ROSH HASHANAH

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

At this time of the year, there are 2 events which stand out prominent, and that is the Yohrtzeit of my (and Chanan and Reuven's) mother which is tonight, and the birth of Daniel Yitzchok on the first night of ROSH HASHANAH.

I believe that it is also Claude's mother's Yohrtzeit at the same time tonight, and we all wish you long life, and that both neshama's should have an aliyah!

And of course we wish Daniel Mazal Tov on having a birthday at such an amazing and auspicious time. Have a happy birthday, a happy year and give your parents a lot of nachas Daniel!

I probably say this every year, but for the last few weeks of my mother's life she had been struggling very much, and certainly for the last few days before she passed away her consciousness was very limited and she was needing a continual supply of oxygen.

And she knew that she was leaving the world soon, and she just fought to stay alive until Chanan and Reuven arrived from America to our home in London, where she was at that time.

And the last words that I heard from her were 'It is EREV ROSH HASHANAH.' How did she know this, and why was she even thinking about this in the state that she was in?

I always marvel at the deep connection we all have to our roots, and how real these roots are, no matter what external level we are up to!

The Frierdike Rebbe writes,

'The main avodah (work) of Rosh Hashanah, is to accept the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Therefore, even for Chassidim of stature, this avodah would be, SIMPLY TO SAY TEHILLIM, TO SLEEP AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, AND TO TAKE CARE NOT TO INDULGE IN IDLE TALK.

This is like a servant, whose service to his master, leaves him with no free moment.

Or, like a son preoccupied with the joy of welcoming his father whom he has not seen for a whole year.' - Igros Kodesh, Part 10, p425.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a Shanah Tovah full of sweetness and joy in both physical and spiritual matters.