Menucha Chaya was our first child and she introduced into our lives an especial happiness and nachas that only a child is capable of bringing.
Sadly we only had Menucha for 28 years and last year, on כז שבט, Hashem took her back and left us only with memories of her life; memories that comfort us even as they break our hearts. Her smile, her face that shone with happiness even in the midst of her suffering, is something that we can never forget.
One of our most precious memories of Menucha is her Rosh Chodesh Hallel. Menucha enjoyed singing Hallel to Hakadosh Baruch Hu every Rosh Chodesh, thanking Him for the gift of another month of life. Even when she was not well, lying in the hospital, she would daven Hallel together with her friend on the phone. It was symbolic of a special koach she had to be happy even through her most difficult days.
And so, even though we don’t have her here with us anymore, one of our nechamos is that promise of Chazal that כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בְּשִׁירָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה – Someone who makes themselves busy saying song to Hashem in this world, זוֹכֶה וְאוֹמְרָהּ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא – will be rewarded by being able to continue to say the song in the Next World.
And so our Menucha is saying Hallel to Hashem now and forever, and even though we don’t see it or hear it, knowing that it’s true is the greatest nechama and nachas that parents can have.
Rabbi Amichai Markowitz
