Rebbe Rebbe

Dear Rebbi,

Lucky. That’s the word that comes to mind 12 hours after hearing the horrible news that I will never see you again, my dear beautiful Rebbi. But why does the word lucky come to mind? If anything, the word should be unlucky. But you have always taught us to see the positive in every situation and the truth is:

• I was lucky enough to know you for 4 years and have the honor of calling you my Rebbi.
•I was lucky enough to have someone as amazing as you to

be able to give me the time of day to teach me gemara.
•I was lucky just to be in your presence and see what a true

eved Hashem looks like.
•We as a community were lucky to have you here for us

when you had every reason to be in Lakewood.
• Most importantly, we were all lucky to have you in our lives in some way, shape, or form because you affected all

of us in ways that cannot be said over in words.

Wednesday nights, 9 to 10 PM. I will always remember that specific hour every week of my life. It was the time where I was able to learn with you, Rebbi. You never told me “if you want to learn come in the mornings.” You just took me in and taught me Torah and what Hashem expects of me. You were exhausted by the time 9 PM came around from a day full of learning. You had every reason to send me some- where else to learn, yet you never told me, “no.” You made me feel special in a way no one else could. Rebbi, you al- ways told us that you were proud of us and those words meant more to us than anyone can ever imagine.

I’m sitting here by my computer trying to put the proper words on paper, but I sit here struggling to type because I