On January 18, 1943, the Germans began their second deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, which led to the first instance of armed resistance. The deportation was halted within a few days; due to their brave efforts, 3,000 of the 8,000 Jews whom the Nazis intended to deport at that time were saved. The Nazis retreated, only to return three months later, at which time the Warsaw uprising started in earnest.
Link: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
R. Chaim Kapusi was one of the leading sages of Egypt in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. He passed away at the age of ninety, on 12 Shevat in the year 5391 from Creation (1631).
It is related that R. Chaim once became blind, and the townsfolk spread rumors attributing his condition to bribery, as the verse states, “Bribery blinds the eyes of the wise.” Hearing this, R. Chaim got up before the entire congregation and announced: “If it is true that I have accepted bribery, may my eyes retain their sightlessness. But if it is not true, may my vision be restored!” Miraculously, his vision returned immediately, and he proceeded to identify the congregants by name (Shem Hagedolim).
Link: Don’t Get Bribed!
There’s nothing that matches the joy when a lost child returns home. And you are that child.
Because your soul began within G‑d.
And she descended into this world to inhabit a body and live as though a stranger to the heavens, captive of a futile dream, journeying upon many winding and perilous roads…
Until waking up one day and realizing that none of these lead back home.
And now, every day, with every prayer of your heart, with every word of Torah upon your lips, with every mitzvah and good deed you fulfill,
You are coming home.
There can be no greater joy—above and below.