DEVOTION AVAILABLE TO ALL

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well, and enjoying Pesach.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yecheskiel ben Esther.

Mazal Tov to Brian on his birthday next week. Wishing you a year of much happiness and good health Brian, and continued success with everything that you do BEH. Thank you (and Sharon) for becoming so much part of the life of our children in California. Many of them speak so fondly of Uncle Brian!

This coming Shabbos and Sunday are the 7th and 8th days of Pesach.

The 7th day of Pesach is when the splitting of the sea took place upon leaving Mitzrayim.

The Rebbe Rayatz mentions, that although the splitting of the sea, and the Jewish People walking through the sea on dry land, involved great miracles and wonders, their initial entry into the waters was not miraculous - they entered the waters with SELF SACRIFICE.

It was in this merit that the sea split for them and became dry land afterwards, opening the way to receive the Torah at Har Sinai.

Self-sacrifice is not necessarily giving up one's life, but rather implies TOTAL DEVOTION and sacrifice for serving Hashem

• In the upcoming Hayom Yom of 26th of Nissan it speaks of the self-sacrifice during prayer, to be bound up with the Essence of the Infinite G-d.
• And then in the Hayom Yom of 15th Kislev, the Alte Rebbe tells his son the Mitteler Rebbe, that one must have total self-sacrifice and dedication (mesirat nefesh) for the love of one's fellow Jew, even towards a Jew whom one has never seen!
• And in the Hayom Yom of 3rd Adar Sheni, the Rebbe points out how the total devotion of a simple and sincere person, can reach higher levels than even brilliant scholars.

The 8th day of Pesach refers mainly to the Coming of Mashiach, may it be this year!

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and a Gut Yom Tov!