Shabbat Lights
I was thinking of my mother today. I realized that I still have much to learn from this wise woman. G‑d blessed me with my special mother who serves as my role model, my caretaker, my friend, and above all, my inspiration.
Rachel Imeinu, Mama Rochel
Water was put on his forehead, he was tapped here and there and spoken to and his mother, too, spoke to him, begging him to wake up, to come back. And he did.
The Locked Door
“The window is above the flat sukkah roof,” he reported. “I could definitely climb in, but I need a ladder...”
The Spider Web
In fact, one of my young daughters-in-law is a certified optometrist, so she likewise was able to weigh in, armed with professional clinical knowledge, instead of merely hearsay or anecdotal information.
A Tree Amongst The Righteous
Shlomo explained that these were non-Jewish people who had risked their lives and the lives of their families, for no reward whatsoever, by hiding and saving Jews during the Holocaust.
The Baby Saga
When Ayala arrived home that night, she wasn’t feeling well. On a whim, she decided to do a pregnancy test. She felt sort of silly. She had only just davened at Miriam’s kever, but something spurred her on.
Attending Bais Yaakov: The Answer To My Wish
I was about 11 years old and crying on the front steps of the Bluzhever Rebbe's house. It was the late 40s, and the Rebbe had recently arrived. He miraculously survived the Nazi inferno, but lost his wife and children.
Long-Awaited Shidduchim
As the news spread, more and more people joined the family in fervent prayer. The gates of heaven received all of the prayers for David, and he eventually came out of the coma.
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.
Passing The Baton
I slept in fits and starts that night. Thoughts were tumbling around in my mind like clothes in a washing machine, entangled together.
An Explosion Of Serendipity
Every Sukkos, at the end of a fun action-packed day at the park, we would gather our happy, albeit exhausted, children and prepare for the long ride home. Needless to say, the first item on the list was a visit to the restrooms. This became our yearly routine and the kids would comply without protest, often before being reminded.
The Yellow Star
A little more than six months ago, my sister-in-law passed away after battling a serious illness. For more than 30 years she had given symposiums on the Holocaust to youngsters in the Philadelphia area, and we talked about her activities many times on our visits to the U.S. After her passing I was determined to do some kind of volunteer work for Yad Vashem in her memory.
The Mysterious Cellphone Contact
Getting ready for Pesach is actually an amazing opportunity to have a really positive experience getting ready for an awesome chag!
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.
A Reason For Everything
Yosef * had a dream. He wanted to open a yeshiva for young men like him, men who had returned to their roots and wanted to expand their learning in a relaxed, pastoral atmosphere.
Mending
Naama realized how much she needed to see her baby brother. He was her little darling and she couldn’t bear the thought of him being alone for even a minute.
The Height Of Divine Providence
Nice story. But how the shidduch came about… that’s something incredible.
Unlikely Messenger, Unexpected Message
Hopefully this story will also strengthen our motivation to try to be mikarev a fellow Jew – even if it seems on the outside like it's a lost cause and there's no use in even trying.
Miracle In A Jerusalem Cab
We were not familiar with the process of wiring money to Israel when I got engaged, so I was just waiting for the money to come by mail.
A Life-Saving Mitzvah
With Sukkos well behind us, we are back to our normal workday mode, our post- holiday routine. The sukkah, our temporary dwelling for eight days, has been dismantled and we have returned to our comfortable, permanent homes. Likewise, our Daled Minim have been discarded, having served their purpose. We’re done with those mitzvos (at least for this season).
Well-Placed Words
In the end, though the young daughters had been crying while the verbal abuse was going on, they now saw how the effect a kind word and a smile could change everything.
A Kidney For A Stranger
Kidney transplants from a living donor are infinitely preferable over a transplant from a dead person. The chances of it being rejected by the body are much lower, the life expectancy of the newly transplanted kidney is twice as high, and the recipient’s life and diet can return to normal much faster.
The Struggle
Once a week or so some of my friends and I get together for activities and a little socializing. Over time I have gone through some personal changes and growth, and I sometimes feel out of place with these girls, some of whom I have known for years. I experienced a real struggle during a recent get-together that will surely have a long-lasting impact on me.
Pain At The Pump
My son-in-law reluctantly agreed to accept twenty shekel, but this perfect stranger insisted that he take fifty. And when my son-in-law asked for his address so that he could send him the money, the man waved him off, instructing him to pay it forward when the opportunity arose.
The Highchair
Yael was tired of sticking the highchair together with glue or Sellotape. It had lasted through five children, a miracle in itself, but now it seemed to have given up all hope – and decided to self-destruct.
A Test In The Desert
Yehuda then tells me that it is perfect timing that he called. He says that it is from Heaven. He tells me to stop everything and try thinking why this happened to me.
After A Few False Starts, A Match Made In Heaven
I almost never met the man I married.
No, I am not from a very strict chassidishe home where dating is taboo and a brief meeting suffices before the engagement is announced. My husband and I actually dated for a few months, by which time my parents were beginning to grow concerned and the neighbors were having a heyday gossiping about us. But if not for a significant helping of siyata dishmaya, we never would have managed to get together in the first place.
Meeting The Lubavitcher Rebbe
It was a beautiful morning in May 1985 when I decided to take my tzedakah box to Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway. I did not know much about Chabad, and had to ask for directions.
Master Maestro
Yesterday was another heartening day, one that provided me with yet another unexpected, but much-needed boost to my mood and self-esteem.
Thank you, Agudat Efrat
There is not even a shadow of doubt that without Agudat Efrat’s help, this child would not have been born.