Ziva Kompel is from Chicago, IL. Ziva went to Hanna Sacks for high school, spent an incredible year in Machon Raaya for seminary, and is currently studying Audiology in Touro College. Ziva’s chaburah is titled, “The Inner Battles of our Sages: How to eat your Yetzer Hara for Breakfast”. Every chaburah discusses a yetzer hara/ nisayon that a character in Tanach endured; and how/if they overcame it. We explore how to learn from their experiences and defeat our own Yetzer Haras in the battlefield of life. The five INCREDIBLE warriors that make up Ziva’s chabura are Bina (Bruriah), Chayala (Naaleh), Leah (Maimonides), FayPo (MHS), and Rivki (BY Baltimore).
Who is someone in Jewish history who inspires you for overcoming a nisayon/yetzer hara in their life?
Bina: My favorite person in Tanach is Avraham Avinu because he found Hashem and brought Him into this world. I aspire to be like Avraham and find HaShem in every situation of my life and therefore be able to have a stronger Emunah that everything HaShem does is for the best.
Chayala: The story of Chana inspires me since it shows Chana’s emunah in Hashem. She was willing to give up her life for Hashem and trained her seven sons to act the same way. This story empowers me to make kiddish Hashems whenever I have an opportunity.
Leah: I am inspired by Dovid HaMelech’s struggles. How he had the biggest yetzer hara of shedding blood, but used it for good and was able to overcome his challenge. He overcame his blood lust and used it to do the will of Hashem. I find it so inspiring how he changed the bad and made it good
FayPo: Yaakov Avinu embodies constructive diversity. Both Avraham Aveinu and Yitzchak Aveinu raised two sons, one righteous and one evil. Yaakov however had 12 sons, all tzadikim, yet all different. No two shevatim shared the same flag, profession or trait. Each was distinct and their uniqness was celebrated on the degalim and choshen. Yaakov represents the father of various Jewish sects. Yes, our garb may vary, our professions may be diverse but Yaakov shows that each child’s traits can be channeled towards their own preciously unique avodas Hashem.
Rivki: I admire רחל אמינו because she had enough כח to give over the signs that were shared between her and יעקב to לאה in order to save her from embarrassment. I admire Rachel’s זריזות as she handed off her future husband to her sister without thinking twice. She exemplified the חזל of ״נח לו לאדם שיפילוהו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חבירו ברבים״. רחל showed us the severeness of embarrassing someone and we can