YOU MUST READ LAST WEEKS HAMODIA 23 JANUARY 2014 FEATURES.
IT HAPPENED IN POLAND NOT SO LONG AGO.
RABBI CHAIM DOVID HALBERSTAM ZT"L WRITES:
ON ANOTHER VISIT TO POLAND, I WAS IN CRACOW, SITING IN MY HOTEL LOBBY, WHEN AN ELDERLY POLISH WOMAN APPROACHED ME.
SHE ASKED ME IF SHE COULD DISCUSS SOMETHING WITH ME FOR A FEW MINUTES.
SHE THEN RELATED THE FOLLOWING:
" I WAS A YOUNG GIRL IN POLAND WHEN WORLD WAR TWO BROKE OUT.
MY JEWISH PARENTS, IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE MY LIFE, ENTRUSTED ME TO A NON-JEWISH FAMILY IN OUR CITY.
THEY TORMENTED ME IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.
EVERY NIGHT, I CRIED MYSELF TO SLEEP.
ONE NIGHT, I DECIDED THAT I HAD HAD ENOUGH. I MUST ESCAPE, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
I DECIDED TO GO TO A SMALL VILLAGE OUTSIDE THE CITY.
" AT DAWN I FINALLY REACHED A VILLAGE. I WANDERED ABOUT UNTIL A FAMILY TOOK ME IN TO WORK ON THEIR FARM.
NO ONE KNEW THAT I WAS JEWISH. IT WAS A SECRET THAT I GUARDED VIGILANTLY, SLOWLY, I BECAME PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND MY NEW LIFE MADE ME FORGET MY FAMILY AND ANCESTRY.
IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,THE VILLAGERS TREATED ME LIKE ONE OF THEIR OWN. WHEN I CAME OF AGE, I MARRIED A LOCAL YOUTH, WITH WHOM I HAD A GOOD LIFE. WE HAD THREE CHILDREN TOGETHER, TWO BOYS AND A GIRL.
OUR CHILDREN GREW UP AND GOT MARRIED.
LATELY, I STARTED FEELING A CONSTANT WEAKNESS, AS WELL AS PAIN.
I CONSULTED A DOCTOR. IT WAS TOO LATE. I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADVANCED CANCER AND TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE.
THE DOCTOR'S PROGNOSIS WAS THAT I HAD BUT A SHORT TIME LEFT TO LIVE.
ONE NIGHT I HAD A DREAM, A TERRIBLE DREAM ! !
MY MURDERED MOTHER HY"D APPEARED TO ME, SHE CRIED AND WAILED,
" MY DEAR DAUGHTER, I'M DEMANDING SOMETHING FROM YOU AND I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO REFUSE ME, YOU'VE LIVED THE LIFE OF A POLISH GENTILE, WITHOUT SHABBOS, WITHOUT KASHRUS, BUT HAVE PITY ON YOURSELF, AT LEAST SEE THAT YOU WILL BE BURIED AS A JEW, FOR THIS WILL HELP YOU IN THE NEXT WORLD."
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT CAREFULLY AND DECIDED TO IGNORE THE DREAM,
BUT THE DREAM APPEARED TIME AND TIME AGAIN UNTIL I WAS CONVINCED THAT IT WAS TRUE AND I MUST FULFILL MY MOTHER'S REQUEST.
" SO NOW I'M TALKING TO YOU, PLEASE HELP ME AND ADVISE ME WHAT TO DO.
MY POLISH HUSBAND IS AN ANTI-SEMITE, IF HE DISCOVERS THAT HIS WIFE IS A JEWESS, THAT I LIED TO HIM ALL THESE YEARS, HE WILL DEFINITELY NOT AGREE TO MY REQUEST AND WILL EVEN TAKE REVENGE ON ME. WHAT CAN I DO ?
THE WOMAN FINISHED SPEAKING AND BURST INTO BITTER TEARS.
B'SIYATTA DISHMAYA I CAME UP WITH A GOOD IDEA.
" YOU HAVE FRIENDS ? " I ASKED HER, "IF SO ,"
" WRITE DOWN YOUR LIFE STORY INCLUDING AN EXPLICIT COMMAND TO BURY YOU AS A JEW AND GIVE IT TO A TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND, TELL HER THAT SHE IS NOT TO OPEN IT OR GIVE IT TO ANYONE UNTIL AFTER YOUR DEATH, AT WHICH TIME SHE SHOULD GIVE IT TO YOUR HUSBAND.
