Listening to Life's Messages

On 12 Tammuz this past summer, I was checking out in a store in Boro Park, when the sales lady asked me, "did you come in for gimmel Tammuz?" I told her that I came for a few things - (my brother in law just got married BH,) but of course for that too. But I sensed she was trying to show me that she too knows the Rebbe and chabad.. So I asked her, "do you go to the ohel?" "Of course!" She said. "today and tomorrow are actually really good days to go to the ohel, 12/13 Tammuz.." I mentioned. "it's always a good time to go," she answered. "I usually go on Thursdays cuz it's my day off." I thought she must have more to say, so I asked, "Did you have any special encounters?" Her: "No." Me: "well the truth is that it's always a special encounter.." She lowered her voice. "Ok, I'll tell you." "When my oldest son was ready to get married, he met a g

13   Tammuz . The great holiday of Redemption of the Previous Rebbe from Soviet prison. I stood at the Rebbe's Ohel. The universal address of comfort, of blessing, of strength, of inspiration.  I looked down at the hundreds of torn up letters that people left behind here today - People who poured out their hearts and souls in this holiest place. People who let go of all their worries here,  Who tore up their past concerns,  Who left behind their heavy weights, Who returned home lighter than before, As the Rebbe's broad shoulders carry it all. I read my pan too. I asked, "How can I take this truth that I feel at the Rebbe's ohel, with me, when I go back down to the real world?" I asked for Bracha and Hatzlacha. And more... As always, I left the ohel feeling uplifted, feeling that great sense of joy that comes from being in the Rebbes holy presence. I thought, if I lived here in NY, I think I would want to come here e

Does anyone care  How you cover your hair Which hat you choose to wear When in truth we all share The same soul The same goal  The same role  The same whole? Do our differences take space  Are we ever in a race  Is there not enough place For each unique face? Well not anymore  From now on it's for sure  There will be no more war We have found our common core  We have prayed we have sung We have danced with the same drum We have felt that we are one Yes Geulah has begun  Yes we have risen above  Yes we have chosen love  "K'ish Echad B'Lev Echad" We stand ready for Geulah!

I was so lucky to get to spend time with my husband's Zaidy, Yehoshua Wilansky, while he gave me driving lessons in the months after our wedding. Almost every time, he would ask me to drive to a senior citizen home in Williamsburg where he would visit an old neighbor who had nobody else in the world. The neighbor didn't remember Zaidy anymore, but that didn't stop Zaidy from remembering him.. At the end of every visit, he would tell me, "It's so sad! All of these people here were once young, strong, and successful... I hope this never happens to me!" And I would say "Chas vshalom, it will never happen to you!" After the terrible car accident, I told myself  that I better hurry up and pass my driving test before he gets better enough to ask me about it... But Zaidy, while I still never passed my driving test, I know that what you really want to see now is if I remember all the other lessons that you taught me - to see if I am passing the REAL test