Lahat HaCherev / Gemulit Chassidim

The post today in Vos Iz Neias regarding an ongoing investigation into a fast-moving house fire that apparently occurred this past Monday afternoon in Monsey brought to mind a dream I had many many years ago. It has probably been close to a decade since I had this dream:

I was in a burning house. It was completely engulfed in flames, except for the small space where I stood in the center of it. All around me was fire. The house was burning down, with me dwelling in it. I was trapped by fiery flames.

Suddenly, an opening appeared through the flames above me. HaSatan was looking down through the flames directly at me. He was completely red (אדמה תמימה, Bamidbar 19:1) and had two little horns (יי) on his head like the classic Moses sculpture by Michelangelo. Oddly, even though I wasn't religious at the time, I wasn't afraid of him at all. He symbolized hope (התקווה) to me - my chance of escaping being burned alive in a burning house. His face was kind. His silent expression elicited in me hope, not hate or fear.

I looked up. He reached down through the flames and plucked me up [Zecharyah 3:1-4] out of the burning house. And then I woke up.

The instrument of Hashem's deliverance was HaSatan - who would've thunk it?

Clarifying with respect to Tisha B'av, which is fast approaching, like there are 2 vavim in the word התקווה, there were two families affected by this conflagration. Together, they had 9 children. No one in either family was killed, even though the entire house burnt down. Baruch Hashem.

The One over death loves me ... Shir Hashirim 1:3

The fiery ever-turning sword guards the way to the Tree of Life ... Bereshit 3:24

When one Jew chooses the proper path, he brings goodness to all other Jews, and ultimately to the entire world. R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh

regarding cheshbon hanefesh & my 6th great uncle:
Benjamin Franklin & The Mussar Movement

v'ahavta et adonai elohecha
b'chol l'vavcha uvchol nafsh'cha uvchol m'odecha

JBlog Me

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