SOULS ON FIRE
Dear Family,
Hope everyone is well.
This coming Shabbos is the Yohrtzeit of my father A'H, who is also the father of Chanan and Reuven.
Wishing you both long life, and the Neshama should have an Aliya.
There are more events that took place this week, and I tried to find a link between them as far as possible.
I saw them all under the heading SOULS ON FIRE.
Souls on Fire is the name of a book written by Elie Wiesel AH who passed away this week.
This book was one of the Books which stirred my interest or curiosity into Judaism in the days when I was far away and disconnected.
At that time it gave me the feeling that there was an interesting Chassidic world, hidden deep within the world that I knew. And many events subsequent to that all guided the Path which Hashem helped me along.
And so I am grateful to Elie Wiesel for this.
In 1994, we had an interesting guest come to our home for Shabbos. He and a friend were back-packing through Europe, and they had contacted Lubavitch for accommodation while in London.
We were given the opportunity to be the hosts. Anyone remember them?
At that time they were not frum, and Yosef (one of the guests) was studying under Elie Wiesel in Boston.
I told him my story about Souls on Fire, and that I had lost my original copy, and that it was out of print.
He then, on his return to Boston, got me a signed copy from Elie Wiesel!!
See the letter he wrote to me, (attached) which I received together with a signed copy of Souls on Fire.
A few years later, someone approached me in Shul on Shabbos with a beard and hat and kapota, holding the hands of 2 little boys.
He looked at me with a smile on his face as if he knew me, but for the life of me I could not recognise him.
Yes you guessed it. This was Yosef, ANOTHER SOUL ON FIRE!!
Gimmel Tammuz on Shabbos is also the Yohrtzeit of the Rebbe.
And during this week, on 28 Sivan, was when the Rebbe first arrived in USA. I think this was 1941.
Many Chassidim mark this day as a Yom Tov, because this is the day that the Rebbe started to transform America and the world, SETTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF SOULS ON FIRE.
I saw my father AH a few months before he passed away when we were visiting SA.
He wasn't well, and I don't think he had ever put on Tefillin in his life.
I suggested to him to start putting on Tefillin, in the same way as he was taking the pills to make him better, and he agreed.
He cried when he put them on.
What made him cry?, and why did he put them on every day thereafter until his passing? May I suggest that THE LATENT NESHAMA WAS TOUCHED.
And Pesach and Chani's Wedding Anniversary was on 28th Sivan.
And Menachem Mendel Davidoff's birthday this week was on 28th Sivan.
Anyone notice the connection of his name to that day!
And Mommy and Daddy Anniversary also this week.
For those interested in History I am also attaching below, a fascinating article recording the Rebbe's arrival in New York, an interview with Elie Wiesel describing the Rebbe, and another fascinating story of the connection between Elie Wiesel and the father of 10 children who was killed by terrorists this week -Rabbi Michael (Miki) Mark AH
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/2623573/jewish/The-Story-of-t he-Serpa-Pinto.htm/sc/wa_share/mobile/false
http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=41199
<http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=41199&alias=i-miss-the-rebbe-terrib ly> &alias=i-miss-the-rebbe-terribly
http://www.jpost.com/Not-Just-News/The-strange-case-of-the-mezuzah-Eli-Wiese l-and-Rabbi-Miki-Mark-459658
Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos.
Don't forget Rambam 5 minutes per week.