VICTORY OF JOY

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Alisa on her birthday next week. I hope that you and the new baby are well. Wishing you all a wonderful year with much nachas from your whole Family!

It is the yohrtzeit of Aunty Lottie next week. We wish long life to all her Family - Sid, Brian, Roy, Jody, Sheli, Gavin, Adam, and all of your Families. Her neshamah should have an Aliyah, and you should only have simchos in the future.

Tonight is Rosh Chodesh Adar aleph, and our Sages teach us that when we enter the month of Adar we must ADD IN JOY AND HAPPINESS.

Joy motivates and inspires us to progress in our goals, and also to overcome challenges when they come along, regardless of how difficult they are.

This is explained by the Alte Rebbe in this week's Tanya (Chap 26) as follows:

"If 2 people were wrestling with each other, each trying to topple the other, if one of them is lazy and sluggish, he will easily be defeated, even if he is stronger than the other.

Similarly with the conquest of one's evil nature.

It is impossible to conquer the evil nature with laziness, which stems from sadness and dullness of heart.

Rather, it can be conquered with alacrity, which derives from joy and an open heart, unblemished by any trace of worry and sadness from the world." (Because he knows, that difficulties, if they arise, are really blessings from Hashem in disguise, to help him on his particular spiritual journey)

Wishing everyone a Good Shabbos and Good Chodesh, with much happiness.