Bergenfield—A couple of weeks ago, I walked down the basement stairs at Congregation Beth Abraham into a darkened social hall. After flicking on the lights, I was greeted by row after row of empty folding chairs. The silence, though brief, was deafening. While upstairs, I and three other early arrivals chatted. They nervously questioned whether we had the right night, the right time, or the correct location. I checked the Shabbos sheet and assured them that the shiur with world-renowned educator, orator, and mashpia Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller was in fact going to occur, and G-d willing, the seats would fill up in the next 10 minutes before the shiur was to begin. Sure enough, in the next 10 to 15 minutes, more than 85 women filtered into the social hall to listen raptly, while this queen among women opened our minds, and allowed us to connect with Hashem, with her, with each other, and especially, with ourselves.
Rebbetzin Heller’s shiur started off being about balance and harmony between that of chesed, or loving kindness and din, which is about structure, severity, and consequences. This short introduction can be applied to all of our lives, but most specifically when dealing with child and self education. When speaking about Gan Eden, we ask ourselves, “Why did G-d create forbidden fruit?…[it allowed Adom HaRishon] to develop choice and capacity for devotion.” We “learn that human choices have consequences [and]…consequences are what builds us.”
A discussion that really affected the learners in the room was the idea of our resistance to morality. Resistant to morality? Who me? I’m a very moral person. I try to upkeep all of the laws of the torah and the land, don’t you? Well, how many of us are drivers? Most adults in our community, right? Of those adults, how many of us believe there is a need for traffic laws? Again, probably most of us can raise our hand to that question. But then the final question, who among us can say that they’ve never broken a traffic law? Probably almost none of us. Many of us have gone above the speed limit once or twice, or tried to squeeze through that yellow-lighted intersection while on our way to an important meeting. And maybe, have even parked in a place that wasn’t strictly available for our use. So what, right? Well, this resistance to morality has been around since the beginning. Adom HaRishon, who was mentioned just above, was created directly by Hashem himself and still he fell! Still he was driven to sin; he was resistant to that morality that Rebbetzin Heller spoke about. How do we grow closer to morality? By doing mitzvos.
The Rebbetzin spoke about the four ways that doing mitzvos affects us. First, doing mitzvos changes our middos, through such activities like bikur cholim. Second, it keeps us away from nonsense. If we are spending our time doing mitzvos, surely we can’t spend that same time doing things that are bad for us. Third, mitzvos help preserve social order, like with shabbos—they create relationships, and teach us to listen to authority. Fourth, doing mitzvos allows a Jew to elevate the material world—such as through kashrus, brochos, and shatnes. Still, this was just a drop in the overflowing bucket of wisdom and knowledge that she imparted upon us on this very holy Tuesday evening.
She spoke briefly about the attack in Har Nof in which both her son-in-law and grandson were present and her son-in-law was injured. She spoke about the widows of the victims and how they are using their time and energy to heal the entire Klal, by teaching and encouraging Jews of all types to work together while retaining their uniqueness. And she expounded upon their chesed projects; their healing of the world, while healing themselves. She also spoke about the men who still need our tefillos and their ongoing injuries and medical procedures.
Rebbetzin Heller has this wonderfully unique delivery style in which she is able to impart her expansive wisdom while still being totally relatable. She has this dry, entertaining humor and presents her shiur so that it is accessible to women of every hashkafic and Torah education level. Still, one gets the sense that while she’s giving her audience the tools and the knowledge to succeed and grow, she’s doing that same work on herself.
Having taught at Neve Yerushalayim Seminary for 35 years, she has had the opportunity to teach almost two generations of baalas teshuvot, halachot, chumash, and more. She travels extensively, giving shiurim in the U.S., twice yearly, and also in England and Uman. She has authored hundreds of books, articles, blogs, webinars, and classes and still continues to do so almost daily. Even better, they are easily accessible online at naaleh.com, aish.com, torahanytime.com, and best of all, tziporahheller.com, her newly updated website.
But, ladies and gents, times are a changin’. Rebbetzin Heller is opening her very own seminary. It will be situated on the Neve campus and affiliated with Neve, but will be targeting Bais Yaakov graduates. And, just like that shiur that I had the merit to attend, the year will be divided into three sections, bein adam l’chavero, bein adom l’makom, and bein adom l’atzmo. Rebbetzin Heller’s schedule is sure to change, but just like her shiur, she will surely balance her time and attention through both an outpouring of chessed as well as the structure of din.
By Miriam Rosenfeld
