AT FIVE YEARS OLD TO THE SCRIPTURE • Chumash Party for Talmud Torah 'Emunat

The first-grade class of the 'Emunat Tzion' Talmud Torah, under the leadership of the venerable Chassid Rabbi Shmuel Stern shlit"a (may he live long and good days), merited a spiritual and unforgettable experience as they began their study of the Chumash (the Five Books of Moses) together with our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a. The event took place on Tuesday, Parshat Korach, the 26th of Sivan, the yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the G-dly Tanna (Sage of the Mishna), Yonatan ben Uziel zy"a (may his merit protect us).

At 12:00 PM, the students set out, adorned with prestigious royal crowns, toward the home of the Rav shlit"a. Their behavior and derech eretz (proper etiquette) as they walked through the streets of Jerusalem were clearly evident, as is fitting for the children of 'Emunat Tzion.' Thus, the children marched to the holy residence of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, where each one took his seat and began with songs and praises, for the time they had anticipated and hoped for over many long weeks had finally arrived.

At 12:15 PM, our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, entered the living room of his home in all his glory, as the children welcomed him with song and melody, continuing with the party songs with devotion and seriousness. Great satisfaction was visible on the Rav's face as the supervisor, Rabbi Amram Fishman, presented the song booklet, and the educator, Rabbi Nachman Rubinstein shlit"a, roared: "Tzon Kodashim" (Holy Sheep), and the children answered: "Meeeh" at the top of their lungs. Afterward, they sang all the portions of the Torah and the song 'Tov Li Torat Picha – Si Git, Si Zis' (The Torah of Your mouth is better for me – it is good, it is sweet), while the Rav constantly gazed at the holy children and lived the sublime occasion they merited along with them.

In the middle of the ceremony, before the 'connecting' to our holy Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman), the Mashgiach (spiritual supervisor), Rabbi Elchanan Reisman shlit"a, spoke about the great merit the children had to learn Chumash together with the Rav shlit"a. The supervisor, Rabbi Berish Gutstein shlit"a, asked the Rav to bless them that they should grow up to be true Breslov Chassidim. Immediately after the Rav shlit"a's blessing, the precious children burst into the song "In Breslov Brent a Fayer" (In Breslov a fire burns).

Moments of majesty were recorded then, as our teacher, the Rav, burst into tears, and tears welled up in his pure eyes with great emotion as the tinokot shel beit raban (pure school children) sang the song. At the Rav's request, they played the soul-stirring song again and again.

Afterward, the children sang 'Hareini Mekasher' (I hereby bind myself) to the melody of "Reb Shayele ben Reb Moshe" (composed by the singer Reb Shimmy Naiman), connecting themselves to our holy Rebbe before studying the holy verses.

Rejoice and be glad in the joy of the Torah as our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began to learn the first three verses of Chumash Vayikra (Leviticus) word-for-word with the students, including the Teitsch (traditional translation) in the Yiddish language. Hearts throbbed and felt the holiness in the air as the Rav said: "Die Yiddishe Kinder" (The Jewish children) and everyone repeated after him. It is impossible to describe or estimate what the students merited in those moments!

Silence fell upon the place as our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began to deliver words of encouragement and awakening to the students who were just now entering the Palace of Torah and the study of Chumash Vayikra. The Rav shlit"a read from the Holy Zohar that at the time of reading the first verses, the child merits to receive a literal new soul. In his holy way, the Rav branched out in his lesson to additional topics.

After the holy words, the students merited to pass one by one before our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, alongside the directors of the Talmud Torah. The tender students merited to receive from our teacher, the Rav, a Chumash Bereshit (Genesis) and many blessings, with a special and pure radiance of the face that every single student merited, like a father to his son.