[Reader Submitted] Dear Leiby, I just returned from your Levaya (funeral). You might be wondering why I went. After all, I never met you and I am almost a half century older than you. I don’t know your parents or any of your family members at all. I am not a member of your parent’s Shul and never even met your parents.
I know that where you are now, you realize the reasons things occurred the way they did.
However, we down here are struggling to make sense out of the senseless; to comprehend the incomprehensible.
Why then did I trek out to Borough Park to be at your Levaya?
The reason Leiby is simple, I went because you are a very special young man.
Chazal (our Sages) have taught us in the Gemara (Shabbos 105 b) that whoever sheds tears over a ‘adam kasher’ literally a ‘kosher’ or proper person, Hashem counts those tears and places them in His ‘treasure trove’.
Leiby, more people cried today for you than for anyone I can recall in many years.
These tears shed openly and unabashedly certainly indicate that you are a special young boy.
However, there is another, more important reason I went to your Levaya.
The reason I went to the Levaya is because you are one of the most precious souls that Hashem has given us and to give proper respect and kavod to your special Neshama, I went to the Levaya.
Leiby, I cannot recall a single person has caused such unity; such an outpouring of togetherness; such fervent recitation of Tehillim as you caused these two days.
Leiby, today when I came to your Borough Park neighborhood, your presence could be felt by all. Everyone and I mean everyone, Jew and Gentile were more somber, more serious, indeed, nicer to each other.
Leiby, only a special person could have been chosen by Hashem to be the conduit of such an outpouring of care and consideration.
The Gemara teaches us that when Hashem wants to send ‘zechusim’ (merit) to His people, He chooses an individual who is already full of ‘merit’.
Leiby, you are obviously a young man with much merit; why else would Hashem choose you to be His agent to send His people so many opportunities for mitzvohs?
Leiby, I do not know why this happened. Indeed, this is not the way life is supposed to be.
The way of life is that young people are not supposed to die young. They are not supposed to be abducted by anyone, certainly not by a fellow Jew.
The way of the world should be that old people pass on and that young people live on.
However, in your case, the opposite has occurred.
I know you are a special young man; and I know your parents must be special people to have been blessed with you.
Leiby, it seems to us that you were with us much too short a time.
However, in your too short life you gave us the gift of appreciating the importance of unity.
You gave us a wake-up call to remind us to take the mundane incidents in life and place them in their proper perspective.
For two too short days you allowed us to be more forgiving, more accepting of each other and ultimately more loving of each other.
For that and for so much more, I and thousands like me went to your Levaya.
Please Leiby, do what you can for us and help all of us maintain the unity and togetherness which you caused these last two days.
May we merit to see each other one day.
With much love and respect; your friend…..
beautiful expression of what we are all feeling, thank you. forward to his family!!
That was so beautifully written. I’m still crying! His name “Leiby” meant it all- “heart”. Thank you for expressing that on behalf of most of us reading it.
Dear Friend, thank you for a beautiful letter, written with so much love for a young boy, my heart weeps for his family. This boy was truly a gift, and will be missed by all.
WOW! So well written! I really appreciate TLS for publishing this really nice letter that was written from the heart.
It expresses what I’m feeling along with every member of klal yisroel. Although, I couldn’t make it to the levaya, I listened to the hook-up and cried along with everyone therel! What a kidush Hashem!!!
May Hashem grant us all heath, and bracha and only simchos with no more tzaros. And may He bring the geulah sheleimah real soon! Amen!
I just read this beautiful letter, i am not jewish but just like everybody i was just heart broken and cried just like if he were my own child,i will pray for his parents and for this young boy who touched so many lives, may we all find harmony to live together and find peace with all
This is a beautiful letter written from the heart….its very unfortunate that from such sad stories we see how special we really are.
I told my kids- We cant understand Hashem’s ways, but we know that he loves us. How much? If you look at all the love that went into thousands of people coming to look and help, and ultimately pay their final respects you see a great love. After explaining that to them I told tehm… Hashem loves us even more than that. We just can’t understand how this shows it but it is true.
The last pasuk of last week’s haftarah (Parshas Balak) reads: “He has told you, O man, what is good! What does Hashem require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your G-d?” (Michah, 6:8). We accomplished this during this tragedy, and now let us continue this until Mashiach comes. Let this be “Leiby’s Legacy” to all of us. Before you think, say, or do, just think to yourself “Leiby,” and you will remember to do what Hashem wants.
beautiful letter.
It speaks for everyone…..
you spoke for all of us—but the tears are mine
wow! beautiful!
Thank you for the beautiful letter.
This is the most beautiful message I have ever read. I’m crying my eyes out….how right you are and may “Leiby’s legacy” inspire all people, jews and non jews, to live together in peace love and harmony and accept each other’s differences. We have a responsibility to improve ourselves in response to this terrible tragedy.
very beautiful. You don’t have to be Orthodox to feel the pain for the family or understand Leiby’s legacy.