At Machon Chaya Mushka, a leading educational institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro for girls, a gathering of the “Shura Rishona” program for students in grades 7–11 took place, dedicated to Rosh Chodesh of the month of Kislev and to how the fulfillment of mitzvos enables one to strengthen the connection with the Almighty.
The gathering began with a festive farbrengen, during which the girls, together with the teacher, spoke about the significance of Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Then the students studied a sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe about the mitzvah and about the fact that a commandment is not merely a directive but a “tzavta” – a union and connection of a person with the Almighty.
The girls learned why the precision of fulfilling mitzvos is compared to the precision of a code necessary for establishing a connection, and that although a person cannot fulfill all 613 mitzvos and is not always able to do everything perfectly, this does not mean that the principle of “all or nothing” applies. Every fulfilled mitzvah, even the smallest, unites a Jew with the Almighty, and a mistake should not lead to despair, for one can always return and continue one’s path.
This idea was revealed through a creative task. The students drew the faces of girls on balloons, trying to convey as many recognizable details as possible, and then guessed who was depicted, for just as each line became part of the portrait and made it more precise, so too does each mitzvah strengthen a person’s connection with the Almighty. The girls also continued to decorate their albums, in which are kept materials and memories of the “Shura Rishona” gatherings.
The program concluded with an interactive team game, in which each class became a separate team, the students answered questions, completed tasks, and immediately saw the number of points earned, and the winners received sweet prizes.
“It is very important that the girls understand that spiritual growth is not built on the principle of ‘all or nothing,’ for every fulfilled mitzvah has enormous value and strengthens the connection of the Jewish soul with the Almighty,” noted Morah Edna Yudovich. “The ‘Shura Rishona’ program helps the students not to fear mistakes, to move forward, and to become ever more deeply aware of their responsibility as future shluchos of the Rebbe. And such systematic work becomes possible thanks to the constant support of the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
