A Holocaust Victim's Final Words — And Our Mission Today - Rabbi Asher Weiss

Many many years ago, I think it was about 30 years ago, I spoke at a kid event and I told a story story about two people. Let's call them Rabbi Yakov and Rab Ysef. And Yakov calls his friend Ysef and he says, "I hear you're planning a trip to Eritis soil. I have a son in Israel who is struggling and he's not doing well. And if you're going to Israel, please please give him a call. see how he's doing. Give him some kind words of encouragement. And please, when you get back, report to me and take $2,000 just as a token of thank you and appreciation. Two or three weeks transpire. Yankeev hears nothing from Ysef. He gives him a call again and he asks, "How's my son doing?" And Yasf stutters and apologizes and he says, "Uh, I really apologize, but I forgot." And he did not see him. You could imagine how deeply hurt Yakov is we're friends for many years. I told you my son is struggling and all I asked for is look after him. I even gave you $2,000 saying thank you and you forgot. That's the story of our generation. [clears throat] Bo has kids, children that are struggling. And Akaleshu asks each and every one of us, please look after my children. How are they doing? Reach out. And I'm giving you so much blessing. Please look after my kid. And many of us maybe most of us just say I forgot I I was too busy. I did other things. So borashem in our generation many people did not forget and as Rabbi Schiller said going back a few decades very few people listened to that call and those were the giants of the kid of world the pioneers and we are here today thanks to their inspiration, their courage and their vision. I am the son of a Holocaust survivor. My father with his entire family arrived in Awitz the first day was 1944. That same day he lost his grandparents, father and mother, five out of eight siblings. and the last words he heard from his father when they were separated. Most of the family sent right to the gas chambers. He and two younger brothers sent left to life. And the last words he heard from his father were, "Mosha, look after your brothers." And my father took that plea as not only look after you your two younger brothers Hershey and Hilu but he took that plea as look after your brethren and my father dedicated his life to Clanis. And that was the call. That was the vision of those giants of Kiru that went against the tide and it was a totally new endeavor. And our generation we have more Balichua in one month than European jewelry had in a hundred years. In a hundred years, for many many generations, there was always no k and death. Nobody came to us. And this is the call of our generation, of our time. Our kind, our brothers are out there lost, waiting, waiting for someone to reach out, to give them a helping hand. And that is our call. And when I walked into this basement just a few minutes ago, I was moved to tears. And I still have tears in my eyes just by the sight and by the voices. For a moment, if I would close my eyes, I would think I'm in heaven or in BMG in Lakewood or in Panovich, seeing such a huge crowd of boys and just closing my eyes, not looking at the colors, but because the colors are somewhat different, but the voices are the same and it's the same toy. And I was really genuinely moved. And for me, it's such a just to be a little part of this endeavor. So many in the fume community don't really understand and appreciate what it means to be a bout because we were born into Yiddish kite. We had Yiddish kite thrust upon us. So, and many of us don't really understand what it means to make this choice. And so many of the young boys sitting here in this room right now made a choice and paid a price. Many of us don't understand what it means to leave a world behind and in a way to leave family relationships behind. And I hope that each and every one of you has a supportive family and appreciate a family. But I know that not always is that the reality. So many people that were born into Yiddish don't really know and appreciate and understand what it means to be achiev. And after you make those first few steps, how many doubts you have and how many times the eight sahara calls back to you and says, "Turn around. Come back here where you were and you persevere and you're steadfast in your direction." And that is so admirable and it is to be appreciated in Yiddish. Doesn't matter how big you are. It matters are you becoming bigger. And this is a saying that sounds better in Brit than in English. So Hazal teach us that the Jewish people are like the moon and the other nations get the sun and that doesn't seem to be fair because the sun is far greater and bigger and huger than the moon. So why are they like the sun and we're like the moon? The sun is huge, but it didn't grow with one millimeter since creation. You're big. So what? That was the way you were born. The moon teaches us about growth and about struggle. Every month he is reduced to nothing. He's gone. And every month he's back and he grows from day to day. And we look for the moon at Kdesh Lavona and we see him growing bigger by the day. That is our story. That is our challenge. Doesn't really matter how big you are. Are you getting bigger? Are you growing? Are you coming closer to a keshb ra destler one of the mus giants of our time spoke about hab the scale of bira of free will. So, I once heard a story about a mountain climber who started off at sea level and with all his greed and all his all his gear and he's climbing and climbing up to 500 ft, 1,000 ft, one five, 2,000 ft. He's up to 3,200 ft and he reaches a plateau and he says sees little kids scrambling about up there and he asks them, "How did you get here? You know, I've been making such an effort with all my modern gear. how did you get up here? And they said, they looked at him astonished and they said, this is where we were born. So many of us were born at 3,200 m, but it's where we're stuck. It is those that made an effort to get there. They are the ones that aes really appreciates. So there's a scale of and let's say it's like the scale from 1 to 10. Most people were born let's say at 4 4.5 and that scale that's as a kid that's where you are for the last 30 years. Some of you were born at sea level. maybe 0.5 or 1.2 and you struggled and you work and you grow. So maybe you're not well versed. You're not such a great London. Then your cousin that went to and went to Yeshivana, but you made it from 0 to 5 and he was born at five and that's where he stuck. So feel proud of yourself. Feel proud of the choices you made and continue and continue to grow because what's important kite is growth and it doesn't matter how big you are. Are you growing? Are you coming closer to a keshu? That is what really makes the difference. So I'm here tonight just to give you some and appreciation. We appreciate your sacrifice. We know what it takes. And my brah to all of you just keep up keep up on this journey. Coming every day closer toeshu every day to the world of your forefathers. Coming closer every day to our roots and where boho wants us to be. And my humble braha to all my friends sitting up here who dedicate days and nights to this magnificent effort and endeavor of Kiru takes a toil on you as well. And many of us also feel the sacrifice. We could be teaching Tory in an other yeshiva and maybe learning more but there is no greater than helping youngsters like you to find the light and to dedicate their lives to to mitzvah. So it means so much to me and it means so much to us. And one additional feeling I had walking into this room and seeing dips and all of you coming together. It would be so natural to have you fight each other and compete with each other. And competition is a blessing as well as long as it is working together. and seeing all these magnificent institutions or a many of chappels and I know all of you for many years and my dear friend carrying on the legacy of his great father of to all of you there's a safer min He was a disciple at Talmed of and in the introduction to his cyer he says my great rabbi once complained to me I'm so busy with my cahila and my yeshiva I don't have enough time for my own children my son Shim I don't even know what he's learning Rabifa was the younger son of theam and ultimately he was to be one of the gay and complained to his talid I don't even know what he's learning I'm so overwhelmed with my yeshiva and my kah and the ro writes it occurred to me on the spur of the moment to say ashhat and a toillim kayom So I told my rabbi I have anhat those people that give away their days and nights for for bringing children as kind back home. He has a blessing and says to him, "You care for my kind. I will take care of yours." So my to all of you sitting up here on my right and on my left. You're dedicating so much time and effort and resources for so my and I really hope will take care of yours and you shall have so much from your own from your families from your kind and from your so thank you for having me here tonight and my to all of you you should grow and prosper and real be real ba