WHAT WE GIVE BELONGS TO US

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well and have had a happy Shavuot!

We wish Channa a refuah shleimah after her operation today. BH she is doing well.

Mazal Tov to Chanan and Naomi on their Anniversary next week. Wishing you both many more happy and healthy years together and many simchos in your Family!

Mazal Tov to Esther Miriam on her birthday next week. Wishing you much continued growth and achievements Esther and a wonderful year BEH!

We wish Mommy long life for Meme's Yohrtzeit next week. We were all very fond of Meme, and we wish her Neshama to have an Aliyah. Wishing only many simchos in the future.

I would just like to share a nice story that I heard, relating to this week's Sedra, Nasso, on the passage (5:10) which says "Ish es kadoshav lo yihiyeh.". The simple translation is "Everyone's holy things shall belong to him, (ie he can give to any Priest of his choice), whatever a man gives to the Priest shall be his. (ie the Priest's)"

But there is a deeper meaning to this verse, as Rashi explains, and how the following story which I heard, illustrates:

There was a kalif (king) in one of the Muslim countries, who had a very important Jewish advisor, who was also very wealthy.

Some of the King's associates were jealous of him and told the king that he was stealing money.

The king knew that the advisor was worth 250,000 gold dinars and he decided to test him by asking him how much he was WORTH. Upon which the advisor answered 25,000 gold dinars.

Upon hearing this the King now suspected that his associates had been telling the truth, and that the advisor had indeed been stealing.

The king therefore confiscated all his wealth and threw him in prison.

Many months later the king decided to release him from prison, understanding that really he was a good man, but at the same time he enquired of him to explain why he had lied to the king.

The Jew replied that he had not lied to the king, and explained that if the king would have asked how much money he HAD IN HIS POSSESSION, he would have said 250,000 gold dinars.

But the king asked me how much I was WORTH. I therefore answered 25,000 gold dinars, because this is what I have given to CHARITY.

To prove my point, you confiscated all my wealth, and it disappeared, but the Tzedakah that I gave of 25,000 gold dinars (and all the other Mitzvot that I do) IS WHAT I AM WORTH AND THIS CAN NEVER BE TAKEN FROM ME FOREVER!

Gut Shabbos to all!