TORAH TEACHER, MENTOR AND FRIEND

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing a refuah shlemah to Yechezkiel ben Ester

We have just returned from a wonderful week in California where we spent a packed week in the new home of Avi and Penina, celebrating (in chronological order) Shavuos, Shalom zachar for their new son, Shabbos, the bris of their son Yisrael Meir, the honour of Sandek, and last but not least the beautiful Batmitzvah party of Nechama Ester Levy. A big thank you to our hosts and all the family in California – Mazal Tov!

We wish long life to Mommy (Rahel) for the yohrtzeit of Meme which was this week. It was so nice to hear, in Nechama’s Basmitzvah speech, how she linked and related to her 2 namesakes ie Meme (Esther) and our mother, Nechama – See her speech attached. Meme’s neshamah should have an aliya.

Mazal Tov to Aaron Glick on his birthday yesterday. Wishing you a wonderful year Aaron! It was nice to see pictures of you and your Family holidaying with your in-laws BH!

Mazal Tov to Esther Miriam who also had a birthday this week. Wishing you a year of much continued success in both material and Spiritual Esther, and to continue giving much nachas to your parents BEH!

Mazal Tov to Hirshy and Mariasha for their Anniversary at the end of next week. Wishing you many continued happy and healthy years together with much nachas from your beautiful Family BEH!

This weeks is Chap 1 of Pirkei Avot and I saw an interesting explanation on Mishnah 6:

“…Yehoshua ben Perachya said: ‘Make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person meritoriously.”

· A teacher

Even a person who does not need a teacher to learn Torah, and could be like the greatest man of his generation, like the author of this Mishnah, should force himself to accept a teacher. *By humbling ourselves before a human master, we draw upon ourselves a sense of obedience towards the Divine Master (The Rebbe in Biurim)*

· A friend

Every person needs a friend who acts as a counsellor and a guide to whom one can reveal one’s inner feelings.

*When you love, do not love by your standards, but love by your friend’s standards*. When both friends follow this rule, each will seek to satisfy the desire of the other, and they will enjoy a fruitful friendship (Rambam)

· Judge every person meritoriously

o If one can interpret another person’s deeds as positive, do so

o Even if the deed is certainly bad, one can still judge the person favourably by recognising that it is his particular circumstances that caused him to sin. (Tanya Chap 30)

o *Furthermore, not only can these acts be accommodated, they can even be seen as merits*! Each person is fighting this huge inner battle, and deep down recognises what is right and wrong, and the fact that these temptations are placed in front of them, demonstrates that he / she has the spiritual resources to overcome them. Because man’s challenges are commensurate with their moral strength (Bamidbar Rabbah 12:3)

Gut Shabbos to all