Above is the official stamp in my passport that I only saw when I was arriving in America.
We've hit vosiznaies, the Yeshiva world, and the Rabbinical Council of Europe has issued a statement as well about us. shturem.net is the only website so far to have managed to post a picture of us.
Yesterday I was in Crown Heights, and bumped into many friends on the street. The story is out, and everyone stopped me to chat. They all wanted to know what I plan on doing.
"Going back." Is my response. I have a community there who needs me, and I was finally starting to really see the results of my work. We don't just have congregants in Stavropol, we have friends. True, family friends. I won't post the many letters we have received from people in the community, but we ACHE to return.
When the Silberstein's were officially told that they had lost the appeal and had to leave Russia for 5 years, Chayale called Alizah. She asked Alizah what they were planning to do. Alizah simply answered, "we are taking 5 suitcases which will be empty besides for our clothes. We need to fill them up with kosher food and Jewish books for when we return."
We feel the same way. We must go back to Stavropol, and while thoughts have gone through our heads of what to do should this decision be final, we push them away, since we know that we will do whatever it takes to return home.
On a side note, I had my Tefillin checked. For all you Kabbalists out there, my Rashi Shel Yad needs new straps, and the Rashi Shel Rosh needs the Batim tightened. Also, my Rabbeinu Tams needed work on the crowns (on the words).
What this means? I do not know. Perhaps someone can write their thoughts in the comments...
4 comments:
Chazak Chazak!
Hashem has his plans, and all that is required of the people on the ground is that they work and do their best to fulfill their mission.
Your place is in Stavropol, and it is there that you will be, all of the current actions and decisions of some low-level Russian bureaucrats notwithstanding.
I might be in NY this coming Sunday, if you think that you are going to be there?
There is never a need to worry, only for what action you have to do, and every thing that happens will, in the end, turn out to have been for the very best, both in the short term, as well as the long.
Have a great shabbos!
Zvi, my dear brother, both physically and spiritually as well.
The Rashi shel Yad needs new straps... Straps that bind our hearts to the one above needed to be renewed... Spiritually. Amazing.
The Rashi shel rosh needed the batim tightened... The HOUSES! (Veosu li mikdash...)needed to be tightened to the riboynoy shel oy-lum... Spiritually.
The Rabeinu Tams need work on the crowns... Crowns of glory, which surrounded the Jewish people in the desert during the daytime needed to be worked on... Meaning that they were not perfect... Meaning that YOU were not perfect... Meaning that you will be soon and it'll all be okay.
p.s. I wonder how Esty would be able to translate this Tefillin miracle.
The Zohar speaks of the importance of the crowns of the letters of the Torah as well as those in Tefilin (especially in the Rashi Tefilin shel rosh) and the zohar explains that when the crowns are missing or defected that can cause problems if the person who owns them has a position similar to a king who wears a crown.
Being that you are the thief (sorry I mean) Chief Rabbi of Stavropol Krai you certainly fall into the catagory of ppl affected by the crowns.
May the fixing of the crown in your tefilin, fix your Rabbinical crown and may you return to your mother land before pesach!
That means that maybe only one hershcovich could be on shlichus at any given time???
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