My Road Trip - January 2009

“Oh man! Oh man! What am I going to do?! Winter break is approaching and I have nothing to do. This is going to be the worst winter break ever.” This is what was going through my mind at about New Year’s time. How little did I know how wrong I was.

          Anyways, school went on like regular. Finally, one day I call up my mother to see what I should do for mid-winter vacation, and I hear that my sister, Shayna, is coming to visit me!! My joy knew no bounds. I’ll be doing something, and with my sister, too! But that was only half the surprise. The other half still remained a secret. Now, I just couldn’t wait for winter vacation!

          About a week before vacation, I’m told the other half: I’m going to Detroit! How? By car! This is getting great. Man! From doing nothing for a week, to driving to Detroit! I must be dreaming! Nobody pinch me, I don’t want to wake up! I just couldn’t believe that this is real life!

          Well, for that week I’m packing and getting ready. I was told I’ll be in Detroit for: (Thursday?) Friday, שבת, and Sunday. But I still had to pack for the first days of vacation. Man, it’s not easy to pack for five days in a small carry-on size duffel bag.

          Finally, the big day, Sunday January 18, 2009, arrives. I davened with the shul and then called Shayna. She was coming at around 9:00 to pick me up. I was soon picked up by Shayna and Buddy. Who’s Buddy? Buddy is this really great dog that Shayna just got. He’s really cool. I’ll speak more about him later on in the composition.

          Then we went to pick up Ari Chapman (the person my sister is dating). He’s a really, really cool guy!

          Well, we talked and caught up on things. Then we went to pick up Ari’s almost two year old son, Adam. He is really fun and cute. This is the second time meeting him. Once we picked Adam up, we drove to this really awesome dog park not far away. You should really see Buddy play! He’s amazing at jumping! We were playing fetch and some stupid dog took the ball and dropped it by its master’s feet. The guy told me to take it. ‘Don’t worry, he won’t bite you’ he said. Well, I take the ball and start going towards Shayna and Ari, when the stupid dog jumps and my whole hand ends up in his mouth! So much for ‘it won’t bite’!

          Then we went to visit Ari’s aunt (Adam’s great aunt) Mildred. We all went onto the porch and talked. Adam and I played. That is until I fell asleep on the lawn chair with Adam underneath me! Well, it was a great first day of vacation! We dropped Adam back off at his house, then I went to stay by Ari’s friend’s house. I went on the computer and watched the concert for Obama’s inauguration. Then I hit the sack.

          Monday : After davening and breakfeast, we went to pick up Adam for a day at the beach! But first we went to meet up with the Schulman family (consisting of: Ari’s sister, Tamar, and her husband, Yochanan; and their kids: Avi and Sholom.) what a sight the greeting in the store was! Cousins hugging and laughing and playing!

          To the beach! Off we went to Vero Beach for a fantastic day in the soft sand and wide ocean. When we arrived, we all changed and hit the water. Ahh! Those waves were pretty big, and boy did it hurt when I didn’t jump on time! But it was so much fun! We were there for a good couple of hours!

Sadly, the time came when we had to leave. But, of course, we had to do group pictures first! Then we left and we went to drop off Adam, then Ari. This time I was staying by our friend Nacho (it’s just a nickname!)’s house.

          On Tuesday we got up early, packed, picked up Ari and Buddy, davened, ate and hit the road. We went through, I believe, four states that day! That night we all slept in the car by some welcome center.

          Wednesday we arrive in Baltimore! We dropped off Buddy by Tamar’s house (where we were going to spend the night). And then we drive to Washington D.C.! We went to the Holocaust Museum, where we met up with my Uncle Mark (whom I haven’t seen since I was like two!) and we spent a couple of hours there. Then we meet Mark’s friend and we went to a small coffee shop to talk. I am serious. If I couldn’t do anything else my whole trip, but spend those few hours talking with Shayna, Ari, Uncle Mark and his friend; I would be completely satisfied. Those few hours we spent together, would be enough for me.

          Later, after a mad dash to pick up our car, we went to see the White House! We took pictures in the back because the front still had bleachers from the inauguration the day before (the back looks better anyways!) Later, after searching all over for a gas station, we went souvenir shopping. I got the perfect picture frame. It has all around the picture different things: the Washington Monument, the Capital, the White House, the Pentagon etc… Then we headed back to Baltimore to spend the night.

