The Last Sermon

-- The Last Sermon ------------------------------------------------
by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach
http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/3303



After finally arriving in Israel years ago following a perilous journey
from her hometown in Syria, the young lady had many stories to tell
about narrowly escaping border patrols and bribing some Arab civilians
to smuggle her across the border.

One particular story did not deal with her heroic adventures but rather
with the profound impression made upon her by the last sermon she heard
from the rabbi of her community.

The rabbi called attention to the fact that women and girls in the
neighborhood of the synagogue made it a practice to be present on the
balconies and porches of their homes when the men were leaving the
synagogue on Shabbat. He explained that this was not the modest way for
women to behave and called for an improvement in the community's
standards of tzniut.

Little wonder then that the girl who heard this sermon was moved to
join a seminary on her arrival in order to live up to what the rabbi
preached.