An excerpt from the new book My Gulag Life: Stories of a Soviet Prisoner, stories by Reb Mendel Futerfas OBM:
The underground Lubavitch yeshivahs moved frequently, and funds were always in short supply. We needed money not only to pay teachers, but to bribe the officials and synagogue caretakers who allowed us to study in their buildings.
Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin, known as Reb Chatche, oversaw this operation. When funds ran out, he took loans, which he had no means of repaying. Anyone who knew Reb Chatche understood how difficult this was for him.
I remember when a shamash (synagogue beadle) who was owed money chased after Reb Chatche in a fit of rage.
Reb Chatche, needing a quick escape, jumped from a window.
Still, he remained unperturbed. When we shared our concerns with him about the dire situation, he would say, “Why worry? Surely, at the end of the day, it will be exactly as G-d planned. We need to do our part, and G-d will do what He deems best.”
The world around us may be dark, but Reb Chatche has already given us some clarity.
