• Shabbat Tshuva
(Written for the first time on 23/10/2015 on the Hai Pa website)
When I was the commander of the armor's rookie base, I hosted the Holy Rebbe Rebbe Makalib, he got out of a taxi, four ladies in black around him, two carry him and lift him in the air by holding his elbows, at his feet are white silk anfilas and he is wrapped in a white robe woven with gold embroidery, it was as if you met In Elijah the prophet or at least Baal Shem Tov...
In the office, he sits down in a normal chair, the umbrella bearer remains to guard the door and the clerk writes down every word in the pad...
"Noooo, and the commander is observant?" He opened and asked with a smile in his thin voice and his eyes lit up the room...
"I try to fulfill a mitzvah between a person and his friend", answered the Jew in me in a hesitant voice...
The face of the elderly rabbi, a holocaust survivor who was tortured and castrated by the Nazis, his light, a loving smile flooded his face. He shook my hand with both hands, stood up and said: "He who fulfills a mitzvot between a person and his friend will be redeemed many times by a Messiah who called a line on him, all the best! And now we'll go talk to the soldiers.'.
We went to the dining room that had been cleared of the furniture beforehand, 400 soldiers were sitting on the floor, poor and rich, right and left, urban and people from development towns, northerners and northerners, moshavniks and kibbutzniks, Amech Israel the armor recruits February 82 class.
The hall has four openings, from which you enter and exit and a small stage that we prepared for the rabbi and a microphone. The Rebbe came on stage, his four apricots at the top, the guy closed the umbrella, the clerk pulled out the register and the Rebbe spoke: "Hello soldiers, I am a Holocaust survivor and it is an honor to be here with you. I will not say things because I did not come to talk about anything, I came to be with you in the love of Israel. Everyone knows that I have composed many verses for the tunes sung in the synagogues, I would like to sing before you two verses of the Psalms, and whoever wants to join in.'
The Rebbe began to sing and the recruits and the commanders, all enthralled by him, joined in with tremendous singing and repeated in different ways, in thirds, fourths and again and again in an enthusiastic singing like no other, to the joy of the Rebbe who danced on the stage happy and happy, as he sang in his thin voice psalms with the soldiers.
At the end of the singing, which lasted about five or six minutes, the Rebbe turned to the soldiers, said goodbye, greeted them with "Strengthen your hands" and said: "I will stand at the entrance on the left and whoever agrees to shake my hand, will bring me great happiness."
All the soldiers, in silence and silence, including the army officers and the officers, together, about five hundred men, staff and recruits, shook his hand. No one left through the extra exits!
"Thank you, Commander, you will receive the mitzvot," said the little prophet Eliyahu in the white silk robe, wrapped in the honor of the Torah, and went on his way.
The visit was a defining event in my life. He did not make me a religious person, But he clearly gave a reminder of an entire Jewish world from which we all came, and we respect our identity today, each in his own way.
The most fascinating in the whole thing, That you remember the event in detail, as if it were yesterday, even though 34 years have passed and you are rooted in the feeling that such an event is meant to be engraved in your heart forever!
And all this I call being Jewish!
He did not mention God even in one word. He did not mention Torah and mitzvot, he sang to the IDF soldiers and strengthened their hands in the name of Torah, in the name of God, and for a moment that lasted forever and ever, he was also his representative on earth.
How did Rabbi Akiva say? "Love your neighbor as yourself is a great rule in the Torah and this is the entire Torah on one foot."
38 years have passed since their meeting at the rookie base until their next meeting;
The late Rabbi Makalib passed away on 28/4/2019
The late Yossi Morg passed away on 30/4/2019
On two crucial days of the month of Nisan 1999, two tzaddik people who love people ascended to heaven.
Tnzbah
A touching story.
I knew Yossi Morag, the story suits him so well.
Exciting. As always. A moving story. may them rest in peace
Chills and tears...exciting!
God willing, Rabbi Makalib has a grandson who continues his wonderful path and he also has a collector who volunteers for the reserve for many years in Division 7. Apparently, Rabbi Makalib and the armor go together
God bless Rebbe Makalib who continues his wonderful path and he also has a gabbai who has been volunteering for many years in Brigade 7 so probably Rabbi Makalib and the armor go together
A wonderful story, so fitting for the late Yossi.
Thanks??
Wow!!! What a powerful and moving story. may them rest in peace
A special and appropriate article for these days.
The question is whether there are still such rabbis today?
hope so. One way or another, I knew the late Yossi Morg
In my opinion he was better than all the rabbis, he loved people, loved the country and was at a military base all the time and put in daily work and did not come to "bless" and go on his way.
Gila, we were shocked that he died two days before Yossi.
Two righteous people ascended to heaven??
Really exciting. Brings me to tears
A defining event that always accompanied him against those who decided that only he knew who a Jew was.
Transgressions between a person and his friend - there is no Yom Kippur from atonement - until he wills his friend" (Mishnah, Tractate Yoma, Chapter 8, Mishnah 9).
He always emphasized the person in the person and the different ways of believing.
Dear Hana, bless you, bless you for the fact that your Yossi left you and all of us an endless source of life experiences, of life wisdom.
Thank you for letting us smell some of your testicle's wisdom.
A sweet and healthy year.