The Short Vort by Rabbi Eisenman

This Shabbos, Parshas Shimini 2023, was the Yahrtzeit of a woman who passed away 169 years ago.

On the 24th of Nissan in the year 1854, on Parshas Shimini, Sasha Mindel Hertzberg, née Kluger, passed away.

Mrs. Sasha Mindel bas Rav Chaim Yehuda A"H, was not a greatly known Rebbetzen.

She was married briefly and passed away at the young age of 22 in 1854.

Yet, interestingly, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zt" L (1910-1995), born 56 years after Sasha Mindel passed away and unrelated to her, would say Kaddish for her every 24^th of Nissan.

Why?

Why would Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach recite Kaddish for a woman he had never met nor knew?

 

The Story of Sasha Mindel Hertzberg née Kluger

Rav Shlomo Kluger (1785-1869) was a world-renowned Talmid Chochom.

Rav Kluger was famous for being the Rav and Dayan in the Galician town of Brody in Poland for almost 50 years.

He remains one of the great Rabbinic stars of the Torah world of the 19^th century.

He authored over 160 works. Some of which have yet to be published.

One of the works he published in 1854 is titled "Nidrei Zerizin."

The Sefer contains Chiddushei Torah on the tractate Nedarim.

What is unique about this Sefer is to whom it is dedicated.

Rav Shlomo Kluger dedicated the work to his granddaughter, Sasha Mindel.

On the book's title page, Rav Kluger writes, "I am publishing this word as a memorial and for the sake of the soul of my dear and wise granddaughter, Sasha Mindel, who died at an early age.

She was the daughter of my son Rav Chaim Yehuda, and she passed away on Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Shimini on the 24^th day of Nissan in the year 1854."

Why did Rav Shlomo Kluger dedicate this Sefer to her?

The Tragedy of Sasha Mindel

The Sefer contains an introduction explaining why Rav Kluger is dedicating the Sefer to his granddaughter Sasha Mindel.

It is an introduction written by a great Rav, the likes of which I have never seen before.

Rav Shlomo Kluger explains that his granddaughter, Sasha Mindel, who grew up in his house, was very dear to him.

He writes how he was involved in her shidduch and, after making the proper inquiries, was convinced she was marrying into a beautiful Torah family.

Alas, it was not to be.

Rav Shlomo Kluger records unabashedly and graphically the evils of the family into which Sasha Mindel found herself.

He writes how he was lied to concerning the family's respectability and referred to Sasha Mindel's husband and family as "Anaoshim Ra-im M'od" – "Very evil people."

He continues to tearfully and painfully describe what happened just a few weeks after Sasha Mindel's wedding.

 "After her husband (Yakov Hertzberg) and his family (her father-in-law- Yechiel Itzik Hertzberg) realized that my grandaughter is not choosing their ways of life nor acting as they act.

 They began to press her and (place) pressure after pressure (on her) until, after just a quarter of a year of marriage, she developed lung disease."  (tuberculosis?)

Rav Shlomo Kluger continues to write about how no one told him about his granddaughter's abusive relationship.

 He would never have known his granddaughter's tragic situation if someone random individual had not informed him of her dire circumstances.

Once he found out the truth, he spared no expense in extracting his granddaughter from this abusive household and brought her to live with him.

Unfortunately, she was already too sick and died shortly after on the 24^th day of Nissan in 1854.

After begging Hashem to exact divine judgment against these evildoers, he shockingly states, "Hashem should avenge my vengeance quickly."

To create a memorial to her soul, he decided to publish a Sefer in her memory.

He requests all those who learn from the Sefer to say Kaddish for her on her Yahrtzeit (24^th of Nissan). He stipulates that if this Sefer ever merits to require future editions, this introduction never be excised from the text.

He writes, "This is my primary intent (in writing this work) that it should be a memorial to her soul…."

 

Why Rav Shlomo Zalman ZT"L said Kaddish:

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach read Rav Shlomo Kluger's pleas and therefore said Kaddish for her on her Yahrtzeit.

That is the tragic story of Sasha Mindel bas Rav Chaim Yehuda.

She was a woman who suffered in silence from spousal abuse.

Rav Kluger was a Gadol B'Yisorel.

Nevertheless, in this case, he felt the need to publicize his grandaughter's tragic plight and explicitly write the names of her husband and father-in-law.

We can only imagine the painful situation his granddaughter suffered through in silence.

 

Lessons to be Learned on this Nissan 24

1.      Learn the rules of Loshon Hora properly.

2.      None of this would have occurred if any of the people Rav Kluger inquired of and who knew the truth about the family (as he claims they did) had been open and honest with him.

3.      Don't let anyone suffer in silence

Imagine the loneliness of Sasha Mindel being trapped in an abusive marriage and her grandfather's pain as he heard about her suffering.

I tremble as I wonder how many other Sasha Mindels' are out there who, as we speak, are suffering in silence?

As a warning to all of us to reveal pertinent information about potential Shidduchim, Rav Kluger writes, "(Those) Who knew the true situation in the Hertzberg household and withheld that information from me, Hashem shall take revenge for me speedily."

These are not words that a man of the status of Rav Shlomo Kluger wrote flippantly or without proper thought, and certainly not impetuously.

A man of the stature of Rav Shlomo Kluger chose every word he wrote carefully and with precision.

One can only imagine the pain Sasha Mindel endured as we feel the agony of her grandfather as he describes her horrific experience.

No one should have to suffer in silence.

Today, on the 24^th day of Nissan, the Yahrtzeit of Sasha Mindel bas Rav Chaim Yehuda, let's attempt to do all we can to reach out and help those in pain.

In the merit (Zechus) of learning about this tragic young woman, Sasha Mindel, may Hashem protect all of His people.