Monsey Memories: Reb Chaim Beirach Rubinson

YS GOLD 

Last week, we profiled the Breslover Shul in Monsey of which the legendary Reb Chaim Beirach Rubinson was one of the founders. He was the epitome of Breslov—having maintained his joy and emunah despite the incomprehensible suffering that he endured in his life. 

Reb Beirach hailed from Poland, but he became an ardent Breslover chassid early in life. He lived every moment of his life before, during, and after the Holocaust according to Breslov teachings. He would say, “a person’s life is characterized by ups and downs, hills and valleys. There are days, which symbolize the good times, and there are nights, which symbolize difficulty and darkness. 

One must know that even when things are going smoothly, they won’t remain this way forever. And when things are going badly, this too won’t last forever. We must have faith that even after the greatest valley of death, there will be light,” he would say. 

Reb Beirach lived these teachings with every fiber of his being; he lost a wife and children in Treblinka, Hy”d. In the depths of the camps, he authored tefillos to Hashem Yisborach, in the Breslov tradition. 

The following story illustrates his exceptional caliber: Reb Beirach had a close friend named Reb Mendel Morris, and Reb Beirach was invited to the sheva brachos of one of his daughters. At the sheva brachos, Reb Beirach seemed to have an extra dose of joy. He was smiling and shining, and was clearly in an especially joyous frame of mind, even more so than usual. 

“Reb Beirach,” Reb Mendel asked him, “why are you so happy?” 

Reb Beirach shrugged and continued his happy banter. But after much prodding, he grew serious. “Do you know what today is,” he asked Reb Mendel? “Today is the anniversary of the bris of my fourth son, the youngest of my sons who was killed by the Nazis. Before I cam here, I started thinking about him and began to think how old he would be today had he lived. I started reminiscing about the time we spent together. I loved that child. He was brilliant and good-natured. And I felt myself falling into depression… 

“Right then and there, I decided that I would not let the yetzer hara win this battle. I remembered how fortunate I was to have had the mitzvah of giving my son a bris. And I decided that I would overcome those feelings of sadness and go to make people happy at Reb Mendel’s sheva brachos. Now I too can draw from the wellsprings of joy and be happier than ever.” 

Reb Beirach was one of the first in America to organize the kibbutz, the gathering of Breslover chassidim for Rosh Hashanah. Arriving in America, he settled on the Lower East Side, where he arranged a minyan for Rosh Hashanah davening. Although they barely had a minyan, this lay the groundwork for the future of a Breslover kibbutz. 

In later years, Reb Beirach moved to Monsey, where he was instrumental in establishing a Shul forty years ago. His example lives on in the hearts of many chassidim who knew and admired him as well as his large family who follow in his ways.