SHE THEN WROTE DOWN HER NAME AND FAMILY NAME AND ASKED ME TO PRAY FOR HER.
A FEW YEARS PASSED AND ONCE AGAIN I FOUND MYSELF IN POLAND. THIS TIME I WAS BASED IN THE CAPITAL,WARSAW.
ONE DAY I HIRED A POLISH DRIVER TO TAKE ME TO BIALYSTOK.
WE STARTED THE DAY EARLY, DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY THAT WAS ONCE A CENTER OF TORAH AND CHASSIDUS WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YIDDEN LIVING THERE.
NOW THOSE STREETS BORE NO RESEMBLANCE TO WHAT THEY HAD ONCE BEEN.
EVENTUALLY, AS THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL, HE STARTED QUESTIONING ME ABOUT VARIOUS TOPICS.
ONCE HE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH ME, HIS TONE CHANGED AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD SOMETHING INTERESTING TO TELL ME.
" YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I AM A JEW, BUT I AM A JEW ! " HE SAID
"I WANT TO TELL YOU THE ASTONISHING WAY THIS BECAME KNOWN TO ME.
" MY MOTHER DIED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS A TERRIBLE LOSS FOR OUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
WHILE WE WERE SITTING AND PLANNING THE BURIAL CEREMONY, A NEIGHBOR,
A CLOSE FRIEND OF OUR MOTHER ENTERED.
THIS IS A LETTER YOUR WIFE GAVE ME AND ASKED ME TO GIVE TO YOU IMMEDIATELY AFTER HER DEATH.
MY FATHER'S FACE REGISTERED COMPLETE SHOCK AFTER READING THE LETTER.
MY FATHER STARTED WEEPING UNCONTROLLABLY.
FINALLY HE HANDED US THE LETTER TO READ, WE WERE COMPLETELY SHAKEN TO DISCOVER THAT OUR MOTHER COMMANDED US TO BURY HER IN A JEWISH CEMETERY, AS SHE WAS JEWISH !
WE STOOD THERE PARALYZED WITH SHOCK. A WHILE PASSED IN WHICH NONE OF US UTTERED A WORD.
THEN WE CONCLUDED THAT WE WERE OBLIGATED TO FULFILL OUR MOTHER'S WISH.
BUT WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS OUR FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES THINK ? OUR FATHER DECIDED THAT FIRST,WE'D ARRANGE A BURIAL IN THE LOCAL CEMETERY.
THEN WE'D SAY THAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING HER REMAINS TO THE VILLAGE OF TICHIN SO THAT SHE COULD BE BURIED NEAR HER PARENTS.
IN TICHIN WE'D BURY HER IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY THERE, AND THAT WAS WHAT WE DID.
THE DRIVER WASN'T FINISHED. HE TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND CONTINUED HIS TALE.
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER,MY FATHER SUFFERED A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, HE WAS IN A CRITICAL CONDITION AND THE DOCTORS CLAIMED HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
ONE DAY HE CALLED US, HIS THREE CHILDREN INTO HIM AND BEGAN SPEAKING IN A SERIOUS TONE.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW NOW, MY FATHER SAID: " THAT I AM A JEW ! ! "
" FATHER THEN TOLD US THAT BECAUSE OF THE DANGERS OF THE WAR, HIS PARENTS HID HIM AND CONCEALED HIS TRUE IDENTITY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS BEFORE MY DEATH.
I COMMAND YOU THAT WHEN MY TIME COMES YOU BURY ME NEAR YOUR MOTHER IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY."
WHEN THE DRIVER FINISHED HIS TALE HE NOTICED THAT I LOOKED FAINT.
I TOOK OUT THE NOTE ON WHICH WAS WRITTEN THE NAME OF THE WOMAN I HAD MET SO MANY YEARS AGO IN CRACOW AND FOR WHOM I HAD BEEN PRAYING ALL THESE YEARS.
" THIS WAS MY MOTHER ! " THE DRIVER EXCLAIMED
AND SO HE HEARD FROM ME THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY AFTER I HAD SO MIRACULOUSLY HEARD THE SECOND PART FROM HIM.
ONE YEAR LATER I WENT TO THEIR KEVARIM IN TICHIN AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS ALL TRUE.
