The Chasam Sofer comments that we can understand the true purpose of historical events only after they take place. This is implied in the pasuk in Parshas Ki Sisa, וַהֲסִרֹתִי אֶת־כַּפִּי וְרָאִיתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָי וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ – Then I will remove My Hand and you will see My Back, but My Face shall not be seen. (33:23) The Gemara (Brachos 7a) tells us here that Hashem showed Moshe the knot of His tefillin. The knot of Hashem’s tefillin signifies Klal Yisroel’s eternal attachment to the Almighty, even though we may not realize His Providential involvement and Divine intervention in our lives until much later on.
Let me tell you a story.
The famed Maggid of Yerushalayim, R’ Shalom Schwadron zt’l, was orphaned from his saintly father at the young age of seven. Instead of wallowing in his misery, he dedicated his life to the pursuit of Torah and yiras Shomayim, and by the age of 16, he was already considered the best bachur in the Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikvah, under the tutelage of the Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Reuven Katz zt’l. Feeling that it was time to “move up” to the next level in his learning, he and another of the top students in the yeshiva decided to take a bechinah at the renowned Slabodka Yeshiva in Chevron.
The two bachurim came to the Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Moshe Mordechai Epstein zt’l, who tested them and then immediately informed them that they were NOT accepted into the yeshiva. Surprised and crestfallen, they returned to Petach Tikvah, all the while unable to comprehend the reason for their rejection…
40 years later, the now world-famous maggid was asked to speak at a charity function. A highly-regarded rav introduced him with the following words: ״It is my honor to introduce the great Maggid, R’ Shalom Schwadron, whose tremendous impact on the Torah world is deeply felt. But before I do, I must recount how R’ Shalom’s greatness – indeed his very existence – is a testament to the foresight of the late Lomza Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Reuven Katz zt’l, of whom I was a personal friend.
“Many years ago, he told me the following amazing story: When the two best bachurim in the yeshiva decided to take a bechinah at the Slabodka Yeshiva, R’ Reuven was at a loss. On the one hand, he wanted to see them grow in all areas of Torah scholarship, while on the other hand, he didn’t want them to leave. Immediately, he sent a letter to the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva with an important message: ‘In a few days, two students from Petach Tikvah will be arriving in Chevron. They are Shalom Schwadron and Ezra Brazil, the most outstanding students of the yeshiva. I implore you not to accept them into your yeshiva for I fear that the loss of their tremendous diligence, intelligence and ability to maintain the strong spirit among the students, would have a devastating effect on the Lomza Yeshiva from which it may never recover.’”
The rav continued his narration. “R’ Moshe Mordechai followed the advice of his counterpart in Petach Tikvah and when the boys came before him, he turned them down. In fact, it was not until a little more than a year later, after the yeshiva had relocated from Chevron to Yerushalayim, that they were finally allowed to join the Slabodka Yeshiva.”
The audience waited expectantly as the rav concluded with a sudden thunderous roar: “And do you know what happened during that fateful year, 5689 (1929)?! It is well known that on the 18th of Av, bands of Arab hoodlums stormed the yeshiva in Chevron and carried out a bloody massacre! Only a handful of survivors managed to escape the vicious pogrom!” His eyes ablaze, the rav concluded, “Can you imagine if R’ Reuven would not have sent that message to R’ Moshe Mordechai? Who knows what might have become of our beloved maggid? Who knows if the world would have merited to benefit from him…?”
The irony was not lost on the stunned listeners as R’ Shalom stood up to speak. “Until this day,” he began quietly, “I never understood why we were not accepted into Slabodka that first time. Now I understand!”
Hashem says in Parshas Vayeilech וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא – And I will thoroughly hide My Face on that day…. (31:18) R’ Nachman of Breslov in his Lekutei Mo’haran (56:3) comments that this double expression of concealment reveals a very valuable truth. Hashem is informing us that even during those times that it seems that Hashem is nowhere to be found – not even in a very hidden manner – we must know that He is still very much present. And as this week’s parsha tells us, it likely won’t be until long afterwards that we will be able to realize that He was indeed standing right there the entire time.
So, while stemming from a slightly different source, this idea reminded me of a very specific song. In 2014, a captivating tune began sweeping the circuit, and it didn’t take long before the Jewish music world was simply taken by storm. Anyone who attended a simcha or a kumzitz could not escape the enchanting hit Veafilu Behastara.
Talented producer Eli Klein was no exception – he heard the song at one such simcha and immediately went to work in the studio. Composed by Shaya Gross and Yoeli Klein, the song was first recorded by Yoeli, accompanied by the marvelous Malchus Choir and the prodigious wonder child Nussi Fuchs. Since “going viral,” it has been covered by numerous singers and groups, further solidifying its permanent place in the genre of Chassidic song.
Wishing all of you a Shabbos of Divine revelation!
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