Letter From Mechel Handler – Hatzalah Malava Malkah

L’Kovod the Melaveh Malka

Commemorating the memory of Reb Leibel Bistritsky zt”l

It is a great zechus and privilege to be allowed the opportunity to recount a glimpse from the outside of our feelings for my close and very well respected yedid and chaver, Reb Leible Bistritsky zt”l, who we all sorely and truly miss.

Serving as the executive director of Chevra Hatzalah for 28 years, I had the opportunity to have a regular and ongoing kesher with your father and grandfather, Reb Leibel zt”l, who was the vice president of the entire Hatzalah organization. I would visit him in Crown Heights (or in the earlier years in the store on the Lower East Side) on an almost weekly basis in order to get his signature on Hatzalah checks. During those visits, it was never “just” signing checks, but Reb Leibel zt”l would use the opportunity to “shmooze” for quite a while and talk about everything from the issues that were facing Hatzalah as a whole, to his personal recollections of the hanhogos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Zt”l, who I was most fascinated with.

Without going into detail about the numerous internal “political” struggles that plagues the Hatzalah organization during it’s “growing” years, (and doesn’t seem that they have fully grown up yet !), somehow our chaver, Reb Leibel zt”l was משכמו ולמעלה גבוה מכל העם, he stood above us all and was very well respected and cherished by everyone, even by our Satmar Chassidim on the board. This was due primarily to his tremendous ehrliche dedication to helping others – totally selfless and לשם שמים which was evident by all.

Although I am not a “geborena” Chabad chassid, thanks to your Reb Leibel’s closeness to me as a Yedid, he would always get me into the line to get a lechaim at a farbrengin or a dollar from the Rebbe zt”l.  My tremendous awe and respect for the Rebbe zt”l started with my learning hundreds of מאמרי חסידות during a very long tekufa when I undertook to “learn a maamar a day to keep the yetzer hora away”.  In total bitul and awe of the tremendous “giluyim” in Torah from the Rebbe zt”l, I tried whenever possible to participate in the weekday farbrengin’s and Reb Leibel zt”l always looked out for me at the leChaim’s etc. and to show me the in’s and out’s.

Reb Leibel zt”l was a true ehriche Yid and devoted chasid, and it was because of that, his views and opinions were respected by all.  I recount many difficult times in Hatzalah, where I probably would have picked up and left, were it not for the chizuk and encouragement that Reb Leibel zt”l had given me during those difficult struggle’s. His shining hadras ponim just pushed away the problems, as brought down in Chassidus, that a little lights dispels much darkness (and automatically).

As an avid seforim collector, and having my own collection of more than 6,000 seforim, I also had another thing in common with Reb Leibel zt”l and we often spoke about some of the seforim in his phenomenal library collection, which he loved and cared for very much.

My kesher with Reb Leibel zt”l did not end when he decided to move to Eretz Yisroel. I always made it my business to try to visit Reb Liebel zt”l on Rechov Nachum Street every single time I was there. I remember occasionally joining him for davening at the Tzemach Tzedek Shul in Meah Shearim. Once I even gave “tikkun” for my mother O”H yartzeit at Reb Leibel’s shtiebel.

Earlier this past year, just a little while before his sudden petira, I was in Eretz Yisroel and went twice to visit Reb Leibel zt”l at his home, but he wasn’t home.  I wanted to give Reb Liebel zt”l an inscribed copy of my sefer ברוך ומבורך that I published. When I heard of his פטירה, I and all the Chevra were totally shocked. It was not just news about someone “else” who passed away – it felt like my own personal loss. Whenever I think about Reb Leibel zt”l – it is always with great emotion, and his friendship and camaraderie will always be missed.

Reb Leibel Zt”l left a great legacy for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as his friends and yedidim in Lubavitch, in the Lower East Side community and in Hatzalah. May you all continue in his footsteps and continue in the ways of Avraham Avinu.

Yehei Zichro Boruch

Rabbi Mechel Handler, ( F40)