‘The Rosh’ Asked for a Favor On His 80th Birthday

During the farbrengen marking his 80th birthday, YOEC Rosh Yeshiva Harav Ezra Schochet asked the bochurim for a favor…and then broke out into dance. 

By Anash.org reporter

During the farbrengen marking his 80th birthday, YOEC Rosh Yeshiva Harav Ezra Schochet asked the bochurim for a favor…and then broke out into dance. 

The farbrengen, held at Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon in Los Angeles, was joined by the entire student body and the hanhala, many local anash and shluchim. Over 1,000 from around the world also joined via Anash.org’s live stream.

During the farbrengen, Rabbi Shcochet said he had a favor to ask from the bochurim. He related a yechidus he had with the Rebbe as a young married man, choking up while recalling the Rebbe’s words to him.

He related that during the yechidus, after the Rebbe read and responded to everything in his note, he lifted his head, looked me him the eyes and asked, “Do you have anything else to ask?”

“I would always try to include everything I wanted to discuss or ask in my note, and here the Rebbe is looking at me waiting to hear any other question I might have… My heart began to race; what did I leave out? My mind went blank,” he said.

“The Rebbe asked me a second time, ‘Do you have anything else to ask?’ I was totally shaken, I could not think of anything else,” he said. “Then a third time: ‘Do you have anything else to ask? I want to finish answering all your questions before I begin to speak about matters that I wish to discuss…’

“This time I broke down sobbing. I couldn’t think of anything in particular to ask… What, then, could I say that is all encompassing? Between tears I blurted out, ‘Help me, Rebbe, to do teshuvah!’ he emotionally recalled.

The Rebbe looked at him with a smile and said “It looks like you do not wish to teshuva mitoch simcha!

Relating this story, Rabbi Schochet told the bochurim that he still needed to work on his simcha, and asked for their assistance. And with that, the entire yeshiva burst into a joyful dance that lasted for many long minutes, before the farbrengen resumed.

VIDEO: Rabbi Schochet related the yechidus

YouTube player

Full farbrengen replay is available here.

Discussion
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  1. Short and to the point! Especially how the Rebbe smiled [warmly] while giving the message.
    Thank you for posting this!

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