A Soulful Journey

From Monday until Thursday, November 23-26, 1942, my sister and I with were without food and water hiding in the attic of a German police station. Late Thursday evening, we came down from the attic. A Polish peasant gave us each a slice of bread. We subdued our hunger and put away the two slices of bread for Friday night to be able to make Kiddush.   It was understood how critical is was to their spiritual survival to maintain the traditon, even at the cost of the gnawing hunger in their stomachs   The second Gerer Rebbe, the Safet Emet, makes a profound observation concerning Noah’s drunkenness. Noah I did not drink more wine after the flood then he had been accustomed to drink before the flood. What was his mistake? After the flood, when his system had a weekend, he could not tolerate his customary amount of wine. That is why he got drunk.  - Rabbi Morris Shapiro   As Jews we make sure that each Shabbat, every Friday evening we light our candles, bless our win...

While running from the Nazis, Rabbi Morris Shapiro stopped on Friday August 7, 1954 to pray at the graves of his uncle and father.   “I did not pray to survive but rather that I should die repentant.”   This is why visit the graves of loved ones before the Holy Days.   Even though they are gone from sight we still communicate our love and sorrow to them.