Mishpacha’s Avraham Elbaz caught the moment

The family of the bar mitzvah boy gathered in the shul hall, celebrating with the young man, but it was not like bar mitzvah celebrations of a year ago, with massive crowds dancing and mingling. The rav of the Brooklyn shul in which this bar mitzvah was being held did not know the family, but he came down just the same and addressed the guest of honor, Avraham Salem.

He spoke of the boy’s forbearance, waiting months for the actual celebration, which was postponed due to COVID, and lauded the boy’s diligence in completing two sedorim of Mishnayos.

Then he danced with the boy and his father, and after imbuing the whole simchah with energy and warmth, the rav headed to the door. But on the way out, he noticed a large poster on which friends of the bar mitzvah bochur were asked to sign their names.

Mishpacha’s Avraham Elbaz caught the moment when the rav removed his pen and signed his good wishes: “Mazel tov, from yedidcha, your friend, Moshe Tuvia Lieff.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 840)