THE HIDDEN LIGHT – told to us from Rabbi Waxman – Monsey N.Y.

                              

Reb
Shaya came to our door one evening and asked if he could tell us a story. He
knew that we “collect” incidents that reveal the amazing intricacies of
Hashem’s hashgachah pratis and we are especially inspired by examples of
outstanding emunah and bitachon.

 

When we
heard Reb Shaya’s account of what he lived through and witnessed during the
Holocaust, we wanted to ensure that this amazing tale of mesirus nefesh does
not suffer the fate of many other stirring stories of incredible heroism in the
service of Hashem that no doubt took place in the raging inferno of Europe in
World War II but are lost to us.

 

We hope
that this story of how one Jew’s extraordinary courage and sacrifice reveal the
wondrous workings of the Creator’s awesome master plan will serve to illuminate
the path for succeeding generations.

 

At the
tender age of fifteen, Reb Shaya was deported to Auschwitz
and from there to a work camp in Eastern Germany.
He considered himself relatively fortunate because, unlike many others, he
found himself in a camp where the guards did not beat the prisoners senseless
or awaken them cruelly in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, they were fed
little and suffered constant hunger, while enduring long hours of back-breaking
labor in bitter cold with a minimum of clothing.

 

Among
the many unfortunate souls in that camp, there was a very righteous Jew by the
name of Chaim. He was an older man, yet he volunteered to work with a
group of five strong, young men who were assigned to tote heavy metal rails to
build a railroad loading station. Young Shaya also noticed that Chaim never ate
his soup, which was the only hot dish given to the prisoners during the
freezing evenings.

 

Shaya’s curiosity
prompted him to ask Chaim for an explanation. Chaim, who had been the Rav of a (shtetl)
small community before the war, explained that to save a life, a Jew is
permitted to work on Shabbos, and any of the assigned jobs were permitted
because their lives were in danger if they refused to do them. However, carrying
the heavy rails on Shabbos would only infringe a prohibition of the Rabbanim
rather than the stricter prohibition of the Torah. Performing other tasks like
cutting or digging on Shabbos, which were less back-breaking, but they would
involve the severer prohibition of de’Oraisa from the Torah.

 

As for
the soup, Rav Chaim explained, he gave his daily portion of soup to bribe the camp
“barber” to shave him with a hand-operated shaver rather than a straight-edged razor.
Indeed Rav Chaim tried to avoid being shaved whenever possible. To avoid calling
attention to his unshaven face during the daily roll call, he tried to stand in
the middle of the four hundred plus prisoners. 

 

On one
occasion this strategy failed and the commandant noticed him for the first
time. He called Rav Chaim forward and asked him where he worked.  The commandant, seeing that he was an older
man, questioned the overseer why this man was assigned to the hardest work
detail. The overseer informed the commandant that Rav Chaim not only volunteered
but that he never took a day off, and was also one of the very best workers. The
commandant insisted that he be transferred to a less demanding assignment.

Rav
Chaim admitted to Reb Shaya that he took no time off because he didn’t want the
other five men on his team to bear the extra burden his time off would have
entailed.

Moreover,
Rav Chaim whispered a nightly Torah lesson in the bunk that he and Shaya shared
with six other men.  Those softly spoken
words of Torah that Rav Chaim had so lovingly committed to memory in a
different time and place provided solace and inspiration through the long dark
nights in the camp.  

 

Rav
Chaim also carefully and clandestinely and at great risk kept track of the
Jewish calendar by marking the days on pieces of paper that came in the bags of
cement and were smuggled into the bunkhouse. He informed all the Jewish inmates
of the arrival of Rosh Chodesh and the Yomim Tovim. The behavior of this
tzaddik not only heartened and strengthened Reb Shaya, but remained with
him as a lifelong example.

 

They
were separated when most of the prisoners, Rav Chaim included, were taken on a
forced march of hundreds of miles to flee the oncoming Russians before
liberation. Reb Shaya, too ill to move, remained behind and miraculously survived.
Now, more than sixty years later he told us the epilogue to this story.

 

Reb
Shaya settled in Brooklyn after the war. One
Shabbos more than thirty years later, a visiting guest sat down next to him in
shul. After davening, he introduced himself to the visitor, who did not
appear to be very religiously observant, and asked his name and from where he
came. The man said that he had lived most of his life in Eretz Israel but was
born in a shtetl in Europe. Reb Shaya gasped
as he recalled that this was the town where Rav Chaim had been the Rav. Reb
Shaya began to recount Rav Chaim’s unforgettable acts of tzidkus and mesirus
nefesh
in the camp during the war.

