Lessons In Emunah, Waiting For Shabbat Candles

New York, NY — Every Sunday for the past 13 years, I have been visiting the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Cambria Heights, Queens.

One Thursday, recently, I was in the Chabad Lubavitch Mitzvah Tank on Broadway near 38th Street in Manhattan. It is a very warm and friendly place, where Jews from all over come to talk, pray, connect with their yiddishkeit and meet friends.

An Israeli woman came in and asked the rabbi in the Mitzvah Tank if he had any Shabbat candles. The rabbi thought for a moment and said, “I just gave out the last set of candles.”

I turned to the woman and told her that I had Shabbat candles in my bag up in my office across the street. “Wonderful,” she said, “I will go with you.” I give her the candles and she thanked me very much.

“By the way,” she said, “Would you know of any shiurim on Yiddishkeit taking place in Queens?”

I wrote the address, telephone number and rabbi’s name of the Chabad of Queens and gave it to her. “That is great,” she said and thanked me again.

Those candles I gave the woman had been in my bag for the past two-and-a-half years. I got them from the Rebbe’s Ohel.

May we all continue to learn Torah and perform mitzvot until the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.