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Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Shalhevet news online: When we know it, you'll know it

The Boiling Point

Summer: A time for mitzvot your own way

By Yosef Nemanpour, 11th Grade

There’s a story from the Ponevezher rav, who was a giant in the field of collecting money for charity. He would singlehandedly raise money for multiple charities, yeshivot and seminaries.

One day as he goes from donor to donor, through a list of his helpful high-rolling patrons, he knocks on one door expecting the same elderly man as usual. This time he finds a young adult, the son of the elderly man, who opens the door.

When the Rav finds out the man just recently passed away, he tells him of all the stories and the all good that has come from his father’s donations, and strongly asks that he continue his legacy. Regretfully the son apologizes, saying that if he did, he would barely be able to make ends meet.

The Rav then responded, “Very well, then there’s just one thing left to do.” He pulls out a page of all of his donors and says, “All you have to do is cross his name out from the list, and he and you will be checked off the list.” Of course, five minutes later the Rav left with the young adult’s gracious charity.

Summer is here, and things change, our schedules change, our activities change, or our life completely changes, so we sometimes feel like we have the ability to, guilt-free, cross our names off the list.

But in fact it’s summer, and that means the exact opposite.  We should take this free time, and use it to grow, to achieve, to be inspired! It’s a beautiful time with unlimited opportunity to learn the way we want, and not by a mechanical curriculum that for many students is not applicable. Make learning interesting, make it applicable! Learn at the beach, at the park where you can truly not only connect with the text, but with God, through the nature He created. Just don’t check yourself out!

In case there are any high school teenagers having trouble, or who don’t know how to even connect, or can’t seem to find the right way for them, I would love to help and assist. I myself am a junior at Shalhevet, and I’m fun so don’t be shy! You can e-mail me at [email protected]

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