Wednesday, September 15, 2010

A Bracha On Erev Yom Kippur

A good ma'aseh deserves another good ma'aseh:).

When darkness covered the earth and no light was seen on the horizon, in the days after the holocaust the Heilige Klausenberger Rebbe who had lost his wife and 11 children rose like a lion to rebuild and inject new life into the Jewish people. He busied himself starting yeshivos, building mikvaos, marrying off couples and bringing broken hearts and souls back into the to a life of love and fear of Hashem.

Erev Yom Kippur 1945, the Rebbe prepares himself for the service of the holy day, deep in thought. A soft knock is heard at the door. The Rebbe opens.

A young girl is standing at the door. She bashfully says:"Today is Erev Yom Kippur and my father used to give me a bracha before the holy day. But my father is no longer with us because he went up with smoke to the heavens, from now on the Rebbe is my father. Please, give me a bracha!"

The Heilige Rebbe placed a napkin on her head and placed his holy hands on the napkin and gave her a bracha. Soon after she happily left the house there was another knock on the door. Another young girl. And another. And yet another... One after the next until 87 [!] orphaned girls received a bracha from the Rebbe as a father to his daughters.

זכות הצדיקים יעזור ויגן ויושיע