Stories Of Greatness

May 22, 2017, was a day filled with history, as the first sitting American President stood by the Kosel HaMaaravi, the Western Wall, said a prayer, and placed a note inside. President Trump’s arrival at Ben Gurion Airport was a festive one. Smiles, speeches, and handshakes for all the Israeli dignitaries were followed by a helicopter ride into Jerusalem. The President made a few short stops before his entourage took him and the first family to the Kosel Plaza.

This week’s parshah discusses the “Mis’onenim” – the complainers, who were not satisfied with all that Hashem gave them. Even after He rescued them from Egypt, the Yam Suf, and Amaleik, and gave them all the miracles that they lived with on a daily basis, such as the Mann, the people wanted more. They complained that life was not good – that they had it better when they were slaves. Their complaints made no sense. Hashem allowed them to vent, before He vented His wrath on them. No good ever comes out of complainers.

In the second half of the 19^th century, one of the leaders of Polish and Galician Jewry was the renowned poseik and rav, Rav Sholom Mordechai HaKohen Schwadron zt”l, known throughout the world as the Maharsham. He served as Chief Rabbi of Brezhan for over 30 years, and although he was called the “Brezhaner Rav,” he did serve in a number of communities before arriving in Brezhan.

On any given Friday night throughout the Jewish calendar year, chasidim from all over the world, and of every stripe and denomination, would descend on the famed Pshevorsker Beis Midrash, at Mercatorstraat 56 in Antwerp, Belgium. Specially chartered planes would bring the eager masses to Antwerp before every Yom Tov, every simchah celebration, and especially for the High Holidays of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. They came to see, hear, and just bask in the holy presence of the Pshevorsker Rebbe, Rav Yaakov Leiser zt”l, who assumed the mantle of Rebbe from his father-in-law, Rav Moshe Yitzchok zt”l in 5736 (1976), and proceeded to lead his flock for more than two decades. Among the visitors who came on an almost continual basis were people seeking all sorts of salvation, advice in business affairs, and those requesting a blessing from the holy man. Hundreds of stories abound about Rav Yaakov’s piety, his wisdom, Divine inspiration (ruach ha’kodesh) and the many miracles that were attributed to him.

It is well-known the words of the Satmar Rebbe zt”l, who was once asked for a brachah and he replied, “Find a person who has numbers on his arm who is still frum – from such a tzadik you should ask for a brachah!” There are many such tzadikim who survived the Holocaust and the concentration camps, including Rav Avraham Yitzchak Sicherman zt”l, who served as the manhig ruchani (spiritual leader) in the Romanian town of Sesht (near Sighet) and was taken away to Munkatabor by the accursed Nazis. His miraculous tales of survival both during and after the war are truly inspiring.

On the night of Shavuos, many people have the custom to recite Tikkun Leil Shavuos. Tikkun Leil Shavuos is said to have been officially established by the holy Arizal, Rabbeinu Yitzchak Luria zt”l. The chag of Shavuos celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish People, but, according to the Midrash, B’nei Yisrael overslept on the morning they were due to receive the Torah, and they had to be awakened by a shofar blast from Hashem.