SELFLESSNESS

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well

Mazal Tov to Baty for her birthday next week. Wishing you a wonderful year Baty with success in all the activities that you are involved with, and much new development BEH.

Mazal Tov to Alisa on her birthday next week. Wishing you a year of much success and continued growth for you and your Family Alisa.

The 10th of Shvat is this Shabbos, and it marks the yohrtzeit of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson in 1950

It also marks the day when our Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (son-in-law of the Previous Rebbe), took over the leadership of the Lubavitch movement, one year later.

There is much to discuss about these 2 giant leaders, but in Likkutei Sichos Vol 18 Parshas Chukas Balak, the Rebbe, in speaking about the Previous Rebbe, focuses on his famous character trait of mesiras nefesh.

Mesiras nefesh literally means sacrificing one's life , but it also applies to living our lives selflessly, directing our energies towards the Will of Hashem .

Some examples of the Previous Rebbe's mesiras nefesh are as follows:

• In Soviet Russia he spread Torah despite terrible hardships. He was arrested for these activities, imprisoned and beaten. Undettered he continued, and also sent others to spread Torah in the same way.
• After being forced to leave Russia he arrived in Poland. Here it was not the government who challenged him, but the other Jewish leaders at that time. They wanted energies focused on Torah education in the large cities, whereas the Previous Rebbe wanted to focus on the distant, small towns, where Jews were more neglected.
• He endured Nazi bombing of Poland and due to the War he came to America. Here he was confronted with a very different problem. Many Jews who came to USA from Europe, thought that it would be a better idea to hide their Torah lifestyle. They said "America is different. Here we should look like everyone else." The first thing that the Previous Rebbe said when he arrived in USA was, "America is not different." With tremendous mesiras nefesh he persuaded Jews to keep the Torah and its Mitzvos openly and proudly. This paved the way for America to become a land where Jews keep the Torah and it's Mitzvos with joy and pride.

After all the suffering he went through in his life under the dictators of Stalin, Hitler, yimach shmam, the holocaust, and an ailing body etc, the last Chassidic Discourse that he published before his passing, was based on the theme that The world is a beautiful Garden!! -Basi Legani.

Leadership passed from him to Rabbi Menachem Schneerson , and I think that one picture will give us an idea of some of the work that he did, following the instruction of his father - in -law, the Previous Rebbe.

See below a view of this years Kinus HaShluchim in NY, a yearly gathering of some of the Shluchim (Representatives) of the Rebbe, from all over the world, fulfilling Hashem's wishes to spread Torah and Mitzvos with joy and pride.

https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/video_cdo/aid/6687701/jewish/Shluchim-Grou p-Photo-5785.htm

And todays Hayom Yom:

"Particularly in these times, when thanks to G-d's kindness, we stand at the threshold of the Redemption, we must make every effort to strengthen all matters of our faith, including the conscientious observance of every Mitzvah, and of all our customs, without the slightest compromise..."

Gut Shabbos to all!