By COLlive reporter
About a month ago, Montreal resident Chana Solomon was surprised to discover a UPS delivery of several boxes outside her home, with no recollection of such an order.
She was further perplexed when, upon opening the packages, she discovered over 728 copies of the Chayenu booklet of daily learning.
Upon investigation, it turns out this was all due to a typo. Apparently, the shipping list for Canada had a field where the quantity (1) was mistaken with the price column (182).
The shipper – used to an occasional massive order for occasions such as weddings, Bar-Mitzvahs, community events – figured it was a special occasion and sent an individual subscriber 182 sets of booklets for 4 weeks.
What happened next, though, is what distinguishes failure from success. We’ve all heard the axioms about how circumstances shouldn’t determine how we respond to them, and it’s our deliberate response which determines the future.
Chayenu Executive Director, Yossi Pels, reached out to Rabbi Yosef Minkowitz, principal of Beth Rivkah Academy in Montreal and offered him the 182 sets as a gift to his students, if he was prepared to make a campaign out of it and motivate the High School girls with an incentive.
Within a couple days, the ‘misplaced’ Chayenu boxes were picked up and a tremendous extra-curricular learning initiative was underway at Beth Rivkah, with each girl receiving a set of her own (and some extras for the staff too!).
“It’s Hashgocho Protis that the first day in the first Chayenu booklet (in the pack of 4) is 3 Sivan, exactly a month before Gimmel Tammuz,” said Rabbi Minkowitz.
“The students excitedly received the Chayenu booklets as a preparation for Gimmel Tammuz. Some students (who haven’t been doing Chitas regularly) said they will now begin anew. It has created tremendous enthusiasm. Beis Rivkah greatly appreciates the great gift to our students by the Chayenu administration.”
Chayenu is now available in print and digital formats. The print edition is shipped from Crown Heights to over 500 cities, in 35 countries worldwide, with an estimated 18,000 Jews of all stripes, ranging from Chabad Chasidim to secular, intermarried Jews – all finding meaning in their daily Torah study via Chayenu’s rich content.
So nice to read this story about my Alma Mater, Beth Rivkah Montreal! Rabbi Minkowitz’s influence permeayes my life to this very day. Hos passion for Yoddishkeit, his sincerity andvthe true pride for his students and school still go on! Thanks fir this beautiful Chayenu story! This is the type of stories we need on COL! And Chayenu is simply fabulous! Kol Hakavod to everyone involved. May Beth Rivkah Montreal continue to go frim strength to strength!
Rabbi Minkowitz is an amazing principal. There are frum,chasidishe grandchildren from his students who he
cared for. He personally raised funds and married them
off.
Hashgocha Protis used in such an amazing way
Der Rebbe lebt!! TY Chayenu!! Moahiach Now!!
What true chassidishe Nachas to the Rebbe!
The Baal Shem Tov must be dancing to see this beautiful expression of לכשיפוצו מעייונותיך חוצה!!
Much thanks to such בעלי זכות Yossi Pels and Rabbi Minkowitz
for truly bringing Moshiach closer….
T.H. Israel
I also really love chayuna.
For those that like do/learn thing son thier phone, therr is also a greay chayanu app.
Hashgacha Pratis indeed!
Yesher’coah Chayenu and Yossi Pels – you should continue to have much bracho and hatzlocho in your shlichus.
PS huge fan of Chayenu – use it all the time & everywhere!
Besides the blessings that doing Chitas brings to each person, imagine someone in each city, like Rabbi Minkowitz, undertaking to inspire young people with Chassidic insights and stories that Chayenu also has. We have a gem, lets encourage others to use it.
That is so beautiful!!
Bh, our whole family is enjoying this gift. Thank you
My daughter is one of the students who has enthusiastically began doing chitas for the last 2 weeks every day!
Hashem works wonders Great amazing surprises!!!!
amazing team work . We need to work together to achieve higher.
I love what Chayenu does to help my ability to say Chitas and connect to Hashem and the bring nachas to the Rebbe.
So amazing that Chayenu & BRM are taking a mistake and turning it into a “goldmine”.
Way to go. Very inspired.
What HP!
Great idea that every school should now learn from and undertake to educate their high schools. Good mechanchim in Montreal. Well done!!
Great idea Yossy Pels
And these girls look so aidel and happy.
What a wonderful opportunity for the amazing girls in beis rivkah montreal
wow, such incredible hashgocha protis!
and a big shout out to chayenu!
It should be brachos for each girl, the school, the person who received them, the publisher of Chayeinu and klal Yisroel.