Another women’s class took place at the “Menorah Community” youth project of the Dnipro Jewish Community, which is actively developing through the efforts of the Zislin family. The session was dedicated to the weekly portion of Acharei–Kedoshim and a deep exploration of one of the most important moral commandments: not to place a stumbling block before the blind.
The main part of the gathering was led by project instructor Esther Leah Mayevskaya, who structured the class as a meaningful discussion of what this commandment means in a person’s daily life and how it unfolds in relationships between people.
The participants examined the explanation of the Sages, according to which the verse refers not only to a literal obstacle but also to situations where a person seeks advice without seeing the full picture and relies on another’s opinion. In such a case, it is especially important to give honest and pure advice, free from personal gain, hidden calculation, or the desire to use the situation for one’s own benefit.
Special attention was given to a person’s inner work on themselves. It was discussed that when helping another make a decision, one must be able to set aside one’s own ego, let go of the desire to gain something, and focus solely on what will truly bring good to the person seeking support.
To deepen the understanding of the topic, various texts, life examples, instructive stories, and vivid narratives were presented during the class, allowing the participants to see how delicate the line can be between sincere help and advice motivated by personal interest.
“It was important for the girls to see that the Torah teaches not only about external actions but also about purity of intention,” says Esti Zislin, co-director of the project. “When a person advises another without calculation and without ego, they truly become a source of goodness and support. The opportunity to study such important topics together and strengthen ourselves in these values is given to us by the united and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of its Chief Rabbi, Shmuel Kaminezki.”
