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Chaim Ehrenfeld’s health journey was already a tough one. After years of fighting liver cirrhosis, he was finally approved for a transplant. The organs were accepted and it looked like everything was on its way up. Until, remember family and friends,  he began behaving differently. Before long it was clear that a nightmare scenario had taken place: toxins had travelled to his brain, and he would be brain-damaged for life.
 

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At a recent event in Jerusalem, beloved speaker Yemima Mizrachi told a heartwrenching story of an off-the-Derech man who was tragically killed at a young age. The man’s mother, comforted by Mizrachi at the shiva, recalled an event early in life when the boy was humiliated by a teacher: “That was the day my son was murdered.” The Rabbanit’s painful words rung out through the hall. “Today’s generation is being murdered by shame.” 

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Rav Yitzchok Sheiner, Rosh Yeshiva of Kaminetz in the Geulah neighborhood of Jerusalem, released a video to the public this week on behalf of a poor family. Years ago, maggid shiur Yitzchok Aaron Yavrov a”h was a close & beloved talmid of Rav Sheiner. Tragically, Yavrov passed away, leaving behind a widow and ten children. Since then the family has struggled in poverty. In keeping with his father’s legacy of Torah learning, son Avraham Moshe also learned in the Kamenetz yeshiva. Rav Sheiner himself describes Avraham as a ‘prized student,’ and talmid chacham in this heartfelt letter to Jews everywhere:

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The imagery is almost too painful to be true:
 
A group of small children walk into what was once their bedroom. The walls are black from floor to ceiling. The beds are burnt to ash. Stuffed animals, books, and pajamas are charred beyond recognition. Their eyes fill with tears.
The night before, a young couple and eight children stood shivering on the sidewalk in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood of Jerusalem. A fire, the cause of which is unknown, burnt the Chalili family’s home to the ground. They were powerless to do anything but watch.

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It was a shabbos morning last month, and the 5 Chayun children were still in bed. Suddenly, they were woken by the sound of slamming doors and rushing feet. One child peeked out from their bedroom door to see Hatzolah volunteers, their equipment in tow. They were confused: “Abba, what is going on?”
Yosef, their father, was at a loss.
Their mother Sima, a healthy young woman, had died in her sleep.
After agonizing attempts to resuscitate the young woman, medics announced that she was gone. Yosef, still reeling from shock, gathered his children, the eldest of whom is 9, and told them the news.

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Five children’s lives were changed forever this month, when their mother Sima Chayun went to sleep on Friday night, and never woke up. Sima had no health issues, and her passing came as a complete shock.
No news coverage or speculative account is more accurate, or more moving, than that of Sima’s own children:
Tzivia, age 9: 
“On Shabbos, 3 weeks ago, my mother went to sleep. On Shabbos morning, she didn’t wake up.
She was healthy, and suddenly she passed away.” 
Racheli, age 7: 
“On Shabbos morning there was so much noise, of the Hatzalah paramedics who came to help.
So I got up, and I was scared. Why?My father got us all together in the room and told us that Mommy had died. 

Rabbi Royi Gabay, a father of 5 children, and the Rabbi of Menuchat Shalom (Azrad) Synagogue is a beloved fixture of the Flatbush community who has influenced the lives of hundreds of people for the better.
6 months ago, a tumor was discovered on Rabbi Gabay’s neck. After a battery of tests and procedures, the 33-year-old rabbi was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC). The doctors stated that it is crucial to begin proton radiation treatments immediately, saying that a 6-week regiment on the treatments is needed to save his life.
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Many are familiar with a seemingly harmless meme that makes the rounds on Whatsapp each year: “Imagine if your phone was about to die, and then it lasted 8 days,” it says, setting up the joke. “Now you understand Chanukah.”

As those with a deeper understanding of Jewish history know, however, Chanukah is about much, much more than a small amount of oil lasting for longer than expected. At its heart the Chanukah story is about Torah, and the preservation of its mitzvos against all odds and in the face of persecution. Though we all rightly enjoy fried foods and beautiful views this week, the best way to celebrate Chanukah is to attach oneself to the mitzvos of the Torah. To see how to do that best, we look to the gedolim.

“Chaim Mordechai,
You are a gibor (strong one).
Just wait, everything will pass.
Chaim Mordechai,
My little angel.”
These are just a few lines of the achingly beautiful song written by Yehoshua Klepner for his three-year-old son. Chaim Mordechai, also known as Motty, has experienced the unimaginable in his brief life. Born with a heart defect, Motty underwent heart surgery as an infant. The surgery was unsuccessful, and his parents were told that he would not survive. After being placed on a respirator, however, a ‘miracle’ occurred: The baby’s heart began to beat again.