CHASSANAH JOY OF DANCING, JUGGLING AND SINGINGING

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

The highlight of this week are WEDDINGS (the wedding of Zalmy and Nechama Dina, and the Anniversary of Avi and Penina, who are also hosting the Sheva Brochos tonight BH!

So it has been an amazing week of celebrating, with many members of the Family coming together. I hope I don't miss anyone out, but thank you so much to those who came in from far - Reuven and Chana Lieba, Perry and Mikayla, Ariel and Daniela, Brian and Sharon, Baty, Sarita and Ariel, Shmuly and children, Batsheva, Chava. And of course we missed all those who couldn't come due to their circumstances and commitments.

And thank you to all the Family for hosting us, making Sheva Brochos, and so much more!

We are humbled by all the kindness and blessings!

MAZAL TOV!

Therefore, we want to give a big welcome to the new member of our Family, Nechama Dina, also known as Nini!

Wishing you and Zalmy to build a beautiful home together with much joy, peace and harmony, founded on the guidelines and Teachings of Torah, which will also make it an eternal home.

We have done much DANCING, SINGING, PERFORMING, JUGGLING this week.

And so I would like to share a related Dvar Torah from the Alte Rebbe's Siddur in the section of the Sheva Brochos of a Chassanah. (The Alte Rebbe gives deep explanations to most areas of his Siddur) which I was learning in London last week, as follows:

Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchok would DANCE in front of the bride JUGGLING 3 branches of myrtle (Ketuvit p 17)

Shmuel would DANCE and JUGGLE with 8 jugs of alcohol, and would not even spill 1 drop (Sukkah p 53)

In short, and much summarized, the Alte Rebbe explains that this is related to the 3rd intellectual faculty called Daas (Knowledge).

When the Daas of a person is greater, there are higher levels of tolerance.

For example a child has less tolerance than an adult because their level of Daas is not yet developed.

Similarly men and women have different levels of Daas.

And great Sages have a level of Daas which is even greater, and can take them beyond intellect.

Similarly there is a difference between weekdays and Shabbos. During the week we are more light-headed, where we are caught up with lots of issues. But on Shabbos there is an elevated Daas, AND IT IS CALLED KALLAH (BRIDE) - that is why we start the Friday night kiddush with the word Vayechulu, which has the same root as the word Kallah.

So what Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchak and Shmuel were doing with their dancing and juggling, was to draw down this high level of Daas, as on Shabbos, to the kallah, and not even 1 drop of Daas was spilt.

Ie, even although dancing and juggling (and also song) removes one from ones thoughts and Daas, their Daas was so strong, that they could remain connected to this higher level of Daas, while doing those activities, and draw it down to the kallah, which is also representative of the whole of Klal Yisrael.

Gut Shabbos, and wishing much continued simcha and simchos to all.