Hashgacha Pratis – Melava Malka Stories

Tefillin Stand near the Julis base

I must tell you a wondrous story which happened with the Tefillin Stand we established for the soldiers stationed near Kiryat Malachi*, a seven minute drive from an army base. The base called Julis is part of the Emanuel army compound. At the beginning of the war we set up a permanent Tefillin Stand there so people and soldiers could put on Tefillin. At one point we fixed up the stand to look very nice with a table and frame around it to make it beautiful and appealing as befits a Tefillin Stand.

A Policeman’s Miracle from the Rebbe

A woman from the Chabad-Lubavitch Community in Brooklyn was pulled over by a N.Y.C. traffic cop. Standing outside her open car window and watching her search for her license and registration papers, the police officer caught sight of a picture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in her open purse. “Excuse me, Maam,” he asked, “are you one of the followers of this Rabbi?”

One More Light

This past week, I went to the dentist for a walk-in appointment because I’d been having severe tooth pain. After hours of waiting, I was told my tooth was infected and couldn’t be saved. They extracted it immediately. Everything happened so fast, and I left feeling stunned, my face numb, and in pain—surrendering to Hashem’s plan.

A Miraculous Survival

“There are no atheists in a foxhole…”

“I was contacted by our unit commander and told to go meet up with a group of soldiers. We cannot send you any more ammunition. Just use what you have and if you need more, take from those who are gone.

Rebbeitzin Shula Kazen

Revered for her fiery personality and rock-solid faith forged during a childhood in the former Soviet Union, Rebbetzin Shula Shifra Kazen nourished, guided, and inspired thousands during decades of communal leadership in Cleveland, Ohio.

She was born in 1922 in Gomel, Belarus, then part of the newly created Soviet Union. The eldest of seven children born to Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan and Maryasha (Garelik) Shagalov, her life began under difficult circumstances. Russia had been devastated by the terrible civil war that birthed the Bolshevik revolution, and thousands were dying of starvation.

A Shabbos Adventure in the Galilee

One Friday afternoon a van with eight teenage boys, students of Migdal HaEmek Yeshiva in northern Israel, was traveling on a winding road in the Galilee. Every Friday they would visit different Jewish settlements and share the joy of Judaism with the residents.
They would give the men and Bar Mitzvah boys an opportunity to don Tefillin, the women and girls Shabbat candle lighting kits, offer to have their Mezuzot checked, and give out pamphlets explaining various Mitzvot.

Jews and the Government

The saintly Rabbi Yisroel, the famed Ruzhiner Tzaddik – Rabbi Yisroel Friedman – was born in the year 1796 in Pszedborsz, near Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine province. His father Rabbi Sholom Shachne was a son of Rabbi Avrohom known as the “Malach” (Angel), the son of the Mezritcher Maggid, Rabbi Dov Ber (successor to the Baal Shem Tov). In 1838, Rabbi Yisroel was denounced as a “rebel” against the Czar, and was imprisoned in Kiev and, later, in Kamenetz-Podolsk, for almost two years.
When he was temporarily released on Shushan-Purim 1840, he managed to escape Russia. He eventually settled in the Town of Sadigora, Austria, continuing his leadership of his followers until his passing in 1850.

“Rebbe, I need a hug!”

I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia and despite the fact that I grew up going to a Jewish school with Jewish friends, the extent of my family’s observance was making kiddush on Friday nights and attending Pesach seders.
We also went to shul for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and that’s about it.

The Rebbe saved her life!

There was a young kallah (bride) from a Satmar family who, as her wedding day approached, wanted to go to the Rebbe for a bracha (blessing). Her family members tried to dissuade her from going (as they were not followers of the Rebbe and in some cases very much against the Chabad ideology) but she was adamant.

Tefillin Saves From Surgery

As a chaplain in the hospital for many years, I have seen my share of challenges people experience. Yet, from time to time, Hashem sends an undeniable miracle in front of our eyes,