On the last Yom Kippur of his life, the Gaon, Rav Yehudah Leib
Chasman, z’tl, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Chevron, returned to his house
after neilah, due to his weakness from the fast. A minyan of bochurim
accompanied him. Rav Chasman’s face was shining was happiness that he
was zocheh to complete the fast. As the bochurim sat down to await the
time to daven Maariv, Rav Chasman told over an insight from Yonah.
Rav
Chasman said, “Yona Hanavi told the men on the ship to ‘lift me and
throw me into the sea.’ The words ‘lift me’ seems to be extra. What
was Yona adding with these words? Wouldn’t it have been enough if he
said only, ‘Throw me into the sea’?
“The answer is that Yona was requesting that they delay throwing
him into the sea as much as possible – even for a split second.
Because there is nothing more valuable in the world than the life of a
human being. Even when death has already been decreed, it’s still
worthwhile to lengthen one’s life as much as possible. Who knows how
valuable the life of person in his last moments!
The mashgiach concluded, “We have to understand that we now
still have another moment of kedushas Yom Kippur! Come, let us grab
hold of it, do not weaken! Let us not lose this precious stone without
a thought! ( Ohr Yahel)
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