Dear Friends,
“This is not Jewelry, but rather JEW-lry.” So said Avinoam ben Yitzchak Netanel, among other things, in the Chabad House last Shabbat, the Shabbat of Baselworld - the Watch and Jewellery Show. Like every year, the Chabad House was overflowing with Jews from all over the world, representing all Jewish ethnic groups, and Avi, in his own special way, was encouraging his friends to make sure to remember what’s more important in life, and what’s less.
In the Rebbe’s first book, the “Hayom-Yom” book, for the date of 20 Adar Sheni, the Rebbe brings a wonderful Chassidic explanation of the Maggid of Mezeritch on a verse from this week’s Parasha: “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not [Lo] be extinguished” – the fire of love and enthusiasm for Hashem and for His Torah will always be burning in a person’s heart, and, that way, he will ensure that the “Lo” – the negative things – will be extinguished and banished from his heart.
I saw it this week, this entire week, and especially on Shabbat. I saw all these Jews from all over the world who keep the fire in their hearts burning! I saw how the Mashhad Jews are particular about singing their special tune for “Betzet Yisrael..” in Hallel; others made sure to sing “Hashem Malach, Ge’ut Lavesh” in Kabbalat Shabbat. Everyone sang enthusiastically and with love the verse of “Yevarech Et Beit Yisrael.” I saw the everlasting fire in their hearts, and I knew that it was protecting them from the “Lo” that might appear.
Just like the faithful Avi said: “It’s not Jewelry, but, rather JEW-lry.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Zalmen Wishedski