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Welcoming the biggest year capacity in Lev Aharon history. Initial beginning of the year 130. The largest one-time capacity in YLA history.
We are excited to welcome our new staff members, bringing the total to 49—the largest team in Lev Aharon’s history!
Already in Elul, we've embarked on three trips. On Thursday, September 5th, Rabbi Shmuel Landesman, Captain of the Lev Aharon ship, ensured that we begin our year by exploring the land in the most meaningful way—just as it was first done. We ventured on a sunset hike to Nachal Og, a place steeped in history. Og, the King of Bashan, who lived for nearly 2,000 years from the time of Noach until Moshe Rabbeinu himself defeated him, once called this land home. Og was the tallest man ever known.
On the way down to the hike, we caught a view of the ancient city of Yericho—the city that Yehoshua famously conquered by circling its walls seven times. This act inspired the tradition of circling the Torah seven times during Hakafot, symbolizing the removal of barriers between us and the Torah, or us and Hashem. As we journeyed, we followed the path that Avraham Avinu must have walked during his journey to Israel. We passed by the area where Avraham and Lot likely argued over the non-muzzled sheep, Captain Landsman pointing out Emek Hayarden, Sedom, and Amorah. Rabbi Landesman then pointed to Har Nevo, where Moshe Rabbeinu was buried, and Hor Hahar, a mountain upon a mountain in Jordan, where Aharon HaKohen was laid to rest. We saw the well of Elisha, made sweet by the prophet, and the spot where Eliyahu HaNavi ascended to Heaven in a fiery chariot.
We also discussed the significance of the Dead Sea as the lowest point on Earth and how it impacts the African reef, the region’s ecosystem, and the migration of birds over this area. At Nachal Og, the sunset over the valley was breathtaking, with the mountains glowing pink. Afterward, we headed to Kalia Beach for a night swim and relaxation. It's the closest Dead Sea beach to Jerusalem and the only one with natural mud containing 21 different minerals, known for its benefits to the body and asthma relief. People from all over the world come to bathe in its healing waters. The day concluded with a Lev Dinner BBQ, expertly grilled by Rabbi Landesman himself.
On Thursday, September 10th, we enjoyed a field day filled with games in Tel Aviv Park. Basketball, football, soccer, and even backgammon were played, Lev rabbis against Lev students. The fun continued with wakeboarding at Tel Aviv Park!
From Thursday to Sunday, September 19-24, we embarked on the Kitron Shabbaton, a four-day adventure packed with excitement. We kicked things off with the Nachal Kibbutzim water hike. Before we began, Rabbi Landesman gave us a bit of history: Nachal Kibbutzim, near Bet Shean, is a freshwater river diverted by early kibbutz settlers for agricultural purposes. The area is also close to Har Gilboa, a significant location in Tanach, where King Shaul and his son, Yehonatan, fell in battle against the Pelishtim. After their deaths, the Pelishtim hung their bodies on the walls of Bet Shean as a symbol of victory until the people of Yavesh Gilad took them down for burial. The Jewish people faced a three-year famine as punishment for not properly mourning Shaul’s death. Though Shaul had a complicated legacy, particularly due to his conflict with David and his failure to follow the Prophet Shmuel's command to eradicate Amalek, he was still deserving of respect and national mourning.
We then hiked up Arbel Cliff, offering a breathtaking view. Mount Arbel is mentioned in the Talmud (Rosh Hashana 31a) as a place where people would ascend to get a clear view of the sky, particularly the moon. This was essential in determining the timing of Rosh Chodesh and deciding when to declare a leap year.
Of course, no trip to Tiveria would be complete without praying at the grave of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes. We all desire an amazing Rosh Hashanah judgment, so we invoked the powerful prayer: "ענהנו אלהא דמאיר עננו." Captain Landesman took the opportunity to explain to the boys the significance of being buried in Tiveria and why so many great figures are laid to rest there, including Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Akiva, the Ramchal, the Rambam, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkenus, and many others, whose graves we visited during the trip.
Captain Landesman emphasized the power of positive thinking, a lesson we can draw from Rabbi Akiva’s life. He reminded us of the importance of maintaining a positive outlook, even in challenging times. Rabbi Akiva is hinted at during Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur night in the final letters of the verse: *אור זרוע לצדיק ולישרי לב שמחה*, which refers to the optimistic mindset of the righteous. It was during Kol Nidrei that Rabbi Akiva was martyred by the Romans, yet his legacy of positivity remains a guiding light.
Tiveria is one of the four holy cities, and it holds special significance beyond its rich history. Not only is it said that Tiveria lies at the entrance to Gan Eden, but there are also two sources that state those buried there will be the first to resurrect at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead in the times of Mashiach (Yalkut Shimoni Yeshayahu 499, Yerushalmi Kilayim 9:3).
On Thursday night, before heading to Kitron, we made a stop at the supermarket to stock up on Shabbat snacks. Once we arrived in Kitron, we enjoyed a poolside BBQ with Captain Landesman, complete with chulent. Meanwhile, the Shana Bet program had a special night planned—they headed to an upgraded villa for Thursday night, where they enjoyed ping pong, a pool table, a jacuzzi, and more. They later joined us for the fun...
On Friday morning, we went tubing in the Kinneret, in Tiveria. This location holds deep spiritual significance, as it's believed that the Well of Miriam, which provided water for the Jewish people throughout their 40 years in the desert, didn't disappear when they entered the Land of Israel. According to the Talmud (Bava Batra 74b), the rock that provided the water rolled into the Kinneret. It's said that if someone looks closely at the Kinneret during noon, they can spot the Well of Miriam, appearing as a wave moving up and down.
