Monday was the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the death) of Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l. Rav Aharon Kotler was sent to America by R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky at the height of World War II, where he founded the Lakewood (NJ) yeshiva, which (I believe) is today the largest yeshiva in the United States.
Unlike the poor Torah in this song, Rav Aharon's Torah did not end up in a museum. It is available to thousands of people all over the world today.
I find this song incredibly sad - so much of our heritage was destroyed and is not properly used anymore. But thank God there are more people studying Torah in Israel today than at any time and any place before.
The song is by Abie Rotenberg from the Journeys albums.
Tonight is the 11th day of the month of Cheshvan, and as many of you know it's the night that we observe the anniversary of the death of our mother Rachel. If you know that, you know what's coming. Yes, it's Mama Rachel from Journeys.
Let's go to the videotape and I'll have a story for you afterward.
In Jeremiah, it says that God told Rachel to stop crying because there is a reward for her crying and the Children of Israel will return to the Land of Israel. It is said here that R. Chaim Shmuelevitz, the Rosh Yeshiva (head of the academy) of the Mir yeshiva, who passed away in 1978 when I was studying in yeshiva here, openly prayed that Rachel should cry again and continue to cry until the Messiah comes.... Because it's long past time....
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
