Snow + Birkat HaChama = ???

You got that right, folks. Erev Pesach, and it's snowing in Nowheresville. Actually, at the moment it's not, but it was flurrying earlier.

This morning, as my mother and I were driving to shul for minyan*, it was dark and overcast. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about how it would be a real shame if I didn't get to say Birkat HaChama with Shem v'Malchut because I went home for Pesach to a place where it's cold and grey. Sure, we could still say the tefillot and everything, but it wouldn't be the same. I'd feel like I was missing out.

Still, I tried to push that to the back of my mind and just concentrate on davening. It's not like I can control the weather - if it's cold and grey, it's cold and grey, and there's nothing I can do about that.

Then, just as the chazzan was finishing the repetition of the Shmoneh Esreh, my rabbi announced, "The sun is out! We're going outside to do Birkat HaChama NOW!" My ears perked up. Could he be serious? The sun came out, just in time? We all bundled into our coats and went outside to the shul parking lot. There were snow flurries falling, but lo and behold, the sun was really out and shining! We quickly said the bracha and the tefillot and went back inside to finish davening and be present for the rabbi's siyum.

By the time we came out again, the sun was already hidden behind the clouds and the sky has been overcast ever since. I think it's really special that the sun shone for a few minutes this morning, just for us. :)

I would like to wish all of my readers and friends a chag kasher v'sameach, and in this time of redemption for our people, may we all experience our own geulot from our own personal Mitzrayims.

L'shana habaa b'Yerushalayim!