The lights went out on Sunday October 28 at 2:40 p.m. and didn’t come back on until Monday November 5 at 6:10 p.m.

As the temperature dipped below freezing and without heat or electricity our home became a cold and dark house. The nights were especially cold and dark and preparing the children for bed in a cold and dark house became more daunting a task as the days dragged on.

Although the majority ofPassaicwas without power there were pockets of the neighborhood unaffected by the storm and many “haves” invited the “have-nots” to sleep and eat in their lit and heated homes.

As the rav I was hesitant to accept an invitation as I wanted priority given to families with small children.

As the days stretched on and Shabbos was approaching my wife insisted that our family should have a normal and warm Shabbos. We accepted an invitation to stay with one of our friends who still had power and heat.

We had a wonderful Shabbos there. Although all our meals were eaten in the shul and I was minimally in our host’s house nevertheless my wife and children spent quality Shabbos time with our hosts and they enjoyed each other’s company.

On Monday evening November 5 the power went back on in our home. The next day the country reelected President Obama for a second term and life went on as usual.

Soon the downed trees were removed from the streets power lines were repaired life slowly returned to normal andSandybecame a memory.

Fast forward almost six months to April.

I receive a call from the shadchan (matchmaker) inquiring if my son Shaya was interested in meeting a young bas Yisrael. I answered in the affirmative and one date led to the next and the next and finally on Thursday evening Elul 9 5773 — August 15 2013 Yeshaya and Yitti became husband and wife in Spring Valley New York. (Simchahs by you all!)

One day as the shidduch was moving forward I asked the shadchan what made her think of my son Shaya for the shidduch as I was unaware she even knew him.

She said “You know I didn’t know Shaya well and I wouldn’t have initially thought of him for this shidduch. However remember the Shabbos you spent with us during Hurricane Sandy? Well that Shabbos after spending a few minutes schmoozing with him both my husband and I realized he’s a wonderfully nice boy and that we never really knew him before this Shabbos. A few months later when I met Yitti I thought to myself ‘I’ll bet Shaya Eisenman would be good for Yitti.’$$separate quotes$$” That’s how the shidduch was made; thanks to Hurricane Sandy.

That Shabbos as we stayed in our host’s home Shaya thought he was just being friendly while Hashem was planting matchmaking seeds in the mind of the shadchan.

We never know how our words and actions will impact our future.

We never know what impression we’re making and on whom and for what purpose.

Spiritually I might have thought that Sandywas brought to our doorstep perhaps as a punishment for this thing or that thing when in truth it was a chesed from a Hashem to make a match for my son.

Isn’t this exactly what the Gemara means when it says: “For Hashem making a shidduch is as difficult as splitting the sea” (Sanhedrin 22a)?

The sea had to be split and washed ashore to bring one Jewish couple together.