Young Men With Knitted Skull Caps Seen From A Fire Escape
An email I received from a very good friend namely R' Aharon Yisrael ben Moshe Mordechai who taught me the sefer Alei Shor when he learned in the Yeshiva. He himself personifies the refined character promoted by the sefer.
Rav Finkelman told a very nice story today in the shiur that he gives to the Baalei Batim that I thought you would enjoy. When he was a Kollel Yungerman, he went to Israel with his wife. He said that when he was a child, his parents could never afford to take him to Israel but his wife had gone there for seminary and understood what was so special about the country. They decided to take their wedding gifts and go to Israel for the Yomim Noraim and Succos. He said that this trip changed his life and gave him a greater appreciation for Israel and helps him yearn for the Moshiach even more so than before. He also said that all Jews in Israel that are Shomrei Mitzvos have a special ruchnius and are not preoccupied with the Gashmius that we are in America. For example, he said that one Shabbos night, his Rav, Harav Wolfson, who spends summers in Israel took him in the Old City to a fire escape. They went up the escape and peered in through a window and saw some Mizrachi boys singing niggunim with such warmth that was amazing. He said that this was the home of Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Hakotel and this was before the Yeshiva was as large as it is now. He even continues to go to the oneg at the Yeshiva when he returns to Israel. He then further elaborated about how ALL shomrei torah Jews in Israel are special and he doesn’t feel the same materialism in the shuls that he davens in Israel. He said that frum jews in Israel make time for learning and are moser nefesh for Torah…
I thought that this story was very interesting and very appropriate to the theme that you have been discussing about achdus and labeling oneself.
My addendum: If you live in the N.Y. area try to create a connection with Rav Finkelman. He is one of the most special Tzaddikim in America.
Rav Finkelman told a very nice story today in the shiur that he gives to the Baalei Batim that I thought you would enjoy. When he was a Kollel Yungerman, he went to Israel with his wife. He said that when he was a child, his parents could never afford to take him to Israel but his wife had gone there for seminary and understood what was so special about the country. They decided to take their wedding gifts and go to Israel for the Yomim Noraim and Succos. He said that this trip changed his life and gave him a greater appreciation for Israel and helps him yearn for the Moshiach even more so than before. He also said that all Jews in Israel that are Shomrei Mitzvos have a special ruchnius and are not preoccupied with the Gashmius that we are in America. For example, he said that one Shabbos night, his Rav, Harav Wolfson, who spends summers in Israel took him in the Old City to a fire escape. They went up the escape and peered in through a window and saw some Mizrachi boys singing niggunim with such warmth that was amazing. He said that this was the home of Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Hakotel and this was before the Yeshiva was as large as it is now. He even continues to go to the oneg at the Yeshiva when he returns to Israel. He then further elaborated about how ALL shomrei torah Jews in Israel are special and he doesn’t feel the same materialism in the shuls that he davens in Israel. He said that frum jews in Israel make time for learning and are moser nefesh for Torah…
I thought that this story was very interesting and very appropriate to the theme that you have been discussing about achdus and labeling oneself.
My addendum: If you live in the N.Y. area try to create a connection with Rav Finkelman. He is one of the most special Tzaddikim in America.
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