Chassidic Rabbi

by Rabbi Benzion Cohen

March 10, 2010

Baruch Hashem, we had a happy and beautiful Purim, with some real miracles, just like in the times of Mordechai and Esther.

Every year I try to help the patients and staff at our local hospital to celebrate Purim, and all of the other holidays. This year it wasn't working. I couldn't find anyone to read the Megillah. One of my sons-in-law knows how to read the Megillah, but he spent most of the night in Tel Aviv reading the Megillah in one of the Chabad Houses. He read the Megillah at 2:00 a.m. By 3:00 a.m. a new group had gathered, and he read the Megillah again. This went on the whole night and most of the day!

This is an amazing phenomenon. Big changes are taking place in Israeli society. New Chabad Houses are opening all over Israel and all over the world. Ten years ago many Israelis wouldn't go near a shul. Now Chabad Houses are big attractions. The prophet Isaiah wrote about the times of Moshiach: "And the land will be full of the knowledge of Hashem."We see it happening in front of our eyes.

I asked another son-in-law if he could read the Megillah. He was sorry, but he hadn't prepared for the reading. I asked about my son Moti. He was busy helping 3,000 soldiers celebrate Purim in a big army base in the Jordan Valley.

It was getting late. Purim was almost over. A friend came up to me and asked if I was going somewhere to help people celebrate. I said sure. He asked if he could come and help. I said sure. I asked if he has a Megillah. He said yes."Can you read it?" "Yes, and I have a car if you need a lift."

This was a real miracle. It made my Purim, and it made Purim for the 70 people in the hospital who heard the reading of the Megillah.

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