OUR ARMY OF HASHEM

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well. I am doing the email early this week because of Yom Tovim.

Mazal Tov to Brian on his birthday next week. Have a happy and Healthy year Brian.

Mazal Tov to Aron who also has a birthday next week. Love the songs you are composing Aron. Wishing you a great year.

And last but not least Mazal Tov to Batsheva on her birthday next week. Wishing you a very successful year with much good news!

I would like to thank all the Family that have made so much effort for my 70th birthday.

I hope I don't leave anyone out, but I would like to thank Shmuel, Rivky and Pesach, for all the work they did in trying to arrange the Family reunion in Orlando which did not work out in the end. Mommy, Channa, Batsheva and Chava for arranging the meal last night. Batsheva for arranging the Zoom meeting last night. Chava for putting together such a special album of the whole immediate Family. This needs a special thank you for its beauty and for the many, many hours of fine work that went into its creation. It is something I will cherish for my whole life Chava. Thank you!!

Then a special thanks to Shmuly for the composition of such a fine song. So much control in your notes selection!

And thank you to everyone who participated in the Zoom get-together and sent such beautiful heartfelt notes.

This all brought me many tears of joy.

Besides being very nice, the Zoom meeting was also a bit frustrating because I could not communicate my thanks to everyone who was there, because there was so much cross talking going on, and so what I would like to do is make up for this by repeating and expanding on the Dvar Torah that I gave, to include each member of the Family

Firstly I would like to express extreme gratitude to Hashem for allowing us all to be here today, and for all His kindnesses, which are truly beyond words.

Of course I am also so grateful for the wonderful family which Hashem has granted us.

It is our little, growing ARMY - A PART OF THE ARMY OF HASHEM - TZIVOS HASHEM

To describe this, I am going to use the theme of the Basi Legani Maamer of the Frierdike Rebbe from Yud Shvat of this year.

This is what Bnei Yisrael were called when we came out of Mitzraim ie Tzivos Hashem. And this is therefore, also very relevant to us now, during Pesach.

And this is the way I see our family i.e. as the start of a new, small army of Hashem.

The Frierdike Rebbe explains the concept of Tzivos Hashem more fully as follows

The word Tzava in Hebrew, has three explanations

1. In its simple sense it means an army and conveys strength

2. Secondly it has the meaning of an allocated time - tzava leanish alei aretz i.e. an allocated time is given to each person on this world

I noticed in the introduction to the saying of Tehillim, ie the Yehi Ratzon which we are supposed to say before reading Tehillim, the following:

'May You not take us from this world before our time Hashem, before we complete 'the span of life of 70 years', so that we can fix what we have corrupted. May the merits of Dovid Hamelech of Blessed memory shield over us and for us, that You Hashem will be patient with us, until we return towards You in complete repentance.'

(And therefore, I am completely grateful to be here today to continue working in this direction beyond the 70 year allocation.)

3. Thirdly, tziviyon means colours. And when you have many colours coming together this results in beauty. One colour alone does not contain beauty in most instances

And so in summary, in looking at the words TZIVOS HASHEM, it refers to us coming down to this world for a short allocated time, in which we do our Avodah to come close to Hashem with joy, love, and beauty, to transform the imprisonment of 'Mitzrayim', and leading to our own personal redemptions. And we do this with strength, WITH THE AID OF TORAH AND MITZVOT!

And so how does this relate to our family, our new army of Hashem?

Each one of us has a general colour and also many hidden internal colours .

And so I thought it would be nice to take a general look at the colours of our family to see its beautiful fabric. In the process I am only going to look at each member very superficially, so please forgive me if I do not give true recognition to all the talents of each member.

OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY

I suppose I need to start with myself, the black and white member of the family.

Now Baruch Hashem, Hashem knows how to put couples together, and so He has given me, and of course all of us, a very colourful Mommy BH. (as opposed to black and white). Mummy has every single colour on earth (in my opinion). This reflects in her clothes and her varied and talented nature as an eshes chayil, queen mother, an intellectual, a teacher and community figure etc.

Channa is a superb cook and a fine piano player

Rivky is the deputy mother of the family, besides being mother of her own family. She is intellectual, sporty, has accounting qualifications and still pursuing further interests.

Shmuel is a conscientious father, first-class Kodesh teacher and sporty.

Baty is exquisitely artistic. This has revealed itself in make up, children's jewellery, edible art i.e.cake designing, party planning and interior design.

Shmueli is a builder and building manager

Pesach is a dynamic accountant and businessman and father, travelling back and forth between Long beach and London almost every two weeks and sometimes more frequent.

Chanie is an ace housekeeper and mother travelling almost as much as Pesach between Long beach and LA. What parents don't do for their children!!

Shmuly is honing his skills in dentistry and practice management and balancing these skills with attending to his growing family, Torah learning, community work and musician. It is a great pleasure and support that you are at the practice Shmuly.

Devorah Leah can put together a beautiful Shabbos or Yom Tov spread in no time at all, with her little team of helpers and make everyone feel at home. And does so much other good in and outside her Family.

Miriam Brocha is a super artist with her own unique style. Lately she has been focusing on cats, but she has many other styles and potentials.

Hirshy has put in a lot of effort to build a career in nursing and is almost there Baruch Hashem. I was amazed at his very high level of knowledge on medical issues. Also an active Hatzolah member.

Mariashah has been complementing the family team by being the temporary breadwinner and loving mother, working in legal and estate offices.

Avi is a businessman with his large Presto Co. trucking all across America. And a devoted and loving husband and father.

Penina has the wonderful opportunity of being a full-time mother and community member with lots of talents and social skills.

Zalmy is our budding lawyer.

Mendel is doing business and is an active well-respected community member with a high position in the Longbeach community, strong and sporty, and fitting in as much learning as he can. And loving husband and father.

Freida also has the wonderful opportunity of being a full-time Mommy with much artistic talent, and sporty.

Batsheva is also highly artistic focusing mainly on make-up, and special effects make-up. She is also working at multiple jobs including marketing of our Rambam books, and helping in Pesach's business. Also on the lookout for more hiking trips to the grand canyon, and I hope also looking out for her bashert!

Chava is also highly talented in art and intellect, focusing her art talents to shoe design and painting, and studying a whole variety of subjects. In addition she has followed in the footsteps of all her brothers and sisters and is now working at the surgery doing Administration.

GRANDCHILDREN

Add to this all the new colours and talents of the grandchildren

EXTENDED FAMILIES OF OUR MARRIED CHILDREN

So many new Family members BH

MY BROTHERS AND FAMILIES

Chanan and Reuven and their Families and extended Families undoubtedly contribute a huge variety of Medical specialities, plus, plus.

COUSINS AND FAMILIES

The ones specifically in our group are Renee, Roy, Brian (Sid in Australia), Adam, Froma, Kerry Lee, Claude and Joy, and their Families. Each with all your own special talents and colours

Now add all these components into one big picture with all its various colours and talents.

And I'm sure you will admit that Baruch Hashem this all adds up to a very beautiful fabric, and a growing and mighty Tzivos Hashem.

In our kitchen in London, we have a very cute inscription on a tile above the netilas yadayim sink, which I think sums it all up as follows: 'We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.'!

May our family be part of the whole army of Klal Yisrael with the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days.

Gut Yom Tov and Gut Shabbos to all