My Father
Several minutes after entering the hospital room, my father gave a tremor that sent them running for help from the nurse's station. The nurse called the doctor. The doctor told them that my father's systems were closing down, hinting that perhaps the respirator plug should already be pulled.
Seltzer And Sensible Shoes
When walking down a sunny Jerusalem street with my father, he would attach clip-on sunglasses to his bifocals. When we would walk into an office or store, he would just flip them up so that he could let in the light. Perfectly practical and reasonable.
Sparkling Floors
I was fed up. I had this useless machine taking up space for no reason. I had an ultimatum in my mind that if by chodesh Elul there was no solution, I would bring the machine to my daughter’s house and it could take up space in their home.
Rebuilding from the Ruins
Israel was on the brink of war and Yehudit served in the Haganah as a medic. She would have liked to have become a nurse but that was impossible in her circumstances.
Grandfather Knows Best
The turmoil called everyday life whisked me along and before I knew it my children’s children were in that unrelenting ride of shidduchim. It was time for us to take a step back and allow our children to move into the driver seat, but once having driven down the road one’s antennas are ever sensitive for signs of new possibilities.
When You Think You Are Alone – You Are Not
I was terrified of the fall that seemed inevitable. Suddenly I felt my hands holding onto a handle which I had not seen before. Now holding onto the handle I was able to steady myself. The crisis was over. Days later I thought that Hashem put my hands on that handle.
Miracles In A Tank
Sunday afternoon they dropped by for a visit. He had small pieces of shrapnel on his face and left hand, and he said that the surgeon told him that, over time, the body would rid itself of the shrapnel. That was comforting to know.
My Son’s Chanukah Miracle
For one agonizing moment, Meir thought his time in the world was about to end. But glancing at the note taped to his gun, he quickly murmured the words: Hashem Hu Elokim, ein od milvado. Then, a few meters in front of Meir, the missile changed direction in midair, as if it struck an invisible force field.
The Little Namesake
I asked her about the baby’s name, and she said, yes, they had named him after Daniel in the Tanach, but they had also thought of my late husband Dan when naming him. She sent me several photos and videos from the bris. I was overcome with emotion as I watched the segment where the baby received his name.
Mazel Tov Times Two
When the shidduch Josh was in the middle of didn’t work out, he turned back to Moishy to hear about his sister. Eventually the couple met and realized that yes, it really was a match. When Josh and Sari got engaged, Moishy was the happiest of all.
Of Missiles, Challahs And Cold Storage
In retrospect, I really should have been clued-in as soon as I entered the store. Despite the fact that it was erev a three-day yom tov, the store looked more like a regular Tuesday night than what should have logically been a typical Thursday night on steroids.
Rabbi Velvel Finkelstein, z”l
Raffy explained to him how special the mitzvah is, and that this particular pair was donated as a merit for his uncle, who cared deeply for his fellow Jew.
Our Son’s Mission In Lebanon
Shabbat is a very holy day, but in the case of pikuach nefesh (saving lives), one is allowed to transgress the laws of Shabbat. It is a very strange feeling as a religious Jew to get into one’s car and drive off on Shabbat. But the mission needed to be accomplished, and it would most likely save lives.
What Is Better Than A Segulah?
She called her husband and told him to search inside the car and if it wasn’t there to go back to where he had parked car when they came to me and search on the road. But no – despite my confidence in the segulah after much searching it still wasn’t found.
A Gift That Keeps On Giving
So, although on this occasion I had initially decided to go as a favor for a visiting friend, in the end it was I who gained the most from the mitzvah.
Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters
With little choice, and even less time, I bought the clothes, thanked her and Hashem, and went to spend an uplifting Rosh Hashana, wondering if I’d ever see her again, and have the opportunity to pay her back.
One Good Deed Brings Another
After months of packing and many weeks of divesting themselves of furniture and other belongings, they were experiencing decidedly mixed emotions as their departure date approached. We were definitely feeling likewise, and dreading having to say goodbye.
Saved By The Call
By the time we all made our way to their prospective new neighborhood, they had pretty much decided on a house to buy, but still wanted our confirmation before signing on the dotted line. So it was more or less a done deal, pending our approval.
A Sought After Prize
What complicated matters is that there was no eiruv in our town. For me that meant that even if I had a bad cold (Is there a good cold?), I could not place tissues in my pocket.
Divine Wake-Up Call
Basically I felt like HaKadosh Baruch Hu was calling me, albeit in my son’s voice, reminiscent of a youthful Shmuel HaNavi reporting to Eli HaCohen several times during the night, during the era that Mishkan Shilo stood, many thousands of years ago.
A Clean Conscience
As he was trying to work out the mystery of who had cleaned the shul, he mentioned it to one of the cooks in the school’s kitchens. And she admitted to having cleaned the shul herself.
The Cycle Of Life Continues
When he quoted the source as being Rabbi Charney, I jumped up, and running over to him. I cried out: Do you know that Rabbi Charney is my Uncle Rebbe? I had absolutely no idea how he had gotten this sefer!
Cousin Encounters
I thought of posting on our local email list to see whether anyone was driving to that neighborhood in the coming days, but the chances of anyone nearby to my location driving to that far off destination during the two remaining afternoons of the shiva were infinitesimal, especially since I required a seat up front.
As Good As Your Words (Part 2)
The power of speech, both positive and negative is large part of our legacy as Jews. Guarding our speech is one of our foremost weapons in bringing blessing upon us or, G-d forbid, the opposite. We cannot underestimate the power of our words, as the following stories demonstrate.
The Reward For A Mitzvah
The family told him that they would not be burying Eran but cremating him, instead. The Chassid was of course horrified by this information and started trying to convince them to have him buried. He called repeatedly until the family threatened to call the police if he bothered them again.
Fortuitous Encounters
Without a moment of hesitation, he jumped into the water, reached out to the listless hand, lifted up the body and brought the little girl to the shore.
Teshuva, Tefillah And Tzedakah
Although I sincerely asked for mechila on every subsequent visit, she refused to accept my money or my apology. Instead she unequivocally announced, I don’t want to talk to you! and proceeded to ignore me.
Saved Without Knowing
How many times does Hashem save us without our even knowing? Most of the time our bodies function, our appliances work, things go smoothly, and we aren’t even aware.
The Hand Is Quicker Than The Eye
Needless to say, in true Murphy’s Law fashion, I somehow managed to tip over the half-prepared bottle, thereby spilling powdered baby formula and liquid semi-prepared formula all over the dining room table, and wasting most of the powder in the sectioned-off Materna compartment.
Storm Of The Century
The next morning when I woke up at dawn, the wind sounded fierce outside. I could hear frightening noises of destruction, but it was still too dark to see outside, and anyway as soon as I turned my phone on, there were all kinds of warnings to stay away from windows.
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