Just One Request... Dvar Torah
Menachem Mendel Gurary
Uncovering a hidden gem in Buffalo 1933 - 1939
This Shabbos, the 11th of Elul, marks the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yehoshua Zambrowski Z"L , who was a distinguished Rabbi in Buffalo from 1933 to 1939 and served as the Rabbi of Anshe Lubavitch Shul.
Included below are:
- A picture of Rabbi Zambrowski
- A picture of his Kever at the Buffalo Lubavitch Cemetery
- A Dvar Torah by Rabbi Zambrowski, translated into English by his great-grandson
Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Mendel Gurary
Just One Request - אחת שאלתי
We are honored to present a Dvar Torah by Rabbi Yehoshua Zambrowski, written and translated by his great-grandson, Rev. Amiel Bender of Montreal, Canada:
This coming Shabbos I will observe the yahrzeit of my great-grandfather Rabbi Joshua Zambrowsky who departed our world on Shabbos Kodesh, the 11th day of Elul 5699 - August 26th, 1939.
On this occasion, I will share some thoughts on a verse in Psalm 27 from my Zaida’s commentary to the Book of Psalms, עטרת יהושע, originally printed in the city of Warsaw in 1907. May these words merit an aliya for his holy soul. The verse reads:
אחת שאלתי מאת ה׳ אותה אבקש שבתי בבית ה׳ כל ימי חיי לחזות בנועם ה׳ ולבקר בהיכלו
One thing I asked of Hashem, that I shall seek: to live in the house of Hashem all the days of my life; to behold the sweetness of Hashem and to contemplate in his sanctuary. (Psalms 27:4).
My Zaida, whom we fondly remember as Rav Yehoshua, asks the following question: The verse begins with King David asking one request of Hashem, yet the continuation of the verse suggests three requests and not one?
Rav Yehoshua brings a parable: There was a well-to-do man in town who had an only daughter. In his family there were very many poverty-stricken people. On an occasion, these relatives were with him and one by one, they shared their financial woes with him. One person needed money for rent, another to educate his small children and yet another needed money for expenses to marry off his daughter. One of the family members remained quiet. The wealthy man asked him about his financial challenges. The gentleman answered that he couldn’t go into details as he had many needs.
Therefore - the gentleman continued - I have one request, that you give me your only daughter as a wife and then I will have everything!
My Zaida explained King David’s message: We all have many needs and requests. How do we dare to go to Hashem, the King of kings, with requests for all our needs? King David teaches us the answer through the verse: One thing I asked of Hashem, that I shall seek: to live in the house of Hashem all the days of my life - King David willed the privilege to sit in Hashem’s house, to learn and live a life of Torah and then everything that was willed by him would come to fruition.
To dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life... and then all that I desire will be fulfilled." What does this mean in practical terms? How does living a life of Torah lead to the fulfillment of all one's wishes?
I understand this to mean as follows: When I am in shul davening, I have an open line to Hashem. I separate my worlds. I leave my outside world with all its challenges, and I walk into my spiritual world. When I am in shul davening, there is a sense of peace, of spiritual completion. My connection with our Creator is so strong, that I am not perturbed by the many challenges in my life. They are set aside - they belong to my world outside the shul.
My connection with Hashem gives me the confidence that all will be okay - that everything will come together. My Shul and prayer moments give me the strength and encouragement to negotiate with my outside world. The privilege of living in the house of Hashem all the days of my life is what brings my world together. My faith in Hashem as our father in heaven, who looks out for me, strengthens my own faith in my existence, and then handling the many challenges in my world.
Remembering my great grandfather at this time of year is, in a very real sense, a stroll down my family’s memory Lane and it connects to the theme of this Dvar Torah. My Zaida lived in the house of Hashem. He was born in Poland in 1874 and was a מורה צדק, a rabbi and teacher in the city of Warsaw. He emigrated to the United States, arriving in Syracuse, New York, in 1923 and served as a rabbi in the Tri-City area of Buffalo-Syracuse-Rochester. Before he passed away, he served as the chief rabbi of Buffalo, New York. In addition to his commentary on Tehillim, my Zaida wrote two other ספרים. I am inspired by the הסכמות - the approving recommendations - written by the scholars of my Zaida’s era which are found at the beginning of my Zaida’s commentary to Tehillim. My Zaida’s contemporaries praised his intellect and his commentaries.
These words were written by my Zaida’s colleague Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana z”l of Warsaw:
ב"ה הנה כבר נתפרסם בעירנו הרב הגדול המופלג מו"ה יהושע נ"י זאמבראווסקי לדרשן מפואר ובכתם אשר על שפתותיו מושך אליו רבים בדרשותיו מדי שבת בשבתו בביהכנ"ס הגדול סערדינער לקרב לבן של ישראל לאבינו שבשמים...
B"H Our great teacher Rabbi Joshua Zambrowsky has become known as a grand darshan in our city who attracts many with his weekly Shabbos drashas at the great Serdiner Synagogue…
Rav Yehoshua was 49 years old when he came to the United States. I marvel at how he acclimated himself to the English-speaking cities in New York State. I have seen some
of my great grandfather’s writings in English, which are quite impressive, considering his upbringing in the yeshiva world of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s in Poland.
Rabbi Zambrowski's move to Buffalo was driven by the desire to unify the Jewish community there. His actions teach us a valuable lesson about the importance of fostering unity within our own communities.
While I never met my Zaida, I feel privileged to be connected to him through his commentaries on Torah, Talmud, and other scripture. They are Divrei Elokim Chayim - commentaries and thoughts on Hashem’s eternal Torah which come to life and are passed down in our family from generation to generation. May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration for many years to come!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rev. Amiel Bender - Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem
HaRav Yehoshua Halevi’s Great Grandson
Montreal, Canada
Malcolm Ainspan
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2024 15:50
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