinking that Tu BiShvat mitted. In all growth in life, if we “set it Growth
was when Jews gnawed sadly on bukser and forget it,” we’ll find that while we A year to make Torah your own and find your
personal direction as a Jew.
(dried carob pods) from Eretz Yisrael. were away, the batteries ran out and the
So I was thrilled when my own garden weeds arrived uninvited. The garden we Diversity
in Eretz Yisrael began to produce sweet, planted with such excitement and invest- Girls from different kinds of schools from
edible treats. Chazal tell us that there is ment is long gone, replaced by a jungle. all over, teachers and mentors with diverse
no clearer sign of the redemption than Being wrong. My garden taught me backgrounds and perspectives so you can
Eretz Yisrael’s offering her delicious how to be happy to be wrong. Time experience the full richness of Torah.
fruits to her returning children.
1
and again, I would decide that a plant
That would have been more than was dead – and then watch, surprised Location
enough for me. But the unexpected and thrilled, as it shot out new leaves Living and learning in the heart of central
“bonus crop” was the lessons my and beautiful flowers. Not only did Jerusalem.
garden has yielded about how to be a I learn not to give up on plants (and
better person, a better Jew, and even a people) so quickly, I also learned to be
better teacher. humble about my opinions and ready
Work for it. We’ve all probably eaten to learn that I’m wrong. Being ready
some good pineapple. But when my to be wrong is another way of saying
first pineapple grew and ripened right being ready to learn, to grow, and to
here in my yard, it was not just pineap- experience wonder.
ple, it was a pineapple miracle, months We’ve come a long way since bukser. Midreshet Moriah
of watching with wonder (disbelief?) May we soon merit the full redemp- +972-2-652-7449
as something so exotic actually grew, tion… and until then, may we enjoy midreshetoffice@gmail.com
ripened, turned a luminous yellow, sweet fruit from our gardens and a gen- www.midreshetmoriah.org
and was ready to eat. The lesson? Don’t erous crop of wisdom and insight.
compromise, don’t hold back, and don’t
wait for pineapples to fall magically
from the sky. Savor the amazing feel-
ing of accomplishment of doing things 1 Sanhedrin 98a.
yourself and doing them right. Being
spoon-fed will never taste as good as Rabbi Eitan Mayer serves as Menahel at
the fruit you worked to produce. Midreshet Moriah