Today we will quote from Rav Chaim Palaggi’s sefer Moed L’Kol Chai ( section 6 letter 13): “ Love for your friend is important at all times. It should be a love that comes from your heart and soul, not something external. Especially during the days between Pesach and Shavuot, we have to act with love and extra endearment… Then he goes on to make the following proclamation (and he lived until the age of 93, and therefore had much life experience); ‎ ומעיד אני שמים וארץ דבכל מקום שמצינו קנאה ושנאה בין אחים או שותפים ומה גם בתלמידים ומשרתי הקהל הקדוש, דיש בהם קנאת איש מרעהו וכל אחד רוצה להפיל לחבירו ולהתכבד בקלונו לא יצאו נקיים רחמנא ליצלן, I testify to the Heaven and Earth, that any time there is jealousy or hatred between brothers, partners, students or people that serve the community, where there is an opportunity for jealousy, or when people may want to put down another organization or group in order to get respected at the cost of the other one’s downfall, they did not go out clean. And then, not wanting to end on a negative note, he adds, ‎ ומרובה מדה טובה בכל המקום אשר ביניהם אהבה וחיבה מלב ומנפש האריכו ימים ושנים ובהצלחה מרובה גם בניהם עדי עד, ועיין בספר לב דוד פרק ל' מה שכתב מוסר ודעת בענין אהבת החברים יעוין שם, ובחמ"י פרק שני מספירת העומר יעוין שם: But if I tell you that I saw negativity coming out from arguments and dissension from within partners, brothers or among community organizations, how much more so do we have to have love and endearment in the heart and soul. Those people that work on getting along live long lives with much success, and their children as well. Rav Palaggi does not want to dwell on the negative that he saw, he wants to dwell on the positive. And of course, we have to work on this all year, but the stress is especially during these days. Sefirat HaOmer is dedicated to this. As we have mentioned before, it is not enough that we don’t shave or go to weddings or keep whatever other customs of mourning we have for the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s students, it’s also about the lessons and take-aways. And this take- away is one of love and extra endearment. That is what has to be on our mind during these days, toward every Jew. Rav Palaggi uses a term, ‎ וחיבה יתרה נודעת/ the endearment has to be known He borrowed this term from Pirkei Avot, where it says this about God and the Jewish people, It’s not enough that God looks at us like children, but He announced it “Bnei Bechori Yisrael. My son, My Bechor, Yisrael.” Rav Chaim Palaggi is telling us that over these days, we should go out of way to let this endearment be known. This is always an important concept. Rabbi Ades speaks about this a lot. It’s not enough to love your children, you have to tell them that you love them. It’s not enough to love your spouse, you have to say that you love your spouse. And this is true for your siblings and everybody else. And it’s the same with endearment. Show your endearment. The Pele Yoetz says that if you have the money, from time to time, give people gifts. Show them that you love them. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A card goes a very long way. Although I am used to getting emails, somebody recently sent me a very nice Thank You card in the mail. It was so nice. ‎ וחיבה יתרה נודעת Let the endearment be known That is our job during these days.