Community members gathered at the Young Israel of Hillcrest on Sunday evening, July 21, for a Night of Unity hosted by Chazaq.
Rebbetzin Yemima Mizrachi, well-known Israeli speaker, spoke about the role of the Jewish woman. She taught that the role of our generation is to bring people and things together. She said that women do this naturally. The Maharal calls a woman “the power of gathering things, which are suddenly spread.” When your children fight or a child goes far away, you are the power to bring everything together. Rachel Imeinu brings all of us together. That’s why she was buried “on the way.”
She shared that last week she met with Meirov Berger, mother of Agam Berger, a young soldier kidnapped two days after she had the new role to see if terrorists were coming in. She is still held hostage in the Gaza underground. Her mother showed her daughter’s cell phone that had a message of emunah on the screen.
Rebbetzin Mizrachi said that Rachel Imeinu is on the way to hug those girls in Gaza and soldiers far from home. She has to hug thousands of families who are not at home now in Israel. They have been out of their homes already for nine months, living in hotels and elsewhere. Ima is here. She’s gathering all of them around her. That’s the meaning of the fast this [past] week.
We are fasting because we have a soul and pain. Hashem sees the pain, but He needs someone to speak for someone else.
Hashem tells Moshe to give the five daughters of Tz’lafchad what they asked for. They will have portion in Israel. Moshe then thinks that maybe he can go to Israel, as well. Chazal tells us that when those five girls wanted a house in Israel, there was someone who spoke for them, and that was Moshe. However, no one davened for Moshe. Moshe davens for a whole nation. No one brought Moshe’s claim in front of Hashem.
She said that we are going to be speakers for one another. She instructed everyone to ask the person next to her what she wants most. Then she instructed everyone to daven for each other. These t’filos are answered because Hahem sees us caring. Agam Berger saw girls leaving Gaza. She made them braids so they would look beautiful when the whole world saw them coming out. She did this because she cares about them. She said, “I hope I will get out, as well.” Pray for her! Rebbetzin Yemima said, “Now, I am her,” she said.
Moshe prays for the daughters of Tz’lafchad, but he stays there. He says you will be beautiful and happy. He stays behind.
“We are going to be women who possess unbelievable power.”
Ori Chadad is a young man who was killed in Gaza a few weeks ago. When Rebbetzin Mizrachi came to the shiv’ah house, all the mother wanted was that the Rebbetzin shouldn’t be uncomfortable. The old savta yelled at Yemima. “Why did it happen to my grandson?”
The Rebbetzin replied that Hashem listens to t’filos of the savta. Instead of asking “Lamah,” ask “Until when.” Lamah is a t’filah of crying. Ask “Until when”: It’s a t’filah that something good will happen.
The savta listened and switched her t’filah to: “I don’t want another grandmother to suffer the loss of a grandson. I daven for Mashiach.
Of the five things that happened on 17th of Tamuz, Moshe comes down the mountain with perfect Luchos – so perfect. They have to break, because they are too perfect.
Chazal tell us that we will see everything becoming good. Nine months have passed since October 7. When a woman experiences the strongest pain, then a new baby is about to be born. “We will see g’ulah this week,” she said.
She shared a mystical idea that we should be careful during the Three Weeks not to go between light and shadow until 3:30 p.m. It’s a dangerous place during the Three Weeks. When things come to an extreme, then they must turn upside down. “Go either in the shade and say to Hashem that it’s so dark – or go in the sun and say it’s so hot. When things come to their extreme, they will turn upside down. We must say to Hashem, ‘It’s enough!’”
Tell Him what needs to be changed. It’s not okay that hostages are still captured. Chazal say: When nothing is b’seder, then everything will turn to seder.
The first thing that happened on the 17th of Tamuz was that the wall around Yerushalayim was breached.
No one thought that the wall between kibbutzim and the South would break. She added, “I see women all around Israel becoming the wall. Women who live in a hotel room for nine months are making room like a house.”
When borders are broken, a woman learns to put up her own borders.
The second occurrence on the 17th of Tamuz was a siege around Yerushalayim and the Tamid sacrifice stopped. She spoke of Israeli women keeping the Tamid going despite what they are going through. She spoke of women who are now widows or mothers of injured soldiers. A woman who lost her husband during Chanukah said that she feels the love of B’nei Yisrael and that keeps her going. Rebbetzin Mizrachi taught, “You have power to go on, even when things go wrong.”
