Friday, April 25, 2014

April 25th

As adults, we can look back on our lives and pinpoint moments that brought forth a change. For us, April 25th will always be one of those moments. It is the date of my early 3D anatomy ultrasound at 15 weeks.

With the words, "I do not see four chambers of her heart" we were shoved into the world of congenital heart defects. 

The Shabbat after Pesach has a unique custom: baking challah bread with a key inside or in the shape of a key. It has a Kabbalistic source based on a verse, that this Shabbat is a special time when the gates of sustenance and the gates of mercy are unlocked. 

I have not baked challah in a year. For the remaining six months of the pregnancy, and six months of Tehilla's life, I have not baked challah. But we certainly are at a point in our lives where we need the gates of mercy to unlock. That the anniversary (diagnosiversary?) coincides with this Shabbat, is significant for us. 

So, I tried something new:


4 comments:

  1. Shoshana, you are such a beautiful neshama. HaShem is smiling on you. He tests us all, Shoshana, to see if we love Him, if we trust Him. Hold fast. Be strong. G-d is with you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful. Tehilla, you, your family, these challot. Shabbat shalom.

    ReplyDelete
  3. May this Shabbos and the rest of the year bring your family some mercy on everything is happening the family. Enjoy the sweet heart challah and the challah wit the key in it, just a reminder how sweet and yummy your daughter is.

    ReplyDelete
  4. On Shabbat, I was reading the book "Living Inspired" by Rabbi Akiva Tatz. In one section he discusses how we are tested in our lives. A test in Hebrew is a 'nisayon'. It's connected to the word 'nes' - a miracle or a banner. " A miracle is really a banner clearly making HaShem's presence in the world."
    A true test is something that we may feel is impossible for us to do, so we 'give it up to G-d'.
    Rabbi Tatz writes: "The prayer of one who stands tested is: "Hashem, this test that You have given me seems impossible to me. I cannot humanly overcome it. But if you have seen fit to test me thus, I shall go through the impossible for You. I shall leap; I give myself to You. I acknowledge that I am nothing, You are everything. Help me through."

    Ron and Sho, you are shining examples of emunah. Baruch HaShem!

    ReplyDelete