The
visitor listened intently to each word and began to cry. When he regained his
composure, he revealed that Rav Chaim was his father and that this was the
first news he’d had of him since they were separated during the war. The two
men embraced warmly and emotionally.

As a
young man with no surviving relatives after the war, Rav Chaim’s son had been
sent to an irreligious kibbutz in Eretz Yisrael by an organization that rescued
orphaned survivors. A number of years later he married a girl from the kibbutz
and they had one son.  Twenty plus years
later, that son served as a tank commander during the Six Day War. In the first
few days of the war, under intense shelling, the young commander lost a number
of tanks and men under his command. During a quiet moment in the night,
exhaustion overcame him and he slept. While he slept, he dreamed that he saw a pious-looking
man who said that he was his grandfather and assured his grandson that he would
survive the war if he began keeping Shabbos and the other mitzvos.

Awakened
by loud shelling and still under the spell of his dream, he decided to commit
himself to learn what it meant to be an observant Jew. By the end of the next
day’s intense battle this young man’s tank was the only one of his entire
command that was not destroyed.

True to
his promise, after the war the young commander left the irreligious kibbutz
where he had been raised and went to Yerushalayim to begin learning how to keep
the Torah.

When he
started living a life of Torah and observing the commandments, he asked his
father and mother if they would also begin by keeeping the laws of Shabbos and
kashrus. His parents were in a quandary. His mother had learned absolutely
nothing about Judaism in her atheistic kibbutz and his father has stopped
observing anything long before. They consulted some rabbis in Israel and
listened to what they had to say. They happened to have a trip scheduled to the
States at that time, and they decided to seek the guidance of one of the renowned
(Admor) Grand Rabbi while in America. Their appointment with the Rebbe
was scheduled for the next day of this “chance” meeting with Reb. Shaya.

Rav
Chaim’s son, then with tears in his eyes, added that now he knew why he had to
come to New York and why he had come to pray in this shul and had sat down next
to Reb Shaya. This was clearly the Hand of G-d, pointing him along the way to a
renewed commitment to his Jewish heritage.

After
this astonishing experiencing, Rav Chaim’s son and daughter-in-law left the
secular kibbutz and move to a religious community, where they were able to lead
a Torah-observant life along with their son. Perhaps Rav Chaim’s extraordinary devotion
to the sanctity of Shabbos and keeping the mitzvoth was the spark that remained
hidden for many years and later ignited the souls of his grandson and then his
son.

How
wondrous are the ways of Hashem!

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

REFRAMING YOUR LIFE

                                   

                                        GIVE UP … AND GET
MOVING

 

            When
G-d (Hashem) wants us to change, first He gives us an opportunity to do so on
our own by providing specially directed means and methods and special days
throughout the year in which we  can examine
our deeds, choose to make amends and alter our modes of behavior. Sometimes,
when we have not quite managed to make the necessary changes by ourselves, He
gives us a nudge . . . It is how we react to that “incentive” that determines
success or r’l failure. When we see the “nudge” as a positive force directed
towards us for our good and our growth then we are “reframing.” 

For most of us,
reframing actually begins after we have given up.  Until that point, we see the problem as being
outside of ourselves and are busy trying to fix it.  It is only when we realize that we cannot fix
it, that we are able to look inside ourselves and find a  deeper and far more lasting source of healing (refuah).  If we “reframe”  an experience that had plunged us into anxiety
or despair, we become the beneficiaries of 
a most powerful source of  enlightenment,
a source capable of guiding us up the ladder to the next step in spiritually  (ruchnius), lighting the way for us in our spiritual
journey.

                                          BECAUSE WE ARE
NOT IN CONTROL…

 

The first step in the
reframing process is fundamental.  It requires
our staunch and unyielding determination to accept the fact that we are not in
control of what happens to us. The only aspect of our lives over which we are
given control is the freedom to try to make the right choices, however final
outcomes are out of our control. Why is this outlook a fundamental first
step?  Because as long as we believe that
we have control over a given situation, we will struggle with trying to fix the
circumstances instead of working to accept them. Learning to reframe our negative
thoughts and replace them with a positive view comes about by realizing that it
is our attitude that we have the ability to modify and not necessarily the situation.
Unfortunately, as long as we are stuck in a mindset that tells us that we have
to change the circumstances, we will have no incentive to change ourselves. Of
course, we must be mindful of the fact that there are situations that do
require our effort, and claims of trust (bitachon) and faith (emuna) do not
give a license to sit back and wait for change to happen on its own; however,
here we are considering only those things that we can not alter.

