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Dear Friend, |
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Today is a special, albeit not-too-famous day on the Jewish calendar: the fifteenth of Av, known as "Tu B'Av". The Talmud relates that in biblical times, the daughters and sons of Israel would mingle in the fields, meeting each other in the hope of creating a Jewish home together. It's significant that this date is the 15th of the lunar month-- a full moon. A full moon radiates a beautiful glow of a greater luminary, the sun. This is a profound reflection of the Jewish attitude in love and marriage, as well as the Jewish attitude to life in general. As human beings, we're meant to view our relationships and all that is dear to us, not as something we've earned or deserve, perhaps a love we're entitled to, but rather as a reflection of Gd's love and kind relationship to us. Everything we have is a gift, and true love is the wish to give more than we receive; to reflect G-d, the ultimate Giver, as the moon reflects the sun. And just like the moon, there are up days and down days. The waning moon, a less-than-perfect day in life and relationships, comes with the understanding that this is just one part of the long game, and the moon will wax and shine luminously again. This is also a reflection of our collective history. We've had our fair share of times when we've felt alone, when we may have felt that the good times were over and it's all downhill now. But the 15th of Av reminds us that we are not a "widowed nation"; we have a loving provider above that loves us unconditionally. On this Shabbos, we celebrate this theme as we conclude the week of Tisha B'Av and the Nine Days of mourning and segway into bright, luminous and uplifting days ahead. Raizy and I look forward to greeting you at Chabad. Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Shmuel Metzger P.S. Some very exciting news happening at Chabad Sutton in September: GROW, our Montessori-inspired Jewish afterschool enrichment, will run every Wednesdays with sessions for children ages 4-6 and free pickup from P.S.59! Also in the works, three weekly baby & toddler classes at our MJM Baby Studio. Email manhattanjewishmontessori@ Artwork by: Linda Frimer |