This Shabbat 22 of Cheshvan (November 3rd this year) is my birthday! Like all matters in life, one must find in the Torah the events that happen to one.
The question is: does the Torah attach any importance to birthdays, or is it simply a modern social phenomenon?
The answer: one's birthday is a very auspicious day in Judaism. First, it should be clarified that a birthday is calculated according to the date of birth on the Jewish calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. Our sages say that a person's "mazal," a part of their soul, is dominant on their birthday, hence the custom of blessing people on that day.
Furthermore, we see in several cases the importance that Judaism gives to it: in the story of Purim, the Talmud attributes much of the victory to the fact that Moshe's birthday occurs in the month of Adar, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of the first man (and not the day of the creation of the universe), Pesach celebrates the birthday of the Jewish Nation, etc.
There are several customs associated with one's birthday, such as holding a Farbrengen (a Hasidic gathering), making an aliyah to the Torah on the preceding Saturday or on the day itself (if it falls on a Saturday), increasing one's devotion to the three pillars upon which the world rests: Torah study, service to God (prayer), and tzedakah (acts of kindness). It's also a way of reflecting on the past year and setting new goals for the coming year. It's a kind of personal Rosh Hashanah.
In honor of this day, and since it is Shabbat, I would like to invite all those who wish to participate in a Farbrengen to be held at the Chabad House after the prayer. The celebration will begin at 10:00 AM, including the Torah reading at 11:00 AM and the Farbrengen afterward.
Lechaim!