                                                   READING THE MESSAGE

The second step calls
for us to treat the experience as a message or the person who has just insulted
us as a messenger. For example, the depth of sorrow we feel when we learn that
someone near to us has a serious problem, illness or passing can be seen as a
reflective moment to help us put things into perspective and be mindful of what
values in life are truly important. Through this we can re-strengthen our interpersonal
relationship with others as well as our personal obligations with Hashem.

            Life’s trials are as individualistic and
unique as we are, however to a certain extent each of us can attempt to
decipher the inner meaning within difficult experiences by asking ourselves –
in a form of a prayer, not a complaint: What can I learn and how can I grow
from this test? 

            As long as we understand that the
events in our lives are perfectly designed, sent to us from Hashem and given to
us for our good, we can begin to use these challenges to help change our lives.
Once the taxing situation becomes reframed it becomes a positive tool for
growth.

                                                       

                                                    
 THE NEW VIEW

 
          Reframing trains us to
see the will of the Creator in all of the events in our lives, and thus enables
us to appeal directly to Hashem as the Source of Everything. It is like the man
who is speeding through red lights. When he is stopped, he explains to the
officer that he is bringing his wife, who is in labor, to the hospital.  He is likely to get a police escort instead
of a ticket.  However, those who see events
as “acts of nature” have no where to turn. 
They are like the man caught driving through a red light by a traffic
surveillance camera that cannot respond to explanations.

            The
Creator runs the physical world in the same way He runs the spiritual realm – in
order to allow us to understand His ways without having to become mystics or
seers.  If a person chooses to believe
that events such as disease, famine, flood and accidents are dictated by the
laws of nature and are as immutable as the traffic surveillance camera in our
earlier example, then for that person any effort at prayer and supplication to
G-d will appear to be unavailing and the person will not seek and thus will not
find any means for avoiding the consequence.  Indeed, that person is perhaps worse off than
the man who ran the red light.  The
driver at least knows that he was ticketed because he was caught on a
camera. 

The person who
does not see G-d’s omnipotence in nature, will not see the connection between
his actions and the events that flow from those actions and will not know where
to turn to try and exonerate himself.  
When a person offers no defense at all in the Heavenly Court, the evidence is
considered without his testimony and a harsher judgment is pronounced that
might have been ameliorated with a sincere statement from the defendant.

        On the other hand, when we recognize
that it is G-d who is directing nature and all events that occur are for the
purpose of guiding us toward a more complete recognition of His presence in
this world, then we will be able to act as our own advocates, turning directly
to the benevolent Creator in times of need. 
When this happens, we arouse the attribute of mercy from on High and elicit
consideration by the Heavenly Court of the extenuating circumstances that motivated
our choices.

                                        IS THIS
DIALOGUE NECESSARY?

 

 We could well ask, “Why is this dialogue
necessary?”  Doesn’t the Infinite Creator
consider our unspoken justification when entering judgment?  G-d does not deny our unspoken rationale but
it is we who create a barrier between ourselves and G-d by refusing to
acknowledge the fact that He transcends the laws of “nature.”   It is we who refuse to recognize that He can,
under appropriate circumstances, vindicate us.

           The one condition for Heavenly
reprieve is to admit our errors, and resolve to do better in the future.  When we turn sincerely to the Creator,
acknowledge His omnipotence and ask for His help and guidance when we have
drifted beyond the permissible boundaries, we will be directed toward a G-dly way
of life which will get us where we need to go, when we need to get there
without adverse results.

      This is not to suggest that the Creator,
in all circumstances, will accept our plea-bargains, but, at the very least,
our outlooks will broaden, and we will be able to take a more holistic approach
toward understanding and accepting our particular circumstances. The deeper our
understanding of the fact that G-d tailors every circumstance in our lives in
order  to teach, guide and help us to
grow spiritually, the more we  will be
filled with  sincere gratitude for our
allotted portions.  As we progress
through our lives in this manner, following the Torah , Hashem will provide us
with the opportunity to enjoy  a new,
elevated state of awareness. 

              This intimate relationship with
Hashem is available to all, regardless of age, intelligence or skills. The main
criteria are belief in G-d, willingness to follow His will and a sincere
humility. With these foundational principles in place, the Creator will bestow
upon us blessings of health, joy and peace. May we merit to re-enter the Palace
of the King soon in our days.

