The Torah instructs someone who is fearful or faint-hearted to remain at home. He should not go to battle, because his fear (regardless of the reason, real, or because he feels himself not spiritually worthy of surviving) would have a negative impact on the others. The Imrei Emes notes that if one “weak” heart can negatively destroy the positive feelings of a multitude of soldiers, how much more so can one who possesses a powerful good heart, who is himself inspired to serve Hashem under all circumstances? When we act with enthusiasm, our feelings are infectious; when we daven properly, it inspires others to do the same; when we “find” time to learn Torah, it impacts the chaburah, group, with whom we are learning. Just as a faint heart can melt the courage and positive commitment of others, so, too, can a strong, committed heart have a positive impact on our surroundings. One person is all it takes to make a difference. He gets things underway, and, as it moves along, others join – first, out of curiosity – and, then, out of commitment.
Horav Yisrael Meir Lau, Shlita, was a young boy (seven years old) when he was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp. Separated from family, surrounded by immeasurable suffering and death, his chances for physical survival were less than slight. Emotional and spiritual survival were, at best, a dream.
Yet, he survived and thrived. In the camp, he formed a close bond with an older prisoner who became his protector. That relationship – one human being choosing to care for another – for a child whose chances for survival were less than anyone else’s, became a defining moment in his life. Through Divine Providence he survived, and he was liberated at the end of the war.
How he rebuilt his life, received a solid Torah education, studied with extreme diligence, ultimately rising to the position of Chief Rabbi, is a story which extends far beyond these pages. His influence extends far beyond titles. He became a voice for Holocaust memory for the many who were mercilessly murdered and have no one to remember them. He advocated Jewish continuity and faith in the aftermath of destruction. Through his books, speeches and leadership, he has inspired thousands across the world.
What makes his story especially relevant is its chain reaction: one act of care in a concentration camp helped preserve a child’s life; that child grew into a leader who strengthened and inspired an entire generation of Jews rebuilding after the Holocaust.
