“It Had Absolutely Never Crossed My Mind…”

Dearest Family and Friends,

I compose this letter in an attempt to express my sincere thanks and deep appreciation to each and every one of you. Thank you so very much for all that you have done for us over the past 9 days. Am yisroel has come together in unison, in every way possible, to be there for myself and my family.

We were a typical family, my husband and I doing our best to raise our children and serve Hashem with emes. My life as I knew it has been turned upside down. I would NEVER have imagined needing to be the recipient of everyone else’s kindness. It had absolutely never crossed my mind that I would be the ‘first responder’ in trying to save my husband’s life, that I would be asked to make end of life decisions for someone at the age of 38. Nor, would I have believed that my children would have to recite Kaddish (one of them even before his siddur party) or remain in shul for yizkor (our youngest kah, from the age of 1).

We truly believed with complete emuna and bitachon that just as Hashem placed Mendel into a completely, unexpected, emergency situation, Hashem could and would give him a refua shleima. The world was shaking with heartfelt tefilos and mitzvos, we gave tzedaka, sang and danced with simcha. We were waiting for Mendel to open his eyes, anticipating showing the world that only Hashem can decide who will live.

Hashem had other plans- Mendel’s heilige neshama was zoche to ascend to gan Eden on Shabbos.
To us it felt like a misis neshikin. Mendel had been taken to the ICU while in his sleep. As the yiddidshe world rallied around him and our family, in complete achdus, together we filled the world with kedusha. Mendel held on, giving us time to strengthen our emuna, an opportunity for our family to visit him on erev Shabbos and a chance to arrange constant shmira.
On Shabbos morning Hashem decided that Mendel had completed his tachlis on earth.
Hashem gave and Hashem took back.

Only Hashem, who gave us this incomprehensible nissayon, could provide us with the support of so many of klal yisroel along the way and the open hashgacha protis.

The open nissim continued, chasdei Hashem, I ended up in the ER straight from the beis hachayim. I had emergency, miraculous surgery. Hashem orchestrated that so many yidden would come together to help me and that everything would fall into place. Again, thank you all, I daven that Hashem give all of you only revealed goodness and that my children should have a healthy and strong mother.

Although we are living in what seems like a nightmare, together with the support from all of you, we see open yad Hashem. We know and believe that everything Hashem does is for our good. Hashem we accept this nisayon- but please don’t test us any more. Look at the ahavas yisroel and chesed from your special nation, am yisroel and send us the geula shleima, now!

May I humbly request that we each do an extra mitzva before Shabbos in zechus aliyas hanishama for Menachem Mendel Ben Meir Yaakov ילחט”א.

As I anticipate bzH a complete refua shleima, please join me in increasing our kavana when saying the brocho of asher yotzar.

Looking forward to sharing only besuros tovos with all of you.

Goldie Plotkin

Rabbi Mendel Plotkin, a giant of kindness and strength, was tragically taken from us, leaving nine beautiful children. Please contribute to the Mendel Plotkin campaign, to secure his children with the future they deserve.
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