PURE AND CLEAR WINE

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Mendel Levy on his birthday next week. Well done for going away on your own for Summer Camp Mendel! And wishing you a happy year with lots of success in everything that you do.

Mazal Tov to Chaya Mussia Davidoff on her first birthday tonight. So nice to have our first Chaya Mussia in the Family! Love from all of us.

There was a beautiful description of TZEDAKAH in today's Tanya (Igeres Kodesh Chap 12).

The Alte Rebbe explains how there are 2 ways of giving Tzedakah (Charity):

1. As an Act
2. As an Avodah (Toil)

When Charity is carried out as a mere act, even this arousal from below will cause an arousal from above, and bring about peace in the upper realms.

But this effect is not so well recognised in the lower worlds. Ie we do not see clearly the effects of how charity separates evil from good.

When Tzedakah is practiced with toil however ie by going against one's bodily inclinations to not give, Hashems glory rises and becomes manifest in all the worlds.

The reward of this type of Charity is "hashket vavetach leolam" - quietness and surety forever

The word hashket also has the meaning of 'resting on the dregs'

IE THE DREGS SINK ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM, LEAVING PURE AND CLEAR WINE, ABOVE.

This means that this type of toiling in Charity, extricates and separates out the evil from within ones soul, until it falls below all worlds - (And you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea - Micha 7:19), leaving the reward of eternal quietness and surety.

Gut Shabbos to all and wishing everyone a kesivah vechasimah tovah for a sweet and peaceful New Year