You Are A Yid and A Yid Can - Monthly Gedolim Story
One of the first stories in the recently published book "There's More to the Story" by Rabbi Yechiel Spero, is about a certain Gerrer Chassid Reb Leib Kutner zt'l, who survived the Holocaust, despite enduring unspeakable suffering and tragedy. Until his passing, his inspiring stories and lessons in emunah and bitachon, made a great impression on all whom he interacted with.
The following story is very much case in point. It is the one I decided to share with you for my "Monthly Gedolim Stories" segment for the month of Iyar. I hope you will find the inspiration contained within the tale and in doing so, absorb, as best you can, the timeless message.
Best Wishes,
Yitzy Schweitzer
The following story is very much case in point. It is the one I decided to share with you for my "Monthly Gedolim Stories" segment for the month of Iyar. I hope you will find the inspiration contained within the tale and in doing so, absorb, as best you can, the timeless message.
Best Wishes,
Yitzy Schweitzer
You Are A Yid and A Yid Can - Monthly Gedolim Story
In one of the camps which Reb Leib Kutner was incarcerated, he worked, for a grueling and agonizing twelve hours a day in a munitions factory, for in a desperate race against time the cursed Nazi war machine attempted to produce as much ammunition as possible. The inmates worked vigorously but it was never enough.
One evening, one of the ammunition machines malfunctioned, halting the production process. As far as anyone could tell, output for the next day would have to be called off unless, of course, the machine could be fixed. The Nazi foreman was seething with rage as we walked back and forth, clicking his heels and sizing up the inmates. No one knew what was coming and feared the worst.
His eyes suddenly locked onto Reb Leib. "You! You will fix this dratted machine" he spat furiously. Reb Leib did not know how to respond. He had no expertise working with machines and as such had zero knowledge, if any, on how to repair them. He simply did what he could to survive each day, trying to look busy. He did not even know where to begin. Looking back at the Nazi, he responded " I don't know how to fix machines". In turn, the officer spat "Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can"
Reb Leib knew that if he refused now, he would be shot on the spot. Yet if he did not succeed, he would fall to same fate. The machine had to be fixed by morning, if not he would surely die. However, he still had the whole night, so he had to at least try. After all, the cursed Nazi expressed ""Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can"
One evening, one of the ammunition machines malfunctioned, halting the production process. As far as anyone could tell, output for the next day would have to be called off unless, of course, the machine could be fixed. The Nazi foreman was seething with rage as we walked back and forth, clicking his heels and sizing up the inmates. No one knew what was coming and feared the worst.
His eyes suddenly locked onto Reb Leib. "You! You will fix this dratted machine" he spat furiously. Reb Leib did not know how to respond. He had no expertise working with machines and as such had zero knowledge, if any, on how to repair them. He simply did what he could to survive each day, trying to look busy. He did not even know where to begin. Looking back at the Nazi, he responded " I don't know how to fix machines". In turn, the officer spat "Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can"
Reb Leib knew that if he refused now, he would be shot on the spot. Yet if he did not succeed, he would fall to same fate. The machine had to be fixed by morning, if not he would surely die. However, he still had the whole night, so he had to at least try. After all, the cursed Nazi expressed ""Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can"
Reb Leib stood over the machine the entire night, taking his time, he dissembled unscrewing bit by bit, part by part, piece by piece. He hoped somehow by taking it apart and connecting it together again, it would work. After greasing the parts, he started piecing it together.
As the hours passed although he was tired and his body ached, chizuk from the most unexpected place, from his wicked tormentor, the Nazi, rang in his ear. "Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can". Every time he wanted to give up, the shout of those words in his mind and soul, infused him with energy. As the sun began to rise and the minutes ran short, he pressed the ignition and the machine, miraculously, whirred into action.
A shirt while later, the dreaded Nazi returned expecting failure and ready to pounce. He was in for a quite a pleasant shock (if I may say so myself) when he came in to the machine working. Yes he had indeed demanded the machine be working by morning, but how could this untrained skeletal Jew have fixed it?
Reb Leib, noticing the Nazis' surprise cleared his throat and boldly asked "I believe since I fixed the machine so well, I deserve reward". All the other inmates held their breath. No one spoke to the Germans that way, every second alive was a gift, not a given. Nevertheless Reb Leib was firm in his request, knowing asking for reward would lift the spirit of his fellow Jews.
The Nazi, stunned by the request, did not remove his gun and shoot Reb Leib. Instead he asked "What is it you want?" to which Reb Leib answered with his request for a pack of cigarettes, to which the Nazi agreed.
As soon as the Nazi left, Reb Leib went around, lighting his fellow inmates' cigarettes. He repeated over and over to each of them those words which his tormentor had yelled the previous night, "Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can".
Because, oh yes, we can. The inner spark of Jew, inspires us with the belief to do anything and if we just try, with a little help from the one above, we can do anything.
As the hours passed although he was tired and his body ached, chizuk from the most unexpected place, from his wicked tormentor, the Nazi, rang in his ear. "Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can". Every time he wanted to give up, the shout of those words in his mind and soul, infused him with energy. As the sun began to rise and the minutes ran short, he pressed the ignition and the machine, miraculously, whirred into action.
A shirt while later, the dreaded Nazi returned expecting failure and ready to pounce. He was in for a quite a pleasant shock (if I may say so myself) when he came in to the machine working. Yes he had indeed demanded the machine be working by morning, but how could this untrained skeletal Jew have fixed it?
Reb Leib, noticing the Nazis' surprise cleared his throat and boldly asked "I believe since I fixed the machine so well, I deserve reward". All the other inmates held their breath. No one spoke to the Germans that way, every second alive was a gift, not a given. Nevertheless Reb Leib was firm in his request, knowing asking for reward would lift the spirit of his fellow Jews.
The Nazi, stunned by the request, did not remove his gun and shoot Reb Leib. Instead he asked "What is it you want?" to which Reb Leib answered with his request for a pack of cigarettes, to which the Nazi agreed.
As soon as the Nazi left, Reb Leib went around, lighting his fellow inmates' cigarettes. He repeated over and over to each of them those words which his tormentor had yelled the previous night, "Du bist ah Yid, you are a Jew, Uhn ah Yid kent, and a Jew can".
Because, oh yes, we can. The inner spark of Jew, inspires us with the belief to do anything and if we just try, with a little help from the one above, we can do anything.
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