ITS ALL ABOUT WILLING

By Harav Y. Reuven Rubin Shlita

Who would have thought, I mean when I was a youngster you had to walk almost a half an hour to get to a shul, now, we have almost two on a block in many areas. We rarely think how our shuls and Shtieblech are born, who puts their heart and soul into their birth.

I have been blessed to witness this phenomenon and I can tell you the secret ingredient that makes it all possible:  tears, and yes these have to be special ones. As a direct participant in the creation of a few shuls allow me to let you into the formula of these special tears. They must come from a very deep and loving heart, they must percolate up until they reach the hearts of others, and most importantly, they must come from a place directly beneath the Kisei Hakovod, brought forth thru a heart devoted to Klall Yisroel.

In Parshas Terumah we find a Medrash: “They shall take to me a portion, from every man whose heart will motivate him you shall take My portion.”  (25:2)

Says the Medrash, ‘That when the Eibishter started speaking to Moshe concerning the building of the Mishkan, Moshe asked, “Rebono Shel Olam is it then possible for the Yidden to make a Mishkan?” The Eibishter answered him that even one Yied alone is able to build a Mishkan, as the verse said, ‘Every man whose heart will motivate him….’

The Rebbe Rav Shimon Sholom of Amshinov Ztl explains that the Medrash is telling us that Moshe Rabbenu was asking Hashem how it is possible that mere humans can build a material place wherein the Shechinah will abide. After all The Eibishter is limitless whilst we are bound by this material realm. Answered The Eibishter, that a Yied with a willing heart can do anything. The spiritual energy that a yearning Yiddisha heart has is gifted in such a way that even the material world can become a resting place for the Shechinah.

Our shuls speak volumes to this fact. Yidden come to new shores, not speaking the native tongue, not knowing anyone, and yet they build their shuls. Shtieblech are born in living rooms, as sacredness is created by the sheer heartrending love of Bnei Yesroil for their ‘Tatte In Himmel.’

I have been involved with creating shuls on three continents and I have seen what those yiddisha neshomahs can do. How from nothing new levels of kedusha is created.

In the time of the Chozeh of Lublin Ztl a group of Chasidim built a new shtieble. They invited the Rebbe to come to daven in their new place of worship. Upon entry the Chozer sniffed the air and exclaimed, ‘epes felt du”, ‘something is missing here!’

The chevra were dumbfounded, they felt that they had thought of everything, yet the Rebbe was telling them that something was amiss. This happened several times until one of the olam plucked up the nerve to ask the Tzadik, ‘Rebbe what is it that is missing?’ The Chozeh sighed, ‘Varbisha Trerin, (women’s tears).’ It seems the overzealous Chasidim hadn’t factored in the building of a women’s section and the Rebbe wanted them to know that without the tears of holy women in prayer, the shtieble would be missing a vital ingredient.

Ten years ago we left South Manchester. The normative age of retirement in such shuls is 65 and I now had the opportunity to move closer to my children.

The Rebbetzin AH felt strongly that we should accept the challenge of friends in the North to open a shtieble. With no money, in fact just the indefatigable hospitality of my daughter and son in law, we started a minyan. With what can only be called a miracle, we grew, found the support from others and ultimately discovered a building that now houses our small yet growing kehillah.

The Rebbetzin was the driving force, it was her tears that made the Shomayim open to our tefillos. Our building has been bought through the openheartedness of special people who understood that our chevra were worthy of having a place that speaks to their needs.

We have wonderful askonim, supporters from the wider community who have given beyond our dreams, all this and so much more. Yet, I know, I have witnessed, how the Rebbetzin AH lived, davened, wept, for the success of this holy enterprise.  Those tears of deeply felt tefillos rolled from her heart and the shtieble became yet another step on her ladder of kedusha and chesed.

Now her neshoma is living on another level, and we are left seeking ways we can enshrine her memory and be worthy to receive her zechusim. All in the shtieble were her family, and every member knew this to be true. She was a ‘Bubby’ to some, the ‘human Rebbetzin’ for others, and all in all the exemplar of what a Yiddisha woman should be.

Members of this sweet family have turned to me and asked that the center be named for her. We have just received building permission to carry out the necessary work for needed expansion and hopefully with the help of the wider community we can soon start work. This renovation will also house office space for ‘Chaiky’s Network,’ which carries on her noble work in reaching out those who are lonely and in need of chizuk.

I turn to all my readers to please help us in this special undertaking, and I bless each and every one of you that the zechus from the Rebbetzin should stand by you and yours. May the Rebbitzen be a meilitza yoshoor for us all! Amen!