STRENGTH

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yechezliel Ben Ester.

MAZAL TOV TO DOVI LEVY ON HIS ENGAGEMENT TO RIKKI MAGALNIK TODAY. This is such beautiful news from our first grandchild. We wish the couple much happiness together, and that Shmuel and Rivky should have much nachas from them and from all their children BEH!

Mazal Tov to Channa on her birthday next week. Wishing you a happy year Channna, with lots of new activities BEH!

Mazal Tov Rivky on her birthday next week. What a birthday present you received this year Rivky re Dovi above BH! Wishing you many more milestones and achievements.

Mazal Tov to Talya Bassin on her birthday tonight. Wishing you much success with your University studies and all your other amazing activities Talya, and with much happiness.

We wish long life to Avi on the passing of his grandmother Etta Rea Vogel ah. Wishing you only simchas in the future Avi!

I am very happy to welcome new Family members to our Group ie Kevin and Isanne Ossey. Isanne's maiden name was Heiman and she is related to us through the Stein Family.

As mentioned last week, Kevin has made an amazing Family Tree of the Stein family which I attached there.

And as always, as a way of introducing new Family members to everyone, I am attaching Kevin Marks' Family Tree showing the members of our Group in red, with an accompanying Word doc, explaining how to use the sheet.

Welcome Kevin and Isanne, and please feel free to make comments, and let us know of any news from your side of the Family!

In this week's Sedra Vayeshev, Esav is approaching Yaakov with 400 terrorists, all fully armed, after Yaakov is leaving Lavan from Aram Naharayim. He is travelling with his wives, beautiful Family, and the huge wealth that he has amassed through all his 20 years of HARD WORK for Lavan, who endlessly tried to trick him, and actually also wanted to kill him after he left Aram Naharayim.

And now he has to face Esav and his army, who have always stated their intention to kill him.

And Yaakov is terrified!

He prepares a three pronged strategy for defence ie a generous gift to appease Esov and use diplomacy, to pray to Hashem, and to prepare for war if it becomes necessary.

He then sends messengers to Esov and in V 32-5, says, in endearing terms, ...Im Lavan garti.I have sojourned with Lavan...

Rashi points out that the word garti has the same letters as the word taryag, whose numerical value is 613, which refers to the number of Mitzvos that we have been given by Hashem.

Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon explains Yaakov's hidden message to Esov, couched in words of endearment, as follows:

I have sojourned with the wicked Lavan, in the wicked city of Aram Naharayim for 20 years, and I have not been influenced to follow their bad ways. On the contrary, I have stayed faithful to keeping and living according to Hashem's 613 Mitzvos..

To achieve this is not easy, and reflects my RESOLVE AND STRENGTH - an underlying warning to Esov!

(Thereafter, Yaakov actually battles (wrestles) for a whole night with the angel of Esov, and overcomes him, before actually meeting with Esov the next day....)

Gut Shabbos to all