**Note to the Reader:** I read the following essay, exactly 1,000 words, to friends at the celebration of my turning 60. The essay is followed by a Hebrew glossary of the italicized Hebrew words. The letter *H*, when underlined, has a guttural sound.
Dear Friends,
All thanks first to dear G-d, Hashem, who gave life to us and has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to now. And thank you, dear friends, for being here, and for all the hospitality so many of you have shown me in your homes on wonderful Shabbos. And thank you, Rony and Genine, for making your home the place of this *simha*, and may there be ever more *simha* for each of us and for our world, please G-d.
Hanukah is such great light for all of us, *todah lah’el*. *Eem ayin hatov*, I was born on *Aleph b'Tevet* in Los Angeles on the morning of the seventh day of Hanukah, and at that moment it was 6:15 in the evening of the eighth night of Hanukah in *Eretz Yisrael*, with the 8 lights burning in so many homes in the *Yishuv*, in the year *Hey Tahf Sheen Zayin*, 5707, 1946. Thank you *En Sof* for giving me that—it’s when I most would have wanted to be born, with those eight Hanukah lights shining out of *Eretz Yisrael*, *eem ayin hatov*. And thank you, Hashem, for bringing me halfway now through the journey of at least 120 years that we all wish for each other.
At this time in my life, I want and intend, *bizraht Hashem*, to rise above worries and negative thought patterns and keep getting farther away from them, and to be feeling better and better, and to be feeling really good as much as I can. And I want to know who my *zivug* is and be with her, and have children, please G-d. And I want to keep learning more Torah all my life and keep asking questions as I learn.
David HaMeleh is one of the people who has most inspired me. I think David might have suffered sometimes from major depression, for he sometimes had such intense mood swings. I’ve experienced major depression several times in my life, and thank G-d I’m out of depression now, and may we all be feeling good, *bizraht Hashem*.
When I was 24, I read *Sefer Bresheet* for the first time, and the part that touched me the most was when Yosef met his brothers in *Meetsrayim* and revealed himself to them—something in that story made me relate so much to Yosef and to Yehuda and to all their family, which is our family, and the story affected me so strongly emotionally. Years later, I was thrilled to learn that I was born under *Parshat Vayigash*, where Yosef reveals himself to his brothers and is reconciled with them. For years, I would weep when Yosef would weep in this very touching story. Thank you, Hashem, for giving me this *parsha*. It's the *parsha* I most would have wanted to be born under—it’s so positive, it’s full of meetings whose purpose is peace and out of which come peace. I also really relate to the *haftorah* for *Vayigash*, which is from *Yehezkel, Perek Lamed Zayin*. It talks about two sticks becoming one stick and about healing the breach between Yehuda and Yosef—it’s about Israel uniting. It also makes mention, in G-d’s name, of a future David, and of a future *Brit Shalom*. *Eem ayin hatov*, allow me to tell you that I believe the *Brit Shalom*, the covenant of peace at [peacecircle.org](http://peacecircle.org), is just as much in the spirit of the *Brit Shalom* mentioned in *Yehezkel* as any other *Brit Shalom* that will appear in this world.
*Eem ayin hatov*, if anyone here has ever thought they were just as much *Mashiah*, just as much a part of *Mashiah* as anyone else, please raise your hand now. I hope and guess that more than one hand will be raised. I’ve met several people who consider themselves just as much *Mashiah* as anyone else, and I’m also one of those characters when I’m in my best state of mind. *Bli neder*, I will not claim to be more *Mashiah* than anyone else, and instead, as long as I’m healthy in spirit, I will be able to continue to believe that I’m just as much *Mashiah*, just as much a part of *Mashiah* as anyone else. I’m not going to take the *kavod* away from another, and I hope no one will try to take the *kavod* away from me. So let’s call it JAMM, which can stand for *Just As Much Mashiah*. And we each can feel JAMM about our own selves or about anyone else, and that’s okay. And the real *Mashiah* is *we*, not *me*. We are the *Mashiah*, *Anu HaMashiah*. *Anu*, not *Ani*. The *Yood* in *Ani* in this case is up in the clouds, in the ego; the *Vahv* in *Anu* in this case is more humble and is resting on the ground. Let’s stop waiting for *Mashiah*, let’s be *Mashiah*. It’s JAMM, and it’s the difference between *Ani* and *Anu*. *Anu HaMashiah*. And may anyone who wants to feel that they’re just as much a part of this *Mashiah* thing as anyone else go ahead and feel that, and that’s fine. So let’s start JAMM and *Anu HaMashiah*. And let’s start it in Tzfat, because that’s where our tradition tells us that *Mashiah* will start. And let’s have a JAMM *Mashiah* party at the end of every Hanukah to keep the light going, to be that light for each other and recognize the greatness in each other and the times each of us does indeed go into *Ruah HaKodesh*. Let’s be inspired and stay inspired and help each other and recognize the *Navi* in each of us because we’re all connected to *En Sof* in so many ways that we can’t even begin to comprehend or imagine. It’s awesome, and you’re awesome, and *Anu HaMashiah*, *Just As Much Mashiah*, JAMM. Thank you, dear G-d and dear friends in G-d. *Anu Rabim Anu Ehad*—we are many, we are one. Thank you.
**Glossary**
- *Aleph b’Tevet* – the first day of the Hebrew lunar month of Tevet
- *Ani* – I
- *Anu* – we
- *Anu HaMashiah* – we are the messiah
- *Anu Rabim Anu Ehad* – we are many we are one
- *Bizraht Hashem* – with the help of G-d
- *Bli Neder* – literally, without a vow; without making a vow
- *Brit Shalom* – covenant of peace
- *David HaMeleh* – literally, David the King; King David
- *Eem Ayin Hatov* – literally, with eye the good; with the good eye, with the eye that tries to see the good in things and in people, with the eye that’s not jealous
- *En Sof* – literally, there is not an end; another name for G-d
- *Eretz Yisrael* – the land of Israel
- *Haftorah* – a selection from the prophets or writings of the Hebrew Bible that is read in synagogues on Shabbat after the weekly Torah portion is read, with each different Torah portion having its own different haftorah selection
- *HaMashiah* – the messiah
- *Hanukah* – the eight-day festival celebrating miraculous victories and a miraculous burning of oil lights in the temple for eight days when there was only enough oil for one day
- *Hashem* – literally, the name; G-d
- *Kavod* – honor
- *Mashiah* – messiah
- *Meetsrayim* – Egypt
- *Navi* – prophet
- *Parsha* – weekly Torah portion
- *Parshat Vayigash* – weekly Torah portion of Genesis 44:18 – 47:27
- *Ruah HaKodesh* – divine inspiration
- *Sefer Bresheet* – book of Genesis
- *Shabbos* – Shabbat; the Sabbath day of rest that begins before sunset on Friday and ends on Saturday night
- *Simha* – a happy occasion or celebration; happiness
- *Todah Lah’el* – literally, thanks to the G-d; thank G-d
- *Torah* – the texts and teachings of Yahadoot which is Judaism
- *Vahv* – sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and last letter in the word *Anu*
- *Yehezkel, Perek Lamed Zayin* – Ezekiel, chapter 37, (verses 15–28)
- *Yehuda* – Judah, the fourth son of Israel and the fourth son of Leah
- *Yishuv* – the settlements of *Yehudim* (Jews) in *Eretz Israel*, the land of Israel, before the modern state of Israel was declared in the year 5708, 1948
- *Yood* – tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and last letter in the word *Ani*
- *Yosef* – Joseph, the eleventh son of Israel and the first son of Rachel
- *Zivug* – partner, soul-mate