Funeral Thoughts & Photos
by Reb Akiva at Mystical Paths
Just some initial thoughts after attending the funeral of the holy martyrs Rabbi Gavriel & Rebbitzen Rivka Holtzberg, hy"m (may Hashem avenge their blood).
On a hot clear day in the Holy Land of Israel, 10,000 Chabad chassidim and other Jews of all stripes gathered to pay their final respects to two holy souls who gave their lives for Torah, Judaism, Chassidut, and for Ahavat Yisroel - HELPING THEIR FELLOW.
Some might think that the Rabbi and Rebbitzen never planned to actually give up their lives for the ideals of doing good for others and connecting every Jew to Hashem and His mitzvot - but actually they did. They left a comfortable Western life to go to a foreign land. They gave all their time every day, from morning till night, to serve others. They gave their days and weeks and months, and in the end, their lives.
For being good. For doing good. For helping people. For keeping an open door.
Hashem, Ad Mosai! Thoughts still too painful, wound too fresh. We are used to soldiers falling in physical battle. It's terrible, but soldiers die. We are not used to it in spiritual battle. May we not need to get used to it.
Photo Slideshow - Here.
The press
The eulogies, the bodies wrapped for burial to the left
Some came from India, both Jews who have visited and locals
L'Zecher Nishmas, In Memory Of
1 comments:
Yes, the wounds are still too fresh. It's just such a personal loss for all of us, those of us who love the ideals that Chabad promulgates.
Personal because I feel like they are part of my family; the pain is so real.
I read that her mother said that Rivka A"H was 5 months' pregnant at the time.
Thank you Akiva for doing so much to keep us all connected to the everyday in the Land of Eretz HaKodesh.
The terms of war seem to have changed, it's more out in the open that it's ra vs tov, and we have to counter it with a whole lot of TOV!
A war to the finish.
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