On the 17th of Tamuz, Moshe broke the Luchos. He came with this huge present, which he worked on for 40 days to bring it to klal Yisrael, but they were busy with the Golden Calf. His heart was broken. The ketubah became so heavy. He saw that no one was waiting for him, and so the Luchos needed to be broken.
On the 17th of Tamuz, a statue was placed in the Beis HaMikdash. Before October 7, we saw the picture of a person who was like a statue, and we hated him if he was different from us. That’s what happened to our nation. We hated one another. This war caused us to suddenly discover such holy souls. Soldiers of all backgrounds are fighting shoulder to shoulder. We want shalom and ahavah.
Every soldier who was killed spoke of shalom, and we will win it together – and loving one another – even though we have different views on life.
“You don’t have to give up your truth to make shalom. We are going to make shalom. We will daven for one another.”
She led everyone in a prayer for shalom. As we grow as women, we give birth to our souls every Shabbos. We keep on giving birth to ourselves. We see people in a different light.
Twenty-one days from 17 Tamuz to Tish’ah B’Av is compared to 21 days from Rosh HaShanah to Simchas Torah. Jewish simchah means turning everything upside down and making yourself happy.
Don’t wait for your husband or children to make you happy or your friends to make you happy. At the chupah in the Sheva Brachos, there are eight brachos recited. Gilah is the capacity for laughing by yourself. Rinah is singing by yourself. Ditzah is the capacity of dancing by yourself. Chedvah is changing your mood around. And then you have love (ahavah), which leads to brotherhood (achavah), which leads to shalom, which leads to friendship (rei’us).
She led everyone in giving each other a brachah.
Next, Rabbi Yigal Cohen, well-known speaker, shared that the most important midah for a woman is to be happy. Then she will be the best mother and wife. If she is happy, it helps her husband to feel like a success. He thinks to himself, she’s happy because she has me. When you smile, it helps the ego of your husband. If you are unhappy, he will feel that he failed. We ask Hashem for a lot of things.
Do you think you would be happy if you get whatever you want? If Hashem gives you everything you want, if you are happy before, you will be happy after. If you are unhappy now, you would still be unhappy. A rich man is the one who is happy with what he has.
“Be happy with yourself!” Sadly, many people don’t like themselves. If you want healthy, happy children, you need to be happy in your soul. If you aren’t happy with what you have, then it’s the opposite of rich. How do we lead a happy life?
Everyone has times of failure. I have to accept myself when I fail. I should love my friend like I love myself. Torah is teaching that we have to love each other very much. Also, before I love others, I have to love myself. To be happy, you have to accept yourself. You have to know the good things inside of yourself.
If someone criticizes you and says things that make you feel bad, you shouldn’t believe what they say. Hashem created us and G-d doesn’t make mistakes. Hashem created you, so you are beautiful. “Never be ashamed with what Hashem gave you.” He created a beautiful world with so much. Be happy with your spouse, because Hashem gave him or her to you. Be happy with your children, because Hashem gave them to you. Hashem gives us what is best for us. Our Father who loves us so much, knows what is best for us.
No person can do the work for us. If you want to change and be happy, it depends on you. “If I’m not for myself, then no one will be.” Focus on good things in your life. Hashem hates lashon ha’ra because this comes from seeing bad and thinking bad. Hashem wants us to see good, think good, and speak good. Don’t waste time looking for bad. “Fight to be happy. This is the way to love each other and bring the Beis HaMikdash.”
“My wife is different from me, but I look for good in her and I find diamonds and I love her. The same is true with my children. Look at all the mercy He gives us every second in our lives. When you see this, you feel rich. Each of us is rich.
Shlomo HaMelech said that it is better to eat plain bread in a loving house than to eat meat in a house full of fighting.
When your husband sings Eishes Chayil to you and you have children who love you, you are rich.
Think positive, because Hashem is with you. You have to believe in G-d and in yourself. You are part of Hashem. Any miracle in your life can come if you believe it. Remember: When Hashem closes one door, He will open other doors. Think good, you will bring good to yourself!
By Susie Garber
