40th yahrtzeit 29 Adar
BURIED Queens, New York
Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky was the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaas and was one of the leading gedolim in the previous generation.
The grandson of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l passed away at a young age. Reb Yaakov was called to give a hesped. He got up and just choked up with tears, and said, “I never would have believed that I would have to eulogize three generations” [Reb Ahron, Reb Shneur, and his son], and couldn’t go on, and just walked away from the podium.
When he got back to his car, his driver told him that there is a certain Yid who Reb Yaakov helped a lot who is getting married tonight, and would appreciate very much if Reb Yaakov would attend the wedding.
Reb Yaakov said, “If it will give him chizuk, let’s go!”
He went and danced at the chasunah with all his might and with great joy!
His driver then asked him, “How is that a little earlier you were so distraught and now you just danced as if nothing happened? Aren’t you still sad from the funeral you just went to, where you couldn’t even bring yourself to speak!?”
Reb Yaakov gave an amazing answer: “A Yid is like a soldier, always doing what Hashem wants from him. Right now, Hashem wanted me to dance and make a chassan happy. Even if getting into a state of happiness is hard for me to do today, I do what my general asks me to do!”
“A Yid is like a soldier, always doing what Hashem wants from him.”
Rav Yaakov lived a long life, passing away at the age of 95. One of his students once asked him “In what merit are you living such a long life?” Rav Yaakov replied “I never in my life told a lie!”
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 74.