TESHUVAH
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Dear Family,
I hope everyone is keeping well.
Mazal Tov on your birthday next week in Australia Sid. I hope you are doing well. Wishing you a wonderful year with good health.
Mazal Tov to Pam Koval on your birthday next week. I hope all is well with you and your Family. Wishing you a wonderful year with happiness, and good health
Mazal Tov to Mendel Davidoff on his birthday next week. Keep growing and developing in all areas Mendel and with much joy.
Mazal Tov to Chanan and Naomi on your upcoming Anniversary. Wishing you many more happy years together with many simchos in the Family
Mazal Tov to Pesach and Chani on your upcoming Anniversary. We can at least celebrate with Chani this year. But wishing you both many happy and healthy years together, with much achievement.
Wishing Naomi and her Family long life for the yohrtzeit of her mother Rosalie. Her Neshamah should have an Aliyah. Her memory is still so clear in our minds. Wishing you only simchos in the future.
The main theme this week has definitely been, from all sides, TESHUVAH (Return, and Correction of past mistakes).
We are currently learning all the Laws of Teshuvah in Rambam each day this week, and this week's Sedra, Shlach, also speaks much about this theme.
Because there was so much material and discussion, I would like to just select a few points to share, only one below, and the rest as a PS, attached, for those who have more time.
The generation that came out of Mitzraim and saw the Receiving of Torah at Har Sinai, brings about a glaring question with regard to their rebellious behavior.
How was it possible for this generation to have had all these doubts and complaints against Hashem, after having seen all His miracles with their own eyes!?
As related by Rabbi Gordon, from the Rebbe, It says in Zohar, that the generation that will precede Mashiach, and merit to see Mashiach, will be the reincarnation of this generation that wandered in the desert.
Their TESHUVAH (with correction of these sins) will bring about Mashiach.
And as we are very close to Mashiach, this generation is very likely referring to ourselves, and the work that we need to do!
Wishing all a Gut Shabbos!
Attached to this letter
His “Teshuvah extra points” (Word document)
PS A few more points of interest from this week on TESHUVAH
Hashem has just reached the ‘end of his patience’ (14:26 – 14:45) and decrees the punishment of wandering in the desert for 40 years, and that none of the men between 20 and 60 will reach Eretz Yisrael. And yet straight away, in the very next breath (15:1) there is OPTIMISM AND FORGIVEVENESS from Hashem – “…..When you come to your homeland that I am giving to you…….” Already instructing Bnei Yisrael about the Offerings that should be made when they arrive in EY in 40 years time. (ie sinning, , consequences, teshuvah and forgiveness)
Rambam (Teshuvah Chap5:1) – Freewill is granted to all men and women. If one desires to turn himself to the path of good and be righteous, the choice is his. Should one desire to turn to the path of evil, and be wicked, the choice is his……………There is no one who compels him, sentences him, or leads him, towards either of these two paths…………Accordingly, it is the sinner himself who causes his own loss…..”
Rambam Teshuvah 3:4 – “…Throughout the year a person should always look at himself as equally balanced between merit and demerit, and the whole world as equally balanced between merit and demerit. If he performs one sin, he tips his balance, and that of the entire world to the side of guilt, and brings damage to himself. On the other hand, if he performs one Mitzva, he tips his balance, and that of the entire world, to the side of merit, and brings deliverance to himself and others….”
Rambam Teshuva 7:4 - …”Our Sages declared: In the place where BAALEI TESHUVAH stand, even the completely righteous are not able to stand.
The level of Baalei Teshuvah transcends the level of those who never sinned at all, because Baalei Teshuvah have overcome their evil inclinations.”
Love to all!