A Moment to Recognize His Awe

I am stepping off my soapbox just for today to get lost in the wonders of The Creator Of the Universe and all His Glory.

I am in awe of His mercy, His love, His patience, His judgment, His justice, His hand, His blessings, His promise, His might, His kindness, His power, His greatness....As I write, I realize that I must ask for His forgiveness for posting this, for I am so far from the one who should be doing so....yet I must give Him praise for allowing me to live the life he has granted me even though I have fallen so drastically short of his high hopes for me....I still bow to His Awesomeness and offer this short, inadequate but heartfelt testament to the greatness of His work.

The Reason?

Today, at this very moment, my son is preparing to spend Shabbat in Krakow, Poland.

He is a Jew.

He is in Poland.

In the year 2008.

Davening with a minyan and spending his time in solitude with his Creator. In Krakow.

How Awesome is the goodness of the Maker of All Things?

In the context of history, I am not sure who was worse to the Jews, the Poles or the Germans. If you don't have a great grasp of Europe, the question might seem ridiculous. But if you understand the wickedness of the Poles and their government, the question, while it might be a bit shocking, has some merit. While Germany was owning up to their evil following the war, the poles kept killing Jews and subjecting them to vermin status long after the war was over. There were and are still a large majority of anti-semites populating the land which to this day, remains a stain on mankind.

However, this Shabbat, young Jewish men return to send a message to this lowlife people from a lowlife country, that the Will and Might of Hashem is far too much for their wicked ways, yet in His mercy, he sends His people, the very people the poles wanted to eradicate, to sanctify this vile, disgusting, grotesque country with the beauty and holiness of Shabbat. Mi' Chamocha Ba-aylim Hashem?

Who can explain the impossible odds that the Jewish people have overcome?

How can it be that some sixty plus years later, the Jews have rebuilt themselves from the ashes and thrived, when in the lifetimes of our parents and grandparents, the question of Jewish survival or more to the point Jewish extinction was not just a Talmudic question, but a CBS news one?

It can be because the One Who Is, does not forget His promise or his people.

We have done everything we can to lose His faith in us. We have left His ways, have turned our backs on His Torah, have destroyed the very essence of His word from within and have allowed those who should be ashamed of themselves to dictate what is right and what is wrong.....AND STILL He allows us to continue and flourish.

It is with that as a backdrop that I offer my thanks to Hashem. He has given me far more than I will ever deserve and unfortunately I have only repaid him with inadequacy.

Ma' Ashiv La'Hashem-How can I repay You for all the blessings You have given me? I cannot even begin to describe the incredible blessings Hashem has granted me and to be able to witness my children grow up to become shining examples of what a Jew is supposed to be, I am so very humbled that He has granted me the time and opportunity to watch my children grow in Torah and Ma'asim Tovim and in service to Him.

I cannot wait to speak IYH with my son and hear about his trip back into Jewish history. As this new cycle of the Torah starts today, I hope everyone takes a few moments to give thanks to Hashem for all that he has done for you. Hold your child just a moment longer, tell your spouse you love them and live life with a smile. Ivdu Es Hashem B'simcha!


Most of all join, me in singing praises to The Creator of the Universe......Chasdai Hashem l'olam Ashirah!!

Shabbat Shalom.