Slovie Jungreis-Wolff penned a letter to her father on aish.com, 13 years after his petirah. She described the scene in the hopital room when her father was alone with her and asked her to bring a chumash to his bedside.
You opened to the portion of Vayechi when Jacob became ill. You asked me to read. I tried but my voice broke as I read. "Read for me, shayfelah," you gently encouraged me.
I read how Jacob called his son Joseph and his grandchildren to his deathbed. He then bestowed his final blessing -- the blessing of the angels...Hamalach HaGoel.
You looked at me for a moment and then you spoke. "I came to this country all alone. I walked through the valley of death. I never thought that I'd see life again. And then God blessed me with new life, with your Ema, with beautiful children. So I knew that I, too, was given the blessings of the angels. I know that I am leaving you soon. What can I possibly give you? What has meaning and value forever?" I began to sob and buried my face in my father's neck. His hot tears mingled with mine.
"I leave you with my blessing, my child, the blessing of the angels. May they accompany you and your children and children's children wherever you may go."
You opened to the portion of Vayechi when Jacob became ill. You asked me to read. I tried but my voice broke as I read. "Read for me, shayfelah," you gently encouraged me.
I read how Jacob called his son Joseph and his grandchildren to his deathbed. He then bestowed his final blessing -- the blessing of the angels...Hamalach HaGoel.
You looked at me for a moment and then you spoke. "I came to this country all alone. I walked through the valley of death. I never thought that I'd see life again. And then God blessed me with new life, with your Ema, with beautiful children. So I knew that I, too, was given the blessings of the angels. I know that I am leaving you soon. What can I possibly give you? What has meaning and value forever?" I began to sob and buried my face in my father's neck. His hot tears mingled with mine.
"I leave you with my blessing, my child, the blessing of the angels. May they accompany you and your children and children's children wherever you may go."
This morning, I read that a father of a chasan was killed in a car crash near Elad last night when he volunteered to drive the bride's siblings to their home after the wedding. The man was in his forties.
As Father's day was celebrated yesterday, let's take a moment's pause, thank G-d for our fathers, appreciate them, honor them, soak up the wisdom they impart and give them a big hug, because we can lose them in the blink of an eye.
As Father's day was celebrated yesterday, let's take a moment's pause, thank G-d for our fathers, appreciate them, honor them, soak up the wisdom they impart and give them a big hug, because we can lose them in the blink of an eye.
Daddy and Mommy - I love you. Thank you for being there, for your words of advice. May you be zocheh to see nachas from your children and grandchildren ad meah veesrim.
No comments:
Post a Comment