I have just returned from the funeral of my dear friend Rabbi Reuven Biermacher HYD.

The whole town of Telzstone turned out to pay their last respects to this great man. There were eulogies by our prominent Rabbis of Telzstone.

Rabbi Shulman Shilta spoke and told us all to make teshuva (repent). Something like this happens (when a person dies al Kiddush Hashem berabim), the public have to take note and change, do self-inspection, and improve one’s ways,in keeping of the Torah, and intensify our learning in Torah.

Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg Shlita spoke about the how he was a family man. His wife and children were his life and soul. His students were as important to him. Everyone loved him, and when he walked into the Beit Hamedresh (every afternoon and evening) he was always involved in a chiddush to give over, his very special personality of always being besimcha (happy and smiling), everyone just loved talking to him. Be it in Shul, in the street, or in a store, he always spoke Torah.

Rabbi Tuvia Rosen Shlita told us that Rabbi Biermacher phoned him at exactly 1:06 but he could not answer the call. The terrorist attack happened exactly 2 minutes later at 1:08. He bemoaned the fact that the timing was not better and those 2 minutes were not used to save his life. Rabbi Rosen told us of the hours they spent together on a regular basis, discussing the students he was teaching, and how he could help improve their learning, or any problems they might have had. Rabbi Rosen also told us that Rabbi Biermacher never made a decision before consulting with his Rabbis.

It was absolutely heart breaking hearing his two young sons saying Kaddish (specially his very young son with his sweet, little, pure voice). Hearing them doing kriah and saying the relevant brocha, also tore our hearts apart.

After that, his 5 young daughters all came forward one by one asking for forgiveness from their father, for anything they may have done and whispered messages to their father. The youngest daughter of 3 also did this and whoever saw this scene, did not have a dry eye. An unbelievable sight, that nobody should ever experience, and not for the feint hearted.

Rebbetzen Biermacher did not stop crying throughout the hespedim, but then most of us cried as well.

Speaking to several influential people, I was able to establish that the widow is a single child from sickly parents. She has not had an easy life, and now this.

They are a family that have lived on the minimal, and have needed help now and then. They will certainly need help now in this most unfortunate situation. At the end of the funeral, there were stop orders that had been printed by the Vaad Harabanim, and were passed around to the participants, to sign up monthly support for the family. This is the great thing about our Jewish nation. We will not allow the orphan and the widow to be neglected, and to suffer the situation they find themselves in.

I understand that Osher Ud (one of the major supermarkets in Israel), delivered today, a truck load of food and necessities to the Biermacher home, and have been promised more to come on a regular basis in the future.

May his soul find peace and may he be a maylitz yosher for his family, our community, and Klal Yisrael.

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