A Lesson from Donny z”l1 min read

As by now everybody knows, am Yisrael recently experienced a major tragedy. People traveled to Meron, a melting pot of all kind of Jews filled with song and joy. Tragically, forty-five people didn’t come home alive. One of them was my friend, Donny Morris z”l. I would like to share with you an encounter I had with this bachur hachashuv.

In camp a number of years ago, I was the gabbai for three summers. One Shabbat Morning, davening was taking longer than expected. In order to save time, we decided to skip the Mi Shebeirachs for the safety of the IDF and Israel and the Mi Shebeirach for the wellbeing of America.

Suddenly, I heard a voice from the back. It came from a boy three years younger than me.

It was Donny Morris.

He was insistent: “You cannot skip these holy prayers!” he cried. “There are three boys missing, and we are praying for to come home alive. We need to pray for the IDF to make sure they can find those boys and help them return home!”

I remember asking whether he knew these boys personally.

“No.” he replied.

When I expressed my surprise that he was so concerned for these boys, he responded, “Three Jews are captured and we need to daven for a safe Eretz Yisrael. We also need to daven for a safe America, where lots of Jews are residing.”

After the news broke that the three boys had been murdered, Donny told me, “Don’t worry Yitz. G-d is going to use those Tefillot. You’ll see.”

Donny, you taught be to believe that the Tefilot and the Tehilim we prayed for you and the forty-four others are yet going to be used. We will soon be reunited with you, with the coming of Moshiach.

You also taught me what it means to care for all Jews, regardless of their background.

All Jews descend from a single source. We are one. We may have different minhagim, different ways of serving G-d. But as we will hear on Shavuot, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha” – There is only one G-d. We learn Chassidut through LPI. On more than one occasion, Rav Moshe Weinberger has said that Chassidut rekindles the unity of the Jewish People.

All those who were niftar in Meron came from different backgrounds. A half-hour before Donny was buried on Har HaZeisim, a Toldos Ahron Chassid was buried nearby. It didn’t matter what background – Hashem took these precious souls from each.

We are ONE! An together, we will bring Moshiach.