The Passing of a Tzaddik | Rabbi Nachum Binder

Today, Thursday, כ”ג טבת, is the end of an era. Today, Maran HaMashgiach R' Matisyahu Salomon זצוק”ל will be brought למנוחת עולמים in Yerushalayim עיר הקודש. Whereas the Mashgiach, with his multifaceted personality and his tremendous גדלות, was מחזק and מרומם Klal Yisroel, in all areas of Avodas Hashem, his final battle, and perhaps his fiercest battle, was the battle for Shemiras HaEinayim and Shemiras HaKedushah by Klal Yisroel. The Sefarim HaKedoshim teach us that the time of the פטירה of a Tzaddik is not only a time of responsibility, that we are responsible to fill that hole that is left in the world when the Tzaddik leaves us, and to be מחזק ourselves, especially in the עניינים that the Tzaddik tried to be מחזק Klal Yisroel, but it's also a unique time of opportunity. The Sefarim tell us that the time of the פטירה of a Tzaddik is a time when the מעלות of a Tzaddik and the things for which he fought so dearly, all those מעלות are available for each and every יחיד, each and every one of us, to grow, to Shteig, to become bigger in those מעלות that the Tzaddik left for us. מוריי ורבותיי, the Mashgiach said many times, that he is ready to give his life to uphold Kedushah by Klal Yisroel. He said he knows that the Yetzer Hara is not happy with his work, and the Yetzer Hara will try to do everything to stop him, but he is ready to go further and to be Moser Nefesh for us, that we can be Kadosh, that we can have the strength to overcome our Nisyonos, that we can have the strength to become bigger and better Yidden, through our Nisyonos. But there's one lesson that the Mashgiach constantly taught us, and that was the lesson of How a person has to try his hardest not to put himself in a situation of Nisyonos, in all areas, and especially in the areas of Kedushah and Shemiras Einayim. מוריי ורבותיי, The Ribono shel Olam is not asking us to give our lives, but maybe we can give some comfort. Maybe there are certain times, certain places, certain situations which we know are hard for us, in the area of Kedushah and Shemiras Einayim, and many times we tend to say, I'll go, but I won't look. Maybe we can try to be מחזק ourselves, not to put ourselves in areas of Nisayon. At this time, when these מעלות of the Mashgiach זצוק”ל are available for us, are there for each and every one of us to grab onto his coattails, to grow and to Shteig, to become bigger and to become better, let us try to work on ourselves, לעילוי נשמתו הטהורה not to put ourselves in situations of Nisyonos. And if חס ושלום, we find ourselves in a situation of a Nisayon, of course, to overcome our Nisyonos. It's going to be so much easier because those מעלות are all available for us. Let us do it as a zechus for his Neshama, as הכרת הטוב to him for what he did for us, to ensure our Kedushah. And let us hope that בקרוב ממש, the Mashgiach will go by the כסא הכבוד, and will cry and will beg and will plead. He knows how hard it is for us, he knows how painful it is for us, and he’ll be our שליח ציבור to cry to the Ribono shel Olam, that the time for the Geulah has come. Klal Yisroel is looking to grow, Klal Yisroel is looking to Shteig. Have רחמנות on the Yiddishe Kinder. And He'll take us out of this Galus, במהרה בימינו, אמן.