THE JOY OF SIMCHAS TORAH

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well and enjoying Sukkos!

Mommy and I have just spent a wonderful time with the Family in Indio, for a combination get- together for Mommy’s birthday, and Sukkos. This was mainly organised by Shmuel Levy and his Family, who have put in massive efforts, before during and after the event, organising, purchasing, transporting goods, equipment and sukkah etc, unpacking, cooking, arranging minyonim with 2 Sifrei Torah, arranging schedules and outings, and much more! Words cant thank you enough Shmuel, Rivky and Family!

And then huge shared efforts of contribution from each and every member of the Family, including their own Families, and including the members in London and Sydney who could not make it, and who also contributed greatly from afar, and whose hearts were with us.

Hashem should grant you all much blessing for this amazing Mitzvah of kibbud av vaem, and wishing the whole Family and extended Family to continue making many simchos BEH!!

I would like to welcome to our Family Group Justin and Micaela (Ne Raviv) Fasman, who have just recently got married. Mazal Tov!!

Micaela is a daughter of Laura (Fisher) Raviv, who is Naomi (Fisher) Davidoff’s sister.

A big welcome Justin and Micaela. We are so happy to continue to link to Family and extended Family, and we wish you a very happy life together, building a *binyan adei ad *BEH!

To introduce you to everyone, I am attaching a Family Tree made by Kevin Marks, which focuses mainly on members of this Group (the ones marked in red), which I think will be easier to understand than another one we have from Kevin Ossey.

I think it would be nice at this stage to get a tab for the Fisher Family added to the Sheet. Could someone supply a basic Family Tree of the Fisher Family, which we can give to the two Kevins to add Justin and Micaela?

Please feel free to contribute and share comments and events etc to the Group.

We are now coming up to the climax of our Festival of Joy, Shmini Atzeres and Simchas Torah, and I would like to share a short vort, and an extract from a story that I saw this week (I am attaching the rest of the story for those interested).

· Joy without calculation (Rabbi Avraham of Slonim)

Joy does not need to arrive from various considerations or calculations.

Rather, our rejoicing, because it is a Mitzvah “To rejoice before Hashem your G-d….”, is simply because He is Hashem our G-d.

The very fact that Hashem wants us to be joyful should itself bring us to joy!

( Rambam mentions in the halachos of Sukkos, that even although it is a Mitvah to rejoice on all of the Yom Tovim, it is more so on Sukkos….And to do so is a great Service…)

· Extract from a Story (The complete Story of Tishrei)

The hakafot (circuits of dancing on Simchat Torah) were in full swing.

Round and round went the circle of dancing worshippers in the little shul.

I had come to watch, that’s all.

Somebody from the circle pulled me in to the swirling mass of dancers.

I turned my head to glance at the man who had roped me in.

He seemed elderly, and I wondered where he got so much strength to dance and dance without end.

I was astonished to see that tears were streaming down his cheeks.

But an inner happiness and ecstasy were written over his noble face………….

Gut Shabbos and Gut Yom Tov to all, with much Joy