Shabbat Shalom.
I would like to thank
everyone who came to my Bat Mitzvah this morning.
In my torah
portion, Ki Tavo, Moshe instructed the Israelites to bring the first fruits to
G-d as an offering. Moshe also urged the Israelites to thank Hashem for all the
good that he has done for them. He also lists the blessings where Hashem will
reward the Israelites if they follow the laws of the Torah, and he then lists
all the harsh consequences that will overtake them if they abandon his
commandments.
One
of the most interesting parts of this parsha is the idea of choice.
Moshe clearly explains that the Jewish people
have a choice. They can follow Hashem and be a holy nation, or they can suffer.
He also says that the Israelites are G-d’s chosen people, but they also must
make the choice to follow Hashem.
Moshe clearly laid out
BOTH the positives and negatives of following Hashem’s rules. If you choose
to follow Hashem, you will be blessed, your land will be fruitful and your
enemies will fall. If you choose not to listen to his commandments, then
curses will overtake you, you will be returned to slavery, you will have
terror, plagues and sickness. These consequences are horrible, but Hashem
still gives people a choice about whether or not to follow his instructions.
This parshah relates to
my life because there are many important choices that we must make everyday. If
you choose to not listen to your parent’s rules, you will get in
trouble. If you choose not to study, you will receive bad grades.
If you choose not to vote, your voice will not be heard. If you choose
not to follow laws, you will be punished.
Another choice that I
have made over the past 8 years, is my choice to play the violin. Rabbi
Hammerman and I discussed a great deal about the violin and its importance in
Jewish culture. It is a fragile instrument that requires a great deal of
balance and skill to produce a wonderful sound.
I choose to attend group and private
lessons twice a week. I also choose to practice every day so that I can
improve my skills. I get to choose what pieces I perform for my solo
concerts and by the effort that I put into my practice, I choose how
they will sound.
People make simple
choices like what to eat for breakfast - cereal or waffles (waffles
definitely!) and more important choices like choosing to study torah and follow
Hashem. Today, I have made the choice to be a woman on the bimah who read
torah. I have chosen to spend time studying and learning these traditions
because they are important to me, my family and the Jewish people. I think it
is important for both men and women to have the opportunity to study torah and
become closer to Hashem. All of my Bat Mitzvah studies have allowed me to feel
more connected to Hashem. Now a Bat Mitzvah, I also plan on being a more
active member of our Jewish community.
My mitzvah project is
called “Hooties for Hearts” where I will be raising money for the Babies Heart
Fund, and also donating mini owl plushies at New York-Presbyterian Columbia
University Medical Center (Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York) to children in the hospital who are having heart
surgery. The reason this is my project is that when I was four years old, I was
diagnosed with a heart condition called SVT, Supraventricular Tachycardia. This
condition is where someone’s heart beats suddenly at a super rapid speed, which
is very dangerous. Three years ago, I had cryoablation surgery at Morgan
Stanley’s Children’s Hospital to correct the problem. At the hospital after my
surgery, my parents gave me a stuffed animal owl that I named Hootie. I
decided to name my project “Hooties for Hearts” where I will be donating owl
toys to other kids who are having surgery at the hospital. If you would like to
make a tax-deductible donation to the Babies Heart Fund, more information
can be found in your program.
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