IT HAPPENED IN POLAND NOT SO LONG AGO.
RABBI CHAIM DOVID HALBERSTAM ZT"L WRITES:
ON ANOTHER VISIT TO POLAND, I WAS IN CRACOW, SITING IN MY HOTEL LOBBY, WHEN AN ELDERLY POLISH WOMAN APPROACHED ME.
SHE ASKED ME IF SHE COULD DISCUSS SOMETHING WITH ME FOR A FEW MINUTES.
SHE THEN RELATED THE FOLLOWING:
" I WAS A YOUNG GIRL IN POLAND WHEN WORLD WAR TWO BROKE OUT.
MY JEWISH PARENTS, IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE MY LIFE, ENTRUSTED ME TO A NON-JEWISH FAMILY IN OUR CITY.
THEY TORMENTED ME IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.
EVERY NIGHT, I CRIED MYSELF TO SLEEP.
ONE NIGHT, I DECIDED THAT I HAD HAD ENOUGH. I MUST ESCAPE, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
I DECIDED TO GO TO A SMALL VILLAGE OUTSIDE THE CITY.
" AT DAWN I FINALLY REACHED A VILLAGE. I WANDERED ABOUT UNTIL A FAMILY TOOK ME IN TO WORK ON THEIR FARM.
NO ONE KNEW THAT I WAS JEWISH. IT WAS A SECRET THAT I GUARDED VIGILANTLY, SLOWLY, I BECAME PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND MY NEW LIFE MADE ME FORGET MY FAMILY AND ANCESTRY.
IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,THE VILLAGERS TREATED ME LIKE ONE OF THEIR OWN. WHEN I CAME OF AGE, I MARRIED A LOCAL YOUTH, WITH WHOM I HAD A GOOD LIFE. WE HAD THREE CHILDREN TOGETHER, TWO BOYS AND A GIRL.
OUR CHILDREN GREW UP AND GOT MARRIED.
LATELY, I STARTED FEELING A CONSTANT WEAKNESS, AS WELL AS PAIN.
I CONSULTED A DOCTOR. IT WAS TOO LATE. I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADVANCED CANCER AND TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE.
THE DOCTOR'S PROGNOSIS WAS THAT I HAD BUT A SHORT TIME LEFT TO LIVE.
ONE NIGHT I HAD A DREAM, A TERRIBLE DREAM ! !
MY MURDERED MOTHER HY"D APPEARED TO ME, SHE CRIED AND WAILED,
" MY DEAR DAUGHTER, I'M DEMANDING SOMETHING FROM YOU AND I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO REFUSE ME, YOU'VE LIVED THE LIFE OF A POLISH GENTILE, WITHOUT SHABBOS, WITHOUT KASHRUS, BUT HAVE PITY ON YOURSELF, AT LEAST SEE THAT YOU WILL BE BURIED AS A JEW, FOR THIS WILL HELP YOU IN THE NEXT WORLD."
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT CAREFULLY AND DECIDED TO IGNORE THE DREAM,
BUT THE DREAM APPEARED TIME AND TIME AGAIN UNTIL I WAS CONVINCED THAT IT WAS TRUE AND I MUST FULFILL MY MOTHER'S REQUEST.
" SO NOW I'M TALKING TO YOU, PLEASE HELP ME AND ADVISE ME WHAT TO DO.
MY POLISH HUSBAND IS AN ANTI-SEMITE, IF HE DISCOVERS THAT HIS WIFE IS A JEWESS, THAT I LIED TO HIM ALL THESE YEARS, HE WILL DEFINITELY NOT AGREE TO MY REQUEST AND WILL EVEN TAKE REVENGE ON ME. WHAT CAN I DO ?
THE WOMAN FINISHED SPEAKING AND BURST INTO BITTER TEARS.
B'SIYATTA DISHMAYA I CAME UP WITH A GOOD IDEA.
" YOU HAVE FRIENDS ? " I ASKED HER, "IF SO ,"
" WRITE DOWN YOUR LIFE STORY INCLUDING AN EXPLICIT COMMAND TO BURY YOU AS A JEW AND GIVE IT TO A TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND, TELL HER THAT SHE IS NOT TO OPEN IT OR GIVE IT TO ANYONE UNTIL AFTER YOUR DEATH, AT WHICH TIME SHE SHOULD GIVE IT TO YOUR HUSBAND.
