THE DRASHA, THE GIFT, AND THE MIRACLE

“When Moshiach will come to redeem us, all the Jews of the world will come out to greet him, and every Jew will look for a Torah scroll with which to greet Moshiach. However, since there are clearly more Jews than Torah scrolls, what will those Jews do who don’t have Torah scrolls? Your Forefathers will come to take you, and they will bring you as living Torah scrolls to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu. Thus, if you are aware that you will be used as living Torah scrolls, you obviously know how you should learn Torah, daven, and have true Yiras Shamayim…”

Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry 

The year was 5750. The Chabad Talmud Torah in Kiryat Shmuel was then in its early stages of development. Its students came from a wide range of homes; some came from non-Chabad homes, others from chareidi sectors, and some from families who were only starting their journey along the path of G-d and His Torah. The young and vigorous Talmud Torah principal, Rabbi Yosef Avraham Pizem, would customarily invite rabbanim, Chassidic rebbes, community leaders, etc., thereby giving maximum exposure to the institution before Jewish communities throughout the country. Afterwards, he would publicize details of the visit in the Talmud Torah.

The following story made its rounds due to the visit of the Kretchnifer rebbe, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Rosenboim, well-known as a tzaddik with a great many spiritual accomplishments of his own. He first lived in Kiryat Ata, and after establishing his residence in Yerushalayim, he would periodically come to visit our community. His adherents live in the Krayot area.

The Kretchnifer Rebbe was well-versed in the teachings of Chassidic philosophy. He learned the Tanya one hundred times until he knew every letter. He would customarily prepare for Shacharis after an in-depth study in this seifer. Similarly, he instructed his chassidim to learn Tanya regularly, and he gave over Tanya shiurim for decades.

In the initial period after becoming Kretchnifer Rebbe, he often traveled to Europe, visiting Brunoy, France, where he was acquainted with the mashpia R’ Nissan Nemanov; he was deeply impressed by his unique Avodas Hashem. After the Rebbe MH”M accepted the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch, he consulted with Rabbi Nemanov and established a connection with the Rebbe. He greatly admired the Rebbe, was privileged to go in for private audiences, maintained correspondence with him and, in accordance with his instructions, stringently gave over daily Tanya shiurim. He regularly came to Yeshivas Toras Emes, learned Tanya with the T’mimim, and spoke with them about Avodas Hashem.

During one of his visits to the area, Rabbi Pizem invited him to the Talmud Torah. The visit in all its details has remained emblazoned in Rabbi Pizem’s memory forever; not just because of the Kretchnifer’s warm and heartfelt words about the Rebbe and the coming of Moshiach, but also in the merit of a thrilling miracle that he experienced with his son Menachem Mendel as a direct result of the visit.

THE GIFT TO MELECH HA’MOSHIACH

“I remember those days quite well,” recalled Rabbi Pizem. “It was the middle of winter in 5750. I was asked by the rav of Kiryat Motzkin, Rabbi Dovid Druckman, to serve as master of ceremonies at the dinner in honor of the esteemed guest staying in his home at that time, the Kretchnifer Rebbe. The dinner would take place on a Motzaei Shabbos at the Ani Maamin Synagogue in Kiryat Motzkin; many Anash members also came. After the evening, I asked Rabbi Druckman to speak to the rebbe and request if he would honor us with a visit to the cheider. The request was made and the rebbe happily agreed.

“When we are honored with the visit of rabbanim and Chassidic rebbes to the Talmud Torah, we publicize the event throughout the area and this creates a ripple effect even among non-Chabad families who subsequently registered their children with our institution. Among the rabbanim who paid us a visit during those early days were the chief rabbi of Eretz Yisroel, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu; the av beis din of Haifa, Rabbi Yaakov Nissan Rosenthal; the Baal ‘Mishnas Yaakov’, Rabbi Yaakov HaLevi Lebowitz; the Kaliver rebbe, the Makaver rebbe, and many other guests. On each occasion, when we saw clearly how the event brought greater glory to the Talmud Torah and honor to Lubavitch, we continued extending these invitations as often as possible.

“Since the Kretchnifer Rebbe would be staying at Rabbi Druckman’s home for another few days, we arranged for him to come to the school on Sunday. Before his arrival, we gathered the students together in a special hall. When the rebbe was asked to speak before them, he asked Rabbi Druckman accompanying him in which language he should speak – Yiddish or Lashon HaKodesh? Before Rabbi Druckman had a chance to respond, the rebbe answered the question himself: ‘The Lubavitcher Rebbe also speaks in Yiddish and his words are translated before his disciples. I will do the same: I’ll speak in Yiddish and ask that my words be translated into Hebrew.’ He asked that Rabbi Druckman do the translating. He then began a deep and heartfelt drasha, as summarized here:

“‘There is a well-known custom in Jewish communities throughout the diaspora that when a king comes to visit the city, the Jews come out to greet him carrying Torah scrolls. Of course, when Moshiach comes to redeem us, all the Jews of the world will come out to greet him, and every Jew will look for a Torah scroll that he can hold when he seeks to behold the countenance of the Redeemer. However, since – kein ayin ha’ra – there are clearly more Jews than Torah scrolls, what will those Jews do who don’t have Torah scrolls?’ Here, the rebbe suggested: ‘The Torah scrolls will be the students, tinokos shel beis rabban…’

“The Rebbe continued, ‘Your forefathers will come to take you, holding your peios, and they will bring you as living Torah scrolls to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu. Thus, if you are aware that you will be used as living Torah scrolls, you obviously know how you should learn Torah, daven, and have true Yiras Shamayim.’

