A LISTENING NESHOMA TO SHARE OUR BURDEN

A LISTENING NESHOMA TO SHARE OUR BURDEN

BY HARAV Y REUVEN RUBIN SHLITA

Weddings are affairs each with their own style of celebration. The younger guests dance with great exuberance whilst the older participants do what can only be called the “zeidy shuffle”. Being most definitely a fee- paying member of the latter group, I am able to take time to discuss matters of state with others of my ilk as all around me reverberates with sounds of chaos masquerading as music. Recently, I was standing next to an elder Yied who sighed wistfully, “if only i was younger.” I asked him how much younger would he want to be and looking around at the prancing figures, he answered “thirty years”. I laughed, “I would never want to go back to then; why should I want to go back to those days? I have fought those battles already; why would i want to face them again?” The sweet fellow swiftly moved away, probably fearful of what I might say next.

It is all too easy to forget our true calling in this world. We are easily distracted by all that glitters and makes noise. At each stage we have new challenges, exclusively created for our neshoma. The sum total of it all is striving to connect with Hashem given where we are, and not being lost in the haze of this bewildering material world.

“This Yied comes from afar offering us brochos and prays that they become our reality.”

Avrohom Ovinu had a nephew, Lot, who seemed to be a young man infused with the truth of Avrohom’s teachings and readily following his uncle’s path. Yet, we see that all was not well within his soul. He fell for the lure of materialism and chose to live in Sodom, the centre of all that was wicked. How could he be so foolish? Sadly, his worldview was caught in the trap of material pursuit and although on the outside he may have seemed to be a religious follower of Avrohom, internally he sought wealth and greed. His was a life of paradoxes, one missing a solid connection with Hashem.

We have been placed in a world that offers everything, yet gives nothing. We have so much yet the soul feels lost. Our task is to make sense of all this at every stage of our lives, and connect ourselves with Hashem. Hashem never abandons His children, and even in these difficult times, He has gifted us with giants of the spirit who can open our hearts to the truth and give us hope.

Recently our shteibl hosted a visit by one such leader and I had the opportunity first-hand to witness this power of Hashem’s blessing on Yieden from all circles of the community. The Alexander Rebbe from Eretz Yisroel came to Manchester on a short visit, one that caught us all by surprise. The Rebbe davened Maariv in our Beis Medrash and then gave everyone an opportunity to have a private audience with him. The Rebbe asked me to help those who did not speak Yiddish or Hebrew and so I had the zechus to translate for many of my chevra who sought the Rebbe’s brochos. We all shared sacred moments where they opened their hearts to this tzaddik and received his lavish blessings. The Rebbe prodded those beseeching him, wanting to know how he could help them, giving them warmth and support. It was wondrous, the Rebbe taking on so much of their pain and in return giving them hope. Witnessing all this at close range corroborated that about which I have often spoken: in this weak generation what we need desperately are listening neshomas who are ready to share our burdens.

As the Rebbe was leaving he turned to me and shared a Torah insight. He quoted the episode in the Chumash that speaks of how Avrohom Ovinu returned to all the places he had visited on his travels to Mitzrayim. Rashi mentions that on his return he repaid his debts. What debts? There is a view which says this refers to questions of faith some had. They couldn’t understand why Avrohom had to go to Egypt in the first place after being promised the Holy Land. His triumphal return would prove that everything was for the good. Then the Rebbe mentioned another explanation, that on his way he had blessed those who showed him kindness, and upon his return he stopped at every one of those places to ascertain that his blessings had come to fruition. With a shy smile the Rebbe whispered: “May it be Hashem’s will that when I come again, all the brochos we shared should come to pass. I said Amen and then the emotion of the moment almost overwhelmed me. This Yied comes from afar offering us brochos and prays that they become our reality.

Here then is just one example of a holy conduit in our world of chaos, offering illumination where all seems dim. May the Rebbe be well and find the strength to continue his holy mission, and may we be found worthy of his brochos being fulfilled.