Now, just two hours before the sun set, ushering in that month of heightened, intensified spirituality, I was at a loss
After the sefer was completed, I proceeded to translate other works of his, and we became very close. I would speak to him all the time. Callers from all over the world would ask me to forward their requests for brachos or eitzos to the Rav, and I was happy to do so.
Two hours before the dawn of Rosh Chodesh Elul this year, the loss of Rav Chaim hit me again with fresh pain. The Rav isn’t here! What would I do? He had always been my source of chizuk during Elul. I would go to him with lists of names of Yidden in need of yeshuos, and he would give his brachah or a unique, tailored segulah. It was a chizuk for me, it was a chizuk for Klal Yisrael. Now, just two hours before the sun set, ushering in that month of heightened, intensified spirituality, I was at a loss.
Then I had an idea. I contacted some of the Rav’s relatives, sons, eineklach, and some talmidei chachamim who were close with the Rav. Together, we formed a kollel, which we named Shofachti Siach. (The Rav’s full name was Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim; the initials spell “Siach” and many of the Rav’s seforim incorporate that theme in their title.) We began learning when the Rav did — two hours before haneitz — and following the learning, we completed the entire Sefer Tehillim at his kever.
The Rav was very meticulous about saying Tehillim during the Yemei Ratzon, and he would encourage others to do so as well. We hope that by emulating the Rav’s hasmadah and heartfelt tefillah, even just on our level, our connection to the Rav will endure.
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