Sunday, December 23, 2012

A Chanukah Miracle

Once upon a time, not too long ago, there lived a Tatty. He was a Rebbi and a true Tzadek! Every Yom Tov, he would love to go to shul and sing and dance and read from the Torah. He had a son named Menashe, who was 12 years old. Menashe loved to go daven with Tatty.

In their house, there was a special glass cabinet where Tatty kept all the things he would need for Yom Tov. On Purim, he would take his Megillah case and read the story of Haman from it. On Pesach, he would take out his Pesach Seder Plate and relate the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. On Rosh Hashana he would use his silver honey jar, and on Succos he would take out his Esrog case and sing and dance with Menashe in shul on Simchas Torah.

It was soon time for Chanukah, and Tatty's menorah couldn't wait! 
"I love Chanukah!", said the menorah to all the other Yom Tov items.
"We know," said the honey jar, "you've been waiting all year for Tatty to use you for the Mitzvah!"
"Just one more week and then Tatty will take me out and light my candles for eight straight days!" said the menorah. "I've been Tatty's menorah ever since he turned bar mitzvah and I love Chanukah so much!"

Well, it was now just one day before Chanukah. When Tatty got home from work, he turned to Menashe and said "You better bring your menorah down from your room. Tomorrow night is Chanukah and we should set up!"

Menashe ran to his room and took his menorah off the shelf. Menashe made his menorah all by himself in kindergarden. It was made out of a tissue box, and had stickers and crayon markings all over it! Nonetheless, Menashe loved his menorah and couldn't wait to use it again.

At the same time as Menashe was in his room, Tatty started walking to the glass cabinet to get his menorah. 
"Oh Boy!" said the menorah, "Tatty's coming to get me! I'll see you guys in a few days!!"

As Tatty was about to open the glass cabinet door, his wife stopped him and said; "Tatty, I have a present for you!" and she handed him a huge box.
"A present?" asked Tatty, "but it's not even Chanukah yet!"
"I know," replied his wife, "but I want you to open it now."
"Ok" said Tatty.

Tatty slowly removed the wrapping paper, and from inside the box he removed the biggest, most beautiful, awesomest menorah you've ever seen! 
"Wow!" said Tatty "this is beautiful! Thank you so much!"
"I thought it was time you got a new menorah," said his wife. "You've been using that old one since you were bar mitzvah!"
"I'll go put this on the Chanukah table right now!" said Tatty.

As Tatty was busy arranging his and Menashe's menorahs' on the table, his old menorah in the glass case started to cry; "Waaaah! I've been waiting all year for Tatty to use me! I love Chanukah, and I've been Tatty's menorah for so many years!"

None of the other Yom Tov items knew what to say to console the menorah.

Then, the old Megillah case said; "You have to remember menorah, even when everything looks bad, Hashem always does things for the best. We may not understand it now, but you'll see in the end it'll be for good." But the menorah kept on crying..

The next day, while Menashe was at school and Tatty was at work, the doorbell rang.
Mommy opened the door and there was a man standing there. "Hello," he said, "my name is Mr. Schlamazale. I'm here to pick up the clothing for the poor people."

"Oh yes," said the Mommy, "I put a big box together of clothing, food, books, and games for the poor people. It's right by the Chanukah table. But be careful, it's very heavy!"
"Don't worry" said Mr. Schlamazale, "I'm very strong. Yup."

Just then the phone rang. "You get that," said Mr. Schlamazale, "I can take the box myself."

As Mommy was in the kitchen talking on the phone, Mr. Schlamazale went to go pick up the box. "Ooooof!" he said trying to lift it, "it really is heavy."
So he bent down low, grabbed onto the box and with all his might starting lifting it. His whole body was shaking from the weight of the box! Without even realizing it, Mr. Schlamazale bumped into the Chanukah table, and Menashe's menorah fell into the box! 
Just as Mr Schlamazale got the box lifted up high, his pants gave a loud "RRRIIIIIPPP!"
"Uh, I have to go" said Mr Schlamazale loudly to Mommy, "thank you for the Tzedakah for the poor people!" and he ran out of the house before anyone could see!

When Tatty and Menashe got home that night, Tatty said "It's time to light the Chanukah candles!" Tatty's old menorah was still crying in the glass case, thinking that it will never be used again.

"Where's my menorah?" asked Menashe, "I left it here last night!"
Menashe, Tatty and Mommy looked all over the house, but couldn't find his menorah. 
Just then, Menashe started crying "I want my menorah, what happened to it?!"

Tatty said to Menashe "You know, I wanted to give you my old menorah when Mommy got me this new one since you are almost bar mitzvah. But since you loved your menorah so much, I didn't want you not to use it anymore. Now that it's missing, you should use my menorah!" With that, Tatty opened the glass case and took his old menorah out.

"Huh, wha?" the old menorah didn't know what was going on.

"I want you to use my menorah from now on!" Tatty said to Menashe. "And when you have a son, I want you to give him this menorah when he turns bar mitzvah!" 
The old menorah couldn't believe it! Not only was he being used again, he was going to be passed on from generation to generation! The Megillah case was right, everything did turn out for good!

After Tatty and Menashe lit menorah and sang the Chanukah songs, Menashe turned to Tatty and said; "I love my new menorah very much. I just wonder what happened to my old one." 
"Well," said Tatty, "even though we may never know, everything that Hashem does, it always is for good." 
And as Tatty was saying these words, a poor little boy, in a small dilapidated house, was thrilled to be lighting his very own tissue box, crayon markings, and sticker menorah!



THE END

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