They watched their Rebbe dance with the sefer Torah of the Baal Shem Tov

Living Higher

T

his past week, New Square, the shtetl-like town situated on the outskirts of Monsey, New York, reverberated with a roar impossible to describe in words. Thousands from around the world converged on this humble locale for a hachnassas sefer Torah that lasted two full days. But as all Skverer chassidim recognized, this was actually the culmination of a seven-year project.

For years, the Skverer Rebbe has stood at the forefront in the battle against misuse of technology. Seven years ago, he conceived Kadsheini, an organization that encourages participants to accept various restrictions on Internet usage. The Rebbe later announced that a sefer Torah would be written in honor of this program, and participants could purchase either a letter or a word, based on what they had accepted.

Various impediments delayed the dream from reaching a reality — until this past Simchas Torah, when the gabbai formally announced that a date had been set for the grand event. The Rebbe extended his personal invitation to all chassidim, and expressed how meaningful to him their attendance would be.

Chassidim poured in from across the country and well beyond, with hundreds coming from Europe and Eretz Yisrael. The Machnovka Rebbe, who has a very close relationship with the Skverer Rebbe, contributed a particularly beautiful element by sending his most treasured heirloom to grace the event: the Baal Shem Tov’s sefer Torah. This Torah never leaves the Machnovka Rebbe’s side, but he made an exception for this occasion. The roads were so congested that the procession could not get through. The crowds merely danced in place. And when the procession finally reached the shul, the Rebbe alighted and began to dance. Holding the Torah next to his heart, he danced for two hours with thousands of voices rising in a crescendo around him.

The celebrations began on Tuesday and lasted through Wednesday, with some visitors staying through Shabbos.

And although the event came to an end, a part of the hearts and souls of all who witnessed it will forever remain in the kedushah-saturated village where they watched their Rebbe dance with the sefer Torah of the Baal Shem Tov.

“WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT”

The letter shown here, penned by Yehuda Jacknin, a talmid in Mesivta Yesodei Hatorah of Naugatuck, Connecticut, speaks for itself. It’s a short note, but the message between the lines tells the story we’ve been writing for some 3,000 years. A family from America studies the Torah of a great tzaddik from Radin on behalf of a fellow Jew from Russia who has moved to Eretz Yisrael.

We’ve been everywhere.

We’ve experienced so much pain.

And we’ll live on for all of time.

HAPPENING IN HOLMDEL

This past Thursday evening, Torah Links, Lakewood’s kiruv organization, held its first-ever annual J3 Business Summit at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey. It was a business networking event for young professionals who may not have merited a Torah education, as well as titans of various industries.

There were discussions around ethics and the business challenges of different industries; keynote sessions that spoke about the value of tzedakah; and networking opportunities with employers. If there was one underlying message that came up time and time again, it was that business success requires hard work, diligence, and focus — but it is the merit of Torah that breeds success.

At the close of the evening, Mr. Ralph Herzka took the mike and summed up the event by pointing out that the very building in they were in — Bell Works — is one of the greatest real estate stories of all time, fueled by a vision that few were able to understand when the project got off the ground.

Why was it so successful? asked Mr. Herzka, himself a leader in the commercial real estate space. Yes, it was due to the vision of Bell Work’s founder and CEO Ralph Zucker. But he also pointed out that countless Torah organizations have hosted events in the space, bringing it unparalleled success.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1052)