CHAYENU

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Claude Comaroff on his birthday this Shabbos. Wishing you a healthy and happy year Claude. It is nice to be in contact again!

It may be a good time to introduce Claude and Joy. Joy is my first cousin (ne Davidoff) from SA, married to Claude and still living in SA.

I would also like to introduce Froma Sacks, who is Kerry Lee's mother, and Froma was married to Alden AH, who was also a first cousin from my mother's side (aunty Girlie's son). She is also still living in SA and also just joined our group recently.

We are so happy to reconnect with Family, where there have been so many years of separation, and I am proud to say that the ones bringing about these re-connections are actually our children through the social media etc! Amazing when one thinks about it! BH

Welcome all.

Chayenu means 'OUR LIFE' and coming up to Shavuos, the time of the receiving of our TORAH, I thought it would be nice to share a few related items which came my way this week.

Torah gives us life, but we also need to put life into our Torah and Mitzvos.

Sicha

I saw a summary of a sicha of the Rebbe about this based on a pasuk from 2 sedras ago 'And you should guard My statutes and My laws..AND LIVE BY THEM.. (chai bahem).

The Magid of Mezeritch explains that these words (chai bahem) can also be translated as 'put life into them', because bahem means 'into them' in addition to 'by them'.

How does one do this?

Visualise the following examples:

1. A person who prays with fervor, but when he goes out to the world, or business, or eating etc, no holiness is visible. There is a separation between the holy and mundane.
2. Then there is the person whose life and mitzvos are connected, but he (or she) does this with the hope, that by doing them, they will get what they need from Hashem. Here his mitzvot are bringing life to his needs.
3. And then there is the person who directs all his focus to the mitzvot. For example he eats, exercises, works and rests etc so that he will be healthy to be able to carry out Hashem's will. This is BRINGING LIFE INTO THE MITZVOT. His whole life is dedicated to Hashem. Of course this is not a small task. It is a life journey, and takes place one step at a time, and it gradually introduces new quality to all ones actions, making ones life more meaningful and connected. And one can start at any stage or age.

Chayenu Publication

Last week, I started receiving a very nice weekly publication called CHAYENU. It actually originated from SA and is now distributed world-wide.

It translates the main areas of learning which is current each week, in a linear and easy to read manner, like:

1. Daily Chumash portion
2. Daily Tanya portion
3. Daily Rambam for those learning one chapter a day
4. Daily Hayom Yom
5. And then lots of interesting insights into halacha, chassidus, gemorra etc, all in English or translated.

So with Shavuos coming up soon, it may be a good time to make resolutions to increase our learning and understanding of Torah.

For those interested, I have attached more information about this publication.

Gut Shabbos to all.