LIFE

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

We want to wish long life to Shmuel Levy and his Family with the loss of his father last Shabbos. The Neshama of Reb Ephraim HaLevi ah should have an aliyah. We will miss Reb Ephraim ah. He was always so much part of all the simchos in the Family, and I personally always enjoyed his company. HaMakom yenachem eschem besoch shear avalei Tzion BiYerushalayim. You should know only simchos in the future

Mazal Tov to Shlomo Kehaty on his birthday this Shabbos. Michayil el Chayil Shlomo, with all the wonderful activities you are doing and with much joy, bringing your parents much nachas!

Mazal Tov to Dovber Rosenfeld on his Barmitzvah in EY. Dovber is Rochi (Adler's) boy.

The theme of life and the opposite of life, came up so much this week and especially relating to Ehraim Levy ah and to this week's Sedra, VAYECHI (and he lived -Yaakov), with the passing of Yaakov at 147, and Yosef at 110.

Then there was a letter from the Rebbe to someone who had lost a relative.

And the 'Hebrew word of the Week' explanation was CHAIM - LIFE

Sedra

• The Baal Haturim points out the best years of Yaakov were the first 17 years of Yosef's life before he got sold and the last 17 years of his life in Egypt, when he found out that Yosef was still alive and joined him there. 17 plus 17 is 34, which is the numerical value of Vayechi (Yaakov) -Jacob lived.

Letter from The Rebbe

• When a close person passes on, by the will of Hashem, those left here can no longer see him with their eyes or hear him with their ears. But the soul, in the World of Truth, can see and hear. There is a mourning period prescribed by Torah, and when that comes to an end, and the soul sees that its relatives then return to a normal and fully productive life, it then is happy..
• In order that the above be accepted not only intellectually, but actually implemented, it is necessary to be occupied.
• Displaying simple Jewish faith, fulfilling our lofty mission as sons or daughters of our Forefathers and Mothers, and spreading the light of Judaism, is what truly gratifies the soul in the World of Truth.

Hebrew Word CHAIM

• Chai is singular, and Chaim is plural, indicating multiple phases, of a single never-ending life.
• When Mosheh tells the Jewish people, in the last days of his life, '..to choose life', he is not saying 'choose life over death'. Rather he is saying, that you can spend life with self-centered pursuits that are pleasurable but fleeting, or you can invest in that which is eternal ie LIFE
• The Jewish Tradition is to say 'may their neshamah have an aliyah (ascent). Because the soul continues ascending, even after passing on.

Torah requires us to 'Serve G-d with joy.'

Gut Shabbos to all