By Rav Aryeh Z. Ginzberg
Chofetz Chaim Torah Center

My favorite yom tov story is the one about Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, z’l, on the night of Yom Kippur.

The story goes as follows: It was the holy night of Yom Kippur and all the Jews in the town of Berditchev gathered together at the “old shul” to join in the wonderful experience of hearing their beloved Rebbe lead the davening. Each year the Rebbe’s heart-rendering rendition of the ancient niggun of Kol Nidrei is not to be missed. Each year the Rebbe steps up to the amud to begin the Yom Kippur tefillah at the earliest moment possible.

That year instead of going to take his place at the amud, he stood by his seat, head bowed, eyes shut tight, and deep in thought. It began to get dark and still Reb Levi Yitzchak didn’t move. As people moved close to him, they couldn’t help but notice a disturbed and troubled look on his face and everyone began to worry; what terrible fate awaited Klal Yisrael this year that has the Rebbe so troubled.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Reb Levi Yitzchak opened up his eyes and let out a huge smile, and with a spirit of joy he said “now we can begin to daven.” With that he strode to the amud and began the age old niggun of Kol Nidrei. The Chassidim could not understand this strange behavior of their beloved Rebbe but had to wait until after yom tov for an explanation. He finally explained to them what caused his odd behavior. “In Shamayim, I saw a great kitrug (indictment) against Klal Yisrael and I tried everything in my power to stop it, but I was unable to.” “Whatever I tried was not working, until a simple woman quietly said a little tefillah and it was removed and then we could daven.”

He continued, I’ll tell you the special tefillah that she said that created so much turmoil in Shamayim; she said “Hakadosh Baruch Hu only you, Hashem, know that for ten years I did not have children and came every year to Kol Nidrei to daven for a child. Finally last year I had a son and therefore this year I am unable to join together with you in shul. However, as I sit and hold my dear son in my arms, I want to say to you that just as my heart is filled with so much pride and nachas from my young child, I wish for you that your heart be so filled as well, with such pride for your children.”

This Rav Levi Yitzchak said to his followers was that special tefillah from this woman which broke the kitrug in Shamayim and allowed our tefillos to rise up to Hashem.

I often think about this story before the yamim noraim. Today’s world is filled with tzaros and with difficulties and painful situations that we face on so many fronts and to so many in our community. We as a community are so hard pressed to carry the burden of shidduchim, parnasah, kids at risk, etc. all on our shoulders. It seems from the Rebbe of Berditchev, that the only way to remove the kitrug from us is to make Hashem indeed proud of his children.

While we have so much to be proud of, we have much to be concerned about as well. Despite today’s economic hardships, parents still struggle and send their children to yeshivos. Yet, over 40 percent of public school children in our community come from Yiddishe homes (from a recent survey of local schools). And unfortunately several yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs were forced to close this year due to lack of funds.

Shuls are expanding and our communities are growing; but so are divisions in our midst. From the extreme right, we recently witnessed a video being sent, via internet, throughout the Jewish world of young Chassidic boys celebrating at a wedding of a friend in Yerushalayim fervently dancing to the music wrapped in a Palestinian flag; and to the left when previously aligned Orthodox shuls have allowed woman to lead the services in a variety of roles breaking with our treasured mesorah. And while our nights are Baruch Hashem filled with attending multi chasunahs in one night; during the day our battei dinim cannot keep up with the demand for gittin, many from young families with small children.

And so while this writer cannot possibly claim to know what’s doing in Shamayim at any point, unlike the Rebbe from Berditchev; I would like to share three brief personal stories that happened in the last few weeks in our wonderful community, that without doubt, will fill Hakadosh Baruch Hu with great pride for his children; and will bless all of them with a year of berachos and refuos.

Story number one is about two wonderful and special people who happen to be next door neighbors. Around five years ago after witnessing two terrible disputes in the Five Towns community, one between ex-partners in a business dispute, and the other between two brothers over an inheritance, and observing the terrible damage inflicted on both sides with law suits and mesirah to the IRS, we began a service to the community by offering the opportunity to come to a beis din of peshara (compromise) led by community rabbanim to resolve quickly and painlessly family and neighborly disputes. Baruch Hashem, we have successfully resolved more than 20 such cases and only failed to do so once.

A few weeks ago, two neighbors called me to resolve their most unusual dispute. A dispute that without doubt gave much nachas ruach and pride to the Borei Olam.

The issue began a few weeks earlier when a heavy rainstorm knocked down an old tree in Reuvein’s backyard. The next day he hired a company to come and cut the large and heavy branches and to remove them. After the company completed their work and was paid and left, Reuvein noticed that inadvertently the workers broke the large bay window in Shimon’s house next door. When Shimon returned home later that evening, Reuvain went over to apologize and said that he will pay for the repair. Shimon said, definitely not; it was not your fault and I will take care of it. Reuvain insisted on paying and Shimon continued to refuse to accept. The next day Reuvain called me to take Shimon to a din Torah for not letting him pay for the damage.

As these two wonderful and special Yidden sat in front of me, each holding onto their opinion, I kept on thinking to myself, how true are the words of the pasuk that is inscribed on the parchment in Hashem’s tefillin. “Mi k’amcha Yisrael, goy echad ba’aretz”—Who is like you Klal Yisrael, A Singular Nation in the Land.”

