Author Archives: Miriam Metzinger

The Rabbi and the Queen

When Aryeh Sufrin emerged from the smoke-filled mangled subway car and managed to put aside his shock, he wondered what had happened. News soon reached the survivors that four suicide bombers were responsible for the murder of 52 commuters on the London Underground on that dark July day in 2005. Rabbi Sufrin told CS Monitor following the attack, “The carriage the bombers were in was just one in front of me. What if the guy had seen me when he was getting on? Would he have chosen my carriage? Would he have stood next to me?” Determined to redouble his … Continue reading →

What is Lacking in Perfection

Perfection is not always perfect. Sometimes there is an ingredient missing that makes a beautiful or impressive object or structure vulnerable, in spite of its apparent sturdiness and the quality of its materials. The First Beis Hamikdash (Holy Temple in Jerusalem) was the most perfect structure ever built and was a shining bastion of holiness bright with gold. However, the Temple lacked one thing: the aspect of eternity. The First and Second Temples, as perfect as they seemed, were both destroyed. As we approach the complete and true Redemption, the aspect of eternity, which up until now has been associated … Continue reading →

When Answers Are Not Enough

It was during this past Chanukah that I heard the speech of a mother who has experienced the ultimate suffering, something that should not happen to anyone, the loss of a child r’l. I remember the shock I experienced when I first heard the story. Three young Lubavitch yeshiva students, Yonason Bitton, Moshe Golan and Levi Hendel all off blessed memory, were killed when their van turned over and landed in a nearby ditch. They were on their way to give Chanukah cheer to Israeli soldiers in Eilat, and as soldiers of light themselves, they were “armed” with their jelly … Continue reading →

Thoughts on a Chanukah Candle

Chanukah is a busy time for our family. The kids are off from school, I am not off from my job at home, but there is plenty for the kids to do, besides just running around the house. When I am freed from my duties at the computer, there are Chanukah parties and get togethers. Not to mention the time spent at home eating homemade latkes and sufganiot (jelly donuts). But as Adam Sandler commented, this holiday is for “Eight Crazy Nights.” By the end of the holiday, I just want to sit in front of the candles and relax. … Continue reading →

The Rabbi in the Doghouse

Montana is known for its known for its striking natural wonders, historical sites depicting the travels of Lewis and Clark and quaint glimpses into a version of America that is well-loved but quickly fading. Although there was a significant Jewish population in the past, particularly in the 19th century when Jewish pioneers flocked to the region, in recent decades, many of Montana’s Jews are leaving for larger cities and more vibrant Jewish populations. It is no wonder then, that the sight of a rabbi dressed in chassidic garb caught the attention of non-Jewish officer John Fosket who was guarding the … Continue reading →

A thought before Chanukah: The Paradox of the Moon

I think everyone has heard the expression, “It is always darkest just before dawn.” But how about the more darkness you see the more light you are actually experiencing? Of course, this isn’t true of the sun. We can’t deny that light is light and darkness is darkness when it is daytime. If the sun is out, it is light outside and possible to see and feel warm. But the moon is a bit trickier, and there is no wonder that it reflects the more hidden but no less real world of the soul rather than the physical world which … Continue reading →

Denis Avey: a Willing Witness

The horrors of the Nazi death camps are so well documented that it seems impossible that one would agree to trade places with an inmate in Auschwitz, but one British soldier actually did. Denis Avey, in a move of unimaginable courage, decided that he sneak into Auschwitz in order to witness firsthand the atrocities there and to testify to the world after the war was over. Denis Avey was already a prisoner of war and inhabited run-down barracks close to the infamous death camps, however the conditions he faced were luxury compared to those of his neighbors. Exchanging his prison … Continue reading →

An End of Terror May Be One More Candle Away

It felt like the whole world was watching when Moshe Holtzberg, a day shy of his second birthday, cried,”Ima! Ima!” (Mommy! Mommy!) in the arms of the family cook half the world away in a synagogue in Mumbai. His grandmother, Yehudit, could hardly hold back the tears and his grandfather, Shimon, allowed the tears to surface as the little boy cried out for the mother he would never see again. And yet, there must be an end to tears. Someone told me that one shouldn’t be excessive in mourning, because it makes the souls of the deceased grieve when they … Continue reading →

When a Parent Mourns

The esteemed Torah scholar Rashi describes the loss of a child as the ultimate bereavement. It is something for which we have no words, cannot understand even if there were an ultimate Divine purpose that we were able to comprehend. When someone passes away, we bless G-d and call him “The True Judged.” Kaddish, the prayer of mourning, is not an outpouring of grief, but praise to a Creator who gives us life on loan, who allows us to live in His world for a certain amount of time, and takes us to another level of existence, closer to where … Continue reading →

Unconditional Love and Free Choice

It is wonderful to get a bracha (blessing) for our children. That they should be learned, kind, talented. That they should make strangers smile, stop what they are doing, forget about their worries and appreciate the wondrous world seen through youthful eyes. Wouldn’t we all want to be proud parents of a child the teacher remembers fondly for years and even decades? If we could imagine the possibility that all of the blessings given to our children could be fulfilled at once, that all of our realistic hopes and distant wishes could be realized in one child, would we, if … Continue reading →