Student Spotlight: Shmuel Borr
Challenging the Climb
Parshas Beshalach
The Jewish people are faced with a serious challenge. They have the Yam Suf lying ahead in front of them. They turn around and see the Mitzrim closely following them, waiting for a chance to attack them and bring them back as slaves. The enemies were closing in on all sides, and the challenge was becoming extremely difficult.
Life is about challenges that constantly surround us. On the one hand we might be dealing with something difficult, when all of a sudden a new challenge comes and sneak attacks us from behind. The Jews experienced this, and Hashem told them to keep on pressing ahead. No matter how difficult the challenge may be, Hashem is there with you and there is a way forward. They jumped straight into the Yam Suf and it split open, only to come crashing down on the Mitzrim from behind.
While the Jews were travelling through the desert, they had an unbelievable miracle of the monn falling from the Heavens. It would fall straight at their door step, and gave them everything they needed for a hearty meal. It couldn't have been a more amazing gift given to the Jewish people.
On the one hand, we have challenges that close in on us from all sides. On the other hand, Hashem gives us amazing miracles that help make our lives fantastic, and our job is to learn to appreciate them. Our goal is to find this delicate balance in our own lives. To be able to live a life where we can appreciate the miracles and challenges that Hashem gives us at the same time.
I feel so happy and filled with emotions that israel is the best place for me. There is so much here. You can't be bored or too busy here. When you know Hashem is there, everything just works out and happens so beautifully. The amount of family that I have here in Israel that I never knew existed here gives me such a fantastic feeling. I am so grateful for the opportunity to get a chance to meet everyone in this new experience.
Life sometimes is filled with challenges, and sometimes filled with miracles. I hope you all find your inner selves and believe that Hashem is there and watching over you and providing you with countless miracles. I cannot think how lucky I am with the things I have in my life, and I am so graetful that I had the opportunity to come to Yeshiva in Israel. For me it's a life changing situation, which means that it is full of challenge. However, to the best of my ability I will meet it with happiness and positive emotions, and I thank Hashem for giving me the desire to want to come to Yeshiva here. I may have only been here a week, but it has been a week full of joy. I am learning how to see the miracles within the challenge.
May you all have hatzlocha and happiness, and may we learn to take the challenges and start seeing them as miracles - To learn to enjoy life to the maximum and learn what Hashem wants us to. May we all celebrate together and bring moshiach back home home to Israel.
~ Shmuel Borr is a first-year student at Yeshivas Lev Zion, and grew up in Manchester, England.
