Rav Yerucham of Mir - Rav Yerucham Levovitz (1875-1936), Minsk, Belarus, Slobodka, Kelm; Known as "The Mashgiach". A disciple of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, and Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv of Kelm. Spiritual leader of the Mir Yeshiva in Belarus until his death in 1936. His disciples were said to have followed his every word, never doing anything that they felt he would not want them to do.
the serpents again. In this way, the bitten person remains aware of the existence of dangers, which Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s special protection guides us through safely every day, at all times, even without our knowledge. This proves to us how every breath of our lives is a new gift of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s goodness and might. A person can come to terms with anything that befalls him – even with the routine habit that makes him impatient because he did not “win the grand lottery” of a special gift from Above – if he sees himself always as one saved from danger by Hashem’s kindness, with his life given to him as a gift. A person will feel this way if he contemplates the abyss along whose narrow edges our entire life’s path runs, an abyss that Hakadosh Baruch Hu, in His kindness, conceals from our eyes lest we lose our minds. He carries us over it with His strength and kindness, as if on eagles’ wings. A person will bless Hashem who has dealt kindly with him if he only sees the “fiery serpents” lurking invisibly on our path, which only the strong hand of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s hashgacha – providence, renders harmless.
Two weeks ago, Hakadosh Baruch Hu showed us the Khomeini Serpent! It made some noise and immediately slithered under the rocks. A yid called me and said, “I felt like Korach and his assembly – every moment I was diving under the ground!” Out of 30 missiles that hit here, this serpent, yimach shemo, had tens of thousands just like it aimed in the same direction – how much Hakadosh Baruch Hu protected us!!!
שָׂרָף וְשִׂים אֹתוֹ עַל נֵס עֲשֵׂה לְך – Make for yourself a fiery serpent and place it on a pole. See how much Hakadosh Baruch Hu protects you day and night! And if we feel this way, we will always be in a state of gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu/ And if we act this way, may Hakadosh Baruch Hu speed up our complete redemption speedily, amen v’amen! ◊
