Rachel Imeinu zt"l
הרב רחל אמנו זצ"ל
Cheshvan 11 , 2208
Stories of Rachel Imeinu zt"l
It was Rosh HaShana and the holy Tzaddik, the Minchas Elozor of Munkacz, approached the lectern to begin the derosha before Tekias Shofar. Among his holy words he retold the tale:
The holy Tzaddik, the Meor Einayim, was libeled by the Misnagdim and the government threw him into jail. He languished in prison for two weeks. Then, as he sat in his cell, our Matriarch, Mamme Rochel, came to him and promised him that he would go free – and so he did. Then the Munkasczer Rav turned heavenward and spread his arms out to Shomayim, crying out with bitter tears of longing, “Mamme, Mamme – Mother!!! Rav Nachum Czernobyler sat just two weeks in prison and you freed him! Mother, what about us?! For two thousand bitter years we are exiled and imprisoned – why don’t you free us? Let us out!” he cried. The awakening was so great that the Chassidim said the very walls of the Bais Medrash shed tears. (Siach Zekeinim VII p. 325)
Divrei Torah of Rachel Imeinu zt"l
rochel cries in distress to save her children
Kedushas Levi by Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev - Parshas Vayetzeh
And behold Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.” (See Bereshis Rabbah 70:10). Since Rachel is coming with the flocks of sheep which refers to the Jewish people who are called Tzon Kedoshim– holy sheep and therefore she is constantly nullifying the prosecuting agents and causing peace up above, as is written in the book Chasdei Hashem regarding a story that whenever there is a time of trouble and calamity Rachel comes and cries out to cancel and nullify all the troubles of the Jewish People.
In the book Chasdei Hashem by Rav Moshe Mordechai Margolios was ( Cracow, 1589, p.47b). writes:
(Yishaya 53:7) As a sheep is silent before her shearers, so too our Matriarch Rachel is shorn and in distress. As the verse says (Yirmiyahu 31:14) A voice in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel crying over her children refusing to be comforted.”
I must copy a great matter here which I saw written regarding an incident that happened close to our times. In the country of Ashkenaz (Germany) there were several congregations that were forlorn and despondent in their distress from being harassed and maltreated and jailed. Among them was a great man by the name of Rav Moshe Naiyas. They said that one time during the night they heard a bitter voice call out “Woe is to me, over my children!” They told of the incident to Rav Moshe Naiyas and he answered them: Do not worry and do not fear, because shortly we will all be able to return to our homes in peace. And so it was. When he was questioned as to the crying they had heard he said that this was the voice of our matriarch Rachel, and that when the Children of Israel are distressed Rachel cries over her children and calls out before Hashem until He answers her saying stop your voice from crying.
The sefer Chasdei Hashem, by Rav Moshe Mordechai Margolios, was printed in Cracow in the year 1589. On page 47b he writes:
“As a sheep is silent before her shearers” (Yeshaya 53:7), so too Rochel Imeinu is shorn and in distress. As the pasuk says (Yirmiyohu 31:14): “A voice is heard in Rama, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rochel crying over her children, refusing to be comforted.”
I must copy a great matter here that I saw written regarding an incident that happened close to our times. In the country of Ashkenaz (Germany) there were several congregations that were forlorn and despondent in their distress from being harassed, maltreated and jailed.
Among them was a great man by the name of Rav Moshe Naiyas. They said that one time during the night they heard a bitter voice call out, “Woe is me, over my children!”
They told of the incident to Rav Moshe Naiyas and he answered them, “Do not worry and do not fear, because shortly we will all be able to return to our homes in peace.” And so it was.
When he was questioned as to the crying they had heard, he said that this was the voice of Rochel Imeinu, and that when Yisrael are distressed Rochel cries over her children and calls out before Hashem until He answers her, saying, “Withhold your voice from weeping.”