On Shabbat November 9-10, Rabbi Mendelson’s eleventh grade shiur enjoyed a Shabbat in yeshiva with their rebbe. In addition to inspiring tefillot, lively Shabbat meals and Divrei Torah by Rav Mendelson, RIETS Dean Rabbi Penner and YU Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Simon, talmidim had the opportunity to learn in Yeshiva University’s Glueck Beit Midrash with college and semicha students, many of whom are MTA alumni. Talmidim spent more than 10 hours learning over the course of Shabbat. This incredible experience helped talmidim with their motivation to learn and showed them how amazing and meaningful a Shabbat can really be. On Motzei Shabbos, talmidim took a bechina to see how much they learned and were all happy with their results. “I loved the in-Shabbos and wish we could have one every week,” said Yaakov Schwartz (‘20). “It showed me that I am capable of spending so many hours of my day learning and it was great spending time with my rebbe and friends.” On Shabbos, Rav Mendelson gave a mashal that perfectly describes this sentiment: Circus elephants are bound since youth by a peg in the ground and over time, they learned that they could not escape. However, when a fire broke out and all of the elephants panicked, they easily pulled up their pegs and ran away. The elephants no longer remained bound by their pegs. They had learned what they were capable of doing. All it takes is one Shabbat of learning to realize what one is capable of.

By Elishama Marmon (‘20)