FREE CHOICE

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Refuah shleimah to Yechezkel ben Ester

Mazal Tov to Dovber Levy on his birthday this Shabbos and his upcoming opsher celebration next week BEH. Wishing the whole Levy Family a wonderful simchah, and many more, and for Dovber to have a wonderful day and year BEH!

Mazal Tov to Gavriel on his birthday at the end of next week. Wishing you a great year Gavriel with much success and happiness.

More news from Pesach and Chanie, some sad and some happy. We wish long life to Chanie and her Family on the passing of her grandmother in EY. Baruch Dayan Haemess. And wishing you only simchos in the future.

Pesach and Chanie and Elisha were also travelling in SA for a wedding, and managed to fit in additionally, a nice re-union with Froma, Kerry Lee and their Family. It is so heart-warming seeing family in distant countries getting together BH. I think Pesach also tried to make contact with Darryl Milner. Pesach and Chanie are now on their way to Israel for the shivah.

Today, I was learning Gemorra Megilah p25a, and I came across an interesting lesson about FREE CHOICE where the Gemorra refers us to Chap 5 in Rambam's Laws of Teshuvah

Here Rambam explains Free Choice as follows:

Only human beings have the power to choose between good and evil. Man has full power to control his destiny.

Man's actions are in his own hands. G-d does not lead him in a particular direction nor decree any behaviours on him.

It is an essential point of our religion (belief and understanding) that we are judged according to our deeds and are fully free to go in any direction that we choose, and that the consequences will follow accordingly.

And connected, from this week's Sedra Vayetze, it says (29:1) "Yaakov set out LIGHT FOOTED for the land of the people who live in the East."

Even although Yaakov was facing many dangers both physically and spiritually, he set out in a Spirit of Joy and Confidence.

The key is to make sure that we are properly nourished with Torah study, Mitzvah observance, and focused on our goal. (Based on a sicha from the Rebbe)

Wishing everyone a wonderful Shabbos, and a month of much light, with upcoming Chanukah BEH.