A WATCHING EYE

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well and had an enjoyable Lag Baomer.

Lag Baomer was beautiful in Stamford Hill, including the weather. BH I always find Lag Baomer with the HIDDEN presence of Rebi Shimon Bar Yochai, so powerful and full of Brochas BH.

And then that was followed directly today with the Bris of Shmuly and Devorah Leah,s new baby, who was named Shneur Zalman.

This was also such a beautiful and blessed simcha BH. Mazal Tov!

Wishing all members of our Family and extended Family to also celebrate many simchos and we should share these with each other.

Also wishing Mazal Tov to Reuven and Chana Lieba for their upcoming Anniversary.

And Sara for her upcoming birthday on the same day!

Also Mazal Tov to Hirshy and Mariasha for moving into their new and larger accommodation BH.

An interesting point came to my attention in this week's Sedra Behar

This particular subject was on CHEATING.

In verse 14 it says 'do not cheat one another' and Rashi says this refers to cheating in money matters.

And I thought to myself why did Rashi have to say this? It is so obvious.

But my question was answered a few verses later verse 17, where Torah again says 'you shall not cheat one another' but here the next few words are 'and you shall fear your G-d'

In this case Rashi's comment is 'cheating with words.....not to offer advice which is not appropriate to him....and if you say 'who knows if I had evil intentions?'

So what makes Rashi differentiate between these 2 'identical' verses?

Because the next few words after the second verse says:

YOU SHALL FEAR YOUR G-D.

Ie that is what prompts Rashi and the Chachamim to point out that this second mention of cheating is relating to items which cannot be seen ie with words, thoughts, advice etc

Rashi now comments on these words:

'He who knows thought, HE KNOWS! All matters hidden in the heart, where only that person knows what is in his heart , it is said 'You shall fear your G-d'

Torah does not repeat words for nothing (even the syllables are very precise!)

And so I am always grateful to, in this case Rashi (Acronym Rebi Shel Yisrael), to pick up the clues and hidden messages in Torah with his SEEING EYE.

And explaining to us and pointing us to the WATCHING EYE,

WHO KNOWS ALL THE THOUGHTS IN THE HEART OF EVERY MAN AND WOMAN.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos