DOWNFALL AND CONQUEST

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well.

Mommy and I are in the French alps for 2 weeks and I am out of touch with any birthdays, and our comfort zone of technologies, so please forgive us if we miss out on any Mazel Tovs etc. Hopefully we can catch them up later.

I saw 2 separate Dvar Torahs from The Rebbe on this week's Parsha Eikev, and it struck me that they are the '2 sides of the same coin'. The first one I am saying over from memory.

*DOWNFALL*
There is a pasuk in this week's sedra, where it is explained the mechanics of how the downfall of a Jew can come about.(chas veshalom) It starts when we look out at the world and the ways of the world, and we are awed by this, (*...hamidbar hagadol vehanora - *the great and awesome desert - the world is sometimes described as a desert), seeing ourselves as small, weak and insignificant in comparison.

The pasuk goes on to mention *nachash *- snakes. The venom of a snake is hot. ie the next stage is we get very excited and heated up over all the world's attractions.

Next word is *saraf - *fiery serpent. This is even hotter, and reflects now a discomfort with the heat and excitement, and damage is taking place from too much indulgence. This signals troubles.

Then *akrav* - scorpion - the sting of the scorpion is cold. Coldness now starts to set in.

*Tzimaon - *and thirst in the dry desert.

*CONQUEST*
The second vort I saw was from the posuk where Mosheh says to the us 'You are the smallest of the Nations' This prompts us with the question - As such how are we to survive? And even if we can survive how are we to fulfill our Divine mission and influence over the rest of the world? In addition we have assimilation and wars eroding us further, and the demands of modern life leave us with progressively less time to pursue our spirituality? It seems an impossible task.

But there is an answer
Now, even the whole world knows that size is not always the indication of power, with the discovery of the power of the atom, the smallest part of matter, and what it can unleash. *Even the smallest particle can release incredible force,* (as is seen with atomic energy where the atom is split)

And the lesson for us, taking the atom analogy further, is that the key to releasing our potential is by breaking our egos, thereby allowing our inner Divine energy to shine through. The better we master this 'spiritual technology', the easier will it be for us to not feel intimidated. Within us lies the power to change the entire world for the good, and to realise who we really are in relation to the world.

Gut Shabbos to all.