The fast of Rashi

I woke up early this morning,before the fast began and shared a pre dawn cup of coffee with one of my daughters. It felt like I was cheating the fast. I don't care. I'm not fasting for Hashem or for Esther today in any case. Today my fast is the fast of Rashi. I know I'm not alone in this. There are many whose lives end tragically. before their time. I can't possibly mourn them all. This one is family though. Shushan is Alpharetta Georgia. The lofty soul of A fellow Shlucha Rashi minkowitz,only thirty seven years old has been snatched from us,leaving eight children and a beloved rabbi husband engulfed in a modern day Purim catastrophe. This strikes deeply and viscerally for our entire community. Hirshi, As you continue to plunge even deeper into the unimaginable abyss of your grief,please know that you will not grieve alone. Though the full weight of this loss will be yours to bear for the rest of your life,know that you will not have to bear it alone. I pray that you will find the strength to carry on despite the gaping void, for your children's sake,but know that your loss has left a collective void in our communal hearts as well. Today there are not thousands of chabad houses all over the world. there is only one, in Alpharetta Georgia. Today we are all the Shluchim to Alpharetta. There is but one Shlichus today. There is one mitzvah for all of us. Holding you and your loved ones in our collective embrace of love and consolation. Know that today you and your children are being held in the arms, minds and souls of every single Shliach and shlucha in the world. Though the challenges and unique difficulties of leading the life of a Shliach far outweigh the material perks, they are no match for the intangible spiritual benefits. The tidal wave of love and support that will carry you and your family through this nightmarish storm is perhaps the benefit that stands out the most. Though we are not the same age and not close friends we are brothers,and your pain is my pain. I'm will no longer fight the tears. I know you are crying and I'm sitting here in my office crying with you. Dear G-d; Please shine your light on this family. Please heal them. Please give them strength. "Umacha Hashem es dimah may al kol panim" " May Hashem in his mercy wipe away the tears from every face"