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This week, I received a truly invaluable gift—a bottle of the Rebbe’s mashkeh. Not just any old bottle of vodka, this one is sacred—a symbol of blessing and connection to the Rebbe. 

Having never had the opportunity to meet or receive anything from the Rebbe myself, this was my first opportunity to drink the Rebbe’s mashkeh and I am still overflowing with excitement and gratitude. 

This particular bottle was gifted to one of the Rebbe’s nurses in the 1990s. And because it comes from the Rebbe, it is associated with tremendous blessing.

How did I come into possession of such a rare and cherished item? 

We recently brought a wounded Israeli soldier to NYC for medical treatment. While attending Shabbat services at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, he met a Chabad supporter. When the soldier shared with this person how deeply connected he felt to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, this Chabad supporter was moved to gift him a bottle of the Rebbe’s mashkeh.

How did the philanthropist have the bottle?

As it turns out, he received two bottles earlier this year from Chabad emissary Rabbi Mendel Shemtov as a token of appreciation for investing in his work. Rabbi Shemtov intended to send him one bottle but accidentally sent two. And when the philanthropist called to let him know, Rabbi Shemtov said, “Keep it! I’m sure it will come to good use.”

Upon meeting the soldier and seeing how deeply he feels for the Rebbe and the tremendous sacrifices he has made for Am Yisrael, the philanthropist felt moved to give him one of the precious bottles. 

So this week, at our farewell party for this brave soldier who has become close to many in our community, we all had a tiny sip of the Rebbe’s mashkeh, spreading his holy blessings through the room. 

What’s remarkable about the Rebbe’s mashkeh is its unique properties. It can be diluted over and over again, allowing its blessings to be shared with countless people, and by diluting it with my own mashkeh, I was able to obtain my own mini bottle to use and share in the future. 

Receiving this gift has been a reminder of the Rebbe's ongoing presence and influence in our lives. Even though he is no longer physically with us, his legacy and blessings continue to flow through his emissaries, his teachings, and even his mashkeh.

Kindness has a ripple effect, seen so evidently in this case. The Rebbe sent shluchim out to build communities for Jews all over the world. Grateful for the Rebbe’s vision and his shliach’s implementation, the philanthropist donated to support the shliach’s work. The shliach thanked the donor by gifting him not one but two bottles of the Rebbe’s vodka. The wounded soldier did the ultimate kindness—putting his life on the line (with terrible consequences) to protect all of us and our homeland. In gratitude, the philanthropist passed his gift on to the wounded soldier and everyone in our community who attended his goodbye party. Now I have a bottle of my own, in my home, to share with guests on special occasions. 

Look how many people benefit when we pay it forward, sharing blessings and kindness with those around us.

As I reflect on this experience, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to connect with the Rebbe's blessings in such a tangible way. May we all continue to be inspired by the Rebbe's love, wisdom, and generosity, and may we strive to share those blessings with others—paying it forward, one step at a time.

Today was one of the most fulfilling days of my life. Today I am on a spiritual high. It's a day where I simply thank Hashem for giving me the opportunity to have founded Belev Echad with my wife Shevy.

Today we saved a soldier's life.

I cannot mention his name, because he serves in an elite unit. For this article, I’ll call him “M.” M is a decorated career soldier, 42 years old with a loving wife and 4 beautiful children. M cannot name the unit or divulge any details about the missions they have undertaken. It is all highly secretive. He has served in the line of duty for 24 years. 

On October 7th, M was severely wounded in an ambush in Kfar Aza. When he exited his vehicle to save a friend who had been shot by the terrorists, he too was shot—in the spine. The bullet exploded inside him, spreading over one hundred pieces of shrapnel through his body.

Certain these were his last moments, he lay on the ground, whispered Shema Yisrael, and lost consciousness.

He regained consciousness about 30 minutes later and realized he was still alive, but his fellow soldiers couldn’t see him. When he lifted his head to signal them, a Hamas sniper shot at him. The bullet grazed his skull. He then lifted his hand to try and signal to his unit, and the sniper shot him in the arm and fingers.

By some miracle, M survived. He was taken to the hospital and spent time in intensive care, his life hanging in the balance for a while. He underwent multiple surgeries over several months, but although the doctors were able to stabilize him, he remained in excruciating pain.

I have never seen one of our soldiers in so much pain, with no reprieve, and my heart ached for him.

Something was severely wrong. He could not even sit for more than a couple of minutes. The doctors in Israel were at a loss, unable to do an MRI because the magnets might move the shrapnel studded in his body which would endanger his life. 

Every moment, M felt like he was being electrocuted. Over and over and over again.

Thank G-d, our Belev Echad team has formed a beautiful relationship with the incredible Dr. Omri Ayalon and his team, who run the center for amputees at NYU. Dr. Ayalon is a true tzaddik and an incredible human being!

So we flew M to New York for a consultation. The team at NYU examined him and spent the next few weeks formulating a plan. M had to fly back to Israel and then again to New York where everything was set up for him. The logistics of flying him back and forth were tremendous, and his level of pain every time he had to step outdoors, or in a car or plane, was excruciating. But throughout it all, M was a source of inspiration.

It would be understandable if a person in constant agony was angry all the time. But everyone who met M saw only a gentle human being—an incredible Jew, humble and unassuming, uncomfortable being on the receiving end.

The first step was the most difficult, according to the doctors—a complicated procedure performed via injection to identify the source of M’s pain. They felt confident that they had found the correct source, thank G-d, and the surgery was then scheduled.

What did they find? A small 2-inch piece of shrapnel was embedded right on a nerve, causing all the pain. And today, they were finally able to remove it, giving M his life back!

Hashem sent us these incredible doctors as his messengers to relieve M’s pain. M is like a different person already!

Thank you to all our incredible volunteers in New York who stepped up to take M to appointments, to host him for his visit and to have him for meals. Thank you to an anonymous family for donating the enormous cost to make this happen. Thank you New York! 

Thank you, Hashem, for giving us the most advanced facilities in this incredible country. Thank you to Dr. Ayalon and the incredible team at NYU who devoted themselves tirelessly to M’s case. We could not have done this without you.

When I saw the piece of shrapnel that came out of M’s back, I realized this is our nation’s true victory over those terrorists who took so much from us.

Thank you Hashem for giving M his life back, and for giving us the opportunity to help.