"I am ready, prepared, and accept upon myself all forms of hardship."
A soul-stirring composition from the Holocaust period in the handwriting of Rabbi Shlomo Tzucker, Av Beis Din of Halas
Never Before Published!
‘Chemdas Shlomo’ on the Yamim Noraim – An unpublished manuscript of 84 pages containing heartfelt drashos calling for complete repentance, delivered by Rabbi Shlomo Tzucker, talmid of the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch and grandson of the Kol Aryeh of Mad.
The manuscript contains 16 drashos that Rabbi Shlomo delivered to the Jewish community of Halas during the Yamim Noraim: On Rosh Hashanah before the shofar blowing, on Yom Kippur eve before Kol Nidrei, and a drasha for Selichos.
These drashos were delivered during the difficult years of the Nazi rise to power and the beginning of the Holocaust, between 1931-1940, and they all mention the difficult situation of the Jews and the non-Jews’ hatred towards them. The passing of important Rabbanim is also mentioned, and there is a eulogy for the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch (see below).
One can truly see the pain and sorrow increasing year by year, until in his Kol Nidrei sermon of 1940 – in the midst of the war – Rabbi Shlomo cries out:
"Woe to us, my dear brothers… how this year has passed with deep troubles and various decrees… Each day we become fewer and more downtrodden, and each day is harder than the one before, with the terrible birth pangs of Moshiach that have wrapped around our necks as they stand ready to destroy us… Oh Master of the Universe, what will be our ultimate fate in this generation of darkness?" (Leaf 89a)
He continues to cry out from his pure heart with words that pierce the soul:
"… Master of the Universe! I am ready, prepared, and accept upon myself all forms of self-sacrifice if Heaven forbid I am delaying the coming of the righteous Moshiach… and surely every single Jew accepts this upon themselves, and let us accept this truly, my dear brothers, and cry out before Him: Master of the Universe! In the merit that Yisrael believes in You and is ready to sacrifice their souls for Your unity… they are worthy to be saved in full view of all." (91a)
This present stirring composition has never been published.
There are three drashos from 1939-1940 where only the beginning of the drashos are written, without their conclusions. It appears that due to the terrible times, the author was unable to complete them.
Rabbi Shlomo Tzucker, Av Beis Din of Halas, was a well-known tzaddik in Hungary and one of the most prominent chassidim of the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch. He was born in 1895 to his father, Rabbi Eliezer Tzucker, Av Beis Din of Beregszász and author of ‘Migdanos Eliezer’. He was a son-in-law of the Kol Aryeh of Mad. He married the daughter of his elder brother, Rabbi Chaim Tzucker, Av Beis Din of Beregszász.
He passed away at a young age during the Holocaust, in the month of Teves 1943.
Halas, 1931-1940. [84] pages in Rabbi Shlomo’s characteristic handwriting + blank leaves.
Size: Width greater than height: 16.4 x 20.7 cm.
Condition: Good. Minor stains.
__________________
The manuscript includes an emotional tribute in the style of a eulogy on the passing of the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch, who asked in a drasha from 1938 that no eulogies be given for him. Additionally, in many drashos Rav Shlomo mentions the passing of great Rebbes and Rabbanim.
Rav Shlomo displays extensive proficiency in his drashos and quotes several times from the words of his father and his holy grandfathers, as well as from the Minchas Elazar of Munkatch. He also tells stories about the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev and other chassidic greats.
