COMPLETE SETTLING WITH JOY

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Chai Elul (18th of Elul) is coming up on Shabbos.

This day has many important connections, some of which are as follows:

• (To start with the simplest). There are 12 days to go to Rosh Hashanah and it is customary to take account of how the past year has been, and to assess how we can improve in the New Year. The 12 days relate to looking back one month at a time over the last 12 months.
• Birthday of the Baal Shem Tov (founder of the Chassidic Movement)
• Birthday of the Alte Rebbe (founder of Chabad Chassidus)
• Link of Chai Elul to this week's Sedra, Ki Savo.

Chai Elul invariably occurs close to or on the Shabbos of Ki Savo.

The Rebbe finds this link in the word Savo (26:1) - "It will come to pass when you come into the land..You will then take of the first fruits." - which refers to a COMPLETE SETTLING (7 years of conquering and 7 years of dividing the land). Thereafter they started to do the Mitzvah of the first fruits.

In the same way Chassidus has the ability to FULLY AROUSE our spirit, mind and heart, so that our Service is in a COMPLETE MANNER.(much summarised)

The Rebbe also explains in another Sichah, that Ki Savo ("It will come to pass, when you come into the land...") is symbolic of the soul's descent into the body, and it's being forced to live in the physical world.

The Midrash teaches that the words "and it shall come to pass", are always used to denote something of GREAT JOY.

Although the G-dly soul is saddened when it temporarily leaves its place under Hashem's throne to dwell in a Jewish body for a certain number of years, it is a joyous occurrence, since this descent is to elevate the corporeal world through doing Mitzvot.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos, and a Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah for a Good and Sweet New Year.