Dear Friends,
On Wednesday morning, I returned to Sudbury from Israel after a whirlwind trip for Shabbat and a few days, for a special family reunion in honor of my mother's birthday.
Although so many people asked us if we weren't scared to go with the current dynamics, and even some people in Israel asked us the same question, the reality on the ground couldn't be any different.
We remembered the words of the verse that the Land of Israel, is the land which G-d watches from the beginning of the year 
until the end of the year, and thought about practical aspects of what we need to do, and remembered how much the Lubavitcher Rebbe would encourage people to go, even during challenging times like the Six Day War and again in 1991, and off we went.
Resting was not on the agenda, just spending some quality time with our parents, and doing lots of meaningful and special things together.
On the last night of our visit, as reports began to emerge of tensions dramatically rising, the sentiments start to get to you even with all the grit and faith that you can manage. But it was then that we reminded ourselves, it is Lag Baomer, a truly joyous and special night, and let us just go and gather at one of the many celebrations and put our headspace into something meaningful, holy and joyous.
Just a block or two away, and in typical Israeli style, there was not a trace of tension, as hundreds of people celebrated around a fire, with songs, music and meaning, and just a heavy dose of pure joy for the holiday and its message as men, women and children gathered to celebrate.
Later that evening as I walked with my brother Shmuel for miles across Jerusalem at 1am, we saw and joined events with tens of thousands of people celebrating in the streets. The only thing palpable in the air that night, besides the smell of smoke from the bonfires, was the deep joy and meaning of this joyous and uplifting day.
We had wanted to visit Meron for this holiday but it was closed due to missile fire from Lebanon, which had struck the mountain for several days in a row. We sufficed with seeing it from Safed on Sunday, from the same vantage point that so many of the spiritual leaders like the Arizal and others would often do.
The artists quarter was shuttered and hardly a visitor was in sight, but still whoever we spoke to, was so happy to have some visitors that day.
Half way down the mountainside in Safed, we went to visit the synagogue of the famous Kabbalist, the Arizal which is nearly 500 years old. We said some prayers and reflected as we thought about the layers of history, ideas, and meaning that are embedded in the stones of this ancient synagogue.
When we exited the building we saw a massive rainbow covering this ancient synagogue which faced Meron from across the hills of Safed, as the sun rays shone down from above.
An occasional drone or fighter jet overhead simply became part of the background noise that accompanied the deeper sense of life and purpose that continues as always.
Tourists are missing and certainly so many places are empty and deserted and the storekeepers, artists and so many others are struggling, and yes so many told us about the challenges that they have been living with and the traumas that they or their family members have had to face.
Yet there is no doubt that the resolute determination and faith and hope and grit for a better future and real peace has become a visible part of life. This was seen and felt both in so many dozens of conversations with so many, and also in our visits to the most random places or seeing thousands of people celebrating Shabbat at the Western Wall.
The irony was that so many people who spoke to my parents expressed their shock at recent events in London, and asked them how safe they feel living in the UK.
The news cycles can suck one into a narrative of fear and tension, yet the realities of life are far more complex, and ultimately people are continuing to LIVE as they zoom in to the goodness and meaning of each day and moment, and work, learn, study, pray, celebrate milestones, weddings, do acts of kindness and so much more.
G-d willing, we will see much better days ahead and let us never let fear or anxiety deter us from doing what we need to do in life and staying the course.
In this week's portion we are reminded of many unique Mitzvot that only apply in the Land of Israel, including the Sabbatical Year, laws of real estate, and so much more. These commandments are not just to create a just and well managed society, they are also to imbue a sentiment of living for a higher purpose, and one in which the altruistic greater good is always front and center of our direction and actions.
An example of this is seen with the Mitzvah of the Sabbatical year, in which the land must lay fallow for a year, and the focus shifted from chasing the dollar, to tuning in to the deeper messages of life. One could certainly do another trade that year, but the overall goal was to foster an awareness that ultimately the work that we do, is part of a much greater purpose, and it is that greater good, which must always be front and center of who we are.
Please join us for services and the Kiddush Luncheon tomorrow at which I will share some anecdotes and stories from this visit.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel