A Noteworthy Blessing
I had a very good relationship with the gaon, Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, zt”l. From time to time, I would visit him to spend time in his presence. He would occasionally come to see me, and also send over his children, in order to receive a blessing in the merit of my forefathers, zy”a. The day this tzaddik died was a dark day for me. He had suffered a hemorrhage in the head. His devoted son-in-law rushed over to me to ask that I pray on behalf of the tzaddik and bless him in the merit of my ancestors.
When his son-in-law entered my office, I was seeing an Admor with his family. The son-in-law was forced to wait outside until we finished our meeting. But even after we finished, there were other prominent personalities whom I had to see beforehand. He waited for quite a while until I was free to see him.
The son-in-law described his father-in-law’s difficult condition and asked that I bless him with long life. I have the practice of committing my blessings to writing in order to give them added validity. Moreover, in case I am not fully focused while giving the berachah, writing it down helps me gain focus. I am thus able to confer the blessing from the depths of my heart and with perfect intentions.
But when I attempted to write out a blessing for Rabbi Moshe Halberstam to merit a long life, I felt a supernal power pushing my hand from the page. I simply could not manage to write a word.
Suddenly, my devoted secretary, R’ Yaakov Ezra, shlita, walked in with the bitter tidings that Rabbi Halberstam’s family was in the midst of reciting Kriyat Shema with him, as his neshamah was expiring.
- With the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, zt”l
The room was cast into a pall of mourning. I now understood why I was prevented from offering my blessing in writing to this holy man. His neshamah was destined to ascend to Heaven at that moment, in purity and without obstacles.
