HIDDEN MESSAGES

Dear Family

Hope everyone is well, especially Sarita, who is having an operation on her tonsils, adenoids and grommets placement.

We wish her a quick refua shleima and send her our love.

We send condolences to Froma, Kerry Lee and Gareth on the passing away of Alden AH. The Family should only have simchas in the future. Alden was a close cousin of mine.

Welcome back Pesach and Family from Longbeach wedding.

This weeks Sedra is Toldos, and it speaks mainly about Yitzchok and Rivka.

And it reminds me of something I find fascinating in the davening of Rosh Hashana every year. (See attached)

Can you see HIDDEN in the Prayer 'Shochen ad marom.' the names of Yitzchok and Rivka running from top to bottom?

We say this prayer every day, but it was always a mystery to me why it was highlighted (bold) on Rosh Hashana.

And it is almost impossible to recognise this hidden coding when we read this prayer every day.

There is an opinion that this Prayer was written by a Yitzchok whose wife was also Rivka, but why is it just highlighted on Rosh Hashana?!

In addition it only works out with our nusach which is Sefard, and not the Ashkenaz version. But in the Ashkenaz machzor on Rosh Hashana, it also accepts this format whereby Yitzchok and Rivkah appear!

So today I asked Dayan Raskin and he told me at least 2 points of this connection to Rosh Hashana.

1. Yitzchok was the first in Chumash (in this weeks Sedra) to use prayer to overturn a decree ie for Rivkah to be able to give birth now. And on Rosh Hashana, using this power handed down to us, we can do the same in our own prayers to Hashem. (and I suppose in our prayers throughout the year also)

2. Of our 3 Forefathers, it is explained in Chassidus, that Avraham represents Kindness (Chesed), Yitzchokk represents Gevura which is Power or Withholding, and Yaakov represents Tiferes which is the combination of Chesed and Gevura resulting in the balance translated as Beauty.

Rosh Hashana is a Day of Judgement, and Judgement is Gevura (represented by Yitzchok) and we are praying to have any harsh judgements (chas veshalom) overturned by Hashem, in the same way that the prayers of Yitzchok overturned the decree on Rivka that she should now be able to have children.

Isn't it so interesting how the Truth of Torah is so intricately woven into the Hebrew words and language, and how fortunate we are to have our Sages who can see, and reveal these to us.

AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE STILL TO BE EXPLORED AND FOUND.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos.