” MOISHE MOISHE COME BACK!!!”  The young 29-year-old mother’s cry could be heard deep into the night as she watched them lower her young husband into the ground.

It happened, one year ago. Her husband Moshe, a refined baal middos, a choshuva talmid chochom and great grandson of Rav Shach, discovered a lump in his neck area. After many tests and scans, he was diagnosed with the dreaded disease lymphoma. Sima’s (his wife) happy, thriving life as she knew it, along with her successful job as a teacher all came to a halt. She was forced to drop her job and to throw her 4 tiny children into the hands of family and friends as the hospital became her new home. After 6 months of horrible treatments, they were sure it was all past them. It was Moshe who kept the family going with his upbeat spirit and humor throughout, though the treatments were torturous and knocked every bit of strength out of him. Then so soon after, the symptoms began again, this time reaching his face and head. The disease had spread and Moshe was back to the treatments. Yet they were all so optimistic and so very positive that this time with a bit more intense treatments Moshe would pick up his life from where he left it. Soon Moshe would be back home for good, they had no doubts. Then, so suddenly just before Rosh Hashana, Moshe took a sudden turn for the worse and Sima, alone in the hospital the first day of Rosh Hashana, sitting beside Moshe, davened Mussaf together with him and watched him suddenly breathe his last breath. Sima is left in shock. “NOoooo” Sima’s heart-wrenching wails could be heard Motzei Rosh Hashana at the lavaya. “Moishe, you’re coming home!! Pleaaase!!!!”

 Sima is left to give answers to these fresh, young yisomim. Shulamis, 6 years, Shevy, 4 years, Elazar, 3 years and Yaakov just 1 1/2 years are crying for Tatty to come home already. “Mommy, I want Tatty to say Shema with me already!” “Mommy when can I help Tatty build the sukkah already, all my friends Tatties already built theirs.” “Mommy, my Rebbi said we need to learn our aleph bais with our Tatties. When is Tatty going to learn with me?”  “What? Tatty is in Shamayim? But I want him here, in our house! Why doesn’t he want to stay with me? So tell him to come back already because I’m waiting for him.”

 Dear yiddishe brothers and sisters, the zchusim of Rav Shach will stand as a powerful advocate to those that help his grandchildren. Your rachmanus and generosity should be a zchus for you in the new year and may H-shem return the rachamim and generosity to you this year and always.