ויאמרו איש אל אחיו אבל אשמים אנחנו על אחינו ... (מב-כא)
MASHAL: An incredible story is told about a woman who had gone through Auschwitz and rebuilt her life in the French city of Bay. One Erev Shabbos, she prepared her Shabbos food and left a pot on the fire while she went out to the market to buy something. While she was out, the wooden cabinet in the kitchen caught fire, and in a short time, the fire destroyed almost her entire house and all of its contents.
Her neighbors did not know how this unfortunate woman would hold herself together in the face of the great damage, as they knew she barely managed to recover from the devastation that had already ravaged her life. They rushed to the residence of the illustrious R’ Mottel Pogromansky zt”l, who lived nearby, to ask his advice on how to tell this lady who still didn’t know that her home was destroyed.
R’ Mottel sank into his thoughts, and then said, “Wait for her nearby, and before she enters her home and sees what happened, tell her that the house went up in flames and add, that if she accepts the situation with love and joy, not even expressing one sigh from her mouth, Mottel Pogromansky promises her that she will be blessed with the children she has yet to give birth to above the natural way.”
They hurried to the house and when she returned, told her everything that R’ Mottel had said. With supernatural courage she accepted her fate, and didn’t emit one sigh from her lips. The following year she had a daughter, and later she had another, and eventually a third child, a son!
NIMSHAL: Great reward awaits those who accept the will of Hashem, even in the most challenging times. This was most often the catalyst for great moments in history. Especially on Chanukah, may we all merit such blessings.