Forward March

Rav Avrohom Ausband lived by a credo inherited from his grandfather, the Telshe Rav, who promised a Nazi during the Holocaust that the whole world would yet recognize the Power of Hashem. With this as his guide, Rav Avrohom developed his own mantra: “Torah is a one-way street. You go forward, and you go forward, and you go forward.”

Rav Avrohom Ausband would frequently share the story of his grandfather and namesake, Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Bloch ztz”l, the Telshe Rav.

It was the summer of 1941; the Nazis had taken over the town of Telshe and were torturing the Jews incessantly. One day, a Nazi produced a hammer and mercilessly beat the Telshe Rav over the head. He then laughed. “Herr Rabiner,” he said, “A vuh yetzt iz dein G-tt? — Where is your G-d now?” The Telshe Rav looked at him and said, “Ehr iz nisht nuhr mein G-tt, ehr iz dein G-tt! — He is not only my G-d, he is your G-d!”

And he continued:

“Uhn der gantze velt veht dos zehn!”

And the whole world will yet see this.

The Telshe Rav was murdered shortly thereafter, as was the vast majority of the town’s Jewish population.