By Sruli Schochet
Today I participated in the wedding celebration of my nephew Levi Vogel, to Sabrina Harari. Levi is my father’s first grandchild and he was especially close with him. No matter where life took Levi, my father always stayed in close touch with him. It was his fervent wish to see Levi get married, but alas that was not to be. While he merited to see two of Levi’s younger brothers get married before him, he passed away 3 years ago and did not get to see his oldest grandson walk down the chupah.
When Levi got engaged, everyone wistfully commented how while of course Zaidy is ‘with us’, it would have been so nice if he could have actually been here in person to see it.
My sister traveled to my father’s grave site 2 weeks prior to the wedding to daven there. One of the things she davened for was that if he can, he should send a sign that he is at the wedding. She concluded her prayers and went back home to complete the final preparation for the wedding.
Fast forward two weeks. I am standing at the chupah and the kiddushin have just been completed and the ketubah is being read. My phone buzzes and I instinctively reach for it. I see an email from my cousin, Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer, a Chabad Shliach in the Ukraine. He emails me every year on my birthday and as it turns out, today is my Hebrew birthday. He has no idea that I am at a wedding or even who is getting married. He concludes the email saying that he came across a nice link to a new Rebbe picture that was just released by JEM a few days ago.
I click on the link and my jaw drops. It’s a picture of my father walking by the Rebbe for kos shel brachah….holding a 4 year old Levi in his arms!
The picture is both stunning and telling at the same time. We always talk about believing that the grandparents are with us. But seeing a sign like that during the actual chupah sent chills down my spine.
Needless to say, my sister was ecstatic to have received an answer to her prayer.
May all our prayers be answered, especially the ultimate prayer, reuniting us with all our loved ones, with the coming of Moshiach speedily, Amen!
Photo appears below:
Thanks, Sruli. What an incredible story. Rav Schochet touched so many peoples’ lives, including my own. Always a joy to be reminded of him!
Levi looks like a real chossid of the rebbe in the picture with zaide!!! Go Sholom go were gonna miss you
To #4= chilling, meaning, it sent chills down his spine
Thanks and have a nice life
Gosh. The shtus.
Yes, the picture was from Motzai Shavuos 5750/ 1990
proof of the truth!
Also got sign that the Rebbe was at the Chupa!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with the rest of us.
BEAUTIFUL reminder of beloved Zaide! Not the other word.
What an incredible story!
I was at the fabrengen shavuos. I closed my eyes and davened that I wished the rebbe was there speaking at the fabrengen. I then felt he was there. I said ” but I don’t see him”. I also was worried about havdala as I couldn’t hear it from where I was and had no wine or cups. After fabrengen there was a half bottle of grape juice and a clean cup on top of the bottle in the coffee room of 770 which wasn’t there before! I felt I was being shown that the rebbe was indeed in 770… Read more »
such hashgacha protis and hashem answering teffilos directly!!!!!
Moshiach NOW!!!
Such an amazing story!!!!?
I heard this was kos shel brocho from motzai shavous. Punkt this time of year
While not a Rebbe story per se, it makes sense that the Rebbe, as a neshama k’lolis, brings it all together.
Why chilling? that sounds scary
How about amazing, etc
Mazal tov to Levi and Sabrina!
Your dear father’s witty messages continue from on high!
Rabbi Emanuell Shochat was a treasure in Lubavitch!!!!!
What an incredible story! May he daven for us all
Chilling is not quite the word you would use to describe a miraculous, heartwarming, touching event.
Just a suggestion.
From,
An English Teacher
What a beautiful story and a special memory on your wedding day.
Thanks for sharing this incident. Mazal tov to Levi and Sabrina. May they always gives their zeidy true Chasidishe nachas as they build their Bais neeman b’yisroel.
Its an amazing sign!! wow!