Sometimes things happen just so, and we feel G‑d smiling down on us, encouraging us in our work. Here’s a little something that happened to us last week.

You may be familiar with The Scroll, a print publication we mail out weekly to thousands of subscribers all over the world.

We got an email from a regular reader telling us that he had too much to read and that he wished to stop his subscription to The Scroll. However, recognizing how valuable The Scroll is, he asked us to donate his subscription to someone in need.

By Divine providence, we had recently received a request from an inmate, who was hungering for Jewish information and inspiration.

We were glad to inform him that he would be getting The Scroll courtesy of a stranger, who wished to remain anonymous. Upon telling the kind donor about what had been done, his reply just blew us away: That’s wonderful and I too was incarcerated years ago and was blessed to have such holy material mailed to me. What a wonderful thing!

We asked the inmate-turned-benefactor if he had a message for our readers, and this is what he shared: No matter how low one gets in life whether voluntarily or involuntarily (I think of Joseph or Samson!) G‑d is there for those who seek after him wholeheartedly and listens to their prayers!

And the cycle of kindness came full circle...

Click here to purchase a subscription to The Scroll for yourself or a friend.

Seventy-one years ago, on 10 Shevat, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, assumed the leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement after the passing of his father-in-law, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory. In the decades that followed, the Rebbe revolutionized, inspired and guided the post-Holocaust transformation of the Jewish people that continues to this day.

This day, so relevant to every Jew in our generation, is surely a time for reflection, learning, prayer, positive resolutions and acts of loving-kindness.

Additional observances on this day typically include communal gatherings and prayer, as well as prayer at the Ohel, the Rebbes’ resting place in Queens, New York.

This year (5781), as 10 Shevat coincides with Shabbat and the pandemic still rages on, visits to the Ohel will not be an option for most of us, and we will be gathering only with our closest family members.

Fascinatingly, two of the signature emphases of the Rebbe are recognizing the unique opportunities and goodness inherent in each challenge and transforming it, AND the elevation of the home as a focal point of Jewish life. Looking for ways to channel this day’s inspiration into your home? We’ve prepared this booklet for you.

Click Here to Access the 10 Shevat Home Companion

Due to the sanctity of Shabbat, when we may not use technology, be sure to print up this guide and other texts you will be using before Shabbat.