Lilui Nishmas my Gandmother Chaya Bas Rav Dovid A"H

[Ari Kotowitz]

My Gandmother Chaya Bas Rav Dovid A"H passed away this past friday.
Her parents and siblings were wiped out during the holocaust and she
went through extremely challenging situations. My Uncle said at the
funeral that my Grandmother told him that she had Bitachon throughout
the holocaust and saw miracles everywhere she went.

She was born in a town in Poland called Benzin and her father was a
Gerrer chosid which she would always tell us that he was a cantor and
had a beautiful voice. My grandmother would always sing to us with
such liveliness and passion which showed us a glimpse of what she grew
up with. She said her family lived a poor and happy life and she would
go to sleep every night to the sounds of her father learning gemarah.

Rav Judah Mischell said that we don't hear any divrei torah from the
Avos whatsoever and everything we do hear about the avos are stories
about their personalities. All these stories is what made us become
who we are. It has made Judaism ingrained in us. Somebody told the
Lubavitcher Rebbe that he wanted to start a begginer minyan so he
could do kiruv for people that are far from Judaism. The Lubavitcher
Rebbe got upset and told this man that he would not give this man his
blessing to do kiruv. He explained to the man that each Jew is just as
close Judaism as all the other Jews it is just that the person is
unaware of his closeness. He gave the man his blessing to help those
Jews uncover their closeness to Judaism.

In the sefer Lev Hashamayim Reb Shlomo Carlebach says when Avraham is
bringing Yitzchak to the place were Yitzchak will be sacrificed he
tells Yishmael and Eliyezer to stay here with the donkey, and I and
the boy will go until כה which the meor Einayim says it is a reference
to chanuka which starts tonight on כה Kislev. When Yitzchak was on the
Alter he saw all the Jews who would give up their lives when being
persecuted in the future. Chanuka is all about Misirus nefesh (puting
life in danger) for defending Judiasim as the Chashmonaim did with
such passion. After the Holocaust my grandparents met and married in
Munich and moved to America. Since it was very difficult for them to
support themselves they moved back to Germany where my Grandfather's
brother had a good business. They were treated terrible since they
were Jewish and my Grandmother made the family move back to America
since all the Yeshivas were there. My grandfather lost his previous
wife and child in the holocaust and went through extremely torturous
camps so my Uncle explained to us that my Grandmother gave my
Grandfather life and gave the whole family life through her strength
and perseverance.


Even though we have suffered so much in the Galus and there is so much
darkness I do not think Chanuka is a time to cry about it(that is
Tisha B'av). We must acknowledge all the darkness but lighting the
candles we must rejoice in the victories of the Jewish people that we
have overcome all of our challenges and we have and will continue to
light up the whole world with our candles.

A song by Yosef Karduner with the names of Tzaddikim as they are the
ones who give us the strength to make it through our difficult times
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I5DrFLp14I