This past Motzaei Shabbos, all of Klal Yisrael could cry out a national “vai avda nefesh”
Rav Yehoshua Kalish a”h knew all of Shas, but he held a particular love for Maseches Beitzah. It is there that Chazal interpret the word vayinafash, the Torah’s description of Hashem’s resting on Shabbos, homiletically. “Vai avda nefesh,” teaches the Gemara, “woe to the loss of a soul.” On Motzaei Shabbos, we lose our neshamah yeseirah.
Woe to the loss.
But this past Motzaei Shabbos, all of Klal Yisrael could cry out a national “vai avda nefesh.”
After months of storming the gates of Heaven for mercy, those very same gates opened wide to admit a soul — a brilliant and beautiful nefesh.
Reb Yehoshua is here! There was no cry of “vai” in Shamayim. There was only joy and celebration as the man who learned Shas over 40 times came to take his seat in the Yeshivah shel Maalah.
Create a free account to keep reading.
