By the Grace of G-d
Dear Friend,
On Wednesday we received news that Jesse Henry (pictures below) passed away at the ripe of old age of ninety-five.
Many years ago, Jesse had made a request of me to bring him to a Jewish burial when he passed. Yesterday this wish was fulfilled.
Later that evening we gathered for our weekly Torah class. Naturally we dedicated our Torah study in the loving memory of Jesse the son of Rebecca.
The text of the class I was teaching, made reference to the following Talmudic passage (Baba Batra 17a):
The Sages taught: There were four people who died only because of the counsel of the primordial snake, (in the wake of which all of humanity became mortal, and not on account of any personal sin).
Click here for the text of the class
While the text of the lesson didn’t specify the name of the four saintly people, all of a sudden, I recalled that one of them was Yishai (Jesse). Just to make sure, we quickly looked up the Talmudic source. Here is how the rest of the Talmudic quote reads:
And they are: Benjamin, son of Jacob; Amram, father of Moses; Yishai, father of David; and Chileab, son of David.
Incredible Divine Providence. The very day that we had buried Jesse, we were learning about the saintliness of Jesse (Yishai) the father of King David.
Our Jesse looked quite saintly in his white beard. He lived a long full life, outliving many who predicted he would die many years ago. Till a few short years ago he was living independently and enjoying a very social life.
Quite remarkably he was buried the day after he passed away which is quite a feat and a great blessing to the soul of the departed.
His funeral was dignified and inspiring.
One of the non-Jewish friends who attended the funeral wrote as follows:
Dear Rabbi,
After attending Jesse’s burial yesterday at the Jewish Cemetery, I felt compelled to write and extend a very heartfelt and sincere “thank you“. Thanks to you both for every hoop that had to be jumped through in order to bury Jesse a day after he passed away. This in itself, considering Thailand, was absolutely remarkable.
But even more importantly, to me, was the service itself and the people who attended from the Jewish community. Please know how very impressed I was that any number of people that attended who didn’t even know or had met Jesse. When speaking with one gentleman who asked if I knew Jessie because he didn’t, I asked why he had come? His answer was simple and so telling. He said: because he was Jewish. What a magnificent testimony to the Jewish faith, the significance of that faith and love of one another. I thought to myself, the Christian community could learn a lot from the Jewish community.
The Psalms recited in Hebrew, each man contributing dirt to fill up the burial place and then reciting prayers at the end, to me had so much significance, and obviously tradition. I count myself blessed to have been part of the entire occasion, though sad as it may have been.
Yesterday affected me, and I wanted you to know how positively. May God bless and keep all of you in the palm of His hand, and in the shadow of His wing.
Most sincerely,
From everyone’s life we must learn. The lessons we learn from those who have passed away, serve as a nachas to the soul of the departed.
Some of the things I learned from Jesse, are compassion and responsibility.
Jesse was married to Suda. Suda was afflicted with dementia for many years. Jessed faithfully and responsibly nursed and cared for her till her passing.
A paradigm of selfless devotion.
Another thing that I learned from Jesse was the tenacity of the Jewish people.
Jesse was raised as a Christian.
His mother had told him he was Jewish because she was but had not provided any kind of Jewish experience or education.
Yet, against all odds, the Jewish spark was not extinguished. Jesse joined the Jewish community at an advanced age, performed mitzvahs to the best of his ability and requested time and time again that he be buried amongst his fellow Jews according to the Jewish tradition.
May the soul of Yishai (Jesse) ben Rivka have its rightful ascent in the Garden of Eden.
That Torah states unequivocally that the most healthy and straightforward way of life for a Jewish person is to allow his or her inner self be expressed. Thus, the healthiest and most wholesome way of life for a Jew, is to observe Torah and Mitzvahs.
As we near Rosh Hashana let us recognize that within each of us is a spark of Jewishness a ‘nitzotz Yehudi’ a ‘pinteleh Yid’ that yearns and desires expression and fulfillment.
Pursuits of other types can only serve as temporary panaceas but in the long term they will not quench the thirst of the neshama.
It is only Torah study and Mitzvah observance that will soothe and sustain the Jewish soul.
As we get ready for Rosh Hashana let us develop and massage the neshama within us.
Study additional Torah, perform more mitzvahs.
Especially the mitvah of Tzedaka and helping others in any form or fashion.
From Jesse’s life I take renewed strength never to give up on any fellow Jew as far and estranged as they may seem. And certainly never give up on our own soul and its potential to become aflame with the passion of connection to G-d.
May you have a Shana Tova Umetukah.
A Good and Sweet Year!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Yosef Kantor