While many essential services were halted during the record-breaking snowstorm that hit Israel, the voice of limud Torah and tefilos at Kever Rochel were uninterrupted as a result of the mesirus nefesh of the officials of the Rochel Imeinu Heritage Foundation and Rosh Kollel Rav Moshe Menachem Kluger Shlita.

The rabbonim and avreichim of the kollel was unwilling to cancel their daily schedules because of snow and they found ways to get in after Shabbos despite the additional significant snow accumulations on Shabbos. IDF arrived with armored personnel carriers and equipment to clear paths for them later on. The rabbonim explained to IDF commander that they must reach the tziyun “because one does not abandon one’s mother during a storm”. The response from border police was a positive one.

So despite the darkness, cold, snow, and lack of electricity the rabbonim were there and Tikun Chatzos was recited on scheduled Baruch Hashem. They all bundled up and made do with the candlelight available to them.

HaMevaser adds that during the night of motzei Shabbos a border police commander entered and was nothing less than stunned to see avreichim learning by candle light, oblivious to the storm outside. He told them that he is accustomed to going above and beyond in military missions but he never before encountered such mesirus nefesh by people who are unwilling to compromise on their limud Torah, exhibiting “above human abilities” to accomplish this task.

Rav Kluger delivered words of hisorarus following shachris, turning to all the rabbonim and avreichim with instructions not to stop the limud Torah for a moment, especially now as we enter the Shovavim, a time Rav Kluger explained is an “eis ratzon for yeshuos”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)