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Under New York law, there are several recognized grounds to contest a Will, which are as follows: Lack of Due Execution, Lack of Testamentary Capacity, Revocation, Fraud, Undue Influence/Duress, and Forgery. It is important to note that Mistake is not considered valid grounds to contest a Will.  In addition, an individual seeking to contest or object to a Will (an “Objectant”) must have “standing”.  In order to have standing one must be a beneficiary under the propounded Will (a “Legatee”), be a descendant of the decedent (a “Distributee”), or have an affected pecuniary interest; i.e., they would receive less under this propounded Will or would receive a greater share of the decedent’s estate if the propounded Will was deemed invalid and disregarded by the Court.

As we watch our children grow, we become accustomed to their abilities, no longer impressed by the simple things they learn to do over the years. Their once impressive feats formerly resulted in parents flaunting, “Isn’t she advanced?!” Now, their achievements have transformed into expectations that are to be met at all times. As they mature as individuals, our forecast for their behavior becomes more nuanced, complex, and rigid.

There is much in this world

We don’t understand.

Sometimes we must just say,

“Well, G-d has a plan.”

But we do have direction,

It’s a straight path, because

We were given a roadmap:

The Torah and its laws.

Mishpatim, the laws

By which we live,

Are rational and intuitive,

They appeal to our logic.

They feel correct,

They align with our morals

And intellect.

Conversely, a chok

Seems nebulous;

It doesn’t make much sense to us.

Why do some of Hashem’s commands

Defy explanation,

Subject us to the ridicule

Of the nations?

Their rationale is elusive,

But the discerning still attempt

To cull shards of insight,

To learn what is meant.

The discipline and commitment

To chukim instill

Pure obedience to G-d’s will.

At Y’tzias Mitzrayim

The whole world saw

Hashem’s existence,

His Might and Awe.

The world was G-d’s plaything

When He set the Hebrews free.

But this awareness

Was witnessed externally.

At Matan Torah, revelation

Reached each soul directly.

All who were there

Received prophecy.

The milkmaid, as well as

Forefathers of kings,

All gathered under,

The Sh’chinah’s Wings.

Beyond our boundaries

Of capacity,

Post-rational consciousness,

Veracity.

In every moment,

Of every season,

Truth resides in a realm

Beyond human reason.

Judaism does not reject

Rationale, when it’s shown.

But, it is seen as

A stepping stone

To something higher,

Extraordinary and sublime:

Something that eclipses

Space and time.

Nine red heifers

Were burnt;

Their ashes purified.

There will be a tenth

When Mashiach arrives.

HaKadosh Baruch Hu,

Your chukim elude us, yet

Your chesed always

Precedes emes.

Please forgive us

When we stumble

Through the challenges we face;

We turn to You,

For You receive us with grace.

As we struggle

To decipher life’s acronym,

Mysterious as the ways

Of your chukim.

By Sharon Marcus

Recap: Yehudis is trying to adjust to her new school. She’s still bothered by the lack of any baby pictures of her. In school, she makes a mistake when the teacher gives a math challenge problem and she answers it. This makes an enemy of Chevi, the class math genius, who is friends with the one girl Yehudis was trying to be friends with. Her father brought home the Marietta journal, as the librarian said they could borrow it, and she starts reading again to distract herself.

Recap: Dovid was bitten by a snake and a Native American woman named Holata helped cure the bite. Yishai stayed longer to help his nephew. Eventually, he had to go back home and he hated leaving Dovid and he worried about his brother being involved with Aaron Burr.

Due to advertisements that recently surfaced in the Jewish community, Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt – Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere and Chairman of the Department of Infectious Disease and Hospital Epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital – took it upon himself to deliver one of his Motza’ei Shabbos talks that became commonplace during the heat of the pandemic, this time refuting the ads’ talking points. The stream was aired live this past Saturday night via the Young Israel of Woodmere’s platform.