Words that pierced the heavens

B"H

I heard an inspiring story the other night from Rabbi Shmuel Lew, principal for the Lubavitch Seminary for girls in London, England:
(Rabbi Lew heard this story from his brother-in-law, Rabbi Moshe Feller of Minnesota, who heard it 1st hand).

There was a Chassidic family living in an observant Jewish section of Brooklyn, NY. Unfortunately for his wife and children, the man of the home had a change of views, and left his faith. The couple soon divorced.
Years passed, and the family's eldest son (who had followed his father's new path of life) became involved in a serious relationship with a non Jewish girl.
One day, the boy's mother received a call from her son that he was "happily engaged!"
To say the least, his mother's joy didn't match that of her son's.

"Will you please come to my bride's home? We're going to arrange the wedding plans, and even dad will be there."

"Since I don't approve of your marriage to this girl, I don't feel I can come." The boy's mother felt broken, knowing that this marriage would be ending the chain of the Jewish people through her son.

As much as he loved his mother, the son wasn't seriously phased and proceeded with his plans.
As the day of final wedding planning arrived, the boy's mother was at a loss of what to do. What could she do? She couldn't persuade her son to change his mind, and her husband surely supported his son's move.
Finally, she remembered that a holy Tzaddik (Righteous person) was buried in Queens, NY, the Lubavitcher Rebbe of Chabad, and that she had heard of many stories of miracles resulting from prayer at his grave site. The Rebbe was always known as a father of the entire Jewish people, worrying for every individual's problems.
With no other direction to turn, the distressed mother headed immediately to Queens, to pour out her heart in prayer. With tears coursing down her cheeks, she silently pleaded: "Rebbe, Do Something! Rebbe! Do Something...."

Later that day, the boy and his father sat across from his fiancee and future father-in-law, in their beautiful living room. The wedding planning was happily progressing, when the topic turned to the food to be served.
The bride's father suggested many dishes, including his favorite pork and meat dishes. The Jewish boy's father interrupted: "I can handle any food you want at the wedding, but I feel uncomfortable with pork." "Why do you care?" "I just feel uncomfortable with it, for me and my guests. I have to draw the line there." As silence ensued, the girl began to raise her voice: "I've been dreaming about my wedding ever since I was a little girl, and you stupid Jews are not going to ruin it!" Rising to leave, the girl removed her ring and threw it at her fiancee. Shocked and disgusted, the boy and his father stormed out of the house.

The boy's mother received a call later that night: "Mom, you'll be happy to know that I'm finished with that girl. I didn't know they were such anti-semites. Don't worry, I'll be looking for a Jewish bride in the future."

We have to realize the power of our prayers. One tear, one word with feeling, can pierce through all the heavens. Let's pray for the real things in life; the important things. Our sages say that especially effective are prayers we say for others. One verse of Tehillim (psalms) or Shema Yisroel before sleep, or even our own personal words, can change our personal world and the bigger world around us. Let's not forget to pray for the coming of our final Redemption with Moshiach now-
Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel
New Haven, CT