Long live the King!

Dear Friends,

Queen Elizabeth II was a powerful and graceful leader who brought the world together and was an island of stability in a tumultuous world.

 As queen, she inspired many with a life of
 service and left a lasting legacy on our world.

As the world mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, all eyes turn to the heir to the throne, King Charles III. But changing course and ascending to the throne at age 73 can be fraught with many challenges.

Interestingly, this comes at a time when many are starting at new schools, a new job, and we are also preparing to start a new year on Rosh Hashana. Clearly, it is a season of venturing into previously unchartered territory.

So what is the secret to a successful transition?

The Torah tells us "When you build a new home, you shall build a fence over your roof." A fence offers definition to a space, as well as protection from the inevitable dangers of rooftops without guardrails.
To succeed in a new venture, we should look ahead for all potential scenarios and plan accordingly.

When moving away from our comfort zone and going out into the world, various elements may test our most sacred values and convictions. Erecting a fence symbolically means to create personal guardrails to protect our integrity, honesty and morality.

Judaism guarantees us that creating personal boundaries is the best way of preventing us from “falling over the edge.”

Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos