A Fine Jew Prepares for Death
After my Zeide Osher Yeshaya had lived seventy years, his
time drew near. On a Sunday morning he took to his bed even
though he did not feel ill. The doctor whom the Babje
summoned declared him hale and hearty. Monday morning, Zeide
asked, "Is today Thursday?"
That week, each morning, he asked that question, rising only
to daven thrice each day. On Wednesday, my Uncle David
sat down next to the bed. "Tatte, may you live to 120. Our
family treasure, your chumashim, what is your wish
concerning them?"
"Rivka is like a son to me. They are for her." My mother, who
was a young girl, was overwhelmed. She had four brothers, all
learned. Her brother Avrum was a talmid chochom who
proved to be an inspiration to all his Torah-true descendants
as well as to the Klall. Never had she expected to inherit
those generation-old heirloom chumashim that her
father had received on his wedding day.
Uncle David continued, "Yesterday Chaye, Reb Sholom's wife,
spoke to the Babje. They would like Rivka for their Menachem
Mendel. What do you say?"
"The Rebhuns are a fine family. Ich bin maskim."
Often in later years, Mutti expressed her gratitude and
satisfaction that at such a difficult and worrisome time, her
brother David had thought to advise her father of the
shidduch and how much it meant to her to have had his
approval.
The chumashim were bound in hand-tooled leather and
were gold-edged. In Germany, they were stored in a custom-
made fine wood case with a glass front, in our special salon
which, for some reason, was used only for melave
malkas, on rosh chodesh and for the reading of the
megilla by a baal koreh who read slowly and
clearly for our extended family. Whenever my brother Sholom
was praised by his rebbe, he was allowed to review the
sedra in those chumashim. This happened
often.
When Thursday came, my Zeide turned his face to the wall.
"Osher," the Babje said softly, "you did not daven
today."
"Today I need not daven," Zeide replied. "My
grandfathers, my father, my uncles are all here and they are
davening for me." All those present were profoundly
moved as he named those close relations departed from earthly
life long ago.
That day he rendered up his pure soul. It was the 17th of
Teves. To this day, my brother Sholom observes his
yahrzeit as well as that of the Babje and our other
grandparents. May their memories be blessed.
*
Royal Pillowcase
During our endlessly long and painful exile, there was rarely
a monarch so beloved by Jews as Franz Joseph, Emperor of
Austria and King of Hungary. He ruled the vast and powerful
Austro-Hungarian empire from 1848- 1916. Knowing how well
disposed he was to the Jews in his realm, they often referred
to him affectionately as "Efroim Yossel."
The Empress Elizabet did not like the rigid court ceremonies
and was often away traveling. "Again he is alone," they would
say. When it became clear that Crown Prince Rudolf was not
turning out satisfactory, they pitied the emperor.
People in Kolbuszowa felt a special connection to Franz
Joseph. Yakob Eckstein, a well-known philanthropist, had been
decorated by the emperor for his massive generosity in
helping both Jews and non-Jews.
A woman who was unusually talented in embroidery, whom we
shall call Tirza, sent the emperor a pillowcase with a
likeness of his head embroidered thereon. She received a
letter from the Hofburg in Vienna thanking her for the gift
which was now being examined by experts. Some weeks later,
she was invited to come to Schonbrunn Palace for an audience
with the emperor.
What excitement in town! Tirza traveled by train to Vienna
where a palace coachman awaited her and drove her to
Schonbrunn. There a lady-in-waiting received her and
dismissed the court lady who had been assigned to travel with
her.
The dress Tirza had brought for the audience with the emperor
had neither a train or a tunic. Very quickly a suitable dress
was brought and a seamstress appeared to alter it. Now she
was escorted to the waiting room and within minutes, was
accompanied to the audience with the emperor.
He graciously thanked her for coming and inquired if she had
any request. She replied that she would like to have the
tobacco franchise in Kolbuszowa. This was immediately
granted. The emperor then presented her with a gold watch
studded with two small diamonds and two small rubies. She was
also allowed to keep the court dress.
*
In those days, many elderly Jews traveled to Jerusalem to be
buried in its holy soil. One saintly Torah scholar made the
trip from Kolbuszowa in 1884. Two years later, he sent an
urgent letter to the Kolbuszower Rebbe insisting that each
home in town be outfitted with a least two large barrels of
water before a specified date and that great care must be
taken to control sparks, candles and lamps, lest a fearful
fire devastate the town. He also noted that Prince Rudolf
would never ascend the throne.
It was never clear whether adequate precautions were made but
on the date mentioned, Kolbuszowa went up in flames. On
January 30th, 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf was found murdered in
the hunting lodge of Mayerling. The murderer was never found.
The Jews of Kolbuszowa took this as a sign that Moshiach's
arrival was imminent for who could imagine the Austrian
empire without a king? When the Empress Elizabet was
stabbed to death in Genf, the emperor said, "I have not been
spared any grief. No joy is left to me."
The Jews were greatly saddened by Franz Josef's ill fortune
and felt sincerely bereaved upon his death.
[The annals of Jerusalem history relate some very interesting
stories about the Kaiser's visit to that holy city and the
benevolent concern he showed to the Jews living there as
well.]
