Amazing Story! A group of 9 Chabad Bochurim (young rabbinic interns) were traveling through the former Soviet Union. They were visiting various villages and towns, to do what they could to spread and strengthen Yiddishkeit. At the time of our story, they were together on a train, en route to their next destination. Russia has always been notorious for its sorely lacking public services. On that particular trip, the Bochurim were about to experience first-hand the quality of the Russian public transportation system. In the middle of their journey their train suddenly broke down, and they were informed that it would be many hours until it was up and running again. Although they were now stranded, these young men were resourceful, and set out to look for a place where they could wait out the delay. Now, in Europe, there is a Federation of the Jewish Communities, and there is a representative who is the leader of the Jewish community in each region. So the young men searched for the contact information for the Federation representative in the area in which they were now stranded, and promptly called him. They explained their predicament and asked if they could come over to rest, daven (pray) maariv (the weekday evening service) and perhaps get something to eat, while the authorities worked on repairing the railroad. The gentleman was pleased to oblige, and gave them directions to his home. A short while later, the 9 bochurim were knocking on his door. To their great surprise, as they were filing into the house, their host burst into heart wrenching sobs. For a few awkward moments he was crying hysterically, while the puzzled Bochurim could not calm him down. Finally he relaxed a bit, and he sat them down and shared this story. “My father,” the man related, “was in Auschwitz. While there, he risked his own life to ease the plight of his fellow inmates. Miraculously, he survived the war. At some point he had a Yechidus (private audience) with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. During that audience, the Rebbe stood up for my father, saying that he was deserving of that honor, as someone who risked his own life to help others.” The man continued, “During the Yechidus, the Rebbe made 2 promises to my father. The Rebbe assured him that he would live a long life, and the Rebbe furthered assured him that ‘men vet dir nit fargessen’ – (You won’t be forgotten).” “What can I tell you,” the man concluded emotionally to the amazed bochurim, “the first brocho (blessing) was fulfilled very literally. My father passed away last year at the ripe old age of 104! But for the life of me, I didn’t see any way that the 2nd promise could be realised. You see, tonight is my father’s first yohrtzeit (anniversary of passing). I didn’t see any possibility of gathering a minyan (chorum of 10 Jewish men) in this remote area of Russia. I wouldn’t be able to say Kaddish (a sons memorial prayer) for him on his first yohrtzeit. How can that be considered not forgotten?!” “You understand now why I was gripped by uncontrollable emotion when exactly 9 men needed to complete the minyan walked through my door, inexplicably, on the eve of his yohrtzeit!’
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 07:22:23 +0000