A Story of a Rabbi

After a long bought with cancer Ezekiel’s father took his last breath peacefully in his sleep at home. It was difficult but it was a gift nevertheless because he had suffered so much and didn’t have much energy at the end. Raisa and little Aliya brought him breakfast in bed every day. Mordechi loved his little grand daughter and even in his last days would tell her that someday the whole family would leave Russia for Israel. He wanted to die in Israel feeling that he would be truly free when he touched the place that was given to his people by God. Aliya would sit next to his bed while he prayed from the Torah. One day when Mordechi was feeling up to getting out of bed he sat down in the chair and put Aliya on his lap. “Aliya one day you will grow up and have children of your own. Promise me that you will make sure that they keep the mitzvah of God.”
Aliya was too young to understand the importance of what her grand father was saying so like most children she just nodded in agreement to make him happy. Mordechi wanted Aliya to have a much better life than he had. It was some kind of taboo to be a Jew. He wanted that she could live a life free from the stigma and actually be proud to be a Jew.
On the day that he died Raisa came in to wake him up as usual to see what he wanted for breakfast. At first he didn’t answer her but she could see that he was awake. “Abba are you okay? What do you want for breakfast?”
Mordechi only looked at Raisa and said “Raisa where is Ezekiel?”
“He is just getting up. Today he starts teaching classes at the school. He is very excited about this. I’m sure he will come in and speak with you before leaving. Maybe you can come to the table and have breakfast this morning. The doctor said that it is good when you can get up and walk as much as possible.”
“Raisa tell my son that I need him to come in and speak with me now. I need to tell him something very important.”
“Okay Mordechi.” Raisa wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about but he never sounded like this before so she called out to Ezekiel to come into the room as soon as possible and went on straightening up the room. Ezekiel came through the door still straightening up his clothing. “Abba what is going on are you okay, do you need to see the doctor or something?”
“No son. I know that you are getting ready for school but I need to speak with you about this now. I don’t have much time. I’m sure they won’t be upset that you spent a few moments with a dying man.”
“Father please don’t talk like that. You have lots and lots of time left. Remember we are going to Jerusalem. We talk about it all the time. Don’t talk like this.”
“Ezekiel I need to tell you something very important before you leave today. Sit down it will only take a minute and you can go.” Ezekiel sat on the chair by his bedside. “Ezekiel the time has come that I should leave you. I’m sorry that we didn’t get a chance to get to Israel together. But it is important to me that you take the family and leave here as soon as possible. This place has changed and is no longer a place of refuge for our people. They tease my grand daughter in school. What will be next Ezekiel? You must get her to safety. I had a dream many years ago but I never told anyone about it. I want to say before God today that I am sorry that I did not heed the warning that I was given a long time ago.”
“What warning father, what are you talk about?”
“Listen to me son. I had a dream and there was a great angel who told me that the Jewish people would be persecuted again. He said that I should speak with the Jewish people all over the world to return to Israel for this would be the only place where we could be safe but I did not do it. Please Ezekiel do this for me. Do not make the same mistake that I made in not doing what I was asked to do. Remember that before the war we had a chance to get out of Poland but we did not heed the warning. Because of it many people died. If we do not heed this warning many more will die. The Jewish people including your uncle think that they are safe in America and other places where they live but in essence they are sitting ducks just waiting for the next time they are taken advantage of. Please Ezekiel promise me that you will take the family and leave here as soon as possible or something terrible is going to happen.”
“Calm down father before we have to take you to the hospital. I will talk with you about this when I get home. But I promise that we will go to Israel. Right now you are sick and we cannot leave you behind. I will not leave you behind.” He kissed his father and asked that Raisa not leave him alone. He didn’t know what had gotten his father so upset but he just didn’t have time to sit with him this morning. Raisa was standing next to the bed while her husband and his father talked but she said nothing.
“Raisa I’m not feeling up to walking today. I had a dream last night. I saw my beautiful wife and she was standing on a cloud and asking me to come with her. I felt that if I had walked out onto that cloud that I would have past onto heaven Raisa.”
“Oh father. That is beautiful. But we are not ready for you to leave us yet. We still have not made it to Jerusalem. We must all go together. So don’t talk about such things.”