VaYetzei Yakov M’Beer Sheva VaYeilech Choronoh. Yakov Ovinu, the Bechir SheBeOvos, the symbol of Klal Yisroel, left Beer Sheva. Yakov left the kedusha heilikeit of his holy father Yitzchok’s house, the holy atmosphere that Beer Sheva was in the days of Yitzchok Ovinu. 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. 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 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 Yiddish 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.
