CLIMBING MOUNTAINS

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

I have heard that Renee's health is improving BH but she still needs our prayers. Love from all of us.

This Shabbos is Gimmel Tammuz, which is the yohrtzeit of The Rebbe and my father AH. (I believe that one has to put one's spiritual teacher first) - see below for their mention.

Mazal Tov to Mendel Levy on having started putting on Tefillin 2 months before his Barmitzvah. Well done Mendel and for saying the Maamar so well BH!

Mazel Tov to Batsheva on her magnificent achievement in reaching the top of mount Kilimanjaro for the charity Gift. And I'm sure that she greatly appreciates all those who sponsored her! Thank you. And thank you Batsheva for providing the theme of this week's email.

CLIMBING MOUNTAINS, both physically and spiritually, came up in many forms this week. I would like to address each one individually, but they are all connected.

Sedra Korach

In a sicha from the Rebbe from Shabbos Parshas Korach 5750, the Rebbe explains how, even although Korach was a wicked person, we can learn positive lessons from him. (And the whole Sedra was named after him!)

• Even though he was an ordinary person, his desire was to be the High Priest and to attain the holiness of the 'Holy of Holies'.
• The second lesson is that even although we have been granted the ultimate gift to strive for holiness (to be a High Priest), by using our talents and skills, we also have free choice to act wisely or foolishly in the process.

As Rambam writes in the last halachah of Shmitah and Yovel:

'Not only the tribe of Levi, but any one of the inhabitants of the world whose spirit inspires him and he resolves in his mind to set himself apart (from worldly pursuits) and stand before God to serve Him and minister to Him, and to know God, (and he then acts on his resolution) proceeding in a morally upright manner, as God made him, and he discards the yoke of the many reckonings which people seek, he will attain the holiness of the Holy of Holies ...and Hashem will provide...'

The Rebbe

The Rebbe taught us to advance every day in all areas, and there was no limit to this advance . Even after passing on from this world, the traditional wish is that the neshamah should have an aliyah i.e. continue advancing higher.

Daddy

My father and his brothers set up our families from very poor beginnings as refugees to SA from Lithuania, to give us all, more than ample opportunity to climb the 'mountain of life'. In fact our home was at the base of a small mountain called 'the koppie', and I used to love climbing this ridge often. (which was part of our journey of life - such good memories). His neshama should have an aliyah. Thank you Daddy from all of us.

Mashiach Day by Day

In today's message, the Rebbe speaks about human potential, and that we, as human beings, have G-dly potential way beyond what we can imagine.

Batsheva

And coming back to Batsheva, you have certainly proven, that man (and woman!) have the potential to do things way beyond our imagination! See attached photo!

Gut Chodesh and Gut Shabbos to all