[COMMUNICATED]
It was a bittersweet celebration for everyone last week, when the Erlau Rebbe arrived at the vort of a young chassan to say ‘mazel tov.’ The young couple smiled shyly for pictures and the men enjoyed shots of alcohol and a small arrangement of cakes. The celebration was extremely limited however, for obvious reasons: The chassan had lost his mother less than a month before.
Father Menachem is cheder rebbi, who since his wife’s passing has lessened his hours in order to take better care of his 6 struggling children. One child, 13-year-old Moishy, was seen in tears at his bar mitzvah, as his mother was in the hospital dying and could not attend. Theirs needs, however, are not only emotional but practical as well. Lessened hours means lessened income, in addition to hospital bills, and making a wedding now is not on the table. It is with tremendous humility & trepidation that Menachem made the decision to write their story to the public, as an appeal to give his son a basic wedding and start at a home.
“I could live off of bread and water,” said the grief-stricken father of 6. “But how could I do that to my kids?”
As of now the young couple have “nothing” for their wedding. The Rebbe, however, came with a gift: A letter of his own on behalf of the couple. “Whose heart is not shocked when they hear of [this?],” writes the Rebbe in a passionate letter.
“Every person who has a brain in his head can understand that the spiritual and physical future of this family is dependent on this, so they can continue to raise their children in the way of Torah so they can build their own Jewish homes.”
Now in the aftermath of the pandemic many are focused on taking care of themselves as opposed to reaching out to others. The Rebbe weighs in on this as well: “We have a personal requirement to examine our actions and to become better, we also have the great mitzvah to help a widower and to revive the hearts of orphans and be for them a source of support.”
Those who are able to help can do so here for a limited time.