“The rebbe spoke with deep emotion, leaving a powerful impression upon all of us. Afterwards, he went out to his car as all the students and staff escorted him while singing ‘Ki V’simcha Seitzei’u.’ The students who were standing right near the car windows told me afterwards that they saw the rebbe sobbing.

“Since Rabbi Druckman had also accompanied the Kretchnifer to his car, I asked him what had happened inside. He confirmed to me that the rebbe had indeed been crying, adding afterwards that people told him that most of the children in our cheider were from baal t’shuva families, and all this is taking place in Kiryat Chaim (In those early years, the school was in Kiryat Chaim – N.A.). ‘But the Lubavitcher Rebbe operates all over the world, and through his strength, there are numerous baalei t’shuva from throughout the globe. So how can it possibly be that Moshiach Tzidkeinu still delays in revealing himself?’ he stressed as his whole body shook and tears streamed down his face.”

AN UNPLEASANT EARLY MORNING SURPRISE

“We would periodically publish a newsletter, B’Cheider, to publicize the school’s many activities. That year, leading up to the Shavuos holiday, we decided to print a special issue that included Yom Tov subjects for those parents insufficiently familiar with all the holiday laws and customs. The person who accepted the responsibility for gathering the information was one of the teachers, a Gerer chassid, R’ Meir Abovitz from Haifa. He collected from various sources of holiday material and we made certain that children would also write their own experiences from the activities we made in the school during those years. Among the articles submitted for inclusion in the newsletter was one from a student who wrote his impressions from the Kretchnifer Rebbe’s visit to the Talmud Torah.

“This newsletter was much longer in comparison to previous issues, and it also had the most modern design available at that time. Due to the expanded edition, I asked Rabbi Yisroel David, one of the administrators at the Zamir advertising office, to print the booklet at their expense, and he agreed. The newsletter was printed for the Shavuos holiday, and on Isru Chag, our entire immediate and extended family went together to Miron to celebrate the upshernish of our second son, Menachem Mendel.

“That night, we returned home and made a Chassidic farbrengen until the late evening hours. The next morning, when we woke Mendy up, we noticed that he had some suspicious signs of swellings on his fingers. They were literally round; we had never seen anything like it. We quickly took him to the nearby health clinic, where the doctor asked us to take him immediately to the children’s ward at Rambam Hospital in Haifa. She sounded rather serious, but I still failed to understand the urgency. What could it possibly be? A mild inflammation? However, the doctor made it quite clear that this was more than just an inflammation.

“When we arrived at the emergency room, the boy underwent an in-depth examination. The diagnosis was that he was suffering from a rare ailment called Kawasaki disease, a general infection of the blood vessels caused for unknown reasons. In Eretz Yisroel, doctors have hardly ever confronted it before.

“This was no simple illness; the boy began to suffer from a high fever and the shape of his fingers changed. The doctors in the ward said that this was only the second case they had ever seen; the first case also involved the child of a teacher from Chadera. They jokingly said that this ailment seems only to infect teachers’ children…

“We were very worried. The boy was immediately hospitalized and received the necessary medications, while we quickly reported to the Rebbe and asked for his bracha. Miraculously, as soon as we sent the fax, all the symptoms of this rare ailment disappeared and the boy’s health was completely restored…

“The attending physician was amazed by the speedy recovery, and he asked us to keep our son under observation for another three days to determine whether the illness was indeed gone for good.

“In the release papers, the doctors wrote that the boy should undergo regular check-ups throughout the year to be certain that his internal organs had not ch”v sustained any permanent damage. According to medical findings, internal organs such as the heart and kidneys are usually weakened after such an illness. The doctors’ report gave us reason for some fear and concern, and that same day upon our return home with our son, I sat down to write a letter to the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, requesting a bracha that no further complications should arise in the future and the state of his health should remain strong. In order to make a proper spiritual vessel to receive the bracha, I also sent to the mazkirus a copy of the most recent newsletter we issued for the cheider.

“Another reason I did this was that I didn’t want to be a chassid just in times of trouble, rather one who also knows how to bring good news about the fine work he has done. A few days later, we were surprised to receive a letter from the Rebbe in our mailbox. In his very moving reply, the Rebbe wrote: ‘The B’Cheider journal was received with much appreciation.’ The Rebbe penned these words himself in his own handwriting. He then gave the traditional blessing for an upshernish, and near his signature he wrote: ‘And always for good news at all times.’

“All the check-ups throughout the year showed that everything was fine, and to our great happiness, there were no after-effects from the illness. I was quite overwhelmed by the style and content of the Rebbe’s answer. I felt that they conveyed a unique kind of affection. At first, I didn’t understand why the newsletter had received such special attention, far more than any other booklets or subject matter I had been careful to send over the years. However, as I leafed through the booklet, I noticed an article written by one of the children in the cheider, Chananel Yehoshua Pizem, describing the visit of the Kretchnifer Rebbe to the cheider in great detail and his warm words on the subject of Moshiach.”

* * *

Rabbi Pizem was deeply moved as he told his story, which has clearly remained fixed in his memory. “I am certain that the Kretchnifer Rebbe’s words at our school gave the Rebbe a tremendous amount of nachas.

“Another interesting point: From that day forward, whenever my son Menachem Mendel doesn’t feel well, I tell him that he has nothing to worry about, as he has a clear promise from the Rebbe: ‘And always for good news at all times.’”