Dear Moriah Community,
In this week’s Parsha, פרשת כי תבוא, Moshe Rabbeinu mentions in his speech to the people of Israel before entering the land of Israel the mitzvah of bringing ביכורים, the first fruits.
The Midrash in Berashit Rabbah teaches us that the mitzvah of bringing ביכורים is one of three things for which the world was created.
And the question arises, what is so special about the mitzvah of the first fruits, that it is one of the reasons that the world was created?
One of the answers is that the mitzvah of the first fruits is a mitzvah that deals with gratitude – הכרת הטוב. The farmer who worked hard throughout the year to grow the fruits arrives at the בית המקדש in Jerusalem and acknowledges the goodness of Hashem for the abundant harvest that blessed him. Although it would seem that one could think that everything the farmer got was due to his hard work, since he plowed and sowed and pruned and nurtured the trees, the mitzvah of the first fruits tells us that everything is actually from רבש"ע and teaches us how important gratitude is.
Like the farmer, we also want to show הכרת הטוב.
We arrived here in Englewood after many thoughts, concerns and deliberations. Taking a family with six children on such a journey is not an easy thing.
But you, the Moriah community, made it simple, and thanks to you we feel like we've become part of an even larger family. From thinking about the simplest things of food, water and household utensils to the more complicated matters of a car and a house, you took care of everything and did it with great love and great joy.
So we want to be מכירים טובה and say a huge “thank you” to each and every one of you for everything you have done for us and all we will go through together. We look forward to an amazing time on our Shelichut here.
We are happy to be part of the Moriah community which is not just a community, it is also a family.
שבת שלום!
Adiel, Yonit Mhazri
And the kids - Lior, Lavi, Noa, Regev, Tzur, and Carmel
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