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

THE RIGHT WORDS – TRUE STORY

                                                        
           Our teachers (Rabbanim) teach us that the duration of our lives can be counted in words not just years. When we have used our quota of words, we leave this world.  Of course, words of Torah and words used in the performance of mitzvos are not included in this count. It could well be that for those who have dedicated their lives to some productive endeavor, it is the completion of their portion of that work that marks the end point, but only when it is the right time.
Joseph’s grandmother, then in her nineties counted her years in terms of stitches of embroidery — so many beautiful tableaus, tablecloths, bed linens and pillows so lovingly and artfully hand-stitched and given to her children, grandchildren and friends. Now she was so ill that she didn’t even have the strength to thread a needle or weave it through the delicate material.
Her grandson Joseph, who heard that his beloved grandmother had taken a turn for the worse, found an unexpected opportunity to visit her when a well-known Rabbi offered him the position of being his assistant (gabbai) during a short trip he was planning to the West Coast.  Joseph accepted the offer eagerly, but on condition that he could have a few hours off to visit his grandmother in Los Angeles.
So, on a bright, sunny California afternoon Joseph set off to see his grandmother.  She still lived in her own home but was attended by a full-time nurse.  For Joseph, who had been raised in California in a Reform environment, this was his first return trip since he had started a new life as an Orthodox Jew twenty-five years before. His grandmother was naturally delighted to see him, and he was very grateful to be able to visit with her as she had been a very special influence in his life. She had, with great effort, made a special trip to the East Coast to visit Joseph and his family and see her only great-grandchildren just two years earlier.
Joseph sat with her for a long time and in quiet conversation touched the cords of the special bond they shared. Toward the end of the visit and with no prelude, Joseph’s grandmother startled him by asking bluntly, “Why am I still alive?” Taken aback, Joseph wondered what prompted this question.   His grandmother, seeing the puzzled look on his face, explained that she had lived until recently a very self-sufficient life and had taken particular pleasure in her needlecraft, but now all she could do was lie in bed, feeling weak and useless.
            Joseph hesitated for several moments, silently asking Hashem to put the right words in his mouth.
 “Every moment in a person’s life, even when a person finds himself in circumstances like yours, there is an opportunity to do a good deed, like for example, sharing an encouraging word with another, being an empathetic listener or even just silently offering praise to the Creator for all He has done and continues to do.”
“Our body, you see, is like a garment that the soul “sheds” when it is no longer needed, but our holy soul, which is really who we are, is never extinguished.”   His grandmother, who had been brought up as a Reform Jewess seemed now to begin to understand this rather lofty concept and thanked him profusely for his words of comfort and consolation. Parting company from each other was not easy, and they both knew that this would probably be the last time they would ever see each other.
A few months later, on a leil Shabbos evening, a sweet baby girl was born to Joseph and his wife. Very late on motza’ei Shabbos, when Shabbos was over in California, Joseph called his parents to tell them the wonderful news, and then his grandmother. A nurse answered the telephone and said that his grandmother was sleeping and had been only semi-conscious most of the week. He was about to hang up without leaving a message, but the nurse recognized his voice and reminded him that they had met when he was in Los Angeles. Something prompted Joseph to tell her that he was now the proud father of a newborn daughter.
Early the next morning, Joseph’s mother called to tell him that his grandmother had passed away during the night. He was of course greatly saddened by her passing, but on top of that he was disappointed that he had been unable to give her one last pleasure — the good news of the birth of another great-grandchild, and he told his mother so.
“Oh, but that’s not so,” his mother said. “Your grandmother awakened one more time during the night, and even though the nurse believed she wasn’t fully conscious, she told her your good news. To her astonishment, for the first time in a week your grandmother fully opened her eyes wide and smiled. The nurse told me that her eyes were shining and radiated an inner joy for a few seconds; then she feel asleep and later that night passed away”  Joseph’s grandmother had tarried just long enough to hear the good news and no doubt offer a silent prayer of thanks..
 
To round out this amazing sequence of events, Joseph’s Shabbos gift was his seventh child; his grandmother was also born on Shabbos was one of seven children. The following Monday morning during the reading of the Torah (keriyas HaTorah), the new born baby was named after Joseph’s grandmother. If it was necessary for her soul to return to this world, there was already a new “home” in which to dwell, with fresh opportunities to continue to do good deeds and praise of the Creator for all that was, is and will be.

 

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia