By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
Let me connect the dots.
I met a young man over coffee.
We played “Jewish geography’, spoke about Jewish life in the East Coast of the USA where he is from, and had a good schmooze. Of course, I asked him if I could share the mitzvah of laying Tefillin.
The answer he gave me left me speechless.
‘For my Bar-Mitzvah I put on my great grandfathers tefillin from Auschwitz’.
He explained. His great grandfather had been deported from Paris to Auschwitz in 1942 and was killed in the infamous concentration camp. As part of the processing of the incoming prisoners, all personal belongings were taken from them. After the war there were apparently still mounds of items that had not been destroyed. Among them, a pair of Tefillin that had his great grandfathers name inscribed on the back of the Tefillin straps. An organization contacted the members of the family that had survived and emigrated to the USA. The Tefillin were returned to the family. The young man I was meeting, had donned those tefillin, that were literally ‘from Auschwitz’, at his Bar Mitzvah.
No, I couldn’t offer him the actual Tefillin that had survived Auschwitz. But we could reenact that very same Mitzvah that had been done by his ancestor on his way to Auschwitz. With the blessed difference that we are doing it as free people thank G-d, living in times of plenty and safety. He rolled up his sleeve and laid Tefillin saying Shma Yisrael… Hashem Echad, and thus added his link the unbroken chain of Judaism in a tangible way.
The poignancy of the moment was unique and inspiring. Here was a great-grandson of a holocaust victim, whose ancestor was gassed and burned for the ‘crime’ of being a Jew, putting on Tefillin. Incredulously, almost eighty years later, in Bangkok, a city off the ‘beaten Jewish track’ a grandson continues the hallowed traditions of Judaism. This to me is a proud and loud statement of victory which reflects the eternity of the Jewish People.
In mulling over my emotional encounter, I reflected on another comment I had heard from a local Jew just a day before. Less dramatic but in some way even more cathartic.
A Jew who grew up on a Kibbutz in Israel told me that his childhood friends are incredulous when he tells them that he now takes his Tefillin with him in his hand luggage. They can’t imagine how he, a Jew who like them, grew up without much attachment to the mitzvot, has come to be so attached to his Tefillin that he even ‘shleps’ it with him on the plane.
That remarkable fact is, that myriads of Jews are performing G-d’s commandments in contemporary times.
Matzah production has never been higher.
Mezuzah writing and affixing is at an all-time high.
Jewish woman and girls kindle Shabbat candles on Friday before sunset in ever increasing numbers.
Tefillin stands are ubiquitous in all major mall in Israel, as well as in busy downtowns in Jewish metropolises around the world.
Torah is studied in all languages at every level.
This highlights beyond a shadow of doubt that Judaism has outlived Hitlers diabolical fiendish plans.
On the cultural side as well. The authenticity, holiness and centrality of the Torah to Judaism stands firmly and proudly in the face of the many who predicted the decline of Jewish observance in the era of modernity.
What a gargantuan journey this has been. To rise from the ashes of Auschwitz and continue to be faithful to the mitzvot. To emerge from the ‘isms’ and cultural revolutions that threatened to relegate Jewish traditional observance to history book. And not just to survive, but to reach todays unprecedented dedication to Mitzvahs by Jews of every level of ‘persuasion’.
The Rebbe was the visionary who saw that the Kibbutz Jew could be reached in South Australia. That the East Coast, Holocaust victim descendant would be inspired to put on Tefillin in Bangkok. That the Kansas origin Sakhon Nakhon rice farmer would eventually wake up and ask about his Jewishness that he was totally ignorant of.
The Rebbe spent his many decades of leadership to send emissaries around the world and to encourage the performance of Mitzvot one Mitzvah at a time, one Jew at a time.
How was the Rebbe so confident that this approach would succeed? Was he merely taking a gamble on the resurgence of Judaism that happened to pay off?
Not at all. He was sure about this path. And he brought anyone who was ready to listen ‘into the boardroom’ so they too could become a leader and join the inspiring journey.
Here is how he explained it.
G-d is Eternal and so are His people.
What guarantees our eternity?
The very thing that determines our unique and independent peoplehood. The Jewish people is a nation because of its G-dly mission of Torah and Mitzvahs. It is not merely a culture. Without being defined by Torah it could not have staying power. Judaism cannot survive the trials and threats from within and without as a culture alone. Read our history books and you will see how history repeats itself time and time again. Deviations from the unadulterated path of G-d’s word at Sinai as transmitted through our Sages. It is only the authenticity of Torah and Mitzvahs that has survived the three thousand three hundred and thirty-three years journey since Sinai.
The Rebbe saw in every Jew the ‘pintele Yid’ the spark of Jewishness that cannot be obliterated.
It was clear to him that even under the duress of Soviet oppression, and in the face of the temptations of Western secularism, the future of Judaism was guaranteed if we but kept to the Divine truths of Torah.
The Torah says clearly that the soul of the Jew will ‘wake up’ at some point. That is for sure. But would there be someone to provide the guidance and inspiration to the newly awakened soul?
What was needed was to provide the framework, all over the world, to ensure that wherever a Jew may be, in the most incongruous of places, an opportunity would be available to fulfil the soul-needs of the Jew upon its awakening.
This coming Wednesday, the 11th day of Nissan in the Jewish calendar marks the beginning of the 120th year since the Rebbe’s birth in Nikolayev, Ukraine.
The Rebbe’s message to you and me is straightforward and implementable.
Recognize that within every human there is a Divine mission. Click here for universal values.
Nobody is intrinsically bad. People sometimes make bad choices.
Within every Jew there is a uniquely Jewish spark of G-d.
Deep down, you want to give expression to your Jewish soul. You may just not be in tune yet with your truly deepest self.
By that same token, your fellow Jew also has that existential thirst for connection to G-d.
The way to connect to G-d is through His Mitzvahs.
Hence, the best and most natural thing you can do for yourself, is to do a Mitzvah.
The most selfless and benevolent thing you can do for a fellow, is to provide them with an opportunity for them to do a Mitzvah. Thus, you help them express their deepest existential desire.
You don’t see it this way?
Neither do the non-experts in bacteriology see germs in quite the same way as the scientific experts do. We defer to the experts and follow their recommendation because we know that they ‘see’ what we don’t.
The Rebbe, as a Tzadik, ‘saw’ things that the average person doesn’t see.
Its sad when someone doesn’t believe in ‘germs’ and then gets gravely ill with a microbe born disease. We have all seen the tragic news reports of people who wrote off the virus as being a harmless flu and then just before expiring said ‘I made a mistake’. It’s often too late by that time.
My friends, its too late to reach old age and then say, oy vey, I didn’t transmit the authenticity of Torah and Mitzvahs and thought that ‘bagels and lox’ could sustain Judaism to the next generation…
Don’t look back and fret if you haven’t done as well as you could have in the mitzvah aisle. Seize the moment now.
To learn from the past how to ensure the future.
Our circuitous path throughout history has consistently shown that only Torah and Mitzvahs pass the test of durability.
They are after all from an Eternal G-d.
Given to an eternal people.
To be studied, cherished and observed for eternity. Ultimately, the sooner the better to segue into the Messianic times of peace and tranquility AMEN.
Do a Mitzvah. TODAY. This creates a better tomorrow. A liberated tomorrow.
With blessings for a Shabbat Shalom
And Joyous preparations for Passover
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
Actionable item:
Passover is arriving next Saturday night.
Move Chametz out of your possession. An easy way of not needing to actually dispose of all your stocks of chametz is to authorize the sale of those items to a non-Jew for the eight days of Passover. Click here for the form.
Eat Matzah on Saturday evening and tell your loved ones about the going out of Egypt. It is especially significant to eat the hand made shmura matzah.
Here in Thailand, I am happy to send you complimentary shmura matzah.
Why is shmura matzah so important?
Do you take vitamins? I do.
Matzas says the Zohar, when eaten on the eve of Passover, is like eating a vitamin pill of FAITH. Spiritual vitamin F. The Zohar also says that Matzah on Passover eve is a food of healing. We could all use healing (preventive healing please G-d).
Drop me an email [email protected] if you don’t have matzah yet and please G-d I will send you some.
If you are outside of Thailand try the worldwide directory to find shmurah matzah near you.
