One of the most valuable items to R' Yankel Galinsky was a letter that he had received. What's the story behind this letter? And what made it so treasured?
There were many tasks that the Chazon Ish needed to be done on behalf of Klal Yisrael. He many times approached R' Yankel for the task, since he was a Novardoker, and the students of the Novardok Yeshiva were known for their brazenness in serving Hashem. So, when he had tasks that required great boldness, R' Yankel was the man. On some occasions, the Chazon Ish sent him to pull people out of the Arab Quarter or the like, and R' Yankel devotedly did these seemingly impossible tasks.
In one of these such letters, when the Chazon Ish requested him do such a mission, he called R' Yankel “Yedidi” — my friend. R' Yankel cherished this letter greatly. He saved this treasured letter for a staggering twenty-five-years among his personal possessions. He even requested in his tzavaah, will, that it should accompany him in his grave. That is how much he adored that letter.
He explained the reason for attachment to the letter as follows: When he’ll come to Shamayim, he is not sure what type of Olam Haba they’ll grant him. But if he comes with that letter, they’ll see that he’s the “friend” of the Chazon Ish, and they’ll grant him special reward.
Many years later, when he returned one day from Shacharis, he took the letter, ripped it up, and threw it out. This bothered his talmidim: “Why is he ripping that precious letter of his? It was so treasured by him. Why would he throw it in the wastebasket?”
He turned to them and said: “While I was davening, something caught my attention. Toward the end of the birchos k’rias Shema, we discuss the various nissim, miracles, that Hashem performed when we were leaving Mitzrayim. We start by mentioning how Hashem killed the bechorim, and redeemed His firstborn, referring to the Yidden, “v’zeidim tibata,” that the empty ones drowned, and “v’yedidim he’evarta,” and the beloved He crossed through the Yam Suf.
“As soon as I read this last one, I was overtaken with joy and happiness. I saw that I'm called the ‘beloved of Hashem.’ When I thought about it, it dawned on me: how can I treasure that letter that declares that I'm the friend of the Chazon Ish when I have a letter stating that I'm the friend of Hashem? That brings my association to a new level.
“It filled me with such joy that I simply do not need the letter of the Chazon Ish to ensure me of this comfort in being the yedid of the Chazon Ish. All that I could have, I get from being the yedid of ‘Hashem.’”
