[view all articles in this category]

Section:  Avodah   Category: Innocent Observations

The Pain Of Kedoshim

The Kol Bo, one of the Rishonim, says, "when a person decides to accept the pain and torture, and be Mikadesh Shem Shamayim, after that whatever they do to him, whether stoning, burning at the stake, decapitation,, strangulation, etc., does not hurt him at all." He goes on to say that we see people scream from even the slightest blow to their body, yet when a Jew is burned alive at the stake he does not utter a single sound. When Kedoshim are murdered should we cry for them?  Do they have any suffering?  Physical suffering they do not have as the Kol Bo writes.  What about the fact that their lives were cut short and they could not do the mitzvos that would have earned them great reward in Olam Haba?  I would imagine that Hashem rewards them not only for what they have accomplished, but also for what they would have accomplished in the future.  After all Chazal tell us (Kedushin 40a) that Hashem considers even a thought to do a mitzva as if it was already done. The Mishna in Avos (4:17) says "Yafa Sha'a Achas BTshuva U'Maasim Tovim BaOlam HaZeh Mikol Chayei Olam Haba", one moment of repentance and good deeds in this world is more beautiful than all the life in Olam Haba.  Big words, especially given that the same Mishna says that a single moment of Olam Haba is more pleasurable than all the pleasures ever enjoyed by all people in this world, past and present, combined. The Kedoshim feel no pain.  They walk straight into Gan Eden and are greeted with a hero's welcome by all the great tzaddikim and honorably escorted to the special place they've earned by the throne of Hashem.  Yet for these kedoshim there is something very special that is missing, the ability to do one more mitzva. For Kedoshim that is very painful! Olam Haba is fantastic beyond our wildest imaginations, but does not compare to the joy of wandering the streets of Mumbai in 100 degree heat on a Friday afternoon and finding a Yiddishe Neshama that you can invite for a Shabbos meal.  It is not as gratifying as standing in a tiny hot kitchen for hours cooking another meal so that a Yid can eat kosher food.  Sitting in Yeshiva Shel Ma'ala with tzaddikim is a real honor, but given the choice, a Kadosh would choose to finish the Daf gemara he was toiling over, in foreign land thousands of miles away from his family.  The Shevet Mussar brings from the Yosef Yaavetz that the pleasures of Olam Haba are Hevel or nonsense compared to the pleasure of serving your creator.  Could there be any greater pleasure than that, he asks?  "Al Eileh Ani Bochiya Eini Eini Yorda Mayim". The Kedoshim will not merit to continue to do Hashem's holy work and we will continue on in a world that is lacking these great deeds.  For this we cry together with them as their tears falling from Shamayim meet our tears traveling upwards towards Hashem.  This may be alluded to in the gemara (Chagiga 15a), "Ein Bein Mayim HaElyonim L'Mayim HaTachtonim Elah Kimalei Nima", nothing really separates between the upper waters and the lower waters aside from a hairsbreadth, as we on earth below cry together with our Kedoshim above. Is their something we can do?  Of course there is.  We can fill the void.  We can perform deeds of true Ahavas Yisroel that the Holtzberg's so badly wanted to perform to increase Hashem's light to the world.  Collectively we can finish the many blatt gemara that Rav Leibish Teitelbaum and Rav Bentzion Kromer were in middle of learning but couldn't finish.  Not only will this light the darkness that descended as their holy Neshamos ascended to Shamayim in a flame of holy fire, but it will also give them satisfaction knowing that these mitzvos are a continuation of the their work.  After all their lives were never about themselves anyway, it was about the good of Klal Yisroel and the light of Hashem. To honor these Kedoshim we will B'Ezras Hashem add a feature in our Mishnayos site (currently undergoing renovations) that allows you to write about a Mitzva that was dear to a Niftar and give friends and family the ability to pledge to do an act that will carry on this mitzva in their name.

RELATED ARTICLES:
 

<<Previous Article Shevet HaKehosi: Who Will Be The Sandak, Your Father Or Father-In-Law?		Next Article>> Attention All Bible Critics

Send Your Comments Your Initials (max.2 letters) optional Display Initials? Yes   No CITY optional EMAIL required without a valid email address your comments may not be addressed. COMMENTS required Type Image Code Security Code: note:If image code fails, MANUALLY REFRESH your browser and re-submit.	printable version	Email To a Friend: note:to send to many email addresses, put a comma in-between. * * * Extra Comments:(optional) I came across this Vort on www.Revach.net and thought you'd enjoy it. Type Image Code Security Code: note:If image code fails, MANUALLY REFRESH your browser and re-submit.
Visitor Comments: 3 Be, Broklyn USA, 2008-12-15 10:02:43 Beautiul sentiments and beautifully presented. But do the Kedoshim need our favors. Didn't they reach the ultimate Shleimus? The Belzer Rav Hakodosh R" Aharon did not keep the Yahrzeit of his familly, saying that they do not need our Kadish etc Anonymous, 2008-12-15 10:58:42 That was a very unusual step by the Belzer Rov who also did not acknowledge anyone's death during the war. I don't know that there is any precedence for this. Everyone can use some help up there! Anonymous, 2009-01-04 15:58:17 thankyou, I feel better when these kedoshim are being mefarsem. Its such a huge mitzva to let it be known, in this sore world, and in this world which needs so badly to hear about HaShem and those who honor Him (may it be in health and safety from now on). These kedoshim were such special people, I have read about them on other websites.....such as Aish.com which gave a stunning coverage of their lives...and Chabad.org, and other websites as well. I pray that we always remember them, and try to emulate their righteousness, their giving to others with the pure belief that it is giving to our own brothers and sisters. May we all have the strength and merit to bring these people into our conversations with all kinds of people, and if we can be as pure and love HaShem as much, then we will certainly be doing their will here for them, bringing kedusha into our world, trying to bring the Geula Shleima closer may HaShem bring it very soon, NOW. Does someone know if this is true about the Belzer rov not saying kadish because his kedoshim were so high and pure?