It’s all up to you!
By the Grace of G‑d
6 Tishrei, 5785
Dear Friend,
It’s all up to you now.
As we approach the awesome day of Yom Kippur, your role is more crucial than ever.
Yesterday, much of the world recalled the immense shock and searing pain we experienced last year, when so many of our brothers and sisters were so brutally and cruelly wrested from our midst.
So many additional pure souls have since heroically sacrificed their lives to protect us, hostages still endure unfathomable torture, and staggering numbers of families are still uprooted and overturned. Around the world, haters have raised their ugly voices and fists to intimidate us.
In the face of this unimaginable tragedy, we’ve put away petty differences and discovered a remarkable unity. We’ve come to appreciate more than ever how each of us counts, how we each have so much to contribute. We’ve come to recognize what’s truly important and enduring. We’ve taken note of G-d’s immense miracles. And we’ve acted on a deep yearning to reconnect with our innermost selves, to be more G-dly.
We’ve learned about the power of standing as one — and the difference even one person can make in this world.
We’ve all come to appreciate what the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, spent a lifetime teaching us about unity. About G-d. About Israel. And about the immense potential inside each one of us!
You are everything to G-d. And you are everything to all of us across the globe.
And everything about the awesome day of Yom Kippur points to each one of us:
In times of old, one High Priest, serving one G‑d, on behalf of His one people, in His one Temple, on His one holiest day, sought G‑d’s atonement for the entire world.
Similarly, one person anywhere in this world, with one turn of his or her personal page, doing one good deed, or even making one good resolution — can change the course of the entire world for the good!
This means:
YOU hold the key to the world’s future!
Your good deed, your cry from the depths of your soul, your care for another, can penetrate the Gates of Heaven and call forth a loving response from our One and Only Father in Heaven.
Jewish wisdom teaches us that a crucial component of our service to G‑d — even more so nowadays than in times of old! — is to give generously of our earnings to charity, especially during this time of year.
Why?
Because we work hard to earn a living. And we each pour our time, our energy — our very souls! — into that work. So when we contribute from those very earnings to charity, we are sharing our own toil; we are giving away a part of our very own soul and self, to others!
We are also…
- demonstrating our appreciation that G‑d entrusted us to act on His behalfto distribute His resources; and
- modeling how the Heavenly Court should treat us!
In preparation for Yom Kippur, when we pray that G‑d blesses us with all things good, that He protects our brothers and sisters in our Holy Land and removes their widespread pain and suffering, let us demonstrate our faith and connection by giving freely and generously to charity. G-d is relying on each one of us, individually!
Certainly, He will reciprocate in kind.
After all, He entrusted the entire world to each of us.
In this spirit, it would be extremely meaningful to people all over the world if you could take two minutes now to donate generously to Chabad.org’s vital work:
If you’d like to send a check, please do so here:
Chabad.ORG | 770 Eastern Parkway Suite 405 | Brooklyn, NY 11213
(And please remember Chabad.org in your will.)
Your partnership is vital to ensure our financial stability — and the life-saving services we offer — for the coming year.
To provide these services we must reach our Yom Kippur campaign goal of 18,000generous giving partners. We already stand at 8,391 partners, thank G-d. Will you please join them? Remember: Every individual act counts immensely!
PLEASE DONATE NOW
May you experience Yom Kippur in the deepest, holiest way. May the merit of your unique good deeds shield Israel and the entire world. And may you and each of your loved ones, along with the entire world, be sealed in the Book of Life for a good, healthy and sweet year!
On behalf of the Chabad.org team,
Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin
Executive Director
P.S. Yom Kippur contains endless entry points to connect to G‑d. To help enrich your holiest-day experience, I invite you to check out the Yom Kippur website. And enjoy a classic Yom Kippur teaching from the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory here.
Today, 6 Tishrei (Oct. 8), marks the 60th yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the Rebbe’s mother, Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, of righteous memory. To learn about this extraordinary woman’s very challenging yet deeply impactful life, click here. To light Shabbat candles in her memory this coming joint Shabbat and Yom Kippur eve — and start off the year with a monumental mitzvah, or to do something else special in her memory, check out these resources.
