This past Shabbos, I attended a shiur where the rabbi related a story about the tremendous sacrifice a young boy was prepared to make to live according to his religious beliefs. Subsequently, I found the story on a website. No, I am not Lubavitch, but I thought the story was amazing.
“I have no idea when the dead will come back to life, but I am certain,” said Israel’s President Shimon Peres, “that your work that gives life to the living, is no less important.”
Speaking to Chabad-Lubavitch representatives from the FSU at their annual convention in Jerusalem, the President, visibly inspired, said, “From Mumbai in India, to Siberia in Russia, Chabad Shluchim are in the trenches, breathing life into places remote and removed from centers of Judaism."
...Rabbi Berel Lazar, Russia's Chief Rabbi, who enjoys a bird’s eye perspective on the change in this region, shared his recent experience working with the Russian government to get state exams rescheduled so that they don’t conflict, with Jewish holidays.
“Two months ago,” he told the convened, "a young boy, Nikolai, approached me in the synagogue on Shabbos. He said he had a halachic question to ask me. State board exams were scheduled for Shavuot, and he wanted to know if he is allowed to take them.”
The Rabbi told him that he is not permitted to violate the holiday to take the exams, but that he would try to see if he can get the board of education to reschedule the test. Indeed, Rabbi Lazar contacted the minister of education, who told him that it would be impossible for him to change the law.
Rabbi Lazar met the boy again two weeks later and asked him what he plans to do. “I’ve decided not to take the exam. I won’t receive a diploma,” he said.
“After 11 years of studying, this young boy,” said Rabbi Lazar, “was prepared to forgo his diploma out of his respect for yiddishkeit, for Torah.”
The anecdote ended happily, not only for Nikolai but for all of Russia’s Jewish students, when Rabbi Lazar met with Russia’s President Medvedev, who readily implemented the change that would no longer present a conflict....
“Two months ago,” he told the convened, "a young boy, Nikolai, approached me in the synagogue on Shabbos. He said he had a halachic question to ask me. State board exams were scheduled for Shavuot, and he wanted to know if he is allowed to take them.”
The Rabbi told him that he is not permitted to violate the holiday to take the exams, but that he would try to see if he can get the board of education to reschedule the test. Indeed, Rabbi Lazar contacted the minister of education, who told him that it would be impossible for him to change the law.
Rabbi Lazar met the boy again two weeks later and asked him what he plans to do. “I’ve decided not to take the exam. I won’t receive a diploma,” he said.
“After 11 years of studying, this young boy,” said Rabbi Lazar, “was prepared to forgo his diploma out of his respect for yiddishkeit, for Torah.”
The anecdote ended happily, not only for Nikolai but for all of Russia’s Jewish students, when Rabbi Lazar met with Russia’s President Medvedev, who readily implemented the change that would no longer present a conflict....
Incidentally, I wrote a post the other day about Israeli tennis players who are scheduled to play the semi-finals of the Davis Cup on Rosh Hashanah. I took out a Jewish calendar to corroborate the dates and noticed that this coming year will correspond to the letters תשע. Those letters form the root of the word תשועה, which means salvation. The numerical value of the letters תשע is equal to 770. (The letter ה is placed in front of the other letters to correspond to 5000 so that this year will be Rosh Hashanah 5770.) Anyone familiar with the address of Lubavitch headquarters on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn?
May we merit to see a salvation bekarov. And sorry about the gematria. I am sure you will be innundated with word plays on the letters of the upcoming new year but I couldn't resist.
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