In Kabbalistic teachings, this well carries even greater meaning. The Arizal, in the early 1500s, along with his student, Rabbi Chaim Vital, drank from these waters. The Arizal told Rabbi Chaim Vital that if he wished to attain *Hochma Elyona* (higher wisdom), he needed to drink from a specific spot in the Kinneret, where the Well of Miriam rests. After doing so, Rabbi Chaim Vital merited tremendous wisdom, becoming the Arizal’s greatest student and scribe.
Shabbat was beautiful. Epic Havdallah with the Rosh Yeshiva.
We then headed out to the Motzei Shabbat party boat and pizza Melaveh Malka. We had a great time dancing on the boat, and then jumping in the pool for a late night swim.
The Kitron pool was the setting for some epic pool volleyball games throughout the trip, where even the rabbis joined in the fun. It truly added to the excitement and camaraderie, making the experience even more memorable!
Sunday’s original plan was an exciting rafting adventure on the Jordan River—testing how long we could last on the raft! However, the event was canceled due to Homeland Security guidelines. At Lev Aharon, we follow strict adherence to Pikkud HaOref announcements, ensuring all yeshiva decisions, including Captain Landesman’s trips, prioritize safety. As a result, we returned to yeshiva on Motzei Shabbat, starting our week of learning and growth a day earlier.
We take mitzvot very seriously, especially tzitzit. There are seven mitzvot known as the “Heavyweight Mitzvot,” each one worth 613 mitzvot when observed. Living in Eretz Yisrael is one of these seven, and another is the mitzvah of tzitzit. What greater act of teshuva than wearing tzitzit? We held our annual Elul tzitzit workshop with Rabbi Sinai, emphasizing this powerful mitzvah.
Following that, on Monday morning, Rabbi Abie Nissim led a tefillin class, where we discussed the minhag of checking one’s tefillin during Elul. During the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, we will also have our Shaatnez class, as it’s important to ensure our tefillot are not hindered by wearing sha'atnez. After all, we don’t want the unstoppable power of the 13 Attributes of Mercy to be blocked simply because someone forgot to check their suit.
If security guidelines allow, we plan to take the boys to Maarat HaMachpela in Hebron, as the Kever of Yitzhak Avinu is open during these days. As the piyut *Et Shaarei Ratzon* reminds us, the merits of our forefathers—Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov—are a powerful aid in our prayers during the High Holidays. What better place to seek those merits than by their graves?
Coming up for Chol Hamoed Sukkot… an exciting lineup of optional subsidized trips and activities! Students can look forward to:
- Surfing at Bat Yam’s separate beach
- A Simchat Beit HaShoeva BBQ with live music
- The thrilling TLV 2048 escape room
- Water sports at Ashdod beach
- Horseback riding on Netanya beach
- Ziplining and rappelling adventures
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky's son-in-law visited and spoke to the boys, offering them invaluable words of wisdom.
The highlight of the month, however, was when Yaakov Shwekey joined us for Shacharit and shared inspiring words with the yeshiva!
Yaakov Shwekey gave impressive shoutouts to various boys, including Raymond Beyda, before delivering a heartfelt speech about the significance of yeshiva life. He spoke about how different today’s generation is, with temptations at everyone's fingertips, and shared how the night before, he met with Rabbi Pinto to ask his thoughts on our generation. Yaakov expressed his admiration for how the boys daven and how one boy read from the Torah...
Rabbi Pinto responded to Yaakov, "This is a generation of light, of kindness, of plenty of beracha. But with all this good comes a counterbalance of challenges."
Rabbi Pinto told Yaakov that while all types of content are accessible at your fingertips, it's just as easy to walk into the Beit Midrash and immerse yourself in learning. Yaakov encouraged the boys to understand that their time at Lev Aharon is foundational for their neshama, comparing it to the strong foundations that support the tallest buildings in Manhattan. He emphasized the importance of waking up with gratitude, reciting "Modeh Ani," and appreciating the privilege of being in yeshiva. He mentioned that many people missed out on those crucial yeshiva years and now feel like they have to catch up.
Yaakov also gave a powerful message about how everything we see and hear, especially videos and music, leaves a lasting imprint on the neshama. While teshuva and forgiveness are always available, he warned that the media often sells messages that don't align with what the neshama wants to hear. He delved into the meaning of "Rabbah Emunatecha," explaining that we’re not only thanking Hashem for returning our soul each morning, but also for believing in us. Yaakov stressed that the fact that all the boys present are in yeshiva, in Israel, it means Hashem believes in them—and their rabbis do too. When a rabbi runs after a student, it’s because he believes in that student’s potential, not because he wants to control the student.
Yaakov urged the boys to put passion into everything they do, not as a favor to the rabbis or their parents, but for themselves. This is their greatest investment. He shared that many of his friends, now successful, look back and say their yeshiva years were the best of their lives. Some continue working just to support yeshivot, realizing the eternal value of Torah.
He told a touching story of a friend who visited Rav Shteinman. After the meeting, the friend broke down in tears, realizing that despite having everything materially, Rav Shteinman was happier with just a shtender because he possessed more of what truly matters—the eternal. Yaakov reminded the boys that while it’s nice to have a good suit or a nice car, those things are not the essence of life.
After Yaakov’s speech, many boys were inspired and openly committed to not listening to non-Jewish music until after Yom Kippur, showing how deeply his words resonated.
