By the Grace of G-d
Erev Yom Kippur, 5773 • September 25, 2012
Dear Friend,
Tonight, with the onset of Yom Kippur, we will each beg G-d to give us life -- healthful life, meaningful life, productive life, good life -- life as G-d alone can provide.
Each of us will repeat these requests with increasing urgency throughout this holiest day of the year: Please G-d, give me life! Give my family life! Give the Jewish People life! Give the world life!
Our Sages inform us that G-d's response often mirrors our own initiative: When we perform a good deed G-d performs similar good deeds in return.
In our urgent quest for life, we open the floodgates of G-d's life-blessings by Giving Life.
And if we are to expect G-d to overlook our shortcomings, to ignore the 'rulebook' and apply His boundless compassion to grant us bountiful good, then --
It is crucial that we don't simply give a little, within our comfort zone, or as fits our budget.
Rather, we must give Life to others in a manner far beyond our means, way beyond our perceived limits. We must reach deep inside of ourselves to freely give our hard-earned means -- our life! -- away to others, in order to Give Life.
There may be no greater way to prepare for G-d's endless blessings on Yom Kippur.
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As director of Chabad.org, a cause dependent exclusively on your donations, I'd like to ask you to partner with Chabad.org this year to Give Life.
Our reach is growing, our Life Giving services are expanding, our budget is bursting, our dreams are actualizing -- and we rely on you.
You are our partner; you are the one who holds the keys to our future.
Our Inbox overflows with messages of deep gratitude for the meaningful Life that our dedicated staff helps provide to so many every day, and for the many Life-Giving good deeds that flow across the globe from their work.
We supply nourishing food for the soul and give tools for living to young and old, to rich and poor, to millions who seek insight into life. No effort is ever spared, no person considered insignificant.
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There is one thing, though, that limits our work: Funding!
The more life-affirming funding we are afforded, the more people we can serve, the more Life we can give.
[Conversely, when our efforts to expand these services are frustrated by lack of funds, our staff feels acutely the awful burden of (G-d forbid) denying life. People who need to be reached who are not... Families who need to be helped and are not...]
So it is your partnership that can make all the difference to countless people's lives!
As we prepare to ask G-d to Give us Life, I ask you: Please become a full partner in our work and Give Life to others.
Please donate generously online at:
http://www.chabad.org/yom-kippur-appeal
You can donate via Credit Card, PayPal or Google Wallet, or by mailing a check payable to Chabad.org to: Chabad.org | 784 Eastern Parkway | Brooklyn, NY 11213.
In this merit, may G-d reciprocate to you and your loved ones in an overflowing manner, to be sealed in the Book of Life for the very best of life, for all things material and spiritual.
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One more thing:
In the days and hours leading up to Yom Kippur, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, would stand on his feet for hours, lovingly distributing pieces of honey cake and blessings for a sweet new year to an endless stream of visitors. (The honey cake was a physical expression of the sweetness the Rebbe wished upon each individual for the upcoming year.)
Despite his crushing workload and his packed schedule of learning and praying -- especially before the Holy Day! -- nothing in the world seemed more important to the Rebbe at this time than wishing blessing upon another, regardless of who the 'other' may be.
I pray that we learn from the Rebbe's example to love one another and to wish upon each other endless blessings of abundant good.
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May yours be a year overflowing with life's blessings for yourself and for everyone around you.
On behalf of the amazing Chabad.org Team,
Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin
Director
P.S. -- Some links of interest:
- Yom Kippur
- Charity
- High Holidays with the Rebbe (courtesy Jewish Educational Media)
- Distributing honey-cake
P.P.S. - If you have already become a partner in this campaign, we apologize for the repetition. Chances are that we are sending this to a different email address or that your check has not yet been processed. We are most grateful to you for your support!
Also, if you are unable or do not wish to contribute, please note that this but is a humble request, not a requirement for enjoying and benefitting from the site. It is simply an appeal to those who are able to help us continue this work. You are always welcome to enjoy our website and subscriptions, regardless of whether or not you make a contribution.
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