Documentation from the Chilling Funeral Procession of the Righteous Woman Yocheved Leah Singer, a"h

On Thursday, Isru Chag Pesach, the chilling funeral of the righteous woman Mrs. Yocheved Leah Singer, a"h (peace be upon her), took place. She was the daughter of the wondrous man of loving-kindness, the Chassid Rabbi Chaim Cohen, shlit"a (may he live for many good days), and the devoted wife of the attendant of our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, Rabbi Chaim Singer, shlit"a.

The funeral procession departed from the 'Shamgar' funeral home, where Rabbi Shimon Shisha, head of the 'Yad Avraham' organization, opened with words of eulogy. He tearfully recounted how, for 12 years, the deceased, a"h, would come every single day with endless self-sacrifice and complete volunteerism to the playroom run by the 'Yad Avraham' chessed (loving-kindness) organization at the 'Hadassah Ein Kerem' hospital.

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Afterwards, the funeral procession passed by the home of our teacher and Rebbe, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, at 14 HaChoma HaShlishit Street.

The first speaker was the Gaavad of Heichal Hora'ah, the Gaon Rabbi Moshe Bransdorfer shlit"a, who opened his words by noting that although we do not deliver eulogies during the month of Nissan, nevertheless, it is permissible to say a few words of sorrow and Tzidduk HaDin (justifying the Divine decree).

Rabbi Bransdorfer eulogized the deceased for the tremendous virtue of her immense acts of loving-kindness. "It is written in the holy books that there is a significance to recounting the good deeds of the deceased before them, so that when they arrive at the Heavenly Court, they are received Above exactly according to what is said here. Therefore, one should not multiply words or say things that never happened. But regarding this righteous woman, one can say that whatever will be said is simply not enough. Without a doubt, the mitzvot, good deeds, and chessed she performed here in the holy city of Jerusalem stood to her merit."

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"It is written that when one teaches the child of his friend, and similarly, one who strengthens broken hearts, it is as if they gave birth to them. But it is not just 'as if'—it is literally so. Even though they were not blessed with viable offspring, when she arrives Above, she will see that there are tens of thousands of families who are all her sons and daughters..."

Afterwards, the holy attendant of our teacher and Rebbe shlit"a, and the husband of the deceased, Rabbi Chaim Singer, went up to speak. He recounted with copious tears that his late wife was "a truly kosher woman who does the will of her husband." She had nothing else in life besides doing her husband's will. "At night, you would stay alone so that I could go learn at Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb)." Reb Chaim tearfully shared that a few months ago, she told him she dreamt she was killed in an accident. "I dismissed her words, saying 'dreams speak falsehoods'... but you were right about this dream... You had a few other true dreams as well..."

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"A week ago, you scheduled an appointment with a great doctor. You asked the Rav at the hospital if a barren woman could be blessed with children. The Rav answered, 'Rebbe Nachman can even revive the dead.' At the time, we didn't understand what the Rav meant, but today we understand..."

"For 16 years we tried to be blessed with children. Even when the professors forbade you from continuing the treatments, you insisted, suffering fainting spells and agony every single day. But on the outside, no one saw a thing on you; you strengthened depressed and broken hearts."

Her father, the man of loving-kindness, the Chassid Rabbi Chaim Cohen shlit"a, chairman of the 'Linat HaChessed' organization, parted from his daughter with tears and a weeping eulogy. He noted that she was born when he was on his way back from the tomb of the 'Noam Elimelech' in Lizhensk, and now she passed away upon returning from the tomb of the 'Pele Yoetz'. Her entire life was a piece of suffering, but with everyone, she spoke only of Emunah (faith)! Emunah!!

"Let each and every person take upon themselves one small resolution of unity and Ahavas Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew). It doesn't take much—just to understand the other person, to try not to speak against the other, so that there will be understanding among everyone."

The final eulogizer was our teacher and Rebbe, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, who made the special effort to come down specifically for the funeral of this righteous woman.

"'And Aharon was silent,' Rabbi Berland shlit"a opened his eulogy, his voice choking with emotion. "'And the entire House of Israel shall bewail the conflagration'—this is such a tragedy that the entire Jewish nation is crying. In her merit, everyone at Hadassah did teshuvah (repentance). She did not differentiate between secular and religious; she embraced everyone. From the day she was born, she was nothing but chessed. She only saw Hashem—nothing but Hashem alone! In all the short life she lived, she had no pleasure from this world, no connection to this world whatsoever!

"With her passing, this terrible war has ended. It is all in her merit. Hashem takes only the greatest tzaddikim—'Through those near to Me I will be sanctified'!"

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"In her merit, I was released from prison. I went through twenty radiation treatments, and she arranged everything so that we would always receive the fastest care.

"Hashem chose only her to bring her to the Throne of Glory, in order to nullify the terrible decree that hung over the entire Jewish nation, the end of which no one knew. And in the merit of her ascent to Heaven, there will be an end to all the troubles.