THOUGHTFUL ACTION

2022 / 5783

Sent Thursday, 20 October 2022 · for Shabbos 22 Oct 2022 · כ״ז תשרי תשפ״ג

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well, and have had a wonderful Tishrei.

Welcome back home to all those who were travelling.

Mazal Tov to Avi whose birthday is next week. Wishing you much continued success Avi, in both gashmius and ruchnius, and with much happiness. Missed seeing you all this Tishrei, and wishing Yeshayah a speedy recovery from his injury.

I would like to welcome Gavin, Jody and Sheli to our weekly email. We are so happy to re-connect, and in this way, also, to continue to have the presence of Renee ah with us! Please feel free to contribute and inform us of news from your Families.

Coming out of all the festivity of Tishrei we now return to our worldly occupations, and I saw a few interesting points relating to this which I would like to share:

The Baal Shem Tov taught that working in a worldly occupation is comparable to studying Torah, and even greater. For everything in the world was created for the glory of Hashem. When a person uses his worldly possessions in a way prescribed by Torah, he (or she) is serving his Maker.
In this week's Sedra Bereishis, it says that 'Enoch walked with G-d'. Enoch was a shoemaker. Yet because of his holiness, his mundane occupation did not distract him from his service of Hashem. On the contrary, we are told that with every stitch, he brought about a further degree of harmony within the spiritual spheres. (Hisvaaduyot 5749 Vol 1 p 247)
And I think this one, again from the Baal Shem Tov (Keter Shem Tov), gives us a better idea of how we can achieve this.

Shlomo Hamelech said, 'Whatever you set YOUR HAND to do, do it with power.' (Koheles 9:10)

The Baal Shem Tov explains this to mean THOUGHTFUL ACTION [because the Hebrew word yad (hand) is related to the Hebrew letter yud, and the letter yud corresponds to the power of thought.]

Which comes to teach us that actions should be accompanied by the power of thought ie intention and understanding.

And as we go on our way, we take with us all the treasures and good resolutions, that we have accumulated over the holidays, to use throughout the year.

Gut Shabbos to all.