Tuesday, Nissan 25, 5779 / April 30, 2019

Shalom. I hope you had a wonderful Pesach holiday together with your friends and loved ones.

We too had a great Yom Tov holiday. At the end of the Pesach holiday, G-d blessed us with an additional great grandson. We are looking to be back in New York for his Bris on Friday. May we and you, always be able to notify each other of good and happy news.  

It is with great sadness that we all heard about the shooting on Pesach in the Chabad Synagogue in Poway, California. One of the congregants, Mrs. Lori Kaye (Leah bat Reuven), was sadly killed. The lives of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein and other members of the synagogue, plus many children, were miraculously saved.

We wish those who were wounded, physically and emotionally, especially Rabbi Goldstein, Rabbi of Chabad of Poway who lost a finger in this ordeal, a quick recovery. May they experience only good and happiness from here on.

As a Chabad Rabbi, who cares for the welfare of every Jew, no matter their level of observance, Rabbi Goldstein’s message to us all is that we should all add in spiritual light, in our own connection with our inner soul, with our study of Torah and observance of mitzvot and helping others in whichever way we can, in order to dispel the great darkness of anti-Semitism which has risen it’s ugly head throughout the world, lately.

May the Neshama-soul of Lori Kaye, who was a victim of this murderous anti-Semitic act, whose neshama-soul was taken during the Shabbat prayers, rest in peace in Gan Eden. Let us unite to fill our synagogues to capacity this Shabbat and remember Lori Kaye, Leah bat Reuven, in our prayers, as our heartfelt condolences go out to her family.

Rabbi Goldstein reminded us the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, “We must fight darkness with light. Even a small amount of light pushes away much darkness, how much more so if we bring much spiritual light into our lives and the lives of others and into the world as a whole.”

Coming from Pesach, the Seders are still fresh in our minds. At the Seder we recited the famous verse from the Hagadah, “… Not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and G-d saves us from their hands.” 

For all those who still question, “The miracle of Passover took place over 3,000 years ago, why do we celebrate it today? What significance does it have for us? The shootings in the synagogue in Chabad of Poway and the shooting in Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh six months ago, where eleven people lost their lives, is a reminder that our existence, every day of OUR lives is a constant miracle, as the Hagadah says, “in every generation they try to destroy us, and G-d saves us from their hands.”  May we know only good and happiness in the future. Amen

HAVE A WONDERFUL, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY