Dear EPIC parent,
I hope this finds you well.
At the start of a new year at EPIC Families (formerly Yedidim), we look back on the 17 years we have supported families and students. 17 is the numerical value of “tov”, meaning “good”. We have, with siyata dishmaya, been blessed with 17 good years!
We have shown thousands of youth the good within them.
We have shown thousands of youth the goodness of being good.
We have shown thousands of people the real goodness of life itself.
We look forward to spreading this message and Empowering and Inspiring thousands more!
Baruch Hashem this past year has been a regular year. However, we can’t forget the disruptions and difficulties of the previous two years.
Rosh Hashanah is here once again. As we know, the central theme of Rosh Hashana is malchiyus, accepting Hashem’s kingdom upon us.
However, there is a prerequisite to accepting Hashem’s kingdom.
Every morning before Shemoneh Esrei we recite “yachad kulam hodu v’himlichu v’amru Hashem yimloch l’olam va’ed”, “Together they all gave thanks and appointed the King and said Hashem should rule forever and ever”. Harav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l derives from here that before accepting the kingdom of Hashem one must first express thanks and appreciation for everything He does.
We need to pause from our hectic schedules to appreciate all the good we have received over the past year. Has a day passed without having food or clothing? Did a day go by without a home to go to and a place to sleep? All this, plus so much more, was given to us last Rosh Hashanah.
We take so much of our everyday lives for granted. This year let us appreciate the goodness in the myriad gifts that Hashem bestows upon us so we can accept His kingdom upon us.
May we all be inscribed in the book of tzaddikim !
Wishing you a k’sivah v’chasimah tovah,
Rabbi Yaacov Goodman