THIS FRIDAY MORNING 14/2/2014 AS I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS
I WENT TO START THE DAY THE TORAH WAY SHIURIM IN THE BIALA BEIS HAMEDRASH 110 CASTLEWOOD ROAD.
THIS FRIDAY RABBI YITZCHOK SUFRIN GAVE THE SHIUR HE TOLD A STORY
FROM THE MAGAZINE FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES CONCORD MARCH 2008.
WHO AM I ? ?.
BEING A LONDON TAXI DRIVER ONE OF THOSE WHO ARE RECKONED TO BE AMONGST THE BEST IN THE WORLD IT WAS NO BIG DEAL TO FIND THE NEAREST MONASTERY.
I PARKED MY CAB ON THE RANK IN KENSINGTON ONE OF THE SMART AREAS IN WEST LONDON AND WALKED OVER TO THE MONASTERY THAT I HAD DRIVEN BY MORE TIMES THEN I CARED TO REMEMBER.
"AT LAST" I THOUGHT, "I AM GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE IN MY LIFE THAT WILL GIVE ME THE PURPOSE AND FULFILMENT THAT HAS EVADED ME TILL NOW".
I RANG THE BELL PROTRUDING FROM THE ANCIENT STONEWORK AND SOON I HEARD THE HOLLOW FOOTSTEPS WALKING THE CORRIDOR WITHIN.
THE HUGE HINGES CREAKED AND THE DOOR SLOWLY OPENED INWARDS. I SAW A WIZENED FACE BLINKING IN THE SUNLIGHT.
" MAY I HELP YOU "? I HEARD THE VOICE SAY
" YES " I SAID.
" I WANT TO JOIN YOU "
" COME IN " HE SAID.
HE INVITED ME IN AND TOLD ME TO SIT DOWN AND HE WOULD FIND THE PRIEST.
I SAT AND WAITED LOOKING FORWARD ONCE AND FOR ALL TO GET RID OF MY JEWISH GUILT TRIP.
AFTER ABOUT HALF AN HOUR THE PRIEST UNHURRIEDLY ENTERED THE ROOM PULLED UP A CHAIR AND SAID
" WHAT IS YOUR NAME " ?
" MARTIN " I ANSWERED.
" NO " HE SAID " YOUR JEWISH NAME ".
" MEIR " I SAID.
" AND YOUR FATHER'S NAME " ?
" MOSHE YOSEF " I REPLIED.
" MEIR BEN MOSHE YOSEF YOU DON'T BELONG HERE,
GO BACK TO YOUR PEOPLE ".
I GOT UP IN A DAZE.AS I WALKED OUT OF THAT FRONT DOOR THE THOUGHT WAS WHIZZING AROUND IN MY MIND.
" JUDAISM I DON'T WANT.THEY DON'T WANT ME ".
I, AT A SNAIL'S PACE, MADE MY WAY BACK TO THE CAB.
PERHAPS THE ANSWER LIES WITHIN AFTER ALL.
PERHAPS IT DOES. MEIR IS NOW A CHOSSID LIVING IN STAMFORD HILL NORTH LONDON THE LARGEST ORTHODOX JEWISH COMMUNITY IN EUROPE.
GABY LOCK SAYS.
MR MEIR FLEISCHER WHO LIVED AT 126 BOUVERIE ROAD N.16
WAS NIFTAR A FEW WEEKS AGO.
I MORE AND MORE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE WAYS OF G=D.
BUT MY DUTY IN LIFE IS TO SPREADING HOW I CAN AND IN WHAT EVER WAY, THAT THERE IS A G=D.
THE GERER REBBE ,THE BEIS YISRAEL ZY"A, OFTEN WALKED THE STREETS OF YERUSHALAYIM WITH HIS GABBAI, REB CHANINA SCHIFF Z"L
ONE DAY AS THEY WERE OUT WALKING,THE QUIET WAS DISTURBED BY THE VOICE OF AN ARAB MUEZZIN BEING AIRED THROUGH A LOUDSPAKER IN A MOSQUE.
" DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S SAYING ? HE ASKED REB CHANINA ?
THE BEIS YISRAEL SAID HE IS READING TEXT TO AROUSE THE MEMORY OF THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF.
THEN THE REBBE SMILED.
" HA ! ! THEY THINK THAT THE RECOLLECTION OF THAT SIN IS DEATH FOR AM YISROEL.
HASHEM PARDONED THEM DESPITE ITS SEVERITY EVEN THOUGH,
THIS SIN WAS DONE A FEW WEEKS AFTER RECEIVING THE TORAH AND G=D PARDONED THEM.
THE LESSON IS THAT G=D WILL PARDON ANY JEW AT ANY TIME WANTING TO RETURN TO G=D EVEN AS MR MEIR FLEISCHER BY A PRIEST.
THE PRINCIPLE THAT HASHEM'S LOVE OF AM YISRAEL IS UNCONDITIONAL ! ! !
I WENT TO START THE DAY THE TORAH WAY SHIURIM IN THE BIALA BEIS HAMEDRASH 110 CASTLEWOOD ROAD.
