Kah Ribbon Olam: Lev Simcha

The 30th of Sivan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Moshe (ben Levi) Najara (1580). A talmid of the Arizal, later, rabbi of Gaza, he wrote Lekach Tov on Rashi. He was the father of Rav Yisrael Najara. He composed Kah Ribbon Olam that we sing on Friday night, one of 450 Zemirot he is said to have composed.The 7th of Tammuz is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Simcha Bunim (ben Avraham Mordechai) Alter (1898-1992), the Gerrer Rebbe from 1977-1992; also known as the Lev Simcha. A son of the Imrei Emes, he was born in the town of Gora Kalwaria (Ger) in Poland and emigrated to Eretz Yisrael in 1934. He originated the Daf Yomi for the Talmud Yerushalmi. He became Rebbe in 1977, after the petira of his brother, Rav Yisrael (the Bais Yisrael).

“God, to Whom it belongs on her and greatness, save Your sheep from the mouth of lions. Bring Your People out from exile; the People that You chose from all the nations.”

“You are children to God, your Lord; you shall not cut yourselves and you shall not make a bald spot between your eyes for a dead person. For you are a holy people to God, your Lord, and God has chosen you for Himself to be a treasured people, from among all the peoples on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 14:1-2).” There are three levels of relationship described in these two verses: “you are children,” describes the person who is able to incorporate all the worlds and connect to all souls. “Holy nation,” is a lower level then that of children in that we are no longer described as children but retain our sanctity. However, there are times when we have lost any connection to our sense of being children or even of our own sanctity, and it is at that point that we say, “God has chosen you for Himself,” meaning it is only in God’s choice of us that we can remain connected. (Heard in the name of the Lev Simcha)