Although Tishrei is the time when the King returns from the field to the city and enters His palace, accompanied by all those who went out to greet him in the field, there are some who remain in the field to gather up the stragglers and connect them with the King. At a time when every Chassid yearns to be with the Rebbe, the Shluchim make the supreme sacrifice to remain in their place of Shlichus, in order to prepare the world for the ultimate coronation and celebration.
BETWEEN EILAT AND UMAN
R’ Shimon Eisenbach has been on shlichus in Eilat for over twenty-five years. R’ Eisenbach’s shul, Netzach Yisroel, has 300 people davening there every Shabbos.
Since his youth, R’ Eisenbach has been known as someone who always yearns for the Rebbe and 770. Even as a bachur, he went to the Rebbe every year. When he came of draft age, the Chassidim in Yerushalayim told him that he’d be better off not going for a year, because he would be engaged soon, and he would want to go to the Rebbe and remain until the wedding. The army only allowed trips abroad once in three years.
But Shimon did not listen to them. He listened to R’ Mendel Futerfas who said, the moment you are able to go to the Rebbe, you go. You don’t cancel a trip because of a possible future trip (see box). Shimon went on K’vutza, he went after K’vutza, and he went again as a chassan. Even then, there were some Chassidim who advised him to wait and travel after he married, but he didn’t wait.
He ended up going after his wedding too, and then many more times, as many as possible.
Erev Rosh HaShana 5770, he suddenly felt a strong desire to spend Rosh HaShana with the Rebbe. He was already humming the Avinu Malkeinu that you only hear at the Rebbe and he had almost ordered a ticket, but in the end, shlichus won out. 300 people looked forward to hearing him speak on the night of Rosh HaShana, there were the t’fillos and the t’kios. He had to stay home.
On the night of Rosh HaShana his shul was packed with local people as well as many guests. R’ Eisenbach was ready to begin his sermon. The door opened and someone somewhat unusual-looking walked in. He was a Chassid with a heavy beard, curly peios, a round, broad-brimmed black hat, and he wore a coat of the style that Breslover Chassidim wear. This was not the sort of look one often encountered in Eilat.
R’ Eisenbach wondered how a Breslover Chassid had ended up in Eilat for Rosh HaShana. Then it occurred to him that the man looked familiar. He had seen his picture in an advertisement. Ah, he remembered that this was Shuli Rand, a well-known actor (the star of the movie Ushpizin) and singer who became a baal t’shuva and was famous for his lectures, songs and performances. R’ Eisenbach wasn’t 100% sure; in any case, he had to begin his speech. After the davening he would find out.
When the davening was over, the people went over to the rabbi to bless him and be blessed for a good, sweet year. The guest waited at the end of the line. He wanted some private time with the rabbi.
R’ Shuli and R’ Eisenbach exchanged greetings and then Shuli said, “Believe me; I don’t know how I ended up here on Rosh HaShana. I can’t believe this happened to me. I am utterly broken. For the past seven years, I have spent Rosh HaShana in Uman. I don’t have to tell you how inspiring that is. Thousands upon thousands pray and cry out together in genuine Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim. This year too, I planned on going to Uman for Rosh HaShana, but due to family reasons, I could not go. I began thinking what could be a substitute for Uman. I considered going to Miron, maybe to the Kosel, but in the end my family and I had to be here in Eilat with my in-laws. I was feeling so down; what kind of Rosh HaShana would I have in a city that is all about touring and entertainment?”
R’ Eisenbach replied that he was living in Eilat for twenty-three years and he celebrated all the holidays with his congregation. There was a special atmosphere; and although he yearned to be with the Rebbe in 770, he still felt happy at the privilege to be in Eilat for Yom Tov, on Shabbos, and weekdays too. “This is where I raise my children in the way of Torah and Chassidus, and they are all healthy and happy.”
“If that’s the case,” said Shuli, “I’m changing my mind. If you are living here for twenty-three years and despite your longing for the Rebbe you are happy and proud to be here on shlichus, I see that I too can find holiness, chizuk, and inspiration in this place. I will join you for the entire holiday and I hope that I will also feel the holiness and the shlichus as you do.”
Shuli attended shul the next day and on the second day of Rosh HaShana. He also attended the farbrengen that afternoon. R’ Eisenbach asked him to say a few words to the people attending the farbrengen.
R’ Shuli agreed and said as follows:
“I must tell you that up until two days ago, I didn’t dream of what kind of Rosh HaShana awaited me in Eilat. I came here brokenhearted. But the moment I walked into shul and saw a Chassidic rabbi, I poured out my heart to him. I came to realize that here too, in Eilat, it is possible to receive an abundance of holiness and Yiras Shamayim. I want to tell you that I have never had a Rosh HaShana like this in my life. I’ve been in Uman and other places, but today I can tell you that I’ve experienced inspiration the likes of which I’ve experienced nowhere else. Yasher ko’ach to your rabbi who enabled me to experience this unique spiritual high.”
As a postscript, R’ Eisenbach says:
“A few months ago, we had a memorial gathering in our shul for a woman from Eilat. One of her sons became a baal t’shuva and became a Breslover Chassid. As we sat around the table, the Breslover told me that he had met Shuli Rand in Yerushalayim and had told him that he came from Eilat. ‘When Shuli heard that I’m from Eilat, he was so excited. He said he had to tell me what a special Rosh HaShana he had there.’”