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Birshus Harabbanim and the entire Strobel family
At the beginning of last weeks parsha, hashem instructs Moshe to tell Bnei Yisrael to take for me Terumah. The Beis Halevi asks why does the pasuk use the lashon of Vayekchu and not Vayetnu- give for me a portion. The Beis Halevi answers that while we may think we are in control of the world, it is Hashem who ultimately runs the world and thus we are not giving but rather taking in the building of the mishkan.
Hashem taking Asher from this world was a tremendous loss to the Jewish people and was a personal loss for me as well. One only needs to look at the amount of people in the room to see the impact Asher had on all of us. My greatest memories of my four years at Frisch were spent with Asher. In fact it even mentions in my yearbook bio how I was a constant presence in the Strobel home. One such instance was when we were seniors. Asher and I volunteered at the Frisch annual yachad shabbaton that was in Englewood. I remember how Asher brought so much simcha and energy to the kids that Shabbos. This experience epitomized Ashers great lev and neshama and I know that Asher continued to extend himself even while he was learning in Netiv Aryeh for the year when he devoted his Sunday afternoons to working in a HASC-like home called Shalva.
Dr. Strobel mentioned at the levaya how the guys Asher went skiing with told him that Asher made sure the morning of his passing that he put his tefillin on in the airport. It was no surprise to hear that about Asher. I knew Asher was very careful about this mitzvah and who everyday made sure that he started his day right by putting his tefillin on. It was something to be admired and I know it was something that Asher was private about.
Asher's death has made me reflect on the first twenty one years of my own life. I think about the phone call I received the day I landed in Israel about Asher’s passing. Ironically, it was Asher who taught me not to take life's tests too seriously. Chazal tell us that when one’s parents name their child, there is ruach hakodesh guiding them along the way. Asher whose name means happiness and blessing was someone who brought so much joy to everyone he came across. Two weeks before Asher passed away, I happened to have bumped into him on the way out of Maariv in YU. I was going through a lot of stress as it was smack in the middle of finals week. Yet for the two minutes that we spoke Asher made me relax and release some of the stress I was going through.
I merited knowing Asher for seven years. Over the last year of his life while Asher was in Binghampton and I was in YU it appeared that our friendship was weakening. Unfortunately for me i didn't live up to my end of the bargain. Yet, it was Asher who would occasionally call me to see how I was doing and letting me know the next time he was going to be in New York. He never forgot about anyone and he taught that no matter where we are in life, one should never abandon his friends.
Chazal tell us that tonight, Zayin Adar, is the Yahzheit of Moshe Rabbeinu. The Torah tells us that Moshe was an Anov- a humble person. Asher was also very humble never looking for recognition for his actions. Chazal also tell us that the day Moshe was born he became a light onto his house. The Torah uses the same words to describe creation as it does to describe the birth of Moshe. Asher was someone who always brought simcha to me and like Moshe he was a role model in many ways. Let us take that which Asher taught us and use to become better individuals and Avodai Hashem. May Hashem bring the Moshaich, Bemhayrah Beyamaynu.
-Brian Frankel
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