(PHOTO LINK AT END OF ARTICLE) (By: Rabbi Arye D. Gordon) On Wednesday evening November 19th the Beis Medrash of the Los Angeles Yeshiva Gedolah was filled to capacity as the olam awaited the arrival of the Novominsker Rebbe who came to speak to the hearts & minds of Los Angeles Jewry on the timely topic, “Responding to a World in Crisis.”

Harav Yitzchok Altusky, a rebbi in the Yeshiva Gedolah expressed the thanks of the Community as he introduced the Novominsker Rebbe to the gathering.

In a deeply moving outpouring of emotion and feeling, the Novominsker Rebbe suggested that before discussing the terrible matzav we are now facing on the World stage, we should questioned whether we in fact understand and appreciate the fortunate lives we have led here in America since the Holocaust.

“When I saw the heading of this derashah, ‘v’emunat’cha baleilos,’ I felt that maybe we should first reflect on the first part of that pasuk – on the part ‘L’hagid baboker chas’decha .’ I believe that it is important that we sufficiently understand the chasdei hashem that we have experienced these past 60 years.

I came here tonight to be mekayeim, ‘Ish as reeihu yaazori.’ I did not come to say divrei mussar.

It is not for me to interpret what is happening here in this city.

It is clear that many people need yeshua v’rachmim. There is also the sakana (danger) effecting the yidden in eretz yisroel. It is a serious matter and we need special tefilos and yeshuos to evoke the rebono shel olam’s rachamim on all of us.
These are not simple times. I consider myself only a shofar to convey ideas we should all reflect upon.

To begin with, are we makir tova? And do we live up to dealing with the challenges that confront us in a manner that the rebono shel olam expects to see from us?

Those survivors of the Holocaust rebuilt a heichal hashem in America after that churban . As a result, we have a growing and beautiful machneh of torah.

Presently, the younger generation of bnei torah are reaping the fruits of all that the rebono shel olam has done for us all these years since the Holocaust.

We therefore should really reflect on the first part of that pasuk. ‘L’hagid baboker chas’decha .’

“Look around. People sitting here tonight represent 3 generations of bnei torah. Think for a moment about the matzav today in both ruchniyus and gashmiyus. The abject poverty that existed does not exist in the Jewish community today.

The tremendous growth of yeshivos and beis yaakovs that did not exist 60 plus years ago. In those days Shabbos was a big nisayon for many Jews in this country. So to kashrus.
All this has changed with chasdei Hashem. This is the nechamah after the churban.

To quote from the posuk in Michah (7:8), when the Jewish nation says:

‘Al tismichi oyavti li ki nafalti kamti ki eishev bachoshech Hashem ohr li.’ Rejoice not against me, my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise…,

Yiddishe sonim were not given to rejoice at our downfall.

“We have to understand that Hashem has made life easy for us.

“We used to say, ‘s’iz shver tzu zein a Yid.’ Today one can be yotzei every chumra, if he so desires. It is so easy today.

“A bochur today is proud to be a ben torah.

“But life is not without nisyonos.

‘Amar Shomer asa boker v’gam Leila… And that night is not only the spiritual darkness in our camp but in the world we live in. Just as technology has assisted us, it also has brought other sakanos to our community.

“The dor hamabul and the dor haflagah left shurayim. And our world has swallowed it whole. Minim v’apikorsim.

“There is still Leilah, a darkness, out there.

“I think it is important to stress that, ‘der Eibershter vet helfin.’ This was part of the language of the previous generation. They lived with the Rebbono Shel Olam, but this expression of belief is not so current today.

“We ought to and must recreate in ourselves a commitment to those simple values – That Hashem is in our thoughts and more so in our lives.

“We must remember that it is only the Rebbono Shel Olam who can help us.

“We must keep the Leilah, the darkness, out of our lives.

“We were created as an am kadosh, mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh.

“Emunascha baleilos. Even when we are confronted by darkness if we keep the Rebbono Shel Olam uppermost in our minds, thoughts and lips, b’zchus zeh, zol der Rebbono Shel Olam unz helfin.

“Rabosei, it is a very serious matzav that people are facing nowadays.

During the last few weeks Jewish parnasos have been shaken up and Yidden have been traumatized by recent events.

“The world economy has been upset and major companies have been toppled.

“This is not to be taken lightly and Yidden need to be helped. We must find ways and means that people can reestablish their parnasos. Our mosdos hatorah are beginning to suffer as well.

“And here, parts of Los Angeles were engulfed by fire.

“It is the Rebbono Shel Olam that we must bring into our lives. And his Torah.
And we must run to do mitzvos.

Young and old must realize that we must keep the darkness out of our lives.
“And if we live up to the task and the challenges of the times that confront us. then He will lift us up and we will merit his help.

“And he will send us brachos and yeshuos. Here, in Eretz Yisroel and throughout the world. And we should be zocheh to Moshiach Tzidkeinu, amen.”

PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos taken by Rabbi Arye D. Gordon.

(Note: the above are just excerpts from the derasha, The whole derasha can be heard at englishtorahtapes.com)