A hachnosas sefer Torah on motzei Shabbos parshas
Lech Lecho was a demonstration of kovod haTorah,
achdus and zicoron for an ishoh chashuvah.
Residents of Kiryat Ungvar, Nof Ramot, Tiferes Ramot, Ramot
Polin and hundreds of other guests participated in the
magnificent event le'ilui nishmas Mrs. Margalit Ruben
a"h.
The Ruben family moved to Eretz Yisroel 12 years ago from
Bensonhurst and Flatbush, N.Y. and settled in Kiryat Ungvar,
a community led by HaRav D. Klein. Exactly 11 years later,
on 19th of Av, 5759, Mrs. Ruben was niftar at the age
of 65, after an illness. She had won the admiration and love
of Israelis and Americans, both young and old alike and is
fondly remembered by friends and neighbors as an ishoh
tznua. The community of Tzfas, whom the Rubens
periodically visited to teach and give chizuk, held
her in high esteem as well.
With a smile for everyone, she willingly shared her
chochmas hachaim. Much of her Toras imecha was
based on the many lectures she heard from HaRav Avigdor
Miller, the world famous baal mussar from Flatbush,
N.Y. She constantly reiterated the need to be grateful for
one's health and to thank Hashem for all He gives us and
does for us.
She was a true aishes chayil, supporting her
husband's efforts in limud and teaching of Torah
during their 43 years of marriage. Since raising her
children and their chinuch were very important to
Mrs. Ruben a"h, as was her own self-growth and
iyun tefilloh, she invested extraordinary
kochos in these matters.
As an iluy for her neshomoh, Rav Ruben
commissioned a sefer Torah for the Ohel Wolf
shul in their neighborhood. The shul is a center
of Torah and tefilloh, with many shiurim
throughout the week and several minyanim on
Shabbos.
Every Shabbos after the seudah, hundreds of boys and
fathers listen spellbound as Rav Yom Tov Zilberman enthralls
the audience with divrei Torah. The Ovos
Ubonim program is also held in that shul.
The Hachnosas Sefer Torah began with the kesivas
ha'osios at the home of Rav Ruben. The procession left
Rav Ruben's house at 8:15 p.m. and continued berov am
and with great simcha. It was a true kovod
haTorah and kiddush Hashem. Various neighbors
were honored with holding the Torah under the
chuppah; men danced in front of them and
approximately 4,000 people followed.
Exuberant dancing and singing to the musical accompaniment
of Yisroel Booth (founder of kevosikin minyan)
lovingly ushered the sefer Torah into the Aron
Kodesh.
There was a heartwarming display of achdus between
young and old, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, Chassidish and
Litvish, Yerushalmi and American. Perhaps this is a
reflection of the baal simcha's close feelings toward
all of Klal Yisroel and their reciprocal admiration
of him. Hundreds of neighbors and friends partook of the
seudas mitzvo and were inspired by the divrei
Torah of HaRav Eisen, HaRav Yom Tov Zilberman, HaRav
Zilberberg, and HaRav Chaim Zvi Ruben, who thanked the
organizers for all their hard work, help and dedication.
Rav Ruben related the story of a community looking for a new
rov. The candidate had to meet two conditions: 1) deliver an
excellent speech; 2) to be able to carry the shul's heavy
sefer Torah. Each applicant gave a remarkable speech
but was unable to lift the sefer Torah. Finally, one
rov succeeded. After addressing the congregation, he called
upon one of the congregants to come forward and they lifted
the heavy sefer Torah together.
So too, Rav Ruben explained, the night's sefer Torah
was "lifted" by many sponsors--by the Ruben family, the
nifteres' two brothers, Menachem and Eliyahu, and
other friends and relatives.
The family would like to express hakoras hatov to the
organizers of this momentous occasion and those who gave of
their time and the talents. Thanks to: Rav Avrohom
Zilberman, Rav Galinsky, who was responsible for
coordinating the lights, music, and seudah, Y. Booth
who played the music, Wilkenberg photography, D. Raskin, for
supervising kesivas ha'osios, and to the Rabinowitz
family, who gave out most of the 2,000 pekelach to
many happy kinderlach.
May this beautiful display of achdus and kovod
haTorah bring an aliya for the neshomoh of
Margalit bas Meshumar a"h.
