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Heavenly timing!

Friday, 22 November, 2019 - 1:40 am

By the Grace of G-d

Dear Friend,

What amazing Heavenly timing!

More than three thousand years ago, Hashem instructed in His Torah that when a baby boy is born to a Jewish mother, G-d enters a covenant with him at his ‘Brit Milah’. The Torah further taught that circumcision should take place on the eighth day after the birth. 

(Provided the baby is in good health, otherwise the healing must take place before circumcision. For however important doing a Brit is, and it is one of the most important an fundamental Mitzvahs we have, preserving life comes first. A Brit can be done later. A life lost G-d forbid, cannot be brought back. Hence we wait for complete health before doing a Brit). 

Baruch Hashem we celebrated the Brit of our grandson yesterday (Wednesday) on the eighth day as proscribed in the Torah. 

My family and I are full of praise and thanksgiving to the Almighty for His absolute kindness to our family for blessing us with happy and healthy things. May Hashem bless you and your loved with gifts of healthy and happy developments in all areas of your life.

Besides for the ‘huge’ miracles like healthy births and things like that, there are hosts of ‘small miracles’. Like the blessing of being shown how even the smaller details like the timing of the birth was also so obviously Providential. 

A Wednesday November 20 Brit in Bangkok meant that I wouldn’t miss the International conference of Shluchim held in NY. I could leave several hours after the Brit and arrive in NY on Thursday morning just in time to participate in the opening sessions.

It is important to point it out and thank Hashem for all his kindnesses. The ‘Big Miracles’ as well the ‘small miracles’.

Our weekly Parsha imparts that message.

This week’s Torah portion tells the story of Avraham sending his trusted ‘servant’ Eliezer to find a wife for his son Yitzchak. Eliezer said a prayer that he be led to the right girl. It had to a girl who was from Avraham’s extended family, this was a non-negotiable condition instructed by Avraham. Eliezer prayed that he meets the right girl. He said to G-d ‘when I see a girl, I will ask her to give me to drink. If she gives me water to drink and offers water to my camels on her own accord, this will be a sign that she is the one that you have destined for Yitschak’.

Eliezer the servant of Avraham continues his narrative and says ‘I had barely spoken those words, when Rivka came out. Eliezer asked her for water, and she said ‘I will give you water and I will also give water to your camels’.  Eliezer now knew that he had found the right girl.

Amazing! 

When Eliezer bring back Rivka to meet her future husband, he relates to Yitzchak all of the things that had transpired. He told him about the wondrous miracles and Divine Providence that had been performed for him while on his mission to find his masters son a wife. 

Hence, I too share these stories with you. they are uplifting and inspiring to me and I hope you too are 

Several hours after the Brit I headed off to the airport. Joining me on the very same Korean Air flight from Thailand were three rabbi’s from Thailand’s Chabad team. As we transited through Korea, we were joined by Korea’s Chabad Rabbi and his son.

It was great to see everyone, and we were all excited for the conference. Is it then any wonder that a few hours into the flight we were standing at the back of the big Airbus A380 schmoozing, sharing anecdotes and words of Torah? 

The stewardess came over to us after a little while and asked us to please not ‘congregate’. As this is a plane that is headed to the USA and American law does not allow passengers to stand up and congregate in the aisles or near the lavatories (as you have probably heard over the loudspeaker if you have flown in and out of USA).

This was a law that was instituted as a direct result of the tragic 9/11 events. People congregating on a plane could be G-d forbid a planned hijacking. 

It dawned on me that here was another instance of revealed Divine Providence. G-d was reminding me of the awesome and mighty power of ‘gatherings’ and ‘congregating’.

It can be used to generate immense good. It can also G-d forbid be used to wreak massive havoc.

The TSA is concerned with the evil people congregating and scheming horrible and cruel things. They base their fear on the horrific event that took place on 9/11.

The Talmud has stated this concept very clearly. ‘Gatherings of righteous people is pleasant for them, and pleasant for the world around them’. The opposite is true for the congregating of wicked people. It is terrible for the world. 

I realized that I had been given a message. 

The gathering I am on my way to attend is a gathering of the Rebbe’s emissaries. Shluchim of a great Tzadik. Rabbi’s, spread across the globe, righteous and good people. 

The conference has grown in leaps and bounds over the years, and clearly just as the Talmud says, is beneficial for the attendees and the world around them. The rabbi’s are inspired and rejewvenated (pun intended) by attending this gathering and come back to their posts with a new bounce in their step and more spiritually attuned.

The conference is also of immense benefit to the Jewish world at large. 

The discussions at the conference are all about being more selfless and loving to those around us. The lectures and workshops focus on improving methods and programs aimed at inspiring Jews to reclaim and reengage with their own identity.

Early next week the thousands of Shluchim will head back to their respective posts recommitted to the mission of changing this world for the better, one Jew at a time, one Mitzvah at a time thus hastening the coming of Mashiach NOW.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yosef Kantor

PS You can tune in to the grand finale of the conference, the banquet on Sunday late afternoon NY EST time.

PPS Shabbat services at all locations in Thailand will continue as usual please G-d.

A NEW STORY JUST HEARD

Last week we buried Shimon Ben Avrohom, a Jew we knew nothing about, other than the fact that his mothers, mothers, mother was Jewish.

Today I got an email from a Mr. Goldstein in NY.

Hi Rabbi Yosef C. Kantor 

I got your info from Simons Friend and he mentioned that you handled his levaya (funeral). Just a little history about myself, my Family back in Manchester England took him to our house when he became friendly with my late brother.  

We arranged his bris and his bris meal was at our home, his fist Pessach Seder at 30 years old was by us, and my late mother took care of him until he left England.  

I would like to know if I can call you.  

Please let me know. 

 Here is what Mr. Goldstein shared with me. 

In the early 90’s my brother and some friends in a summer camp in UK went missing on a hike. The UK mounted police was called in to help in the search and the boys were found thank G-d. Simon was one of the mounted police and when he saw that it was obviously Jewish boys he had rescued, he mentioned that he too was of Jewish decent from his mothers side. 

My mother, Mrs. Goldstein insisted that we bring him into the house and establish a relationship with him. This led to his establishment of a connection with Judaism. His bris took place in our house and it was in our house that he experienced his first seder.

Simon got his Jewish name Shimon Ben Avrohom at his bris and he changed his legal name to that. He had always mentioned that he wanted a Jewish burial. 

My dear friends, we only found out this part of the story after Shimon providentially came to Jewish burial as told last week.

It is so inspiring to see how Hashem runs His world and allows us opportunities to do acts of kindness and partner with Him. 

May we always be blessed to be able to help

SHABBAT SHALOM 


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