SHE THEN WROTE DOWN HER NAME AND FAMILY NAME AND ASKED ME TO PRAY FOR HER.
A FEW YEARS PASSED AND ONCE AGAIN I FOUND MYSELF IN POLAND. THIS TIME I WAS BASED IN THE CAPITAL,WARSAW.
ONE DAY I HIRED A POLISH DRIVER TO TAKE ME TO BIALYSTOK.
WE STARTED THE DAY EARLY, DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY THAT WAS ONCE A CENTER OF TORAH AND CHASSIDUS WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YIDDEN LIVING THERE.
NOW THOSE STREETS BORE NO RESEMBLANCE TO WHAT THEY HAD ONCE BEEN.
EVENTUALLY, AS THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL, HE STARTED QUESTIONING ME ABOUT VARIOUS TOPICS.
ONCE HE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH ME, HIS TONE CHANGED AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD SOMETHING INTERESTING TO TELL ME.
" YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I AM A JEW, BUT I AM A JEW ! " HE SAID
"I WANT TO TELL YOU THE ASTONISHING WAY THIS BECAME KNOWN TO ME.
" MY MOTHER DIED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS A TERRIBLE LOSS FOR OUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
WHILE WE WERE SITTING AND PLANNING THE BURIAL CEREMONY, A NEIGHBOR,
A CLOSE FRIEND OF OUR MOTHER ENTERED.
THIS IS A LETTER YOUR WIFE GAVE ME AND ASKED ME TO GIVE TO YOU IMMEDIATELY AFTER HER DEATH.
MY FATHER'S FACE REGISTERED COMPLETE SHOCK AFTER READING THE LETTER.
MY FATHER STARTED WEEPING UNCONTROLLABLY.
FINALLY HE HANDED US THE LETTER TO READ, WE WERE COMPLETELY SHAKEN TO DISCOVER THAT OUR MOTHER COMMANDED US TO BURY HER IN A JEWISH CEMETERY, AS SHE WAS JEWISH !
WE STOOD THERE PARALYZED WITH SHOCK. A WHILE PASSED IN WHICH NONE OF US UTTERED A WORD.
THEN WE CONCLUDED THAT WE WERE OBLIGATED TO FULFILL OUR MOTHER'S WISH.
BUT WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS OUR FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES THINK ? OUR FATHER DECIDED THAT FIRST,WE'D ARRANGE A BURIAL IN THE LOCAL CEMETERY.
THEN WE'D SAY THAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING HER REMAINS TO THE VILLAGE OF TICHIN SO THAT SHE COULD BE BURIED NEAR HER PARENTS.
IN TICHIN WE'D BURY HER IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY THERE, AND THAT WAS WHAT WE DID.
THE DRIVER WASN'T FINISHED. HE TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND CONTINUED HIS TALE.
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER,MY FATHER SUFFERED A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, HE WAS IN A CRITICAL CONDITION AND THE DOCTORS CLAIMED HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
ONE DAY HE CALLED US, HIS THREE CHILDREN INTO HIM AND BEGAN SPEAKING IN A SERIOUS TONE.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW NOW, MY FATHER SAID: " THAT I AM A JEW ! ! "
" FATHER THEN TOLD US THAT BECAUSE OF THE DANGERS OF THE WAR, HIS PARENTS HID HIM AND CONCEALED HIS TRUE IDENTITY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS BEFORE MY DEATH.
I COMMAND YOU THAT WHEN MY TIME COMES YOU BURY ME NEAR YOUR MOTHER IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY."
WHEN THE DRIVER FINISHED HIS TALE HE NOTICED THAT I LOOKED FAINT.
I TOOK OUT THE NOTE ON WHICH WAS WRITTEN THE NAME OF THE WOMAN I HAD MET SO MANY YEARS AGO IN CRACOW AND FOR WHOM I HAD BEEN PRAYING ALL THESE YEARS.
" THIS WAS MY MOTHER ! " THE DRIVER EXCLAIMED
AND SO HE HEARD FROM ME THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY AFTER I HAD SO MIRACULOUSLY HEARD THE SECOND PART FROM HIM.
ONE YEAR LATER I WENT TO THEIR KEVARIM IN TICHIN AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS ALL TRUE.
1 comment:
Thank you gaby,it is really an amazing story.
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