Hadran Mishnayos Shas on Shloshim of my Shviger A'H 29 Kislev

We have now completed Shas. As we look back at the tremendous amount of knowledge and we realize the holiness of our Torah, we start to think, the Tzadikim who learned all this with the proper intent and attitude, what's their reward for all this. The last Mishna in Shas in Mesechta Uktzin tells us as it starts with a maamar of Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi. In the future Hakodosh Boruch Hu will cause each Tzadik and Tzadik to inherit three hundred and ten worlds. Following after is a maamar of Rebbi Shimon ben Chalafta. Hakodosh Boruch Hu found no vessel that could properly hold the Brocho, blessing for Yisroel save Sholom, peace. Both of these very interesting maamorim are found in one Mishna, their juxtaposition suggesting that they belong together. The question asks itself, what is their connection? And why does Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi state “each Tzadik and Tzadik”? Why the redundancy? And a final question, what is meant by inheriting 310 worlds? Wouldn’t each Tzadik actually deserve these worlds in Olam Haboh for all the Torah he learned and Mitzvos he did in Olam Hazeh?

The word “Yesh” with a gematria of 310, connotes the concept of metzius, the yesh of Hashem’s creating and bringing metzius of creation on a constant basis. Each Tzadik, through his Torah and Mitzvos, brought his own “yesh” into his Olam Hazeh. However the rewards for the merits of his work will be received in Olam Haboh. The Tzadik’s corporeal body deserves these rewards because they were earned through his materialistic deeds such as putting on tefilin and learning Torah, but the actual spiritual payment to the neshomoh, received in Olam Haboh in the form of 310 spiritual worlds, comes as an inheritance to the neshomoh from the body.

The maamar states that Hashem will give this inheritance to each Tzadik v’Tzadik. The next maamar states that Hashem will give His brochos to Klal Yisroel, to the Tzadikim, through a vessel of sholom, peace. If we take the number 310 times two, for each Tzadik and Tzadik, two Tzadikim, we arrive at 620. This connotes the 613 mitzvos in the Torah plus the 7 mitzvos of the Rabbonim. If there reigns sholom between the Tzadikim and in Klal Yisroel, then the Torah and mitzvos become one since the adding together the inheritance of the two Tzadikim is 620.

Today was the 5th light of Chanuka. It is well known that the 5th day of Chanuka can't come out on a Shabbos, the only day of Chanuka that can't be on a Shabbos. The Lubavicher Rebbe ztzl said this means that each of us has to bring an additional lechtigkeit into the world to make up for the lack of the Shabbos ohros shel kedusha. My shviger a'h did that each day of her life. With her smile and warm character she would bring lechtigkeit into a room when she entered. Her smiles and laughter lightened up everybody's life. And we can remember how she so warmly and with a smile took care of her own shviger, Ohma. My shviger a’h was not just the epitome of an Eishes Chayil, a woman of valor, a woman of integrity. She was a woman of sholom in everything she did. Whether it was so many years ago in bringing together people to found the Bais Yakov of Montreal or in the fact that she rarely rarely spoke loshon hora on anybody. All her life she strived for sholom between the people around her. It is only fitting then to recognize that Ho’Ishoh Frimit bas R’ Shimshon Menachem a’h should be categorized between Tzadikim and given an inheritance of 310 worlds. My shver, R’ Yehuda ben R’ Yitzchok Shraga z’l, as the Bobover Ruv ztz’l called him, mein tyere Leibele, was also an ish sholom, a person imbued with a love for yiddishkeit. These two tzadikim surely merit the zchus of inheriting their 310 worlds each, L'Chol Tzadik V'Tzadik, and together they have earned the 620 worlds connoting Torah and mitzvos and yiddishkeit. Eishes Chayil mi yimtzo? The answer is, komu boneho v’yashruho, baaloh v’yehaloh. Her daughters and sons in law will exalt her, her husband will laud her. May they both be malitzei yosher for our families.

Hesped for my Shviger A'h 1st day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev

VaYetzei Yakov M’Beer Sheva VaYeilech Choronoh. Yakov Ovinu, the Bechir SheBeOvos, the symbol of Klal Yisroel, left Beer Sheva. Yakov left the Kedusha, the Heilikeit of his holy father Yitzchok’s house, the holy atmosphere that Beer Sheva was in the days of Yitzchok Ovinu. Rashi says, when a tzadik leaves a place, its glory and its fame also leave. Yakov-Klal Yisroel left the holy Yiddish streets that were Poland and Galitzia in general and the city of Cracow in particular before the terrible war. Holy streets filled with yeshivas, batei medrash, shuls, the daily holy life of the Yidden of Cracow. And the Glory of pre-war Cracow left with its Yidden. Klal Yisroel left all this and they went to Choron. Places filled with sheker, with corruption, with tzoros rabos and trials and tribulations that Klal Yisroel in 2,000 years had never before suffered. And yet through all this, all of Yakov’s problems – Hashem assured Yakov that Hashem would be with him and watch over him and return him to his father’s house. Hashem returned Klal Yisroel after the horrendous sacrifices that we encountered and Klal Yisroel again slowly rose up the holy ladder to its lofty status. Klal Yisroel started over again, building holy Yiddishe families, in accordance with the paths that our fathers and grandfathers had walked before the war, in accordance with the holy paths established by Yisroel Saboh, Yakov Ovinu.

My shver and shviger were brought together by Der Eibishter and with much sacrifice and toil and tears rose up Hashem's ladder and built their family along the lines of their holy heritage. They guided us, my brother in law and sister in law and my wife and me to build our families, doros yeshorim me’voruchim, along these holy ways, the paths of our holy ancestors. The foundation of our families, the Yiddishkeit and chasidus of our children and grandchildren, came from the mesiras nefesh of my shviger, the ikeres habayis, through her daily toiling as a true Yiddishe Momma. The Satmar Rebbe Rav Yoel Z'tzl said soon after the war, you don’t have to go to a Rebbe with a kvitel for a blessing. Find Holocaust survivors with numbers on their arms. These are holy people, ask them for a blessing. I say that these people with numbers on their arms, these numbers are a First Class ticket into Gan Eden.

Shviger, Moras Frimit A’H bas R’ Shimshon Menachem Hy’d, when your holy soul arrives at Beis Din Shel Maloh, raise your arm, show them your numbers. Surely they will immediately take you to the holy Heavenly palace of the shver z’l and you’ll again be with him, but now with peace and serenity, looking down at the holy Yiddishe families that you built and enjoy the nachas that your children and grandchildren give you through their daily Torah and Yiddishkeit lives. Shviger, Moras Frimit A’H bas R’ Shimshon Menachem Hy’d, in the name of our families, my brother in law and sister in law and my wife and me and our children, we want to ask your forgiveness if we didn’t treat you properly. May you be a malitza yosher for our families, may we be zoche to Moshiach soon and Bilah Hashem dimoh me’al kol ponim omein.