I suggested that they wait until the next day for a decision. Later that night, I received a call from a wonderful young woman from Woodmere with the following request. There is an elderly woman, who lives all alone across the street and whose house has about 10 steps leading to the front door. This young special woman watches her elderly neighbor struggle climbing those stairs each and every day and she feels terrible for her. She asked me if there is an organization in the community that could maybe help pay to install a ramp alongside the stairs to make it easier for her to come and go. She even offered to help pay for part of the cost involved in building the ramp.

The next morning, I called both Reuvain and Shimon and suggested that while the halacha does not require Reuvain to pay nor Shimon to accept, maybe Shimon would pay for his own window repair and Reuvain could take the money that he insisted on giving Shimon and instead chip in to help defray the cost to help this elderly almanah, who lives alone, build a ramp for her front stairs.

They loved the idea. They called this young woman who had called me with her request and within three weeks, this elderly almanah had a beautiful new ramp alongside her steps and it was paid for by this young woman neighbor, Reuvain and also Shimon who chipped in as well.

I can only suggest that as this elderly almanah walks down her newly built ramp on the way to shul for Kol Nidrei, the celestial angels will be dancing in front of the Kisai Hakovod singing Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s favorite song, “Mi kiamcha Yisrael, goy echad ba’aretz.”

The second story is of a young wife and mother of three beautiful children, who works hard at her job teaching in a local preschool and juggling her many different responsibilities. She is a much loved morah, and the head of the school sent her a letter this summer saying how valued she is at the school and informing her that despite the difficult financial times we live in, she will be receiving an increase in salary this coming year.

She called the head of the school and asked for a meeting before school begins. The head of the school readily agreed, but was a little annoyed, assuming that she was going to request an additional increase in salary; something that he is just unable to do. The next day, she came for the meeting and said the following. “I truly appreciate the raise and believe me that I can make good use of it, but I have a personal request. Last year, I, Baruch Hashem, was able to get by on last year’s salary and I’m sure I can do it again this year; however, there is another teacher who is an almanah with a very large family and I know how hard things are for her. Please don’t give me a raise this year and instead give my increase to this other teacher without telling her where it’s coming from.

What a special and wonderful person, whose thoughts for another’s needs takes precedence even over her own. Again, I can only guess that when this special neshamah will say the words of “Avinu Malkeinu, kosveinu besefer parnasah v’ chalkalah,” her tefillos will soar to the heavens and present itself directly to the Almighty himself; who without doubt is shepping much pride and nachas from his wonderful daughter from the Five Towns kehillah.

The third and final story comes from two individuals from the shul that I belong to, that has me kvelling with pride. Several years ago, we started a Shabbos chaburah on the long summer Shabbos days when I am away for my summer vacation; that is led by our own rosh chaburah, Reb Yoni Schwartz. We began with Masechta Rosh Hashanah, and the chaburah would learn together the daf and then Reb Yoni would share some wonderful insights on the daf.

While we did a significant part of the Masechta, we were unable to complete it. However there was one pair of chavrusos who were determined to finish the whole Masechta and continued learning by themselves on Shabbos afternoons until they completed the whole Masechta. This past Shabbos, the last Shabbos of the year, they celebrated along with the rest of us, a siyum and Kiddush in honor of the simchah.

Now you are probably wondering, what is so special about this event? After all, Baruch Hashem, we have much learning in our community, and no doubt many siyumim were made this past year. What is so special about this one?

The answer is, that one of the mesaymim is the elder statesman of our shul, the much loved and respected Dr. Jacob Mosak, who recently celebrated his 97th birthday (ad meah v’esrim shanah). His (slightly younger) chavrusa saw a few years ago the wisdom and opportunity of learning together with a man of great wisdom and a talmid chacham of renown and began learning together with Dr. Mosak every Shabbos. With the persistence and energy of youth, these two chavrusos, Dr. Jacob Mosak and Shlomo Sokel, kept at it until they, Baruch Hashem, completed the learning of the Masechta Rosh Hashanah, in time to great Rosh Hashanah itself.

While most of us always become sidetracked, and are unable to see through our learning commitments that we make to ourselves each year during the Yimai Hadin; here a young father and busy attorney with his 97-year-old chavursa persevered and continued to see their commitment through until they reached their goal. How proud we are of them, and how proud Hakadosh Baruch Hu is as well. Making a siyum is a tremendous “eis ratzon” (time of good will) and that is befitting these days as we enter yimai hadin. We wish them continued hatzlachah and may they continue to make siyumim together until 120 years.

If only we were zocheh to have Rebbe Levi Yitzchok, the Berditchever Rebbe, here with us for the yimai hadin. He would surely know how to take these stories of pride of Hashem’s children straight to the heavenly throne and insure for us a wonderful year full of berachos, yeshuos, and refuos for all of Klal Yisrael. However, though we do not have him amongst us, we nevertheless turn to Hakadosh Baruch Hu with great emotion and feeling and say to him, “may you continue to have much nachas from all your children in the coming year.”

Wishing you and yours a kesivah vachasimah tovah.

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(Rav Aryeh Z. Ginzberg – YWN)