Subject: In Memory of Baruch Yitzchak ben Yirmiyahu (Barry Pessin) - Vayakhel Pekudei- 5780
From: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
Date: 3/20/2020, 9:18 AM
To: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
BCC: menachem@alonsystems.com

This week we read about the construction of the (Mishkan) the tabernacle which was to serve as the place on earth where the Divine Presence was revealed. It was called the Mishkan Ha-Edus, the tabernacle of testimony, as it was testimony to the fact that Hashem was "with" the Jewish People.
We are living through the most tumultuous times that any of us have experienced and I pray that it will be something that we will never experience again. It is during such challenging times though that we must realize Hashem is with us and guiding everything that is happening. A month ago who would have thought that society, the developed countries of the world, would be faced with a worldwide crisis they simply could not solve. All the money, military power, technology and skills that we have are no match for this "virus". It is scary but at the same time we are witnessing the awesome, humbling strength of G-d. This is something we certainly need to internalize as we become more and more isolated. How could we fathom that our entire world just stops?! We might excuse earthquakes and floods as acts of nature, we might excuse terrorist attacks and wars as acts of man, but an intellectually honest person can only look at this current situation as an act of G-d.

Our sages tell us that in the Hebrew month of Nisan we were redeemed (from Egypt) and in Nisan we will be redeemed in the future as we look forward to the upcoming month of Nisan may we all see the Final Redemption.

Shabbat Shalom stay safe and stay well,

Heath