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Dear Friends,
As happens so often, it’s the voice of Reb Moshe Sherer z’l that we hear as we reflect on the derhoibbene Shabbos
we just experienced. It was just before an Agudah convention and Rabbi
Sherer was reviewing the program, looking over the sessions, speakers
and topics.
“Too much Agudath Israel,” he declared, “and not enough Klal Yisroel!”
How proud he would have been this Shabbos!
It was just about Klal Yisroel, with its many colors and hues, its changing realities and changing needs.
The
air of the Stamford hotel was made holy by hundreds of kallah teachers
who came to share insight and experience, hundreds of mental health
professionals who are on the front lines of stabilizing and empowering
Yiddishe homes, and hundreds of shadchanim, who eat, sleep and breathe
concern for others.
These
dedicated servants of the Klal gain not just from the shared chizuk,
but from the opportunity to engage with great talmidei chachamim and
Rabbanim, able to stop them in the hallway for informal sessions too.
As
Rav Elya Brudny addressed the therapists, he took questions. One
therapist asked about a situation, introducing herself as someone who
had called the Rosh Yeshivah eight month ago , quickly recapping the
details of that conversation.
“Yes,”
Reb Elya nodded, “I remember,” and he instantly filled in the
particulars of the story- from eight months previously, one out of
hundreds of calls he takes each week. As one participant told
me “Seeing that-
the compassion and seriousness with which gedolei Yisroel view the
challenges of klal Yisroel- was itself worth being there for!”
From
the opening derashah by Rav Malkiel Kotler, who spoke about the
relationship with the Ribbono shel Olam forged specifically in the
darkest times, to the words of Rav Yosef Frankel, who discussed the fact
that every Yid carries the situation in artzeinu hakedoshah on their
hearts at all times, you could feel the sense of achrayus and
connection.
You
could hear it in the way Rav Elya Brudny’s voice cracked as he said the
word “achim”, the love, emotion and heart with which he spoke of the
brotherhood that is Agudas Yisroel: he spoke about the bond between all
Yidden, crying at the plight of families devastated by war in Eretz
Yisroel, fallen soldiers, injured soldiers, newly bereaved parents, wife
and children….Hashem yishmor!
The
pain was audible as he spoke about the thousands of ameilei Torah,
creating immeasurable zechuyos for the world, and how, even if we
appreciate them, there are many on holy soil who do not – and from the
podium, he davened for the divisiveness to end.
The
Kol Koreis and emails calling for tefillos, signed by the members of
the Moetzes Gedolei Torah, have been coming all year, but seeing their
anguish and distress up close is a reminder of how personal it is: this
year, the convention was one long tefillas rabbim as well.
This
year’s convention carried a hopeful undertone, the message of every
session and speech that we are ma’aminim bnei ma’aminim, a nation of
believers who will never let go. That is our pride, that is our glory,
and it is this that encourages us to hope that the next convention will
take place in Yerushalayim, as a literal agudah achas, serving Hashem
with hearts full of joy.
Respectfully,
Shloime
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1 comment:
The Agudah's plan for achdus has always been simple - everyone should join the Agudah and do what they say.
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