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‘I Did All I Could to Bring Moshiach. Now It’s Up to You’

Friends and relatives of Reb Avrohom Yeshaya Schtroks, OMB, have set up a website – zichronshayaschtroks.com – where people can share their personal memories, as well as contribute to a fund set up to help the family financially through this difficult time. One of Reb Yeshaya’s students in the Morristown cheder, Schneur Zalman Wilansky from Elizabeth, NJ, relates the following:

My name is Schneur Zalman Wilansky. I am 10 years old, and I am in 4th grade in Cheder Lubavich in Morristown. I would like to write about my beloved teacher, Rabbi Schtroks.

Before learning, he would tell us a chasideshe story; I loved that! Rabbi Schtroks always told us lots of stories and taught us many Nigunum. He was very Chassidish. He always told us what he heard from the Rebbe. In the afternoon before we started to learn, he would tell us the funniest stories!

One of the things I loved about Rabbi Shtroks is that he would give out blue and red raffle tickets for two raffles every week. We, I mean, I personally didn’t think this was a bribe to make us learn. We didn’t even need it because we loved his classes. And our davening was out of this world! This is because Rabbi Shtroks did Beur Tefilla and would explain it so well that we really had Kavana. He inspired us to Daven.

Every week, everyone in my class has jobs to do, like filling up the water pitcher, Tzadaka, someone would pick who gets to say the Pesukim, Prize Putter, someone would pick out who wins and a lot more!!.

In our classroom, if someone’s not there, the Shamesh he would take his place and when Rabbi Shtroks needed something, the Shamesh would do it. A few months ago, Rabbi Shtroks hurt his hand, and I was privileged to be the one to write for him!!

Chuf Ches Adar is Rabbi Strock’s birthday so we decided to make a surprise party!!! A few weeks before, we called each other to arrange the party. We bought him a present of 2 sefarim, a cake and nosh. On that day, we put streamers all over the classroom!!! We also made hochlotos tovois. It was the greatest party!!

The second to last day that I was with Rabbi Shtroks was Chuf Ches Nissan. The day began with Mishnoys Bal Peh. Since it was Chof Ches Nisan, we went to watch a video of the Rebbe saying the Sicha of Chuf Ches Nissan. After we came back to our classroom Rabbi Shtroks spoke to us strongly with all his emotions about what the Rebbe said. “I did everything I could to bring Moshiach. Now it’s up to you!” he told us. Then, he said something I will never forget. “I might not be here on Sunday. Just you do whatever you can to bring moshiach.” He said it very strongly to us kids.

I think he is hidden Tzaddik because he had Ruach Hakodesh and maybe he didn’t even realize it!

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12 Comments

  • Thanks for writing this

    Beautifully expressed. Info for helping the family, please.

  • He was indeed a very special person

    Beautiful articular.
    Thank you, Schneur Zalman Wilansky

  • TO NUMBER 2

    zichronshayaschtroks.com – where people can contribute to a fund set up to help the family financially through this difficult time.

  • Inspired

    in answer to #2.
    Info. for helping the family is, zichronshayaschtroks.com.
    There is actually a link to that site in the beginning of the article’ visit that site to learn more about this wonderful man o.b.m. and to help with what you can.

  • Thank you for writing.

    Zalmen you were extremely lucky that you had such an amazing teacher, I as well was privileged to have him as my teacher and yes in my opinion as well as many others, he really was a tzadik.

  • i am jealous, never a talmus of his

    Zalman sh’yichya

    I may be much older then you, maybe even older then your Rebbe ob“m. I sir here at 5 am reading your thoughts on your Rebbe, tears are in y eyes, I never knew rabbi Schtrocks, but I heard so much about him, in my days our rebbe/teacher would have a ruler or stick to make us learn, always very serious and strict,

    Zalman, you are a very lucky person, to have had him as a teacher, the warmth, the chayois the closeness you and, is extremely inspiring, I envy you, the younger generation has obtained so much more,,,,,,,,,,,, well here is not the place

    what i wanted to say, is that it says in medrash and in chassidus, that a neshomo knows when its time is up in this world, your Rebbe did know he was going, but could not tell you, perhaps out of love for you kinderlach, he said ”I won’t be here sunday“ but know the neshomo lives forever, and he is very much with you

    always remember what he has taught you, think about him and he will think about you, wherever you are , as it is called ”machshovo mo’eles” when you think of someone that thought causes him to think about you, and especially a neshomo.