          On Thursday we woke up, davened, did  random stuff, had sushi for brunch, watched cartoons, and then hit the road [leaving Ari behind (so it was just Shayna, me, and Buddy)].

          I kept saying to myself: ‘I wish Yaakov (Docks, my best friend) could see Buddy’. Guess what? I found out that Yaakov was going to be in town too! It turns out that he had his break then also!

          On Friday morning, we arrived in Detroit!!! I went straight to see my two wonderful nieces, before they left for Cheder, and my sister Malcah, and my father. Then I went to my old school to see my mother and some of my old rabbeim.

          I spent Shabbos at the Docks’s house with Yaakov. It was great! On Moitze Shabbos, Hudsi Rosenberg and Yaakov slept over! We had a lot of fun!

          Sunday: We all woke up, davened, and played. Later Hudsi went home and Yaakov and I, went to Jerusalem Pizza (the best pizza store) for lunch, where we ate a nice, big meal. Then I went to get a watch. We then had some fun for the rest of the day. Finally, Yaakov had to go home. So I went to Sara’s Deli (the best restaurant for meat), where I ordered to go for me and my mother. We had a nice little supper at home. After supper, my friend Dovi Rosenberg (Hudsi’s brother) came over. We played for a few hours until he was picked up. Then came the hard task of packing, for I was going back to yeshiva early the next day. I was packing until like two or three in the morning, when I fell asleep on the couch.

          On Monday morning, I was woken up at about six thirty, to go to the airport. Shayna took me. When I was checking in, I was told that since I was only fourteen, I had to have a parent check in with me. You see I was flying North West Airlines. So Shayna had to park and check me in. Then, security was moving to slow, since it was tightened. Boy, was I running late! Just my luck that my gate happened to be all the way at the very end of the terminal! I got there just as they were closing the door! Whew! It was a nice ride. Then I took a shuttle and soon arrived on yeshiva grounds.

Mesiras Nefesh Has Always Been A Part Of Us, As Have The Holtzbergs HY”D

Dedicated To The Innocent Terror-Victims Of Mumbai, India

Written By: Dovid Nissan Roetter

               What exactly is ‘Mesiras Nefesh’? I know ‘Sacrificing Your Life for Hashem’. But what does it really mean ‘giving up your life’? I’m only a 14 year-old boy, born in 1994. Thank G-d I wasn’t alive in the times of the Crusades or the infamous Holocaust.  So I can’t understand as well what Mesiras Nefesh really is. Unfortunately, in view of the recent events, I think I now know what it means. Now, I never personally knew the Holtzbergs, like my sister Pesha Leah did. But, yet, it all affected me very deeply. I guess it’s because we are all brothers and sisters. I guess everyone had some Mesiras Nefesh when they heard the news. So, really, Mesiras Nefesh is not just giving up your physical bodies for Hashem, like Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkie did. Also, to a certain extent, giving up your emotional body, as well as your desires, I guess. That is also true Mesiras Nefesh. That is living for Hashem!

               As I mentioned earlier, my sister Pesha Leah Azoulay, knew the Holtzbergs HY”D. Below is a poem dedicated to their memory.

Don't Leave us Stranded!

Written By: Pesha Leah Azoulay of the OK Kosher

I never knew where Mumbai was.

India was so far away. So distant.

I never knew.

That all changed.

Three months ago, when I started working.

Planning a trip with all its details.

For a Rabbi to go to India.

To perform kashrus inspections.

We worked on this trip.

All of the details.

Together with Rabbi Holtzberg.

Who would be accompanying.

Rabbi Holtzberg, when I spoke to you on Tuesday,

You were so accommodating.

“I would never want to be a stranded Jew in India”

Those were your words.

And you insisted we change the schedule,

So the Rabbi could stay by you, one more night.

So you can help him out even more.

Rabbi Holtzberg, when I spoke with you on Tuesday,

I had assumed you were much older.

You spoke with such a depth, such ahavas Yisroel.

On Wednesday, we had finalized the details.

I just was working with the companies,

Waiting for confirmations regarding transport.

On Wednesday night, my husband delicately mentions,

“Were you planning a trip to India?

I don’t think that is a very good idea,

There are terrorist attacks.”

But more details he didn’t give.

And I just couldn’t ask.

Thursday morning, in my inbox.

An email from a company.

They can not get through to you.

They are worried you might be involved.

I had to inform all of them,

Yes, this is our Rabbi.

That’s when it started to hit home.

I followed the news all day.

Hoping, praying, begging.

