
The Blog
Rabbi Chaim & Rebbetzin Shula's Blog
The Man with No Arms, No Legs & No Worries

Heroes in Life
Throughout history, people tended to glorify certain others, admiring their certain strength. In tenacity or talent. Stature or character.
Today's world seems to have shifted focus, primarily infatuated with anybody who is famous.
Thousands of teenagers dream of Hollywood, countless crave the details of those that live in that elusive world.
Millions of Americans, indeed millions around the world, are obsessed with the president, the vice president, and the many other political figures making life-changing decisions with a few written or spoken words.
We study their words, their faces, their lives, ten times over.
There is something mesmerizing about these figures that are larger than life.
But there is something extraordinary about the figures that actually live in your life.
They may never get a lifetime achievement award, an academy award, become a fashion icon, or the president.
They are the heroes and heroines in the things that go unnoticed.
The kindergarten teacher who has an infinite amount of patience for her students. The friend who asks how you are-and really wants to know. The clerk in the supermarket who consistently greets you with a smile, no matter the day, no matter the time. The father who works hard until ten o'clock at night to ensure that his children can get a good education. The child who struggles with his inner demon, and wins. The woman who experiences much pain in her life, but does not become a victim to it.
There are the figures who are larger than life.
And there are the figures in life who are large.
Large in unsung greatness.
Real heroes.
Let's notice them.
You Complete the Circle
I'd like to share a story that Rebbetzin Chava Tombosky shared with us at our last Jewish Women's Circle Chanukah event, although the written words don't do justice to how she so eloquently expressed it:
Two Yeshiva boys were sent under the direction of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to the faraway Aleutian Islands, with the sole purpose of bringing the joy and light of Judaism to any Jews that lived there.
After a week of searching, they found not one Jew. Despondent, they made one last attempt at the local elementary school. They went to each classroom and asked, and each teacher told them that there were no Jewish children. They entered the very last classroom, and asked the teacher if there were any Jewish children there. She immediately answered no.
A girl in the back raised her hand. "Mommy, so we're not the only Jews in the world?!" little Stacy exclaimed to her mother/teacher.
The embarrassed mother quietly and quickly told the Yeshiva boys that she'd talk to them after class.
The now-revealed mother and daughter sat with the two Yeshiva boys that afternoon. The mother confessed that she was not very comfortable with her Judaism, or expressing it with her daughter, as they were the only Jews on this Island, and it seemed easier to just put it aside.
They all talked for a while, the boys offering words of warm encouragement to explore their Jewish identity. The mother bought some Jewish books and mezuzot. She then asked the boys to offer some words of encouragement to her daughter, as they had to her.
The Yeshiva boys left the little girl with this thought: "All around the world, women and girls bring in Shabbat by lighting candles on Friday afternoon, eighteen minutes before sunset. But when they are lighting eighteen minutes before sunset, bringing in Shabbat in New York, it is not yet sunset, Shabbat in California, until three hours later, when the women then light the candles. And then a few hours later, England lights and brings in Shabbat, and eventually Russia, and South America, and the entire world lights, and brings in Shabbat at different times."
"The very last time zone is at the furthest point on earth, which is the Aleutian Islands. And the Aleutian Islands is the very last place in the world every Friday, to have the opportunity to light Shabbat candles! You and your mother have this opportunity-to usher in the light of Shabbat for the entire Aleutian Islands."
"You will also be the very last Jewish girl in the world each Friday, little Stacy, to usher in Shabbat with
your Shabbat candles, completing this unifiying circle."
And with these words, the boys bid farwell to their new Jewish friends on the Island.
This story got me thinking-at first almost wistfully: Wow, talk about people making a difference! This mother and her daughter, two lone Jews, on this lone island, have a powerful opportunity-to be the last two Jewish women in the entire world to light the Shabbat candles, completing the circle!
But in truth, we all have the opportunity to complete the circle.
Like a child who might occasionally ask her father if he loves her as much as her sister, we might wonder at times how much G-d loves and values us-as individuals, amongst millions of others. And what is the reply a loving father gives his child? He does not assure her of equality, but rather replies, "My love for you is different than my love for your sister. She is my only She in the whole wide world, and You are my only You in the whole wide world-there is no one with your uniqueness."
We are one big, beautiful world of millions of Jewish women, united in our sameness-of bringing light to the world with our candle-lighting, always on Friday evenings, always with a blessing.
And yet, we are each, independently, an entire world-comprised of our unique emotions, talents, and thinking, serving G-d with our unique flavors, connecting, doing, feeling and experiencing with our own unique ways.
Some light white candles, others light colored.
Some meditate during the blessing, some meditate in the precious moments that follow.
Some talk from a place of gratitude, others from sorrow.
Some with their minds, some with their hearts.
And some with both.
G-d is yearning for You, the precious world called You, dear reader, to invite Him into your home. To talk to Him about your gratitude, perhaps your confusion, even one's dissappointment in Him.
This Friday afternoon as the sun sets, He is yearning and waiting for little Stacy, for me...for You-to light the Shabbat candles on Friday night, completing the unique weekly time cycle of You, your World, in your unique way.
The circle is not complete without you.
Shabbat Shalom.
My Radical Confession
Click here to see Rebbetzin Shula's article on thejewishwoman.org, a project of chabad.org:
