Stories Of Greatness

After the fall of the Czar in 1917 and the defeat of the Bolsheviks in 1923, the Communists conquered all opposition and were in full control of what became known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). While the Communists were opposed to all forms of religion, especially Judaism, they were too preoccupied in the formative years of their regime to make a concerted effort at subverting religious practices.

Rav Matisyahu Salomon zt”l said that one cannot be a believer unless he is first faithful. One cannot believe in the Torah and the word of Hashem unless he himself is a person who values a word. If it means nothing when I say something, then when Hashem says something, why should I believe it? The more trustworthy a person is, and the more meticulous he is about his own words, the more he will be faithful to the word of the Almighty.

The Torah and our Sages praise Aharon HaKohen after the death of his sons for his silence. The Mashgiach, Rav Shlomo Wolbe zt”l, discusses the art of silence. He wrote: “We teach a child to speak. Once we teach him to speak, this becomes his nature, to speak and to chatter without end. Do we teach this child how to be silent as well? Behold, silence is also a tool.”

The Maharal writes that when Hashem places Jews in positions of power, from which they are able to save their people, this reveals His special love and protection for us. The Purim story, the incredible hashgachah, and the fact that Mordechai and Esther were appointed to positions of authority to bring about Haman’s downfall, teaches us the importance of emunas chachamim.

In August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany entered into an agreement committing that neither country would ally with or aid an enemy of the other country. In addition, the two world powers arranged a secret protocol that divided territories of Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland into Nazi and Soviet “spheres of influence.”

The Baal HaTurim writes that since the holy Aron was constructed to contain the Luchos, it is symbolic of the talmid chacham, who contains the Torah inside of him. The measurements of the Aron were given in half amos (2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5) as compared with the other keilim, to reflect that a Torah scholar must maintain his humility inside and out and always see himself in half-measures (chatzi shiur) – not living up to his full potential. There’s always more to learn.