Weekly Dvar Torah: Ending the Year With A Bang

Tradition has it that during the 30 days of the month of Elul we take stock of the past year, a year-end accounting of how well we did and what is there that we can improve on for the coming New Year.

Chassidim have a tradition that the last 12 days of Elul we reflect on our actions each day per month of the last year.

Finally, we end of the last 7 days of Elul to reflect each day of the week on how well we did, on Sunday we reflect on all the Sundays, Monday on all the Mondays, etc.

So how are we doing with our reflections?

How are we doing with our resolve to improve next year?

This past Tuesday we rejoiced in the Bris of our new grandson, he was named Levi after his paternal great grandfather, R’ Levi Pressman.

As the name was given, I had a flashback on one memory I have of this man, a scene that I witnessed 50 years ago.

It was on Shmini Atzeres 5732 (1971), Reb Levik, and his childhood friend way back from Bessarabia (Moldova), Reb Moshe Greenberg, met for the first time in many years, after a good few L’Chaim’s they were dancing away in the street, in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, the Rebbe’s Shul.

These two Chassidim grew up under Soviet occupation, they stood up to Stalin and his henchmen to practice Judaism in the underground to live a fully observant Jewish life.

Reb Moshe left Russia in the mid 60’s, and 5 years later, in 1971, the Soviets allowed many Chassidim to emigrate, Reb Levik joined and settled in Israel.

The joy in the Lubavitch community was incredible, after a cutoff of 25 years, families were finally reunited, and freedom was granted to these Soviet prisoners as well.

The Rebbe invited all the émigrés to join him for Tishrei in Crown Heights, and hundreds came to see their beloved Rebbe for the first time, to spend the holidays with him.

There Reb Levik met his old buddy Reb Moshe, and they couldn’t contain their joy and they literally danced in the streets.

As a young teenager I was enamored by this amazingly emotional happy moment, and I stood there enthralled by this extraordinary scene.

As they were dancing away in ecstasy, they noticed the Rebbe walking from his home back to Shul, so out of respect they changed from dancing in circles, to dancing shoulder to shoulder facing the Rebbe as he was approaching 770.

I watched the Rebbe’s reaction from afar as he was approaching these two dancing Chassidim, and I noticed that the Rebbe was smiling, and as he came closer his smile grew bigger and bigger, and when he reached the dancers he started swinging his arms, encouraging the two happy Chassidim to dance even more.

I reflect on this scene, and these are my impressions.

These two Chassidim grew up under Stalin fearlessly, and they committed to G-d and Judaism with total self-sacrifice.

These two Chassidim had such brotherly love, that they literally danced in the streets because they finally met.

These two Chassidim came to see their beloved Rebbe, and were successful to bring him overt joy.

When we review the year, we reflect on how dedicated are we to G-d and Judaism, and if we can improve, we resolve that next year will be much better.

We reflect on the level of love that we have to one another, and we resolve that next year will be much better.

We reflect on how much joy can we cause for our Rebbe, friends and the Jewish people, and we resolve that next year will be much better.

When we focus on just these three points, G-d will happily help us fulfill these resolutions, and He will shower us with blessings of love, unity and joy.

I wish my new grandson to go in his namesakes’ footsteps, to be totally dedicated to G-d and Judaism, to be surrounded by loving friends and family, and to always bring joy and Nachas to our holy Rebbe.

And believe you me, that with G-d, the Rebbe and good friends at our side, we will have the most amazing New Year 5782, and in unity there is strength, in unity there is blessing, and when G-d sees unity among his children, He will bless us with the full redemption speedily, NOW!

Have a bang of a Shabbos, last of the year,

Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman