Birchat Hachamah footage from 28 years ago

In the highly acclaimed book, Just One Word - Amen by Esther Stern, there is an incident related about a man who was over 100 years old. A volunteer at an old age home asked the man the secret to his longevity. The man related that in 1917 he arrived in the Schiff shul in Vienna for Shabbat Mevarchim where he heard the gabbai announce when the moled would take place. The gabbai announced that the moled would take place on Tuesday night at one o'clock. The crowd expected the gabbai to announce the chalakim of the minute, as well but the gabbai said nothing. He told them that they were experiencing something that only occurred once in eighty seven years, when the moled occurs exactly as the clock stikes one. He said that the next Rosh Chodesh which would take place precisely on the hour would be Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5765. He added a prayer that the congregants should all merit to be alive at that time. The old man, a young boy at the time, realized the magnitude of the gabbai's blessing and answered "Amen". He had emunah that he would yet live to Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5765. And so he did.

The video below shows amazing footage from birchas hachama ceremony that took place at Lubavitch headquarters 28 years ago. The journalist ends the report by stating, "But the ceremony ended with the wish that all should be well and live long enough to celebrate this day the next time."

So, as we participate in Birchas Hacham on Erev Pesach of this year, when we hear the wish that we should be alive to celebrate the next occurrence of the birchas hachama ceremony, let us seize the moment and answer "AMEN".

(Incidentally, I highly recommend the book Just One Word-Amen. Makes for much better reading during your leisure time than David Baldacci).

Thanks to shiratdevorah.blogspot.com for making me aware of the video.