A Shabbos Achdus Made By G-D

On Shabbos Parshas Vayetzie the Lubavitcher Yeshiva of Baltimore hosted approximately 35 bochurim from the Lubavither Mesivta of Chicago.

The Mesivta Bochurim who participated in a special Mivtza arranged by their Hanhalah which included coming to seder on time, learning extra and participating in a seder sichos were awarded with a trip to NY to spend a Shabbos with the Rebbe at the Ohel.

More in the Extended Article!

Friday morning all flights from Chicago O’hare’s Airport were canceled because of the bad weather conditions. The only airline flying out of Chicago was South West airlines from a small airport. With shabbos on everyone’s mind they all were anxiously sitting on the plane waiting for take off. Finally at 10:00am after a few hour delay the plane took off. But only a short time past until to the dismay of his passengers the pilot announced that due to severe winds this plane will not be landing in NY but will rather be landing in Baltimore Maryland! A concerned parent who was cautiously tracking the flight through the internet contacted the Hanhalo of Chicago informing them of the latest news. They in turn contacted the Hahola of the yeshiva of Baltimore and they with no more then two and a half hours left until shabbos quickly arranged more food to be bought and cooked, more tables and chairs to be set up, and they made sleeping arrangements for all the boys. Some stayed in the yeshivas dorm others at different homes of members of the Lubavitcher community of Baltimore. For the rest of the day the bochurim of yeshivas Lubavitch of Baltimore worked non stop making sure everything will be ready and prepared for their special surprise guest that were arriving shortly

The yeshivas were joined throughout shabbos in every aspect, weather it was Seder Negunem or Seder Chassidus or Seudas Shabbos. Shabbos afternoon there was a grand Farbrengin which included the participation of the Hanholoh of Yeshivas Baltimore and the Rosh yeshiva of Chicago Rabbi Elimelech Silverberg who one Friday was already in Crown Heights and had to drive in to reunite with his yeshiva down in Baltimore. Rabbi Silverberg Farbrenged that Chasidus explains that instead of focusing on the negative i.e. being upset that we did not arrive in time for shabbos to the destination we had planned, a Chossid knows that he deserves no more, and is grateful to Hashem for sending him to such a wonderful place and to such wonderful people as in Baltimore. We could have landed in Wyoming and spend shabbos in a potato field, but instead we were sent not only to a Jewish place or to a place where there is a Chabad House but we where sent to a Lubavither Yeshiva whose hospitality and warmth is admirable.

“At first the weather was so bad we thought we wouldn’t be going anywhere then once we got on our flight we thought we’d be in NY but I guess Hashem had other plans. Maybe he wanted to show us the tremendous hospitality one can have for another and all with such little notice. I know I learned a great lesson” one bochur said.

The shabbos was truly amazing, seeing bochurim from Zal and Mesivta who for the most part had never met each other before have such care and achdus for one another was truly an awesome site.

After shabbos the Bochurme left to the airport to catch their flight to NY with the transportation arranged by the Bali Batim of Baltimore.

Special thanks to Rabbis and families Lisbon, Rosenbloom, Weber and Slavotisky for their tremendous hospitality in hosting many of the bochurem Special thanks to the Engstar, Citron, Bukeit, Goldstien and Abrams Families for the transportation to the airport. Extra special thanks to Rabbi Effi Rosenbloom and Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon for making this shabbos the beauty that it was.