B’H
I write this message from 10,000 meters in the air. I’m on my way to a Rabbis conference where thousands of Rabbis gather yearly to brainstorm, get inspired, and return back to our communities with renewed vigor.

This years conference will be like no other.

With our focus on supporting Israel and the global Jewish community through these challenging times.

As I look out from the window I’m reminded of an idea I heard from one of my mentors. Before the plane takes off, life and everything around you looks big and daunting. Once you take off those same things start to look small. In fact the higher you go, the smaller everything looks.

When we are too stuck on the ground things in life can seem overwhelming, daunting, and insurmountable.

But when we lift ourselves up, overcoming these challenges suddenly become achievable.

One of the ways to lift our selves up is by having the right focus.

The parsha this week says that “Avraham was blessed with everything.” And indeed Avraham was very successful. He was wealthy, and owned lots of possessions, and was very famous and influential.

The Talmud explains that “everything” here does not refer to all that. But rather to him having a child !

(In Hebrew the word for everything is בכל which is the same Gematria as בן – child)

An important message for us all.

Instead of thinking how much we don’t have, we can turn around and realise that not only do we have so much good, but we actually have “everything!”

When we have family, and those that love us we have “everything.”

Everything we need to lift ourselves up and take that first step towards a great achievement.

Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Zalman