Rebbetzin Michla, wife of the noted Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman,
stood at the back doorway facing the courtyard of her home.
The bright sun smiled at her and she felt somewhat tired but
satisfied. She turned back to the room; there, on the wall,
on crude wooden shelves, were food items necessary to feed
her family and her husband's yeshiva for some time to
come.
"My work was surely worth my while! The soaps I made brought
us all these many goods!" she sighed, and quickly
acknowledged, "Boruch HaShem! He gives me strength to do this
hard task." She went over to the sack of potatoes leaning
against the wall and manuevered it to the entrance with her
feet. "I'll send the children over to the yeshiva kitchen.
The cook will cook them for the boys. The eggs, too, I'll
send, and some milk."
She looked again at the loaded shelves, and felt
satisfaction. "It is worth all the hard work!" She walked out
of the door to the courtyard and entered the small storage
room where she brewed the soap. She wiped her brow as she
recalled the heat and exertion in the crushing, mixing and
cooking of all the dry leaves and grasses she and the
children collected, and how she processed them before placing
them in the cauldron of boiling lye, fats and water, cooking
up the mixture until it all became a fatty, thick concoction.
With a ladle she poured this soapy brew into flat containers
and let it cool overnight.
By morning, it was no longer a liquid soap but one hard
piece. There was a need to cut the cakes of soap into proper
sizes and shapes. As soon as one batch of soap was made, the
process was repeated, and she and the children went out in
search of the proper leaves and grass. The selling of the
soaps was conducted through barter, which she encouraged.
Her back ached from the exertion, but she ignored the pain.
She knew that as a result of her work the yeshiva was well
fed, and so was her family. "Too bad I don't earn some ready
cash to purchase clothes, as winter is fast approaching. The
barter system will not suit us in that respect, as we Yidden
don't wear the same type of clothing as the gentile farmers
wear." She sighed, "HaShem will surely help, the way He
helped us with this food."
The three children, Elazer Simcha, Naftali Beinish, and
Leibale, ran in. They looked around the room, and saw the
loaded shelves. "You sold the soaps!" exclaimed Elazer
Simcha. He looked at the cage of chickens, and the bowls
filled with eggs.
Michla picked out some juicy apples, and handed them out.
After they had made the blessing and bit into them, she
requested, "Do me a toive and take this sack of
potatoes over to the yeshiva kitchen." She wiped her brow,
and told them to rush, as the noon meal was waiting for
them.
Young Leibale looked at his mother, "Don't you get tired,
brewing the soaps, selling them; cooking for us and cleaning
house, mending our clothes, and doing so much more?"
"Yes, it is exerting. However, the soap business provides us
with food, Boruch HaShem!" She smiled, "In Smilovitz, we need
to survive and we have to be thankful to HaShem for giving us
what we need."
She turned to the shelves and showed the children the food
items she had received. "One hundred eggs, milk, vegetables
and fruits, and of course, potatoes. Flour for bread and
challos, and apples. We eat and the boys in the
yeshiva eat. It is worth the effort."
"But our clothing is so tattered. We also need new shoes, and
winter is on the way . . ." Naftali Beinish reminded them.
Rebbetzin Michla sighed, "I remember the diseases that were
rampant here before I started making soaps. These very soaps
have helped the farmers maintain a level of hygiene and this,
in turn, prevents the spread of sickness. In addition, we are
well fed, and that is most important. Remember, children, we
must make a distinction between what is more important and
what is less. At the moment, the food is what we need most.
When winter comes, HaShem will provide us with proper
clothing."
Elazar Simcha listened attentively to his mother's words,
"Yes! I still remember the sicknesses that used to spread
like plague. Boruch HaShem the epidemics have stopped.
The soaps help us and help the farmers, too." He smiled and
added, "Even Tatte says so."
"Children, hurry to the yeshiva, and deliver these potatoes
to the cook! It is getting late, and you haven't eaten yet.
Soon you will have to go back to cheder." The boys
dragged the sack of potatoes, and the flour, and some
vegetables as well to the yeshiva.
In the kitchen, Rebbetzin Michla put a pot of peeled potatoes
up to cook, adding salt and pepper. She crushed up some dried
bread and added the pieces to the potato soup. In addition,
she boiled up some hard eggs, and finally, she set the table.
Soon her husband and the children would be coming home. The
family would dine, and hopefully, would gain the strength
they needed to learn and progress. From the window, she saw
her husband, Reb Elchonon Wasserman, coming up the path. Now
that all was ready, she would be able to sit and rest while
they ate.
"I see that there is food on the table, and I understand that
you were able to barter the soaps with the food items needed
for us all," her husband said as he sat down to eat. "I hear,
though, that we will have to leave the place soon." Rebbetzin
Michla was astounded. She sat for a while, not saying
anything. At last she blurted, "What do you mean?"
"Someone told me that the Communist Government is very
opposed to our soap making. They consider it a private
business, which is forbidden, no matter how little money it
brings in. It is capitalism, and anyone not employed by the
State is accused of robbing the people and stealing food from
the mouths of good citizens . . . "
The buzzing of a fly on the windowpane aroused Rebbetzin
Michla from her deep thoughts. "What are we going to do?" she
asked quietly.
"I heard that the Chofetz Chaim returned to his hometown of
Radin. There are rumors that the borders are being opened
just now, and it will be easy at this time to go to
Poland."
While the children ate, the tentative plans of returning to
Poland was revealed to them. The entire family was excited.
They hoped that in Poland, in the city of Baranovitcz, life
would be easier for them.
That same week, the entire yeshiva moved back to Baranovitcz
and the town's Jewish population welcomed them. The Wasserman
family remained in Baranovitcz until the Germans attacked
Poland, when they had to flee again.
The only surviving son, R' Simcha Wasserman, died childless,
and aside from many devoted talmidim, unfortunately,
from this illustrious family, there is no continuation.
May Hashem revenge their blood.
