The Impact of As Long As I Live #2

A steady stream of cars pulled up one after the other at the entrance to the yeshivah building. And in each car, a bachur's father or mother-or both-waited until a smiling bachur approached and received a nicely wrapped package.

Meir's eyes were drawn to the open gate like a magnet. Another package from home. Another sumptuous cheesecake ...

Suddenly he saw it. A silver Mitsubishi Lancer. Abba's car.

He flew breathlessly down the stairs and raced toward the car-but then he saw that a different bachur had preceded him. A bachur he didn't even know by name. The bachur leaned through the open window and smiled at the driver, a man with a long black beard who looked nothing like Abba. A minute later, he sauntered inside holding a beautifully decorated cheese log.

Meir turned on his heel and trudged back to his room, still trying to catch his breath. How had he been taken by such a foolish fantasy? For six months already, Abba's been in a place where he can’t drive or buy cheesecake. It's been six months since Meir had become an orphan.

The beis midrash, he knew, was now packed with bachurim with glowing faces. They'd all received dairy delicacies in honor of Shavuos. They all had someone at home who'd thought of them-who had either baked or purchased a cheesecake especially for them, and then taken the trouble to deliver it to yeshivah. Someone cared about them. And him?

He was an orphan.

The fifteen protagonists in this book are fifteen incredible people who internalized that no matter the situation HaKadosh Baruch Hu places us in, we are obligated to bow our heads and accept it: This is the situation. The Borei Olam has placed me here. These are the waves of my personal sea.

Then we can pick up our heads and look around for what it is we can do.

Proactive thinking, taking personal responsibility, the awareness that one always has free will-help one make decisions with his mind rather than his emotions. They remind him that every lemon can be made into lemonade, all change can be a springboard for growth and renewal. Most of all, they help one remain levelheaded enough to do whatever he can within the parameters of his current circumstances.

In this book, you will find your story, the one that speaks to you, the one that touches you, the one that will help you make the right choices in life.

The bestselling The Impact of As Long as I Live garnered passionate praise and enthusiastic responses from all over the world, indicating that it is not just another book. It is a life story that held a mirror into the life of every Jew, guiding and inspiring him to utilize his kochos and abilities.

“This book is life-changing. After reading this book, and then reading it again-my life changed completely. "

Moshe Ezrachi, Ashdod

“No sefer on chassidus or mussar se­fer inspired me the way this book did.”

Yisrael Hershkowitz, Bnei Brak

The engrossing plots are true stories brimming with life lessons. They are presented in rich, vivid language, like medicine concealed in a sweet coating­to entice the patient to ingest it and be healed.

Shula Yakovson, Yerushalayim

“An incredible reading experience. Truly pleasurable; the content is both enlightening and inspiring.”

T. Weiss, Modiin Illit

“What I learned from this book is that no matter the situation, there is always something beneficial a person can do. This book is a course in life-skills. The range of creative solutions found to help deal with various life challenges is astounding.”

Shmuel Eisenbach, Yerushalayim

Rav Aharon Margalit is back with another volume in his "The Impact of As Long as I Live" series, detailing the life's work of heroes who faced difficult challenges and had the wisdom to choose life.