Originally published in issue 22 of our Magazine, we bring you this article on the Yahrzeit of the Holy Tzadik.
While recently in a Jewish Book Shop, I came across a beautiful book called A Fire In The Darkness by Rabbi Meir B. Kahane, about the writings of the Piasecner Rebbe Hy’d, which brought back my family’s history in a very extraordinary way.
I always remember a painting hanging in my late Aunt and Uncle’s home and the history that accompanied it.
This is a story of hope, belief and extraordinary perseverance. The following account is based on information that I heard from my late Father Bezalel z’l and from my cousin Pinhas Friedenberg, who heard it from his mother, my Aunt Penina A’h.
This is the painting of the Rebbe that my Uncle had hanging in his house.
My paternal grandfather, Reb. Meir Dovid Schreibhand lived in Warsaw, Poland. Reb. Schreibhand, his wife Chaya Liba and their children lived at 40 Zamenhoff in Warsaw and were Piasecznier Chasidim. My grandmother was a first cousin of Chana Bracha, the Piaseczner Rebbe’s mother. Thus, my Father was the Rebbe’s second cousin. The family relationship was very close; in fact, my uncle Shalom’s aufruf was held in the Piaseczner Shtibel (5 Dzilna Street) on Parashat Mishpatim 1936.
In 1935, my Aunt, Pearl Rochel (later known as Pnina), moved to Eretz Yisrael. Over the years, she kept in touch with her parents and siblings, especially with her younger brother Bezalel.
One winter night, in 1939, my Aunt had a dream that her parents wrote to her and requested that she return to Warsaw for a family visit. In the dream, she complied with her parents’ request, but when she wanted to return to Eretz Yisrael, her parents forbade her because she was a single girl and they were concerned that she was not yet married. Upset by the dream, she vowed that she would never return to Poland. A few weeks after this dream, her parents sent her a letter asking her to return, but she didn’t feel safe returning to Poland. She sent a letter back to them explaining:
“Tayere tate und mame. A yid darf voinen in Eretz Isroel. Ich fur nisht tzurik zi Poilen. Kumt kain Eretz Isroel”. (Dear father and mother. A Jew must live in Eretz Yisrael. I am not going back to Poland. Come to Eretz Yisrael.) This is what saved her life. Meanwhile, my Father, Bezalel, was still living in Warsaw. The story of his escape from Warsaw was very much connected with that of the Rebbe of Piaseczno’s 1939 Purim.
My father and four other people went to give the Rebbe Shalach Monos. The Rebbe said, “Ich Hub Shtark Moire Fin Dem Rosh Hashonah.” he repeated this twice. Once at the beginning of his regular torah and again at the end. He also said specific things to those sitting around him. My father understood this to be a message that he should leave Poland as soon as possible. The situation in Poland had been steadily growing more and more dangerous for the Jews, and after this message, my father knew he had to leave as soon as he possibly could.
After Shevouth, He went to the Rebbe to get a Brocha to be able to go safely, and the Rebbe’s words reassured him as he said that when my father arrived in Tel-Aviv, he should give his brother Reb Shayele a message. This gave my father hope that he would survive the trip.
The one thing he wanted was a picture of the Rebbe in his pocket as a shmirah (a talisman).
This is the original that my Father, Reb. Bezalel Schreibhand Z’’l, carried in his pocket from the Rebbe.
This picture was used to create the now-famous painting used when portraying the life of The Aish Koidesh, otherwise known as the Piaceczner Rebbe. The Rebbe was murdered by the Nazis, Yimach Shimom, on the 4th of Cheshvan 5704.
May he be a Meilitz Yoisher to all Klal Yisroel.
