Acknowledgements

I would like to express my deep gratitude to The Lubavitcher Rebbe whose guiding hand was felt from the beginning of this project as well as in every detail of my own personal life. His teachings open new vistas and arenas even in the minutest details of our daily lives.

May we merit the redemption immediately!

My editor, Rena Dvorkin Cohen, was a very important part of this book. She always believed in teamwork and it certainly proved itself as an ideal formula for this project. We became friends sharing experiences which we then applied to our written theories. We strengthened each other as we worked together and have continued to do so ever since.

I want to take this opportunity to thank her. In the merit of bringing balanced mental and emotional health to all our readers may she be blessed with long life and lots of chassiddishe nachas from herself and her children. May she merit greeting Moshiach with her entire family.

Thank you to Judy Knauer for the original idea for a book and for writing and rewriting as she formatted the lectures of Rabbi M. Rothenstein.

Thank you to Rabbi M. Rothenstein for permission to use the material from his Hebrew lectures. These were of immense help as we tried to clarify deep philosophical and kabbalistic issues in an understandable way that could be applied to every day life and used as a practical guide. He has been an inestimable source of encouragement and moral support throughout this project and for this we express our most sincere thank you. May you merit enlightening the hearts and minds of many, many people in the years to come. If those who read this book find truth and meaning within it will be to your credit.

Thank you to the Monday morning class members who gathered to share and offer feed back as they provided wise comments and useful productive criticism: Devorah Alexander, Mindy Letofsky ob`m, Bracha Rogers Zacklad, Gillian Goldberg, Chana Tornek (may she have a complete recovery), Miriam Zatloff, Judy Knauer, Wendy Tikva Cohen, Esther Rubenstein, Elka Leah Drazin, Devorah Leah Rice. Several other women attended when they were visiting Tsfat. To all my friends and students who helped define and refine the text, my sincerest thanks.

My family members and friends are the proof that the theories outlined in this book really work. We have all benefited from them and our relationships have blossomed from the nurturing that resulted from putting many of these theories into daily practice.

We already see the beginning of a beautiful garden.