Spring • Passover 5767/2007

28
Israel
(cont’d)
Moshe Denburg and his wife Rivky, all friends
of John and Merle Finkelstein (ex-Floridians).
Julius and Terry Suss had invited family to join
them, as did Peggy and Henri Bybelezer. Some
Montreal students who were in Israel, had gotten
wind that Rabbi New
was in Jerusalem. They
found him at the Kotel
amidst the hundreds and
hundreds of people and
they also joined us. What
a meal that was! Rabbi
New insisted that we
do the ‘Bangkok Shuffle’,
where we go around the
table and everyone says
a few words – how they
got there, who they are,
and if they have a story
to tell.
Although everyone was fun and interesting to
listen to, one person blew everyone away - Fred
Layers. Who is Fred Layers? Well, he is an elegant
black Guyanian who has been coming to the MTC
since 1992. He has attended years of Rabbi New’s
Tanya and Kabbalah classes and comes to shul
every single Shabbos, sitting quietly in the back
row. When he got up to tell his story you could
have heard a pin drop. No one expected him to say
what he so eloquently and succinctly did – that he
had known Rabbi New for so many years, how
attached he was to the MTC and how his lifelong
dream of coming to Israel was now fulfilled.
Shabbos Day we made use of the small synagogue
in the hotel and then, right after davening
we left for the Tzemach Tzedek shul, the oldest
standing shul in the area, (purchased about 200
years ago by the Tzemach Tzedek, the third
Lubavitch Rebbe) to hear a few words from Rabbi
Adin Steinsaltz.
Rabbi Steinsaltz is a noted scholar, philosopher,
social critic and author world-wide, whose background
also includes extensive scientific training.
In 1988, Time Magazine praised him as an "oncein-a-millennium
scholar," saying, "he will stand like
Rashi and Maimonides." He is most commonly
known for his popular translation and commentary
of both Talmuds, ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Babylonian’. In
1988 he was awarded the Israel Prize, Israel’s
highest honor. As we were walking to the shul
where he davens for Shabbos we could not believe
that this incredible man was going to speak to our
group. Truthfully, it is very rare that he speaks to
any small groups coming to Israel (he was in
Montreal recently). It was through Rabbi Zalman’s
persistence in calling and finally going there early
Shabbos morning to secure Rabbi Steinsaltz that
this event actually transpired.
Rabbi Steinsaltz began by asking the question -
what is Eretz Yisrael? He proceeded to tell the
story of a man who came back from visiting the
holy land. His Rabbi asked him how his visit
was and the man replied that he was not so
impressed. The Rabbi looked deeply at the man
and responded, “The land was not impressed with
you – that’s why it sent you away.”
Rabbi Steinsaltz went on to say that there is
a verse in the Torah which says “And the land
will vomit the people out.” If a person cannot see
the greatness, the holiness and the light in
Jerusalem, it is not a problem with the land but
rather with the person. He cited the example of
when a person visits an ophthalmologist and is
told to read the letters on the wall. If he cannot
read them the problem lies obviously with the
person’s eyes, not with the poster. If someone
cannot see the light, he can and should work on
himself. The more Torah and mitzvoth a person
does, the more G-dliness, the more light he will
see. He noted, with a grin, that everything in
Jerusalem is different, even the Jerusalem thief!
In order to understand Israel, to really feel the
country, we should speak with the regular people
on the street, not the big rabbis and politicians.
We left understanding a bit more of the
holiness of where we were, more inspired and with
our eyes opened in a different way than when we
had walked in.
Yad Vashem
We had booked our time at Yad Vashem on
Sunday which was a fast day. How appropriate.
We noted that the entire complex had been
renovated since the last time we were there. It
flows more evenly, allowing the thousands of
people who pass through each day to wander at
their own pace or with a guide without holding
anyone else up.