SHOWING APPRECIATION

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yechezkiel ben Ester.

Mazal Tov to Sharon Davidoff for her birthday at the end of the week. Wishing you a great year Sharon, with good health and happiness for you and all your Family. Thanks to you and Brian for staying in touch with our Family in CA, and being such good sports!

The theme of SHOWING APPRECIATION, came up a few times in this week's Sedra Vaeira, and in an interesting story that I read this week, which I would like to share.

Verse 7:19

Hashem tells Mosheh that Aharon should strike the waters of the Nile which would cause the water to turn into blood as the first plague.

Rashi explains that the reason Aharon and not Mosheh had to strike the waters here and in the plague of frogs, was because the river had once protected Mosheh as an infant when he was hidden there amongst the reeds!

This indicates how important it is to appreciate kindness. Mosheh would not strike the waters which had protected him 80 years previously!

Verse 8:12

Hashem tells Mosheh to instruct Aharon to strike the earth with his rod to initiate the plague of lice.

Again Rashi mentions the appreciation Mosheh was showing to the dust which had hidden the Egyptian which Mosheh had killed (after careful consideration), to protect Mosheh.

How much more so should we show appreciation to PEOPLE who have shown us kindness!

Story

I saw in the news yesterday, (The Times of Israel) that a real estate investor, Alon Abady, donated a 16 story building on Pico Boulevard in the Pico Robertson area, worth $103 million, to Chabad of Los Angeles.

This is the largest single gift ever made to a Jewish organisation, and the building is planned to be one of the largest Jewish centres in the world (300,000 sq ft complex) BEH BH!

And why?

In Abady's own words: "This is a lifelong dream, that also allows me to honour my parents and my children. When my Family immigrated to Los Angeles in the 1970's, Chabad was there for us. That was never forgotten."

Gut Shabbos to all!