Rabbi in Kapuvar, Author Machane Avraham, 17 Tamuz 5704 (1944)
In Kapuver lived around one hundred and twenty Jewish families. Twenty six families didn’t keep Shabbos due to their ignorance and even opened their stores on Shabbos but there was one who knew the severity of Shabbos and still kept his store open on Shabbos to anger the Jewish community.
When everyone was on the way home from Shul he would stand in the doorway of his store smoking a cigarette and wish everyone a good Shabbos. One year on the first day of Pesach the man was standing outside his store. When he saw the Rabbi he called out, “Ungar! Ungar! come here.”
Rabbi Avraham Zvi was taken aback by the insulting behavior but told his son to come and see what the man wanted. He called them in to his store that was full with people, he went up to a drawer, pulled out some chametz and matzo and he called out, “chametz and matzo!” and started eating.
Rav Avraham Zvi was terribly hurt from such Chillul Hashem. He was still standing when the man dropped to the floor. Immediately someone ran to the local doctor but all he could do was to pronounce that he was dead.
Rav Avraham Zvi didn’t say a word. On the next Sunday the fourth day of Chol Hamoed was his funeral. Many people attended his Levaya and were so shocked by his sudden death that they closed their stores on Shabbos. Someone got up to give a Hesped on the man and at the end said, ‐May he be a Meilitz Yosher -may he defend the honesty for everyone.” One of the bystanders got up and shouted, “He can be a Meilitz Yosher for you but not for me. He died with Chametz in his mouth, I don’t need people like him standing up in defense for me.”
Rav Avraham Zvi was in the Ghetto in Shapran with his whole family in a tiny room. A couple of days before he was transported to Auschwitz he asked two of his students if they can find him a Mikvah to immerse himself. They told him that it was impossible as there was no Mikvah nearby. He told his students that he promises them Olam Haba, they should try and find some pit or hole with water. In one of the cellars they found a pit used for making cement which hadn’t been used for a long time and it had accumulated water. They helped their Rebbi and carried him into the Mikvah, as he had a leg amputated and there was no stairs into the pit.
He immersed himself and then asked them to call his dear friend Rabbi Shimon Yisrael Posen the Rabbi Shapran. The Shapraner Rav came whilst Rav Avraham Zvi was still in the water. He said, ‐I want to tell you something on condition you don’t ask questions. I know this is the last time I will immerse in a Mikvah during my lifetime and my next immersion will be in a river of fire.”
The Shapraner Rav replied, ‐how can you say this, Chazal tell us that even if a sword is on someone’s neck they mustn’t give up hope from asking Hashem for mercy?!” Rav Avraham Zvi replied, ‐It is known the words of the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Bereishis 47-28) that a Jew who serves Hashem before he leaves this world he gets an addition to his Neshama. So don’t ask questions.”
Rav Avraham Zvi continued, ‐you know I have ten children. The younger five will die with me Al Kiddush Hashem – sanctifying Hashem’s name and the other five will survive. I ask you a favor since we were such close friends in this world and due to this special friendship I ask you that after the war help them that they can get married straight away. The only thing they should be careful to take in to consideration that if I was alive would I be in favor of their marriage.”
When he arrived in Auschwitz he spoke and said the following: The Gemarah (Berochos 61:) writes that when Rabbi Akiva was taken out to be killed it was the time to say Shema and they were combing his body with iron combs and he was busy saying Shema. His students asked ‐that’s it?” Rabbi Akiva answered, ‐all my life I was disturbed by the Passuk ‘Uvechal Nafshecha’ even if Hashem takes away one’s soul. I said when will it come and I will fulfill it, now that it has arrived and I shouldn’t fulfill it.”
This a famous Gemara but Rav Avraham Zvi explained it a little differently. Rabbi Akiva was the pillar of Avoda serving Hashem with Mesirus Nefesh, willing to give up his life. His whole life was busy serving Hashem even if it meant losing his life so he lived a life of Mesirus Nefesh. That is what the Gemarah means, my whole life I was living a piece of Mesirus Nefesh. But when it comes to fulfill it properly and give up my life, from now on I won’t be able to fulfill it anymore. (Velo Akaimenu – I won’t fulfill it again as a statement not a question). Because this will be the last opportunity of serving Hashem with Mesirus Nefesh.
After he finished his words he was killed Al Kiddush Hashem, may Hashem avenge his blood and the blood of all the other Jews who were killed throught history sanctifying Hashem’s holy name.
