It’s the 8th night of Hannukah. It’s written in our holy books that on the last night, you can ask G-d for anything you need. It’s an auspicious time for prayer and prayer requests. I am sitting by the menorah, together with my husband and children.
The candles are flickering slightly and as my husband sings the Psalms.
I gaze deeply into the holy flames, letting my mind wander. I have lots to pray for. I think of my dear son, who has such difficulty controlling his impulses, some of them downright harmful. One of his impulses got him kicked out of yeshivah. I’m praying for him to understand the gravity of his impulse and what his future could be if he doesn’t learn how to control it.
I’m asking G-d to please help the psychiatrist find good meds to help him overcome his obsessions/compulsions and not to have to go through the same dance we had while trying to find the right meds for his ADD. (which we still haven’t).
Tears are starting to flow as I beseech G-d to find him the right Yeshivah which will accept him as he is and will be willing to help him as he confronts and works through his issues.
My heart cannot accept that I will have to send him away from home that young but I can only hope that G-d made all this happen so that he could end up in the Yeshivah that will be best for him. I pray that G-d gives me the strength to have faith that this is all for the best and that we can see it sooner rather than later.
I hear my husband’s voice starting to shake. My heart goes out to him, too. This is very hard on him, much harder than it’s for me. A father has high hopes for his son. All he wants is to see him successful and happy. His heart breaks seeing his son at home all day. I can hear the prayer in his voice, no doubt praying the same as me.
The Hanukah candles are special, the whole holiday of Hanukah is special. We celebrate the miracle that’s happened many years ago. We can only hope that our prayers by the candles will go straight to heaven and that we may merit our own personal salvation as well.
Happy last day of Hanukah!
I’m about to light the candles here in New Jersey. I’ll add my prayer for your son as I also pray for my daughter who has many issues. Thank you for your posts and for teaching me more about our beautiful faith.
Thanks for this and your continued support for my blog!! Chanukah sameach!
Amen
Happy Chanukah! I could so identify with your fears and concerns. My daughter was kicked out of several yeshivas. Finally, after a few years, she was admitted to one. Unfortunately, no high school would take her, and the Jewish summer camp didn’t want to take her back either. It is painful. Now she is back in public school. It is even more painful that she has no interest in going back to a yeshiva, even if we could find one. I continue to have hope — I pray everyday for Hashem’s guidance and direction. “The only way out is through.”
May this year be a turn-around year for your son and may Hashem give him the strength to overcome his obstacles and his parents should have the strength to carry through happily and calmly…
Shalom..! I will pray for your son, on this last night of Hannukah..! I do hope, by now, things have turned around, but we can all use more prayers..! Even if not the same religion, we are more ‘alike’ than ‘different’..! We need to celebrate that..! Chag Urim Sameach! Nun, gimel, hey, shin… nun, gimel, hey, pey..! (I hope you can say, ‘a great miracle happened here..!’) Let there be light..! Blessings on you and your family..!!
Thank you so so much! Things have thankfully turned around and G-d has been good to us! My son is doing really well! Thanks for your warm wishes and prayers, much appreciated! Love and light!