An Evening with Giants: Embracing the Eternal through Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman's Encounter with the Chofetz Chaim

0:01 Tonight is a special edition, a story time edition of the Motivation Congregation, and we will meet two Titanic Torah Giants in a story that can energize, encourage and hopefully motivate even for many years to come. Now you can imagine that it was the experience of a lifetime and everybody wished to be chosen and Rabbi Chonan Wasserman, a great Rashi Sheva of Baranovich, would select only a very few amount of Bahram that would journey with him up to the town of Radin where they would spend Rashi Shana with Rabbi Chonan's Rebbe, the Holy Hove Tchai.

0:42 Now our story really begins when, after Davening, after the first night of Rashi Shana, after they recharged their batteries in a spiritually power packed Davening, watching the Chavitzchayim's devotion, as per their custom, the congregants and the disciples of the Shul walked past the Rav to say a good Yantif, a good Yor, a Kassiva, a Kastim, a Taiva. So Rabbi Chonan led his Talmudim towards the Chavitzchayim to go shake the Chavitzchayim's hand. And then the Chavitzchayim turned towards these students and said now, bahram, please stay around here afterwards, for I'd like to talk to you in private.

1:24 The Bahram scurried over to his study, the side room, after everyone else left, rabbi Chonan, the Bahram waiting there in the study. The Chavitzchayim walked in, he sat down and he told them Bahram, I really wanted to meet you, to speak to you and listen why? Because in Parashas Vayigash, when Yaakov hears the great news, the good tidings that his son, yosef, he lives, yaakov is filled with Simcha. His prophecy returns and he says Eylech Varena, now let us go see him, bateram Amos, before I die. Chavitzchayim points out.

2:05 Why does Yaakov need to see Yosef before he dies? For we believe in the afterlife, olam Habba, and we're told that all of the Tzadikim sit in a big circle with crowns on their heads, singing Kumbaya and just enjoying the paradise. So Yaakov and Yosef will just hang out in the next world. Why does Yaakov need to go see Yosef, bateram, almost before he dies? We'll be time for that For the Chavitzchayim. Because Yaakov was saying but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to see Yosef in the next world because Yosef has withstood many more challenges and temptations and he has overcome that much more and that will put him in a certain section in those box seats in Olam Habba, that I am fearful, that I have not withstood those same level of trials and tribulations and therefore maybe Yosef will be at a higher spot and I won't see him.

3:01 So let's go see him. Eylech Varena Bateram, almost before I die. And the Chavitzchayim turned towards the Bacharman, said I wanted to meet you guys, because what's coming in the world and the Yetzahara and his strength and the immorality, and that what you are going to have to stand up against, if you are successful and they put you in a spot in Olam Habba that I won't be able to be in your mechitza and see you. So I wanted to meet you. Now. It's in chills down your spine. I heard the story from Rabbi Waxman, the great Rosh Hashiva and the great Magi. It seems we are judged and we are rewarded based on the pain and based on what we give up for Hashem, and while the world does present a certain accessibility to immorality and problems that have never before been seen in history, that also has presented us with a very unique, opportune time and opportunity to leapfrog all the way to the very top, to secure those box seats.

4:07 Like Josef had said Elich vererene, beterem amus. Take full advantage from this inspiration of just how you can secure so much in such a little amount of time.