At the Levaya of Rav Chaim ztz’l, yesterday, Rabbi Zilberstein quoted a pasuk from Shir HaShirim
אשכל הכופר דודי לי
We will not explain the literal meaning for now.
The Or HaChaim quotes the Midrash in Shir HaShirim that says that אשכל הכופר Eshkol Hakofer is an aacronym for Ish ShaHakol Bo,a man that has everything ( all kind of merits) in him, and He brings a kapara for the Jewish people.
He quoted a Midrash (I searched and searched for it on my computer and couldn’t find) which the Gedolei Yisrael asked him to read word for word:
It says that Ish SheHakol Bo Yesh Adam SheYesh Bo Mishna, Mikra, Bavli, Yerushalmi,Tosefta…. a whole list of things that are known….
Which refers to a man that possesses knowledge in all areas of Torah.
And who else is there in the generation that had Kol Bo all areas of Torah known to him like .. Rav Chaim Kanievsky ztz’l
And he went on to say that there is a time in Klal Yisrael when the Middat HaDin/ God’s judgment demands justice and Hashem, our Dodi Li, our beloved One, takes that Eshkol- Ish SheHakol Bo, and as the pasuk says, Eshkol HaKofer- This Ish brings the kapara for the whole Klal Yisrael, and it is Dodi Li/My beloved Hashem that is doing it, because Klal Yisrael needs it in order to protect them.
The Or HaChaim quotes Ki Tisa et Rosh Benei Yisrael- When the leader of the Jewish people is taken away, Lifkudehem-it’s because of their lacking- it’s lashon Hisaron/Lacking
Then it says V’Natnu Ish Kofer Nafsho which means whoever is behind has to feel the lacking. Because of the bad things that are going on, the Sadik is removed.
V’Natnu Ish Kofer Everyone has to give kofer, which means everyone has to do Teshuva, And there won’t be a plague.
The Or HaChaim says that if you don’t do Teshuva, has v’shalom there is a Remez that things will not be good afterwards.
Therefore, he says, there is a responsibility after a Sadik dies, for every individual to do their own personal Teshuva… and Rabbi Edelstein, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh said that everyone has to learn Musar. He said that anyone can find a book that is interesting and enjoyable, and he elaborated more about finding the right musar book than about Rav Chaim. He said to find a book that speaks to you, so that you will have a chance to change.
Another interesting thing that Rabbi Zilberstein said, was that this week’s Parasha is Shemini, when Nadav and Avihu passed away, which was also a kapara for the Jewish people. There are no coincidences…
It says, “The whole, entire Jewish people have to cry for this loss.”
And he brings from the Hemek Davar, “If anyone has a problem, that they want to cry to Hashem for, when an Adam Gadol passes away, that is the time to pray. Because, when an Adam Gadol passes away, his funeral is the right time for your cries to go up, …. because of the act Kavod HaMet” respect for the deceased.
He explains that in the zechut of giving respect for a Great man, it’s a time for your tefilot to be accepted.
Rabbi Zilberstein then cried out to the crowd that everyone should cry out to Hashem for whatever needs they have.
B’ezrat Hashem, we will have a night of speakers at the Torah Center in order to arouse the congregation, because as it says, “The whole, entire Jewish people have to cry for this loss.”
Everyone has to cry, and learn Mussar and do Teshuva, because as my father in law told me, there is a Gemara that says that when a Sadik dies, “it’s a double punishment,” because the Sadik’s passing is one tsaarah/trouble, but if, has v’shalom, we don’t do Teshuva, it’s a second tsaarah.
So it’s like a Yom Kippur now. We have to take some time out for introspection. It’s no coincidence that this week is Parashat Shemini with Nadav and Avihu.
It’s a time that we should think about Teshuva, and B’ezrat Hashem, when we do Teshuva, every thing will turn around for the good.