Greetings From Rabbi Weinberg
Dear Members of KMS,
It is hard to believe that the Yomim Noraim are, once again, upon us. We are looking forward to experiencing this season with all of you.
In the lead-up to these holy days we must make the most of our time to prepare properly. Rabbi Yeruchum Levovitz zt"l, the famed Machgiach Ruchani of the Mir Yeshiva notes the importance of preparation. He says that the mandate of "zerizin makdimin lemitzvot" (we are supposed to approach mitzvot with alacrity and perform them as soon as possible) is not just a preferred practice or an act of extra piety, but rather, the essence of the duty of the human being. It is our preparation for something that defines the experience we will eventually have. In that way, the preparation is almost as important, if not more important, as the event or the moment itself.
The precious moments of the month of Elul are preparation for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and those moments, in turn, are preparation for the year ahead. As R. Levovitz says in his book Daat Chochma U'Musar in reference to the preparations of the month of Elul: "Behachana yesh kvar hakol" " in the preparation all is contained." Consequently, it is crucial that we maximize these days of preparation with extra diligence and focus because they will come to define and shape the year 5779 for each of us.
Towards that end, we invite you to take advantage of the wonderful variety of activities and classes being offered to help set the right tone for the month of Elul and prepare us for these important days ahead; some of the activities and classes are listed in the Guide to the High Holidays brochure.
We are also in the midst of planning a full array of weekly shiurim, suedah shlishit programs, scholars in residence, Israel programs, social events and youth activities for the coming year. You will hear more about these in the days to come and we hope you will take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that KMS has to offer. I am so excited for what this year has in store and pray that Hashem allows us the time to experience and enjoy it all.
In the meantime, Elana, Joseph, Riva, Adi and I with you all a Shana Tova and a ketiva vechatima tovah. May this truly be a superb year for us all filled with good health, happiness, and the fulfillment of all our prayers for the good.
Rabbi Weinberg, Elana, Joseph, Riva and Adi
