By M. C. Millman
After the recent tragedy of the passing of Reb Shaya Schtroks OBM of Morristown, NJ, a fund has been set up to support the family. A local Shul appealed the cause, collecting funds. One Crown Heights resident gives his account of a life saving story due to the giving of Tzedaka in Shaya’s honor:
It was an inspirational appeal, so inspirational in fact that Reb Chaim (full name was changed upon request) felt that he had to do better than his usual check. And once Shabbos was over, he did just that. The check that Reb Chaim wrote out for the widow and twice orphaned children of Rabbi Yeshaye Schtroks Sunday morning, May 6, was one so large that he borrowed from his line of credit to cover it.
The cause of the seven orphans, only two of whom are already married, was enough for him to feel it was the least he could do. Over time, he would be’ezras Hashem be able to repay the loan and in the meantime, the Schtroks could have whatever semblance of peace of mind he could afford to give them. Not satisfied with writing out only his own check, Reb Chaim even contacted a wealthy friend.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he explains. “I told my friend that if he had money to give, that this would be a worthy cause, and I’m happy to say that he also gave.”
Sunday night, Reb Chaim was on his way to the airport in a taxi when another car cut them off. Enraged, the taxi driver set off in hot pursuit. Going at speeds that neared 100 miles an hour, the two cars drag raced down the highway at midnight, tailgating each other with little space between them in an attempt at intimidation while a petrified Reb Chaim clung to the back seat in horror.
Less than 5 minutes before it had all begun, the taxi hit the concrete barrier on the right, bounced back all the way off and careened to the cement median on the left, only to spin around a few times and end up 180 degrees around, facing the oncoming traffic.
Reb Chaim was in a panic; at any second any of the cars coming up behind could hit the car, but he was unable to open the damaged door on one side and the door on the other was blocked by the cement median.
Finally, he and the taxi driver were able to maneuver the front door open a crack and slip through it. They climbed over the median to the opposite side, where they finally crossed the highway during a lull in traffic and shortly thereafter were taken away in an ambulance.
Reb Chaim suffered only from one small scratch on his hand, but he credits his miraculous escape to only one thing – the check he wrote out for the fund for Rabbi Yeshaye Schtroks’ widow and orphans an incredible instance of “tzedakah tatzil mimaves.”
“I feel that that Sunday was perhaps supposed to be my last day on earth,” Reb Chaim relates, “and that tzedaka had some effect to make it otherwise.”
Please help the Schtroks Family, visit ZichronShayaSchtroks.com
this is an amazing story i cried when i read it
this is an amazing story i cried when i read it
The best lesson is that this man with a heart HELPED a FAMILY IN NEED.
Lets take a lesson and give to this incredible, kind and simple family.
They never asked for this tragedy and we are A NATION OF RACHMONIM. Don’t wait for the other guy to give. Give first.
Bottom line is there is Nebach a family of double Yesomim, an Almonah, 2 girls getting married next month and boys with tuitions, for Yeshivos, and Chasunos Bezras HAshem. So take a lesson from this man who obviously was givan a chance by Hashem to save his life through the Mitzvah of Tzedaka and DONATE DONATE DONATE!!!
http://www.yeshayeschtroks.com/
#11 put it nicely, thought i’d say it even clearer.
going to shul will get you a reward, but won’t save your life. Tzedaka does.
There is always room for skepticism. Torah tells us tzedaka tatzil mimaves. It could be that going to shul helped too. But we have it clearly written that Tzedaka saves one life. Sometimes we see it outright sometimes not. In this case he was zoche to see it. There is no doubt because torah spells it out for us black on white.
How cold the driver do this with a client in the car? I think this story needs some serious investigation.
i am # 3 and i can tell you i give over $60k in tzedakah a year.
i did not say there was anything wrong with giving tzedakah all i was asking was maybe he was saved for other mitzvos how do we know it was tzedakah that saved him,
you should think before you write your comments using the rebbe to put someone down
The Rebbe himself said that story at a farbrengen. you can look it up in Sichos Kodesh Yud Shvat 5735
To all the negative commenters, such as #1, #2 #3 The following story that happened with the Rebbe in Paris might be very apropos… When the Rebbe was in Paris, someone came during Maariv and asked the Rebbe for tzedoko and the Rebbe gave him. One of the bystanders turned to the Rebbe and said: “Yungerman, we don’t give tzedoko at night.” The Rebbe was very bothered by it and told the Frierdiker Rebbe about it, to which the Frierdiker Rebbe responded: “Most probably this fellow doesn’t give tzedoko during the day either…” (please forgive me if this is not… Read more »
lets keep it going . .
This man felt he was saved for this important reason and many would agree ! ..#2 and #3 why do u challenge a positive message !! if u choose to think otherwise ..thats ok..no need to come across so negative ! #1 don’t be so quick to throw around Rebbes’ answers to issues .. u might want to look into Rebbes directives more carefully on the matter !
What a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing! It is indeed a most worthy cause and I hope everyone gives something. This man dug deep and was saved “Tzedaka Tatzil Mimaves”. We should all merit to see reward for the Mitzvos we do.
thank god your ok
is it just me? or do others not see the connection, maybe he was saved because he went to shul on shabbos?
he too was saved and didnt give any money to tzedaka
the rebbe did not agree with this.
that may be very nice but we shouldnt go in debt to help others