Rosh HaShana Message from Daniel & Halana Rosenfield

As we approach Rosh Hashana, we wanted to be in touch with you. We have each personally, had our own ups and downs, highs and lows over the past year. We all hope and pray for a new year full of only continued ups and ups, highs and highs.

Ever since the first day that Chani's website was up and running, the top of the homepage carried the line from the peak of our Rosh Hashana davening: "U'teshuva, u'tefilla' u'tzedaka - ma'avirin et ro'ah hagezeira" (Repentance, prayer and charity removes the evilness of the decree). After Chani's tragic passing, some family and friends suggested removing this line from the website as it seemed hypocritical, implying that the teshuva, tefilla, and tzedaka taken on by family and friends around the world - did not work. This immediately struck us wrong. We do believe that the incredible unity and chesed that Chani inspired people to take on around the world, was definitely heard, and served to help other sick children and adults to receive their refuah sheleima. In addition to this, we also felt all along the year and a half of Chani's illness, that she was really truly blessed with quality of life. She was a happy young girl. Always playing and laughing, always smiling and causing others to smile. Chani lived every moment and made the most of each day and hour and minute she was blessed with. Chani somehow was able to transcend her illness, and enjoy life to the fullest. We attribute this to all of the mitzvot, tehillim, chesed, shemirat halashon, etc. that everyone around the world took on. Family, friends, people who knew us and Chani, and those who did not even know her or us at all.

This line we say on Rosh Hashana does not imply that our righteous actions can hopefully be "ma'avirin et hagezeira" (remove the decree), but rather "ma'avirin et RO'AH hagezeira" (removes the EVILNESS of the decree). For Chani this line and this bracha was very true. As personally tragic as the outcome was and is, Chani was blessed with the removal of the ro'ah of the decree, as she enjoyed a good life, albeit a short one. Our neighbor Rav Eyal Gottlieb said to us during Shiva that what great gedolim and Roshei Yeshiva try their whole lifetime to inspire people to greater heights of unity and tefilla and chesed, this little 3-year old girl was able to accomplish in her short life. As our sages tell us in the Gemara, of Avoda Zara 17A: "Yesh koneh olamo bekama shanim, v'yesh koneh olamo b'sha'a achat". "There are those who acquire their place in the world to come over many years, and there are those who do so by even one single act."

As we approach Rosh Hashana, we have much to reflect upon. We have much we can learn from Chani Banani. When we smile at our neighbor or help a friend out, we are learning from the Banani. This Rosh Hashana we can try to appreciate the time that we are given and try to make the most of it.

When we think of the Din (judgement) that was passed last Yom Kippur and the difficulty of the gezeira, I cannot help but think also of the rachamim and chesed (kindness) within the din. We can think of countless examples of rachamim that were bestowed upon us as well. Our bracha this year is that we should all continue the teshuva, tefilla, tzedaka, chesed, achdut, smiles, and hugs each day of the year. We will continue to act towards our fellow neighbors with kindness and love, and hope and pray that Hashem will shower us with His kindness as well. Yehi ratzon that Hashem will kiv'yachol "get up" from the seat of "Din", and sit in His seat of "Rachamim". Yehi ratzon that Hashem should look down and see how we follow His ways with the joy and simcha that Chani taught us, and that He should not only listen to the beauty of our heartfelt tefillot, but also to the joy and simcha of our avodat Hashem - "lishmo'ah el harina v'el ha'tefilla".

We wish each of you and your families a Shana Tova and a year blessed with only good things.

Daniel & Halana

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