Rabbi Arye Leib from Shpoli, known as the Shpoli Zeide (the grandfather from Shpoli. The reason for this name is a story for itself) was sitting with his students. They were in a very joyous mood and started singing the tune 'Yismechu Bemalchusecha Shomrei Shabbos' (and they shall rejoice with Your Kingship - from Shemone Esrei Shabbos Shacharis) and started clapping their hands to the tune.
The Shpoli Zeide started talking and said, "surely many of you imagine that through clapping your hands that will intensify the happiness. I don't think that's the way to reach true happiness. The real way should be that the emotions should become so elevated that the hands should start clapping by themselves. I will tell you a story when that happened," said the Rebbe.
"Before I became a Rabbi, I was a teacher for a few young boys in a small village. There were two boys who never listened, regularly missed classes and became friendly with bad boys. Worse still they started hanging out with non Jewish boys who were real trouble makers. They were involved in crime and ran off to the forest. There they started attacking and robbing travelers and businessmen traveling through the forests. They robbed and killed without mercy. Everyone was scared to travel through the forest.
The neighboring Villages went and complained to the local Governor. The Governor contacted higher authorities and an army regiment was sent out to capture the group. The soldiers caught the group of armed robbers. But the shocking news was that the leaders of the group were none other than those two Jewish boys.
They were brought to the Court. The boys were found guilty of murder and theft and were sentenced to be burned at the village center.
The bonfire was prepared, all the locals attended and the boys were brought in handcuffs to the stake.
Then, the local Priest walked over to the Police officer, whispered something in his ear, then turned to the boys and said, "look, there is no more painful death than being burned alive. You have received this punishment for being Jewish robbers and murderers. However, if you're willing to join our religion and convert, you will be killed by being hung on the gallows like normal non Jewish robbers."
By Rabbi Dovid Caro
The two boys answered, "we're Jews, even if we sinned, killed and robbed, but we will die as Jews!"
The Priest walked over to the Police Officer and started talking to him quietly. They argued, the Priest was very agitated and emotional, but then he smiled, turned to the boys and said, "if you're willing to convert you will be paroled and you can start over a new page."
The two boys looked at each other and then asked, "what do we need to do?"
"Nothing at all," said the Priest, "just to kiss the cross."
"That's all," they asked? "Fine let's get it over and done."
The Priest took two wooden crosses, ran over to the boys and gave to them.
The boys took the cross, lifted them high and threw them to the floor with all their strength, smashing the crosses to pieces.
The Priest ran over to the Officer and confided with him. What could be a worse punishment then being burned at the stake?
They decided that the hands that threw the cross would be burned before they were burned alive.
They brought a large pot of hot tar on fire and tied the boys hands above the pot.
The boys suddenly started singing "Yismechu Bemalchusecha" and started clapping with their burning hands.
Such clapping of the hands," finished the Rebbe is the true level of how one should clap, a level of greatness we will never reach."
How did these boys who had fallen so far, sinned so greatly still manage to show such power and derive such strength to remain Jewish and even sing?
The answer is written in the holy words of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, the Rambam, in his Igeres Teiman, to the Jews of Yemen. Hashem said to Moshe that the reason of Hashem giving the Torah at Har Sinai was in order that they should hear Hashem speaking to Moshe and that they will believe and have faith forever.
Every Jew no matter where they are holding spiritually, deep down in their heart, they still believe in Hashem. That moment of Har Sinai, where every Jewish soul was there, was ingrained with Emunah in Hashem forever. Sometimes our desires pull us off track to do things we shouldn't. But at the end of the day, at the moment of truth, throughout all generations, Jews however far gone they were, would still not let go of their Judaism even when they paid with their lives.
That fire that burns within every Jewish heart till today we received at Har Sinai.
