Dear Friends,
Yesterday I arrived in Israel to join my parents and siblings for a special family get together in honor of our mother's birthday. We had planned this a while back, but then didn't know if we would come or not due to the war and all the flights being canceled.
The airport was certainly very very quiet, but people are extremely grateful to see people coming from outside of Israel during this time.
We have been keeping in mind that which the Rebbe would always tell people, during times of crisis in Israel, that it is the land about which the Torah says, "A land, which the eyes of G-d your Lord are on from the beginning of the year until the end of the year".
I had jokingly told my parents who live in London, that we decided to gather in Israel, as it is safer than England. Yet the day before we came to Israel, there was another evil attack on the Jewish community in Golders Green, and my brother in law's study partner was one of the seriously wounded victims. Thank G-d he is doing much better and has since stabilized.
Last night we went to the Western Wall and saw thousands of people there, large groups singing and dancing, and overall a beautiful spirit of determination and faith, despite the many current challenges.
We have visited some people our community has connected with in the past, keep restocking on ice cold drinks to share with those doing security duty, and hope to do lots of meaningful visits on Sunday.
The country is preparing for Lag Baomer, and its joyous and uplifting messages of faith, hope, recovery, and the fiery passion that is embodied in the teachings of Judaism.
Posters with parades and bonfires and upcoming celebrations, along with a constant chatter of if there will be celebrations in the North which keep getting downgraded, are constant here.
Lag Baomer also marks the end of the plague which killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva, and is celebrated as being the end of this terrible pandemic. Yet we are told that he was only left with five students, so what indeed is there to celebrate?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe suggested, that the celebration is the fact that Rabbi Akiva didn't throw his arms up in despair, and instead said, let's rebuild, even just with these five and find a way to build up once again. The celebration, is this act of courage and faith, in the face of so much pain and difficulties, and that ultimately, this decision helped produce the next generation of leaders who inspired and led the Jewish people, including someone like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
In a few minutes we will head to the Western Wall to pray and welcome in the Shabbat, and know that despite all the chatter in the air, Lag Baomer is coming along with its joyous message of pride, joy and determination to never stop marching forward with meaning, joy and faith and loyalty to fulfilling the Divine mission we have been trusted with.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos from Jerusalem!
Thank you to my sons and their friends and Shayna who are running Shabbat and the services this weekend at Chabad of Sudbury!
If anyone would like to participate in our efforts to make a difference while we are here to show support to those going through so much, you may do so using this link.
Yisroel