Story for Elul

Story of Rabbi Baruch Rabinovitch of Munkacs, father of the present Munkacser Rebbe, about his late father-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Elazer Spira(the “Minchat Elazar”)(taken from R’Tal Moshe Zweker,story written by Hirshel Tzig)

Rabbi Baruch and his wife lived in Warsaw. Later on, when the Minchat elazer became ill, he begged them to come back to Munkacs and they obliged.

Rabbi Baruch had a son named Tzvi Nosson Dovid. Baruch often said that his father-in-law, the Minchat Elazer, loved his dear grandchild in an “exaggerated way.” Pne of the reasons was that they waited a long time to have their first child. He would play and spoil his grandchild and Tzvi would sit on his lap on Shabbosim.

The last year of his life, the Minchat Elazer took the shofer on the first day of Elul and tested it to see if it was in good condition. Tzvi was a witness to this and fell in love with the shofar and its sounds.

He asked his zeide for one more blast, and he agreed. The same scenario occured for the rest of the month. The day before Rosh Hashana Tzvi was where waiting for the daily bast, but he was disappointed. “Today is the day before Rosh Hashana,” his grandfather explained.”Today we don’t blow the shofar. Tomorrow morning in shul we will.” Little Tzvi didn’t understand. He kicked and screamed, “just one blast! Just one blast!”

After a while, the Minchat Elazar softened at the sound of his grandchild crying and blew one blast. One Rosh Hashana, the custom was that the Rebbe would speak before blowing thw shofar.That year,the Rebbe went up to the aron kodesh, opened it and said, “Ribbono She’ll Olam! I have to repent. Its written that on the day before Rosh Hashana we shouldn’t blow the Shofar, yet I did.” He sobbed uncontrollably and called out,”Ribbono Shel Olam! Do you know why I did this? My young grandchild lay on the floor begging and crying for me to blow only one blast of the shofar for him. My heart melted,and I couldn’t bear to watch him cry like that! So I blew once for him even though I shouldn’t have. Tatte, how can you stand by and see how millions of Your children are down on the floow and crying out to You! Tatte, just one blast! Sound the blast of the great shofar that will welcome in the final Redemption! Even if its not the right time yet, even if time for Moshiach has ye to arrive, Your children cry out to You!”

Rabbi Baruch cried as he retold the story and recalled how the entire crowd cried along with the Rebbe. The sound of the shofar was delayed for a long time. “They couldn’t regain their composure…loud wailing was heard throughout the synagogue…” Let’s get in the Rosh Hashana mode!