Closing of Circle: Yad L’Achim Raffle Winner Brings Torah to Yeshiva that Brought Him to Life of Torah

Hundreds of Kiryat Malachi residents participated last week in the Hachnassas Sefer Torah held by the Shamis family in memory of their young son, Moshe Nissim, a”h, who was niftar half a year ago after a brief illness.
The mehudar Sefer Torah was won by the family in Yad L’Achim’s annual raffle held erev Shavuos among supporters of the organization’s Pidyon Shvuyim efforts. Harav Shamis was at his son’s bedside in the intensive care unit when he was notified of his win.

“I had been aware of the raffle, but the medical complications connected to our son’s sudden illness made me forget about it,” he said at the time. “I am involved as a volunteer in bringing bring Torah to Jews who are not observant, and it is clear to me that it is in this merit that I won the Sefer Torah.”

Two weeks after the raffle, little Moshe Nissim sadly passed away, and it was clear to Harav Shamis and is wife that they would dedicate the Sefer Torah in his memory – l’ilui nishmaso.

After much deliberation, the family decided to have the Sefer Torah brought to the Chabad yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in Kiryat Malachi, which works mainly with young people from the CIS. It was here that Harav Shamis took his first steps towards mitzvah observance as a young man.

The writing of the Torah’s final letters was held in the afternoon of the Hachnassas Sefer Torah at the Shamis home, attended by the secretary of the Chabad Rabbinical Court and the Rav of the Chabad community in Kiryat Malachi, Harav Yitzchak Yehudah Yeruzelevski, his son and right-hand man in the rabbinate, Harav Ben Zion Yeruzelevski, the mashpia, Harav Avraham Friedlander, family friend Harav Yaakov Tzirkus, who himself won a Yad L’Achim Sefer Torah raffle a few years ago, rabbis and
influential figures in the neighborhood, as well as other relatives and friends.

Also taking part in the writing of the letters were Yad L’Achim activists who had worked tirelessly to organize the Hachnassas Sefer Torah, led by Harav Chaim Eisenberg, Harav Moshe Biton, Harav Chaim Kahn and Harav Yoav Ze’ev Robinson.

After the Sefer Torah was completed, the procession left the family home and was joined by hundreds of city residents. The procession was accompanied by a special vehicle rented and decorated by Yad L’Achim for the event, which broadcast lively, inspiring music to which participants sang and danced.

Upon the procession’s arrival at the yeshivah, the Sefer Torah was brought into the main hall where hakafos were held for several hours with Torah scrolls that had been removed from the Aron Kodesh.

In his moving words to the crowd, Harav Shamis related that the event was being held on the 23rd yahrtzeit of the yeshiva’s founder, the chassid, Harav Mordechai Kosliner, a”h. For many years, Harav Kosliner helped keep alive the Jewish embers in the Soviet Union under communist rule, and upon his immigration to Israel, he opened the yeshiva at the behest of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

“I made my way toward a life of Torah and mitzvos here in this yeshiva,” Harav Shamis said with great emotion, “and so to bring the Sefer Torah here in memory of our little son, especially on Harav Kosliner’s yahrzeit, is an exciting and special closing of a circle.”

Of course, Harav Shamis also thanked Yad L’Achim.
“Yad L’Achim acquired this Sefer Torah for us so that we could hold this ceremony at the time and place of our choice. In my name, in the name of the family, and in the name of the yeshiva, I want to thank Yad L’Achim for the Sefer Torah and everything involved in the Hachnassas Sefer Torah procession, from the street ads, to the funding for the procession, to the torchlight event and the event itself.”

Harav Yeruzelevski writes a letter in the Sefer Torah.

Harav Shamis places the Sefer Torah in the Aron Kodesh.

Harav Shamis dances with the Sefer Torah.