In a daze, terrified but hoping for the best.

Saying tehillim.

Asking women to bake challah. Please, bake challah with a bracha.

As a segulah for a yeshua.

Thursday night,

My friends get together,

We are saying tehillim,

All of us, together, out loud.

On Friday, things aren’t getting better.

Conflicting reports all day long.

I glance up at my computer screen.

A note, I hadn’t noticed it before.

PLEASE CALL HOLTZBERG.

A smaller note next to it reminds me

Call holtzberg.

My blood freezes. It feels like ages ago

These are just from Tuesday.

Tuesday, when I spoke to you.

I am begging Hashem,

“Bring them back to us.

Alive and well!”

The tears are streaming down my face,

My wrenching sobs shaking me,

To my very core.

I grab my tehillim and storm the heavens.

Crying, praying and hoping.

I refuse to accept any reports.

I simply can’t.

A young shliach in his prime.

Whom I had just spoken with,

The day before these horrible events.

No, it can’t be.

Hashem, it’s enough!

AD MOSAI? TILL WHEN?

Rabbi Holtzberg always made sure

No one would be stranded,

Aibeshter, Oy Aibeshter,

Don't let your children remain stranded!

Bring the Geulah now!

Living With Mesiras Nefesh

               If I would ask you what Mesiras Nefesh means, you’d probably say ‘giving up your life for Hashem’. Right? Well you are right, but it’s really more than that. Mesiras Nefesh can also mean giving up your desires. What do I mean, you ask? Well, if for example, you want to oh… go to a basketball game. But you know it’s wrong. Yet you really want to go. What can you do? You could, maybe, leave early, or go outside and learn during the halftime, or whatever. That’s also Mesiras Nefesh. You’re sacrificing your desires.

               There once was a sheperd, who also had Mesiras Nefesh, in this aspect. His name was Akiva. One day, he saw a rock that had a hole drilled into it. When he enquired about it, he was told that the water dripping on it, made a hole. If water can penetrate a rock, he thought to himself. Why can’t torah penetrate my head? So giving up all worldly desires, he then studied torah, became Rabbi Akiva, and had many students. That was also Mesiras Nefesh.

Physically Mesiras Nefesh

As everyone knows, Mesiras Nefesh means giving up your life for Hashem, literally. Like the Kedoshim in Mumbai did. Unfortunately, there were many other times in our history, where people gave up their lives. For example, the infamous holocaust. Millions of Jews were killed, in order to sanctify the name of Hashem. They were Mesiras Nefesh with their complete physical body.

               There is one time in history though, that I want to talk about. This is the story of The Ten Martyrs (The עשרה הרוגי מלכות).

               The day the Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed, the first one was killed. His name was Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel. He was the father of Rabbi Yehudah the Nosi (prince). Later, Rabbi Yishmoel ben Elisha, the Cohen Gadol (the High Priest). Sixty years following the destruction, Rabbi Akiva, the same one I talked about earlier, was killed. His was the worst. The Romans tore off his skin with tons of iron combs. Thirteen years passed. The other seven, were then killed in horrible ways. Some were burnt alive; some had their tongue cut off, while one was stabbed with 300 iron laces. Their names were: Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava, Rabbi Chanina ben Tradion, Rabbi Yeshavav the sofer (scribe), and Rabbi Elazar ben Dama. There was also, Rabbi Chanina ben Chakinai, and Rabbi Chutzpith the Translator. Last of all, Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua. He was the greatest genius of his time. He also bor the title ‘Best of the Sages’. Rabbi Yehudah the Nosi was his student.

               Now, some, replace Rabbi Chanina ben Chakinai, Rabbi Elazar ben Dama, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua with Rabbi Yehudah the Baker, Ben Azzai, and Rabbi Tarfon. But, the first opinion is more reasonable. That is the story of the Ten Martyrs.

               So now, hopefully, all of us, including myself, understand a bit more about Mesiras Nefesh, and what it means to us as Jews. Just like ה' avenged the blood of the Ten Martyrs, so too, He will avenge the blood of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkie, along with the other innocent terror victims of Mumbai. There are many things being done in honor of the Kedoshim, including ‘Mitzvos for Mumbai’.  I hope that by writing this essay, I too have fulfilled a portion in this mitzvah.

          May Hashem avenge the blood of all those who died על קידוש ה' (Sanctifying Hashem’s Name), in these tragic events. Along with those who perished in our entire history, now! אמן!