Rebbe Menahem Mendel Taub ZTZVK"L - tells his story at Memorial ceremony
HaRav Taub was born in Transylvania, after Hungary was conquered by the Germans, he and all his brothers and sisters were sent to Auschwitz, where he was eventually the only one to survive through torture and medical experimentations, that prevented his beard from growing. He was already standing in the line to be burned, before being redeemed at the last moment, and became one of the most influencial leaders and know sages of the genearation. Rebbe Taub ZTTZVK"L went to his world this Sunday, 28.4, (tzadikim in their passing are called living). Here's what he said:
"Tremble o Heavens! Shma'a Yisrael!
We were redeemed for the saints that were sent into the fire.
We were redeemed for the saint that were sent into the waters.
What wickedness! From where did we come.
70 years ago, before the war ended, then we were in the Warsaw ghetto, several hours before we went out, I was standing before them wanting to throw me into the fire. I said "Shma'a Yisrael!", I said "Creator of the world, what would You have from this? In a bit I'm going to be with my brothers and sisters, my father and mother in law no one is left, let me live. I promise to You that I will say 'Shma'a Yisrael' among the living people."
My rabbis, for 70 years I have been trying to fulfill this promise! That I have promised to the Creator of the world. But what hurts me day and night is that thousands of years have passed that we have merited that Moshe Rabbenu brought the Torah from heavens. This is our life! Everything!
And unfortunately there raise people who, G-d forbid!, want to break the Torah, the Torah of Moshe.
What will be, if there's no Torah there's no whole of Israel!
We need, I ask and beg, from the great and holy rabbanim, You have merited from Heavens, that after the 6 million who went for sanctifying the name of Hashem, You have a merit everywhere You are, go from place to place, people want but need to open their hearts.
What assimilate, what assimilate? To bring closer to Hashem.
"Shma'a Yisrael! Your'e getting closer today to war..." (Devarim 20:3)
Why did we come together, to show that the tree was broken, but the root lays. The root of whole of Israel was, is and will be and they will come in the mercy of Hashem, we will come to the root, don't leave Your roots.
If there's no Torah, G-d forbid, there's no revival and no place to live!
Let me tell You one thing, everyone will testify that America wants to help the Land of Israel. To destroy G-d forbid the man who wants to destroy the nation of Israel. And instantly the moment there raised people in the holy land that want to break the Torah, suddenly America is nowhere around.
And what's after? What's happening today? Hashem will have mercy. We have to strengthen and be strong, we are praying, asking for the Neshamah of Israel, You're getting closer today to war, and we all together, when we say in a moment Shma'a Yisrael, everyone will think that is ready to jump into fire for the name of Hashem, as we then stood and said Shma'a Yisrael:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our G-d; the Lord is One"! - Devarim 6:4