TRANQUILITY

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

MAZAL TOV TO SHMULY AND DEVORAH LEAH ON THE BIRTH OF A SON BH!!

And this coming week is also Shmuly's birthday. So double Mazal Tov. We look forward to the sholom zochor tomorrow and the bris next week BEH. Wishing you all many simchos and much nachas from all your children. Michayil el chayil.

I would like to continue along the theme of TRUST - bitachon which we started last week from the Book Chovos Halevavos, which I am finding to be such an exciting subject.

I find it exciting because one can apply it to daily individual areas of one's life, no matter where one is up to.

Even random incidences, but especially areas where we may be struggling.

So Rabeinu Bachya Ibn Pekuda says as follows:

'Among its benefits to him in religious life is TRANQUILITY OF SOUL in reliance on G-d, may He be exalted, as the servant is bound to rely on his master. Because if the person does not put his trust in G-d, he places his trust in what is other than G-d (ie themselves or other people).....'

So when a person is struggling with a problem in life, it is of course normal to put in all one's own efforts, and one is also yearning for Hashems blessings for success.

The Rebbe writes the following in a letter to someone:

' You have 2 options -

1. Until you see the fulfilment of the blessing, you can go about anxious that perhaps, chas veshalom, the blessing will not be fulfilled.

And then after the blessing is fulfilled, you will again worry saying ' Why did I have to waste so much energy worrying for nothing? (and why was my trust so weak)

2. Alternatively you can be strong in your trust and faith in G-d, that He will lead you on the proper path, and fulfil all the blessings with which you have been bestowed.

Afterwards when you see the fulfilment of the blessings, you can tell yourself 'See how well I handled myself, in that I did not worry about matters over which there was no need for concern!!'

Rabeinu Bachya describes the 2 situations of

1. When we trust in G-d, as 'connecting to a freshwater spring'
2. When we trust in ourselves and other people as 'hewing for themselves cracked cisterns'

We don't have to have it all, but we can start working with this immediately.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and many experiences of tranquillity of soul.