Say Seventeen!

On Rosh Chodesh Sivan 1944, the Nazis, may their name be erased, came and took the town of Chust, Hungary to the trains to Auschwitz. Rav Yisroel David Noviner, my Saintly Rav, was only 14 years old. His family consisted of six younger brothers and one older brother and, of course, his mother and father.

The Nazis packed the Noviners and his neighbors into the railroad cars like sardines. For four days, the train went forwards and backwards and stalled on the tracks. Rav Noviner told me that the ride from Chust to Auschwitz was actually not so long, but it took four days. With no food or drink, many died. Rav Noviner said that he was so thirsty that he felt like a dog who is panting.

The train arrived in the middle of the night on the 4th of Sivan. They were packed in the train so tight that when the doors opened people fell to the ground. It was dark and the Nazis had powerful lights shining on the Jews. Weak, tired, hungry and thirsty, Fourteen year old Rav Noviner struggled to stand up. Suddenly, a person flashed past him and said, “Zog zibitzen” (say seventeen). He could not see who it was. Then Rav Noviner saw that when other people spoke, the Nazis would just shoot them.

Image, right: Rav Noviner’s holy gravesite in Jerusalem

Bleary eyed, weak and dying of thirst, Rav Noviner suddenly saw that his friend had a bottle of whiskey. He begged him for a drink and the friend agreed. Rav Noviner took the bottle and said the blessing, “Baruch ata Hashem Elokeynu Melech HaOlam Shehakol Nehiya Bidvaro.” And he drank from the whiskey bottle.

Now Rav Noviner felt better. After four days without food and water, the alcohol hit him fast and hard. He was feeling a bit chupatzdik. He felt warm and strong like he could stand up straight.

Then again, someone flashed by him saying, “Zog zibitzen” (say seventeen).

The mob of Jews was being directed to form a line. The line ended in front of Josef Mengele, may his name be erased. Rav Noviner’s family got on line. His mother and six younger brothers went to the left to Olam Haba (the next world). His older brother and father went to the right to work. Rav Noviner suddenly found himself standing face to face with the Satan himself. Mengele asked, “Vi alt bisdu” (how old are you)? And fourteen year old Rav Noviner answered (while feeling the full effects of the whiskey, “Zibitzen” (Seventeen!) AND Mengele directed my Rav to the right to work.

Now, if my Rav had answered his true age of 14, he would have been sent to his death. But because he said seventeen he went to work and on to a full life. How did he know to say seventeen? Twice a “person” flashed before him and said, “Say Seventeen!”

But this is not all… We all know that a 14-year old is smaller than a 17-year old – especially after four days without food and water. But Rav Noviner took a bottle of whiskey and gulped down whiskey on an empty stomach. This enabled him to stand strong with chutzpa and he appeared older than he really was.

When Rav Noviner told me this story sixty-years after it occurred he said, “Now, sixty years later, I realize that everything that occurred was from Hashem to save me. The obvious miracle of the “person” passing by and saying “Say Seventeen,” was clearly from Hashem. BUT even the seemingly bad — the fact that Hashem kept me packed in the train for four days without food and water made me so thirsty that I was so desperate that I would drink whiskey which then made me warm and strong that I could stand up straight and “appear” older than I really was so that Mengele, may his name be erased, would believe me when I said “Seventeen” — all of this was from Hashem to save me!!!”

Rav Noviner continued, “Now, at my age, I finally understand the bracha of ‘shehakol’. SheHakol Nehiya Bidvaro — That everything was created according to Hashem’s word. Everything – the seemingly bad – the train ride, the fasting four days and confusion in the dark was to save me.”

May the neshama of my dear Rav, Yisroel David ben Malka, have an Aliyah to the highest halls in Gan Eden where he can once again learn with his teachers, Rabbenu Yoel of Satmar, the “Imrei Chaim” of Viznitz and HaGaon Rav Gershon Libman of Novardohk. Amen.