(AUDIO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
At the Levaya in New York on Erev Yom Tov, R’ Shaya Levin delivered a powerful Hesped for his son Yisroel Z”L who was killed in a car crash together with his Kallah, Elisheva Kaplan A”H.
R’ Shaya began by examining the minhag of afikomen. He explained that the children take the afikomen and guard it to the whole Seder night until the father asks for it.
Later, the father questions the child to make sure the Matzah is still pure and did not become Chometz, before he asks for it back.
But before returning the afikomen, the child insists he be promised a present in exchange.
Thus, R’ Shaya explained he was entitled to make a request of Hakodosh Baruch Hu.
“21-years-ago, I received a pure prisitine Matzah from Hakodosh Baruch Hu. I made sure he received the best chinuch, sending him to the best Yeshivos and having the best friends…”
“Now Hashem wants the Matzah back. But I want my Afikomen. And Joel (father of Elisheva A”H) wants his afikomen too. We did what we were supposed to do. We will give our Matzos back but I want 3 things.”
“10,000 shidduchim in Klal Yisroel. Not 5,000 for the boys and 5,000 for the girls. I want 10,000 for both boys and girls. I want 10,000 Refuah Shelaimos in Klal Yisroel, 10,000 for both the zecharim and nekaivos. Lastly, I want Siyata Sishmaya for Emunah and Bitachon for 10,000 Yidden.”
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6 Responses
Wow, to hear a father speak like this at such a horrible levaya is awe inspiring and demands much of all of us.
Very moving!!!
This man is a powerhouse.
I didn’t know Yisroel or Elisheva, but I sat watching the levaya in Eretz Yisroel yesterday for close to 2 hours. The Hespedim were heart-wrenching and mesmerizing. The emunah and bitachon that the family has is truly inspiring and life changing.
R’ Carlbach spoke about how it is a tragedy for the entire Klal Yisroel. Countless friends of mine told me that they cried nonstop for hours and even days after hearing about this tragedy.
Just like there was a world before 9/11/2001 and a world after 9/11/2001, so too there was a world before this tragedy and a world after this tragedy. The world is now a different place, where a Chosson and Kallah 10 days after they are engaged can have something like this occur. HaKadosh Baruch Hu sent us a direct message. I think that everyone took something out of it.
Yisroel’s brother spoke in Eretz Yisroel describing the dinner that the Chosson and Kallah had that night in his house, all the way until the tight hug before he set out back home. And how Yisroel’s sister said, if he would have left a moment earlier or later, or missed one light , or drove faster or slower, then they wouldn’t have been in that place and that time, but that is what HaKadosh Boruch Hu had wanted to happen. R’ Shaya kept on saying how we don’t have to understand even though it’s so hard.
Oh how it is so hard.
Friends, Family and all of Klal Yisroel were touched. R’ Shaya spoke about crying for HaKadosh Baruch Hu for how He feels. This is very hard for me and I hope that Families and all of the Friends and all of Klal Yisroel have a Nechama. HaKadosh Baruch Hu should answer all of our tefilos and bakashos and should Bring the Geulah quickly and speedily in our days.
Purest Emunah. What a kiddush HaShem.
We don’t ask hashem for anything in return. We certainly don’t demand. We deserve nothing. You want to know what we don’t deserve? We don’t deserve to have everything we have in the first place. We accept with אהבה without asking for anything in return. And before you say “who are you to judge??” I lost a child too a few months ago. This is not emuna. This is fake faith. Sorry to pour cold water on your parade.
Alas Anon21. May you only experience revealed good for your time left on earth.