REFINING PROCESS

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

BH THIS HAS BEEN A WEEK OF MANY SIMCHOS AND BIRTHDAYS!

Mazal Tov to Penina and Avi on the birth of a girl, who has already been named Tiferes Chava BH. Beautiful name and wishing you much joy and nachas from her! And then Mazal Tov again for the birthday of Yeshayah next week! Only simchos! Mazal Tov Rivky and Shmuel on the birth of a boy! So exciting to have a little brother for all the older brothers and sister. The bris should be at a good and auspicious time. And Mazal Tov again for Dovi's birthday next week! Wishing you many simchos and nachas from all the children, and going michayil el chayil. Mazal Tov to Claude and Joy who had a grandson in SA. This is such wonderful news. And Mazal Tov Claude for your birthday next week! So wishing you also many more simchos in happiness and good health. Mazal Tov to Pesach for your birthday next week. You should have a year of much success in all the areas that you are working so hard at, and more Pesach.

Wishing to hear of continued simchos and Mazal Tovs for all the Family!

The Zodiac for the month of Iyar is Taurus, the Bull.
In Jewish mystical thought the bull symbolises our animal soul. (we have 2 souls, an animal and G-dly) Our animal soul, like the bull, is unruly, with many desires, leaning towards self- gratification.

However the bull can be harnessed with a yoke and become abundantly productive.

Our mission in Iyar is to tame the bull.
Each night of the counting of the Omer, we say a prayer asking G-d to rectify a small part of our animal soul. There are 49 days from Pesach to Shavuot and 49 attributes to refine on each of these days. (7 weeks with 7 main categories of attributes, each category having 7 sub-categories)

These attributes also reflect the nature of people who are born on the day of these attributes.

So this week there are 7 aspects to the attribute of TIFERES,- each day reflecting a different facet of tiferes - and so I would like to share how Rabbi Simon Jacobson explains TIFERES in his book 'A Spiritual Guide to the Counting of the Omer' (49 Steps to Personal REFINEMENT)

Tiferes is the third group of attributes. (week 3)
The first week was Chesed (Kindness) and the second was Gevurah (Discipline or Strictness) Tiferes is translated as BEAUTY. It harmonises the free outpouring of the love of chesed, and the discipline of gevurah. Tiferes possesses the power to introduce a third dimension of Truth, which is neither love nor discipline, and can therefore integrate the two. Truth is accessed through selflessness, rising above our egos and our habits. Truth gives a clear and objective view of one's own, and other's needs. This allows one to express one's feelings in the healthiest manner.

So Tiferes blends the different colours of love and discipline to make a harmony which is beautiful.

Gut Shabbos to all!