Shalom Aleichem!
Happy birthday to my mother! Here’s wishing you much simcha, health & nachas from your super-cute grandkids 🙂
Happy 4th birthday (today) to my son Shmuel!
Happy 70th birthday to Eugene Sadowsky!
Mazel tov to QC alum Jeremy Reissman on his wedding to Chana Bernstein (picture at right)!
Mazel tov to alumna Liya Krikheli on her recent engagement!
The email this week was authored by Tzipah… read on!
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Today, the 2nd of the Jewish month of Iyar, is the birthday of the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel Schneerson. Known as the Rebbe Maharash, he coined a Yiddish phrase, “Lechatchila Ariber” – when you encounter an obstacle, your initial plan of action should be to go right over anything in the way, as opposed to trying to circumvent and avoid.
Picture it: Rosh Hashana 1957. A torrential downpour in Brooklyn. The long morning service has just ended – warm food awaits – but the Rebbe is on his way walking down Eastern Parkway to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in order to do Tashlich. All the chassidim are following the Rebbe. They reach the gardens and the gates are locked.
L’chatchila Ariber.
The chassidim don’t know what to do. Then they notice that the Rebbe is climbing over the gate. In the pouring rain they all follow suit, recite Tashlich by the lake and then begin to dance.
Our Shmuel’s birthday is a personal simcha for me as well. He began his journey into the world on the 30th on Nissan, two days prior. It was a long and difficult labor which lasted over a day and half. With the intervention of a very skilled doctor and many prayers, Mommy and baby were fine.
Shmuel was born black and blue; his breathing was fine but he was bruised from the difficult labor.
The details of the labor are not pretty but his entry into the world was utterly miraculous. L’chatchila Ariber. Please feel free to join us this Shabbat at 3pm in our home for a special 4th birthday party for Shmuel – or just stop by for a quick Mazal Tov!
Shabbat Shalom,
Tzipah
