There is a lot that I remember about my Zaidy and even more which could be told about him. Whether it’s how much he helped others, how much time he spent learning or how his house was always open to guests.
I remember helping my Zaidy set up the local Simchas Bais Hasho’eiva on Chol-Hamo’ed Sukkos and how on every Shmeini Atzeres he would tell a story from Lekutei Diburim of Shmeini Atzeres by the Alter Rebbe with such emotion.
There was no Lubavitch shul in Brighton Massachusetts when my Zaidy first moved there, nor was there a Mikvah. So he made a Shul in his basement which the Rebbe said should be called the Lubavitch Shul of Brighton and together with his brother they built a Mikvah in the basement too.
I am grateful for all the time that I spent together with my Zaidy. Whether it was replacing the dining room windows or buying a new filter for the mikvah and of course learning with him. I remember helping out in “Zaidy’s Store” Kosher Mart. (For a long time he had the only kosher grocery store in the area.) I will always cherish every moment of it all.
There is one memory in particular that I would like to share.
When I was in my early teens, I would visit my Zaidy and Bubby for part of the summer. The minyan was downstairs and shacharis was 6:30am. Being a teenager I never really got up on time for it. One night my Zaidy asked me to wake him up for the minyan the following morning. I wasn’t thrilled but I agreed to it. When I asked him for an alarm clock he told me that he didn’t have one. So I asked him, “How am I going to get up on time”? To which he replied that it was my problem.
The following morning I woke up (without an alarm clock) at least a half an hour before the minyan started. After washing my hands I got out of bed to wake up my Zaidy. To my surprise, as I passed the dining room, I saw him sitting and learning Chassidus after having already gone to the mikvah. So I asked him, “I thought you wanted me to wake you up!?” He told me that he just wanted me to feel the responsibly that I had to get up. And that if I felt that responsibility to get up every day on time for the minyan I would get up without an alarm clock without a problem.
There is so much more that can be told about my Zaidy and what a special and unique person he was.
Zaidy I miss you.
As a bochur in 770 in the 70’s and 80’s whenever i would see Rabbi Krinski the impression of a true and sincere chasid was immense. yehi zichro baruch!
http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/1204337/jewish/Rabbi-Pinchus-Krinsky-82.htm
as kids we thought that zaidy never slept. That he learnt the whole night. no matter how late we went to bed he was learning. no matter how early we woke up he was already up and learning.
he led by example and was a true and devoted chosid
he was a true ehrliche yid and someone who will be missed
YS
to have had a zeidy like that.
I knew him in Boston, and have only pleasant memories of him, but I see that I didn’t really know him.
Halevai that we should all have such special zeides!
Your Zeide taught you well so that the next generation should carry on to be the Zeides of your children. I was touched by your story. Moshiach Now!