Nisyonos of a Generation | Rabbi Eliezer Gewirtzman

Our Kehillah in Coventry once had the zchus to go as a Kehillah on a trip to Europe. One of the stops we made was in Rimanov, to go to the Kever of the heiliger R’ Mendel of Rimanov. We got there about 1:00 in the morning. The bus stopped. We all had to get off in the cold and switch over to small vans to take us up to the Kever, up to the city of Rimanov. We drove probably about a mile on very thin, windy roads all the way up the mountain, until we got to the Kever of R’ Mendel Rimanover. On the way up, we said, You know, this is the way they lived up here. They lived on a hilltop. Imagine if a Yid in Rimanov wanted to do an Aveira, what would he be able to do? Where would he be able to go? He would have to climb down the mountain to get to a place. And yet we, as Yidden here in America, all we have to do is turn around and we have, unfortunately, such opportunities to do Aveiros. And the truth is, when you stop and think about it, in every דור there are Nisyonos. Klal Yisroel live through Nisyonos. Whether it was the pioneers in America, who had Nisyonos of Shabbos, whether it was those Yidden in Rimanov who had to deal with Nisyonos as it relates to Reform and Conservative and to fight for their ענייני הדת. We, too, have Nisyonos. And what we have to realize is in every דור, HaKadosh Baruch Hu puts those who have the ability to be עומד בניסיון in that generation. Imagine when Moshiach comes, we think we're going to have to look at Abaye, we're going to have to look at Rava, and we're going to be so embarrassed. Where are we in learning compared to these Torah giants? But when we stop and think about it, the Nisyonos that we face is unparalleled to all the generations before. HaKadosh Baruch Hu put us into this generation to be the ones to be able to carry the יסודי הדת, the flag of Yiddishkeit on. And just like those who stood up to the waves of Conservatism and Reform and were able to stay frum and to carry on the Torah, it is us that is given the great task of being able to carry on ענייני קדושה, ענייני טהרה through these generations. When we understand that this is our job, when we understand that this is where HaKadosh Baruch Hu put us, it's difficult, but it gives us the Ko’ach to be able to move forward.