YERUSHALAYIM

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Channah on her birthday tonight. Wishing you a wonderful year with much progress and happiness.

Mazal Tov to Rivky on her birthday tomorrow. Wishing you also an amazing year Rivky with much happiness and achievement in both your physical and Spiritual work.

Both your birthdays are always so connected to the Chassidic Yom Tov of the Alte Rebbe,Yud Tes Kislev, the lights of Channukah, the light of Chassidus, and you both brought so much light into mine and Mommy's lives.

Mazal Tov to Naomi for your birthday next week. Wishing you a year of much achievement and joy. We were so excited to hear that Talya is visiting London on business soon, and look forward to seeing her BEH.

Kislev is such a beautiful month, like a golden month in the middle of winter, and so many interesting things happened this week, and with Channukah coming up next week.

The following happenings of the week are all connected ie todays Yom Tov of The Alte Rebbe YUD TES KISLEV, CHANNUKAH, and YERUSHALAYIM.

• You know it is so easy to read something which looks simple, thinking that we know the meaning, and really we can overlook important npoints. For the first time today I learnt something new in todays Hayom Yom. It said 'Today (is a day) of farbrengen and good resolutions towards establishing times to study the revealed Torah and Chassidus publicly, and in bolstering the ways of chassidim, in true friendship.' But look more carefully at the Hebrew ie the first letter of each of the first 4 words Yom, Hisvaadus, Vekabalas, Hachlatos. You see the name of Hashem yud kay, vov, kay, the same way the Rambam starts his Mishneh Torah ie his first 4 words also convey this message of Hashems name!
• The word Channukah has many meanings which are all linked, Eg 'inauguration' or 'setting up' which relates to 'setting up' or re-setting up' the Temple. The word chinch (education) is also connected ie 'setting up' a child for life. I read an interesting essay from Shimshon Rafael Hirsch,s Timeless Torah, where he described 5 Channukahs:

• Channukah of Mosheh (setting up Mishkan in the desert)
• Chanukah of Shlomo
• Chanukah of Zerubavel
• Channukah of the Maccabees
• Channukah of the future

These all relate to the building or inauguration of our Holy Temple in YERUSHALAYIM. He writes very beautifully and brings out very beautiful lessons which I cant go into right now. The important point for today is that they all relate to YERUSHALAYIM!

• We know that YERUSHALAYIM is our eternal city of gold, but yesterday, the world has started to recognise this too, albeit with much resistance! Someone pointed out a very interesting commentary from the Baal Turim on yesterdays Torah reading in Parsha Vayeshev. Bear in mind that this is the reading which took place on the very same day as the dramatic announcement and recognition from the world, that Jerusalem is the capital City of Israel, took place. The Chumash reading was the story of Tamar. On the outside her actions appear those of a woman of poor repute, but underlying these actions were noble intentions. And in truth the offspring from her actions resulted in the Dynasty of Dovid Hamelech, from which Mashiach will eventually result. And now listen to the commentary of the Baal Haturim on this story - 'THE SAME WAY THAT TAMAR WAS INITIALLY VIEWED WITH DISGUST, AND IN THE END WITH HONOUR, SO YERUSHALAYIM WILL IN THE END BE VIEWED IN HONOUR. AS IT IS WRITTEN IN HONOUR I (HASHEM) WILL DWELL THEREIN'

May this be very soon in our days.

Gut Yom Tov, Gut Shabbos and Gut Channukah to all.