BITACHON, YOSEF AND RAHEL

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Double Mazal Tov to Shmuly for his birthday, and the bris of their new baby on Wednesday. The new baby's name is YOSEF and he is very cute BH. May he grow up to Torah, Chuppah and Maasim tovim and bring everyone much nachas.

Mazal Tov to Mommy whose birthday is this Shabbos. Wishing you a year of many simchos in good health and happiness

Mazal Tov to Penina on her birthday next week, a few days later. Have a wonderful year Penina with much growth and achievement, in your new home in Tarzana, with much joy.

BH it was a week of much celebration with the birth of Yosef Davidoff, then a beautiful sholom zochor, and then a beautiful bris, and Shmuly's birthday. It was also nice to have had Baty and her children with us from Australia. BH

And we must thank Mommy especially, for really being the one behind all the catering and beautiful presentations of the sholom zochor and bris, and for the so many hours that went into these, and with very little notice. - THANK YOU

I would like to carry on the theme of BITACHON (trust) this week and link it to this weeks sedra Vayera, YOSEF, and Mommy (RAHEL)

How can we reach this balance of our own efforts, and trust in Hashem, and how to handle wealth, ingenuity, strength, talents etc?

We see in this weeks sedra that Hashem says to Avraham - I will make you great.

And we see Avraham becoming great and wealthy.

Yet this week we read from Rabeinu Bachya, in the Gate of Trust - 'If he (referring to us) relies on his wisdom, ingenuity, physical strength, and his own efforts, he will labour in vain.... as it says in Iyov 'He traps the clever in their own cunning'....If he relies on his great wealth it will be taken from him....or he will be denied the opportunity of enjoying it....His wealth may also be the cause of his undoing and the loss of his soul... (chas veshalom)

The commentary on the above explain that wisdom, wealth and strength in themselves are nothing to boast about.

However if one sees them as an avenue to serve Hashem, and as a gift from Hashem, then there is something to boast about!

And how is this connected to RAHEL and YOSEF?

So of course we know that Rachel was Yaakov's favourite wife (hint hint)

And she had to wait a long time before she gave birth, and then she gave birth to Yosef.

And for this reason, and also because Yaakov recognised the great strength of Yosef, Yosef was very dear to him.

In fact when Yosef was born Yaakov felt he could now 'relax' his efforts and PUT HIS TRUST IN G-D because he now had a son who could conquer Eisov - 'the House of Yosef is a flame, and the House of Eisov, straw' See Sedra Vayeitze.

And then we see how Yosef reached this amazing balance of power and wealth (when he became second in charge of the whole of Egypt), TOGETHER WITH HIS DEVOTION TO HASHEM, NEVER PARTING FROM THIS, AND THE TEACHINGS OF HIS FATHER YAAKOV.

It is interesting that it was also the yohrtzeit of Rachel imeinu last week on 11th of Cheshvan, and we see her tremendous devotion to her children. It is known of her request to be buried on the roadside, where she constantly waits for the return of her children, Bnei Yisrael, to Eretz Yisrael with the coming of our Redemption, may it be soon in our days.

And this is also the devotion of our Mommy RAHEL.

Gut Shabbos to all.