This week we read Parshat Vaetchanan.

Moshe tells the Jewish people how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused.

Continuing his “review of the Torah,” he describes the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah, declaring them unprecedented events in human history.

Moshe predicts that in future generations the people will turn away from G‑d, worship idols, and be exiled from their land and scattered amongst the nations; but from there they will seek G‑d, and return to obey His commandments.

Our Parshah also includes a repetition of the Ten Commandments, and the verses of the Shema, which declare the fundamentals of the Jewish faith: the unity of G‑d.

The 15th of Av is a most mysterious day, celebrated this year on July 29, 2026. A search of the Shulchan Aruch reveals no observances or customs for this date, except for the instruction that the tachanun (confession of sins) should be omitted from the daily prayers, and that one should increase one’s study of Torah.

The Talmud tells us that many years ago the “daughters of Jerusalem would go dance in the vineyards” on the 15th of Av, and “whoever did not have a wife would go there” to find himself a bride. And the Talmud considers this the greatest festival of the year, with Yom Kippur (!) a close second!

As the “full moon” of the month of Av, it is the festival of the future Redemption, marking the end of the tragedy that marred the first part of the month. Until this day, we held siyumim and gave charity each day to mitigate our sadness and hasten the Redemption. But on the 15th of Av, this is no longer. Forty-five days before Rosh Hashanah, this is also the first day on which we begin to wish each other a ketivah vachatimah tovah, to be signed and sealed for a good year.

Why is the unity of G-d the fundamental of Jewish faith?

When one believes that everything in the world is created by G-d and is Only G-d, then they will not come to sin or misjudge.

If He is truly everywhere, how can one act out of line. And because He is the Mastermind behind all of creation, believing that He is One, leaves no room for any other voice of reason besides for what the Torah says to be true.

A young boy asked his father for an apple. When his father refused, he recited the Bracha for the fruit. Unable to let the Bracha be in vain, his father gave him the apple. We should approach Geulah the same way. When we rejoice with complete confidence that Moshiach is coming now, our joy itself helps bring the Geulah.

Our daughter Hindy, now 18 years old, accompanied us to the Rebbe. Avrohom, our son, had been studying in the Lubavitch Yeshiva in New York for a year already, and he met us at the airport. He related to us all the latest news and happenings at 770.

He kept interspersing his comments with the name of one special friend, ShmuelLew. This fellow seemed to be the paradigm of all virtues, a talmid chochom of the highest caliber, athletic and very good looking. Avrohom reminded us that we had met him at last year's visit to the summer camp in the Catskills.

I did not recall any such distinguished and outstanding young man. Anyhow, they all looked very much the same to my untrained eyes: medium to tall height, wispy beards, white short-sleeved shirts. “At any rate,” I interrupted, “why do you mention him?” Well, it seems Avrohom wanted to arrange a meeting between Shmuel and Hindy. (Later we found out that the Rebbe was involved in this, and was spurring it along. At this stage, we had no idea of the Rebbe's involvement and consent to this shidduch.)

Roselyn said that on no account and under no circumstances would she consent to this meeting; she would not even consider it. “She is only eighteen years of age and there is plenty of time for a shidduch at a later juncture.” That was it!

We were in Brooklyn for a total of three weeks on this visit. During our entire stay, Rabbi Shemtov and our son Avrohom subjected Roselyn to extreme pressure. “You have to allow this meeting to take place.” “What harm could it do?” “They might not even like each other.” And so on. Roselyn therefore jumped at the opportunity of sending Hindy away - far away - to Detroit, Michigan, where there was a Lubavitcher camp for girls. “There she will be a thousand miles away from this Shmuel Lew.”

Hindy spent six wonderful days in Michigan and was always in the company of a newly met friend. This friend, Mindy Feller, took every opportunity to constantly and consistently tell her about a wonderful and attractive brother she had, what a talmid chochom he was! It became clear later - too late - that Mindy is Shmuel Lew's married sister.