GUARDIANS OF OUR SOULS

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

I have no recorded simchos for this week, but I had some nice news of Family getting together:

Reuven and Chana Lieba visited us in London, and we spent a lovely few days together including Shabbos.

And I got word that Janine Milner and Selma Penn bumped in to each other in Johannesburg, and have made an arrangement to meet again!

To many more warm connections between all Family members!

In this week's Sedra Mishpatim, we start learning lots of Laws. In fact the Sedra contains 53 Mitzvot.

I heard from Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon's shiur this week, an interesting Dvar Torah based on the Laws of Employer - Employee relations, which I would like to share. He mentioned that this point was based on a source in Chassidus.

Within employment there are 4 types of watchmen as follows: (relating to movable items)

• Shomer chinam (a guardian who does this for free). If something happens to the guarded article, this category of people have the least responsibility if article gets lost or damaged etc. Eg. He is not held liable, but would have to take an oath about what happened
• Shoel (a borrower). The borrower doesn't pay anything, and therefore if article is lost or damaged etc, he has the highest level of responsibility of the 4 categories. Ie he is always liable (has to pay for damages) unless there is very exceptional circumstance.
• Nosei Sachar (a paid worker). Has intermediate level of responsibility if things go wrong. (because he works and gets paid). He has to pay for damages unless damage was beyond his control
• Socher (a renter). Similarly, he has an intermediate level of responsibility if things go wrong. Ie he has to pay for damages unless the damage was beyond his control

In the same way, we are custodians or guardians of the soul which Hashem has entrusted within us to care for, and here we also have 4 categories of people analogous to the above:

• Shomer chinam - This is the person who serves Hashem with love and joy and does not look for any remuneration. As a result , he has the most rights. He is not liable if there is loss or damage.
• Shoel - This person, as a borrower, has the attitude of "I am taking your soul as if it is mine, and I owe you nothing. I am just going to enjoy myself." This category has the least rights, and almost always has to pay if there is loss or damage.
• Nosei Sachar - As a paid worker, he says "I will do your work, but I expect payment, as I have lots of needs." He has to pay when there are damages, unless circumstances were beyond his control

• Socher - He says, as a renter, "I am going to use your soul, and pay you." He has to pay when there are damages, unless circumstances were beyond his control.

Man (or woman) have free choice, and we can decide where we want to be at any stage in our lives. It is in our own hands.

Gut Shabbos to all!