BIRTHS AND EDUCATION

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

BH there have been many BIRTHS this week:

Mazal Tov to Penina and Avi on the birth of Shira Nechama! We are so touched to have another beautiful baby named after my mother ah. Thank you! You should bring her up to Torah, chuppah, and maasim tovim with much joy and nachas, and from all your children BEH.

Mazal Tov to Avi's brother Eli on the birth of a son named after his father ah Yisrael Meir. I am sure this must be a source of great satisfaction for you and your father Avi!

And another brother of Avi (didn't yet hear which one) had twin boys this week BH! Mazal Tov Mazal Tov! No names yet.

Mazal Tov Avi on an amazing week BH!

Wishing many simchos for the whole Family.

And also many BIRTHS in this week's Sedra Vayeitzei, where all 12 sons are born to Yaakov and his wives.

Of course when children are born they also need EDUCATION, and some interesting points came up in the Sedra:

• When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she gave her handmaid Zilpah, to

Yaakov for a wife, and she then bore a son, on which Leah said bagad, which means good fortune, and he was therefore named Gad. (V 30:9-11)

Rashi points out though that bagad also means disloyal. Ie It is as if Leah was saying to Yaakov that he had been disloyal to her! (But did not Leah ask Yaakov to marry Zilpah??!!)

Rabbi Gordon explained the above by giving over a story about his father.

It occurred a few days before his father's passing, when he called Rabbi Gordon in, and had a conversation about the above point in the Sedra.

He said that ONE SHOULD FIND A WAY TO INSPIRE CHILDREN TO DO THE RIGHT THING, EVEN WHEN THEY RESIST AND DO NOT WANT TO TAKE INSTRUCTION.

If we allow them their demands, under pressure, to go on their wrong path, they will one day come back and protest "Who asked you to listen to me!" (In the same way that Leah protested to Yaakov)

• In a Sicha the Rebbe explains the above (Likutei Sichos Vol 1)

Yaakov succeeded in raising all of his 12 sons to follow in the righteous ways of Avraham and Yitzchak, while both Avraham and Yitzchak each had one righteous son and one wicked.

He (Yaakov) was able to do this because he combined the kind nature of Avraham with the strict nature of Yitzchak, and related to Hashem with simple sincerity. In this way he transcended the differences between the opposite approaches of his forebears, and was able to relate equally well to each of his children's different personalities .

Gut Shabbos to all!