Throwing Snowballs

Editor’s note: Do you remember Yitzie’s Story from some two and a half years ago? In the meanwhile Yitzie has been growing in leaps and bounds as a returning, self-made Jew. Right before Passover, he wrote me a poignant letter, that I’d like to share with you, in Yitzie’s own jargon:

 
Dear Rabbi Brody,
 
My thoughts are flying through my mind – don’t know where to start writing. Lots have been going on at a fast pace, like a car race. Where has the time gone?
 
I’m thinking of the 2 amazing years that passed by since my first time in Uman and I can’t believe my eyes. Is this really happening or I am dreaming? Who would of thought that something like this can really happen?
 
OK, Rabbi Brody, let me start explaining why I’m so hyper here. I wrote you a letter about 2 years ago in Feb. 2011 introducing myself to you for the first time in my life and I started telling you a story about how I got to Uman and what happen with me there by meeting Rabbi Arush. And how it changed my life. Well now is 2 years later and I wanted to check in with you and update you.
 
I started learning your books and listening to your lectures and it all started to make sense. All my questions were answered and sometimes even upset on how right you are. I started following what I learned and little by little took the first step on to the spiritual escalator. (The spiritual escalator is going down and we have run up in the opposite direction ’cause if you don’t do anything you go down in this world, especially if you live in the Big Apple. If you go with the same speed you always stay on the same step. But if you go up a little bit faster a little bit stronger against the wind and again the tide that tries to pull you down, you go higher.)
 
And as I was GOIN’ up that escalator I started seeing more and clearer.
 
I started for the first time in my life to feel great about being a Jew and proud. I started loving Judaism with a passion. I started to want to do more all the time. Everyday something new!
 
I started to go to shul everyday. A few days later my friend convinced me to go to the Mikvah. At first I couldn’t but my will power was there to fight and I started GOIN’ to the Mikvah everyday.
 
Praying after going to the Mikvah is a total different story. Its one of the things you can’t describe – you gotta feel it.
 
You somehow feel that holy cleanliness deep deep inside. You feel focused on your prayers and it can take you far far away, to a really good place. My head was never there before – its so awesome.
 
My other friend also started coming to this shul and he complained that its very hard for him to daven. I told him about the Mikvah secret and he jumped on the wagon. Today, this guy is a expert in all the holy kavannas (intents) that you focus on while immersing in the holy water of the Mikvah.
 
We started learning together Rebbe Nachman’s books and it inspired me everyday more and more.
 
My close friends started seeing big changes in me and they were wondering. So I started handing out emuna CDs and books. Talking to them about spirituality we made trips to Uman for Shabbosim. A few more of my friends that weren’t religious (you know, the off-the-derech Chassidic crowd that I used to hang with but now daven with, because many of them are back on track) came once with me to Uman for Shabbat and of course the same with them they became religious right after and are in beautiful shape today, Thanks to Hashem.
 
I couldn’t believe my eyes. What was happening in front of my eyes could of never happened I kept on thinking. My buddies had been doing everything – I mean everything, you name it. You don’t hang out at night in the South of Bronx because you’re lookin’ for a late-night minyan.
 
The friends around me would of never agreed at such a young age – 22-25 while they can still party – to do teshuva.
 
But the unthinkable happened and from there it was like a snow ball – it started rolling and adding people to it every week. From all over the world I’m not kidding!
 
I went to Uman for Rosh Hashanah it was an amazing experience. Everyone has their moment in Uman. Mine was by Tashlich – seeing thousands of Rebbe Nachman’s followers down by the river in togetherness and real brotherhood.
 
The whole year 2011/12 was a great year. I started Chumash. Gemara. Halacha – I could not stop.
 
I made a siyum in Uman this year erev Rosh Hashanah – I finished the entire tractate of Brochas, a special present for Rebbe Nachman.
 
Me and my friends decided a day after Sukkot to start vasikin (daybreak minyan) with a Daf shiur at 5:30am – we jumped into it and we are still doin’ it. I can write all night stories but I know that you have a really jammed up schedule I will cut here by saying how happy we are for coming close to Rebbe Nachman and our new-found Yiddishkeit.
 
I wanna give you a blessing, Reb Lazer – keep on producing snow balls and continue throwing them all over the world. Yours sincerely, Yitzie