Parasha Thought: A Precious Neshama

There is a new arrival in Gan Eden this Shabbat. Every week for four years I have ended this Dvar Torah with a prayer to G-d Almighty for the complete restoration to robust good health of a sweet Jewish child named Aliza Schwab. The doctors were smug and certain in their dire predictions four years ago. “A matter of hours,” was what her courageous parents were told again and again. But she prevailed, a sweet child against the world of darkness.

The noble Schwab family showed the world what it means to love one’s child unconditionally and to believe wholeheartedly in a child’s ability to shine no matter the circumstances. The most powerful force in the world is the love of a dedicated mother and father. The world witnessed this love and was inspired by it. Friends, this love is alive and well in our hearts and minds forever!

On Thursday, 21 Adar 5772 (March 15, 2012), Ruchama Aliza Sara Chana of blessed memory bas Moshe HaLevi Sheyichye returned her precious and pure soul to her Maker.

Aliza ably filled a unique role in this world. Though she was certainly the daughter of her parents, the granddaughter of her grandparents, sibling of her brothers and sisters, niece to her uncles and aunts and a cousin and friend, Aliza was everyone’s little girl whom we loved and prayed to G-d Almighty for her miracle to come. We prayed every day… many times every day… and believed in her miracle… Aliza united the world behind the strength of her spirit and her will to live…

The Chabad custom is to seek meaning in the weekly Torah portion. This week’s portion is Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei and has an additional portion known as Parshas Para. This additional portion is about the preparation of the Red Heifer, which was used to ritually purify individuals who had been in contact with a corpse. This law is known as a “chok” or statute that is beyond the human capacity to understand. In other words, the reason why the sprinkling of the ashes of the Red Heifer on one who came into contact with a corpse can actually achieve ritual purity is a supra-rational ordinance.

Our Sages of blessed memory explain that the antidote for ritual impurity based upon coming into contact with a corpse needs to be a suprarational decree because death is suprarational. How can the human intellect ever understand and justify the passing of a child or a good person before their time? To be able to achieve purity after coming into contact with such a suprarational event such as death, one must tap into a suprarational G-dly energy, hence the statute of the Red Heifer.

My friends, may the soul of Ruchama Aliza Sara Chana of blessed memory bas Moshe HaLevi Sheyichye soar higher and higher in the Heavenly realms and be a “gute beter” for her family and all of Israel. May G-d Almighty comfort the bereaved family among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and may she be reunited with her loving family with the coming of Moshiach now! May her soul be bound up in the bond of life.

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Moshiach speedily. May He protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be. Shabbat Shalom! L’chaim!! Chazak!!!

This Torah Thought is dedicated in loving memory of Schabse Noach ben Moshe, of blessed memory.