SMALLNESS

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

We wish Dov Hyman a refuah shleimah, and soon. Thinking about you Dov!

Mazal Tov to Hirshy and Mariasha, who are today celebrating the bris of their new baby boy, who has been named Matan Asher. What a beautiful name! wishing you much Chassidishe nachas from him and from all of your Family BEH.

Mazal Tov to Naomi, whose birthday is also today. Wishing you a wonderful year Naomi with many continued simchos!

Mazal Tov to Talya Bassin whose birthday is next week. I hope all is going well with you in Australia Talya, and wishing you a year of much continued success in both the material and spiritual BEH!

It is with much joy that I welcome Leslie Hyman to our Family Group. Leslie is, I think a second cousin. She is Dov's sister, and is on the Tuch side of the Family in our Family Tree. I am attaching the Tree again for everyone's perusal, and to also act as an introduction to everyone. I think there are some names missing from your side of the Family, Leslie. It would be nice if you could supply these. And I am sure that Kevin will be updating the Tree with this and all the above new Family developments.

Welcome Leslie! So nice to re-establish old Family contacts!

What caught my interest this week, was a short and beautiful Dvar Torah in Hayom Yom, which was linked also to the Parsha Vayishlach as follows:

Hayom Yom 8 Kislev

When a person contemplates on how great is the kindness of Hashem Blessed be He, ie how a TINY person like ourselves can bring satisfaction to the Greatest of the Greatest (G-d), of whom it is said, " His greatness cannot be fathomed" (Tehillim), this should cause us to always be in a high-spirited mood to carry out His Divine Service with an eager heart and soul.

Sedra

Yaakov declares to Hashem, "I have BECOME SMALL from all the kindnesses, and from all the truth that You have rendered to me..."

And the Alte Rebbe, whose Yom Tov we will be celebrating soon on 19th Kislev, explains this verse in a letter after his release from prison as follows:

"With every single favour that Hashem bestows upon a man (or woman), this ought to make him VERY HUMBLE"

The closer a person is to Hashem, the more he recognizes how insignificant and unworthy he is.

Yaakov states that Hashem has given him everything that he needs. - 'Yesh li kol'

Whereas Esav boasts about all his possessions.- 'Yesh li rav'

Gut Shabbos to all!