Torah Comes From Heaven

By Lauren Shapiro

When Steven Lutz tragically and unexpectedly passed away in December 2010, his family was left in shock. The 48-year-old pharmacist was a devoted husband to Lianne and father to Tammi and Kerri, and adored by his extended family.

“He spent his life helping others and looking after people,” remembers his brother-in-law Howard Shankman. “He was unbelievably kind. I think he gave away more medicine to the needy in Yeoville where his pharmacy was situated than he charged for.”

Steven’s wife Lianne recalls him as, “just the most incredible person. He was an amazing husband and father.”

But from the grief of such a tragic loss has emerged a great joy.

As a tribute to Steven and a way to perpetuate his memory, the Lutz, Shankman and Novick families undertook to purchase a Sefer Torah in his name (Shalom ben R’ Yehudah Hillel). Since the Torah is a symbol of life, this is a particularly fitting mitzvah.

Rabbi Shlomo Wainer, Director of Chabad of the North Coast in Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa, whose congregation received the new scroll, is overwhelmed by the family’s generosity. For while the Torah contains our Jewish history, it also embodies our communal future.

“The Torah is the Torah of life. As Jewish people, we celebrate life. What better way to do this than to welcome a new sefer Torah into our community and to have the community celebrate with us in such unbounded joy?” says Shlomo.

After more than a year of hard work and logistical challenges, the nearly complete holy scroll arrived by helicopter in Umhlanga on 12 February, personally piloted in by Lance Novick, Steven’s brother-in-law. It was welcomed by a crowd of well-wishers and danced up the road to Chabad House, where a ceremony took place to celebrate its completion and inauguration.

Overseen by Sofer Rabbi Chaim Klein, family, friends and congregants were given the opportunity to have individual letters written in their merit. Lianne Lutz was given the final letter (or, as she quipped, “the final say”!) when she blessed the letter Lamed, completing the last word in the Torah, “Yisrael”.

The Torah’s concluding word reminds us that, in the end, we are all part of Am Yisrael, and it was particularly apt that this massive mitzvah of purchasing a Torah has brought a whole family – and, indeed, a whole community – together again.

Although the family live in Sandton, they wanted the Torah to go to a community where it would be used regularly. “Small Jewish communities are something that are close to my heart,” says Lianne, who grew up in Pretoria (and went to school with Shlomo) and has spent many happy holidays in Umhlanga. “This just feels so good. I think it’s what Steven would have wanted.”

This Sefer Torah will remain tightly linked to the Lutz family. Be’ezrat Hashem, Lianne’s nephew Zach (now just a toddler) will read his bar mitzvah portion from this very scroll.

With the completion of the final letters, which made the new Torah kosher, came a conclusion of a spiritual passage. Says Lianne: “It’s been a very difficult journey for us, but now we feel it is complete. Our house is now filled with complete peace.”