Parshas Hachodesh

Blissful are those on whom the sun of fortune shines continuously, whose sky is not overcast, and who bathe in the warm noontime rays of light. Happier still are the redeemed ones who exclaim with joy at the sunrise of liberation having experienced the loneliness of the night. Blissful are the angels who, without blemish and sin, eternally pure, perform their Divine service at the throne of G-d. Even more joyful are those who raise themselves from the mire of sin to light and purity, who struggle for the light, who battle for purity, who vanquish the power of darkness and depravity. - R' S. R. Hirsch on Parshas Hachodesh.

Story Time

Rav Ezriel Hildesheimer was one of the big German gedolim that saved German Jewry from the enlightenment movement in the mid 1800s. Together with gedolim like Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch he implemented the yeshiva system of 'torah im derech eretz' where as part of the yeshiva curriculum they taught secular studies. For twelve years he was the head of the Yeshiva in Eisenstadt, Hungary. He was just the third German rav to be appointed rav in Hungary, and was the first one to open a yeshiva in Hungary that taught 'Torah im derech eretz'.
A certain rabbi, one of Rav Hildesheimer's own friends, was visiting the yeshiva. He was also present when secular instruction was being given. "We often speak of you," said the guest, "and we ask ourselves how you find time for lessons in secular subjects". "The time you spend speaking about me I use for teaching these general subjects, without detriment to my shiurim", answered Rav Hildesheimer.