Far Rockaway, NY – In a moving and emotional tribute, talmidim at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway this morning turned out in force for a levaya for the innumerable seforim and other kisvei kodesh that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy last month.
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One of the three trucks containing shaimos from the greater Far Rockaway away stopped at the yeshiva’s Beach 19th Street parking lot at 9:15 this morning, where the entire student body, ranging from Pre 1A through Beis Medrash, gathered to say tehillim for the seforim that were lost.
Rabbi Yaakov Bender, menahel of the yeshiva called the loss of so many seforim “a churban for klal yisroel” and said that he hopes that by taking part in the actual levaya, talmidim will gain a further appreciation and respect for seforim.
Rabbi Zevi Trenk and Rabbi Shlomo Avigdor Altusky both exhorted all those assembled to increase their learning in the wake of the last month’s devastating storm.
Following the levaya, the crowd accompanied the truck as it made its way out of the yeshiva’s parking lot. The shaimos will be buried upstate in Mountaindale, New York.
Video-Photos credit: Shimon Gifter.
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A sad day, indeed.
sad…very sad….
nebech the poor children to see this tradegy..
but we will rebuild…IY”H
Only Darchei. Once again , Rabbi Bender teaching kids sensitivity. I wish you all could jave seen Rabbi Benders emails afyer the hurricane urging the parents to stop what they were doing and go clean out basem$ents with their kids. Derochecha DARCHEI noam.
Rabbi Bender is an extraordinary mechanech. When our boys lost the property that their yeshiva was housed in a few years ago, he was the only one who took in our seniors so they could finish their year quietly and learn. He always has others in mind. He reminds me of my beloved high school principal in Bais Yaakov of Baltimore, Harav Binyomin Steinberg, ZT”L . May Rabbi Bender see nachas from his talmidim and may the shelves of his yeshiva and all those institutions and people who lost sefarim be full and used and loved.
The real “churban” for klal yisroel was the vast destruction to so many yiddeshe homes, shuls, yeshivos etc. in Brooklyn, Queens and LI. The seforim can be replaced….the lives of so may yidden who continue to suffer the consequences of Sandy is whats really important.
It makes me cry
Bezrat Hashem
נֵר לְרַגְלִי
בְּיוֹם שֵׁנִי סֵדֶר אַל אֶרְאֶה בְּמוֹת הַיָלֶד, שְׁלֹשׁ עָשָׂר לְיֶרַח מַר-
עָלוּ מַיִם עַל פְּנֵי חָלֶד -מְאֹד רָבְתָה צַעַר. וַיִפְתַּח פִּי”ו וַיָשָׁר:
מִי רָאָה אֵלוּ יוֹצְאִים וְזוֹרְמִים וְלֹא יָצָא מִדָעַת?
בְּבֹא מֵי הַמַבּוּל כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת.
הַלֹא נֶחֶרַב עִירֵנוּ “שַׁעַר הַיָם” יוֹשָׁבֶת,
נֻטַל פְּאֵרֵנוּ בְּרוּחַ נוֹשָׁבֶת…
שְׁאוֹן גַלֵי יָם -כֹּל יִבְעַר בְּאַפּוֹ.
גַם כִּתְבֵי קוֹדֶשׁ- וְלֹא יַּעֲמֹד הַיָּם מִזַּעְפּוֹ.
עַל זֶה הָיָה דָוֶה לִבִּי וַיֹאחֲזֵנִי פַּלָצוּת,
מֵימָיו הֵזַק, לֹא הִבְחִין -בְּקַבְּלוֹ רְשׁוּת.
נֵר לְרַגְלִי, אֵיכָכָה אַתּ בְּכָל רֶגֶל נִדְרָסֶת?
אוֹתִיוֹתַיִךְ פּוֹרְחוֹת גִלְיוֹנוֹתַיִךְ נִשְׂרָפֹת?
אֵיכָה הָיִיתְ כְּשְׁלַל מוּשְׁלָךְ שְׂדֵה קְרָב,
אַשֶׁר עָלַיִךְ שַׂשְׂתִּי כְּמוֹצֵא שָׁלָל רָב!
הֲיֵשׁ מִלָּה בְלְשׁוֹנְכֶם, מַיִם זֵידוֹנִים?!
כִּסִיתֶם פְּנֵי תֵּבֵל, מִבְּשְׂדֵה עָצֵל קִמְשׁוֹנִים,
בְּשַׁגַם מַּלְכֵּךְ שָׂם גְבוּל בַּל תַּעֲבוֹרִי,
מְרִיתֶם פִּי מֶלֶךְ כַּחָז סַּלֵי חֹרִי!
וְאֵיךְ הַמָשָׁל בַּנִמְשָׁל יִמְשׁוֹל?
וּמֵימֵי יָם אֶת מֵימֵי הַדַעֲת יִכְשׁוֹל?
סְפָרִים יָנוּחוּ פְּזוּרִים אָנָה וְאָנָה-
דַפִים בַּנָהָר עָבָרוּ וְלֹא דַפֵי הַסְפִינָה…
עַל עֲוֹן עַבָדָיו- לֹא נִקְרְאוּ בָנִים,
Heartbreaking. But what a sight! To see so many children & young souls coming to pay their respects! Brings tears to my eyes!