THIS FRIDAY RABBI YITZCHOK SUFRIN GAVE THE SHIUR HE TOLD A STORY
FROM THE MAGAZINE FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES CONCORD MARCH 2008.
WHO AM I ? ?.
BEING A LONDON TAXI DRIVER ONE OF THOSE WHO ARE RECKONED TO BE AMONGST THE BEST IN THE WORLD IT WAS NO BIG DEAL TO FIND THE NEAREST MONASTERY.
I PARKED MY CAB ON THE RANK IN KENSINGTON ONE OF THE SMART AREAS IN WEST LONDON AND WALKED OVER TO THE MONASTERY THAT I HAD DRIVEN BY MORE TIMES THEN I CARED TO REMEMBER.
"AT LAST" I THOUGHT, "I AM GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE IN MY LIFE THAT WILL GIVE ME THE PURPOSE AND FULFILMENT THAT HAS EVADED ME TILL NOW".
I RANG THE BELL PROTRUDING FROM THE ANCIENT STONEWORK AND SOON I HEARD THE HOLLOW FOOTSTEPS WALKING THE CORRIDOR WITHIN.
THE HUGE HINGES CREAKED AND THE DOOR SLOWLY OPENED INWARDS. I SAW A WIZENED FACE BLINKING IN THE SUNLIGHT.
" MAY I HELP YOU "? I HEARD THE VOICE SAY
" YES " I SAID.
" I WANT TO JOIN YOU "
" COME IN " HE SAID.
HE INVITED ME IN AND TOLD ME TO SIT DOWN AND HE WOULD FIND THE PRIEST.
I SAT AND WAITED LOOKING FORWARD ONCE AND FOR ALL TO GET RID OF MY JEWISH GUILT TRIP.
AFTER ABOUT HALF AN HOUR THE PRIEST UNHURRIEDLY ENTERED THE ROOM PULLED UP A CHAIR AND SAID
" WHAT IS YOUR NAME " ?
" MARTIN " I ANSWERED.
" NO " HE SAID " YOUR JEWISH NAME ".
" MEIR " I SAID.
" AND YOUR FATHER'S NAME " ?
" MOSHE YOSEF " I REPLIED.
" MEIR BEN MOSHE YOSEF YOU DON'T BELONG HERE,
GO BACK TO YOUR PEOPLE ".
I GOT UP IN A DAZE.AS I WALKED OUT OF THAT FRONT DOOR THE THOUGHT WAS WHIZZING AROUND IN MY MIND.
" JUDAISM I DON'T WANT.THEY DON'T WANT ME ".
I, AT A SNAIL'S PACE, MADE MY WAY BACK TO THE CAB.
PERHAPS THE ANSWER LIES WITHIN AFTER ALL.
PERHAPS IT DOES. MEIR IS NOW A CHOSSID LIVING IN STAMFORD HILL NORTH LONDON THE LARGEST ORTHODOX JEWISH COMMUNITY IN EUROPE.
GABY LOCK SAYS.
MR MEIR FLEISCHER WHO LIVED AT 126 BOUVERIE ROAD N.16
WAS NIFTAR A FEW WEEKS AGO.
I MORE AND MORE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE WAYS OF G=D.
BUT MY DUTY IN LIFE IS TO SPREADING HOW I CAN AND IN WHAT EVER WAY, THAT THERE IS A G=D.
SHOMER YISRAEL,SHEMOR SHE'EIRIS YISRAEL,
V'AL YOVAD YISRAEL ! ! !
IN LAST WEEKS HAMODIA MAGAZINE 13/2/2014
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE PAGE 4
THE GERER REBBE ,THE BEIS YISRAEL ZY"A, OFTEN WALKED THE STREETS OF YERUSHALAYIM WITH HIS GABBAI, REB CHANINA SCHIFF Z"L
ONE DAY AS THEY WERE OUT WALKING,THE QUIET WAS DISTURBED BY THE VOICE OF AN ARAB MUEZZIN BEING AIRED THROUGH A LOUDSPAKER IN A MOSQUE.
" DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S SAYING ? HE ASKED REB CHANINA ?
THE BEIS YISRAEL SAID HE IS READING TEXT TO AROUSE THE MEMORY OF THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF.
THEN THE REBBE SMILED.
" HA ! ! THEY THINK THAT THE RECOLLECTION OF THAT SIN IS DEATH FOR AM YISROEL.
HASHEM PARDONED THEM DESPITE ITS SEVERITY EVEN THOUGH,
THIS SIN WAS DONE A FEW WEEKS AFTER RECEIVING THE TORAH AND G=D PARDONED THEM.
THE LESSON IS THAT G=D WILL PARDON ANY JEW AT ANY TIME WANTING TO RETURN TO G=D EVEN AS MR MEIR FLEISCHER BY A PRIEST.
THE PRINCIPLE THAT HASHEM'S LOVE OF AM YISRAEL IS UNCONDITIONAL ! ! !
