LISTENING TO THE FLAME

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

BH we just returned from the beautiful double simcha of Gavriels barmitzvah and the bris of Dovber in LA. Thanks again for all the hard work and love that went into these events, and all the hostings. Besides being with so many members of our Family, it was also nice to be together again with Chanan (Ashley), Reuven (Ravin) and Annette, and Brian and Sharon, and Ariel all the way from Sydney. We should always be able to share in each other's simchos!

Mazal Tov to Channah whose birthday was this week. Wishing you a year of continued achievements and with much happiness

Mazal Tov to Rivky who was born a day later (plus 1 year!) for your birthday and Mazal Tov again on the birth of Dovber. Wishing you continued growth and happiness in everything that you do!

Mazal Tov to Talya Bassin whose birthday was this week. It looks like you are having a great trip in EY Talya. One good thing should lead to another, and with much happiness.

Mazal Tov to Mariasha on passing her Broker exam! You have put in many years of hard work to achieve this Mariasha, plus all your other responsibilities. Well done and wishing you much success!

This week was also the Rosh Hashannah of Chassidism, where we celebrate The Alte Rebbe's (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi) release from imprisonment. Yud tes Kislev

And we are now heading into Channukah!

So LIGHT has been a prominent feature of the week and I thought to share a few thoughts on this subject.

• I remember with fond memories, the Chanukah lights shining next to the cribs of both Channah and Rivky, our first 2 children, while they were in hospital after their births.
• The Alte Rebbe's name Shneur, means 2 lights (shnei or). These reflect his mastery of Chassidus (the inner dimension of Torah) and Nigleh (the external dimension), where he is known for his famous works of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch. We learn daily sections of Tanya in a yearly cycle, and the new cycle started this week.
• The Hebrew word for light is or and it has the same numerical value as the word raz, which means secret.
• Channukah celebrates a major war victory and the rededication of The Temple. Yet the main message that has come down every year through the centuries, are the little Chanukah lights!
• The 5th night of Chanukah can never fall on Shabbat. It is the darkest time of the year, and it cannot even benefit from the light of Shabbat. Therefore there is a custom to increase in the giving of Chanukah gelt on this night, to illuminate it with joy and Mitzvah.
• From Yanki Tauber - The soul of man is a candle of G-d. We can sit and gaze at a candle flame for hours. It is luminous, warm, romantic, but most of all it is spiritual. The flame itself is a perfect, integral whole, emanating calm and tranquility. If we look closer, we will see a clash of forces. The flame is straining upwards trying to pull away from its wick. But look again and see how it clings to the braided cotton that supplies it's fuel and sustains its life. Back and forth, up and down it strives. The soul of man too is a clash of divergent forces vacillating between selfhood and selflessness. This is what makes us spiritual beings. (Summarised)
• And as we LOOK at the Chanukah candles next week BEH, we can LISTEN to their own story.

Gut Shabbos and Gut Chanukah to all!