Totty will never come home!
Eight orphans, a bride in preparation to her wedding,
and a broken-hearted widow suddenly alone!
No grandfather
No grandmother
and now also No father!
The family of Reb Yitzchak Meyer Schiff ז"ל needs your help!
Tragedy
after tragedy
after tragedy!
The name on the door reads: Schiff
Behind the door, lives a typical family, like any other family you know in your building.
A large family living happily and in tranquility, though quite sparingly in money, since there is never an extra dollar in their pockets.
A family that does not have an abundance of delicacies and luxuries, never. There is always a second thought before spending money. Yet, the home is full of livelihood blessed with sweet joyous children.
The dining room wall is covered with shelves containing hundreds of holy ספרים which are in heavy use by the father R' Yitzchak Meyer, a pious חכם תלמיד and חסיד, which breathes תורה and חסידות, being a ספרים מחבר of biographies of Great Tzadikim, especially his ancestor the Great Tzadik Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk זצ"ל.
His great works are popular and far spread amongst Chasidim, which provides a scarce income to his family.
And suddenly the sky turns dark over this house.
The dreadful Corona Virus attacks the beloved father of this family. On the onset of his first symptoms, the family is not alarmed. He will make it through as many others, they hoped.
But the days go by and the symptoms don't ease. On the contrary, R' Yitzchak Meyer starts suffering of breathing complications. On some specialists' recommendations, he was taken to the hospital to receive breathing assistance.
The family is in a turmoil. From the moment the father is being sent to the hospital, his contact with his dear family gets interrupted. They can't talk to him, they aren't able to get his advice, comments or discuss daily experiences.
Nothing.
The father is in the hospital. Alone!
And the mother is home with the kids. Alone!
Long days filled with suffering and fear, going through ups and downs, when suddenly comes the traumatic news from the hospital. The virus traveled to the lungs, the situation becomes more serious.
Just a few days pass by and then comes another fearful message. The father must be put asleep! Though the inner instinct signals no good expectations, the family tries to stay strong with hope.
Endless weeks of panic and anxiety comes along; thousands of Tehillim is being said, hundreds of good deeds are being undertaken, countless sleepless nights, numerous painful thoughts of worry for the future.
This continues on day after day. The eyes are already dry, nobody is able to cry anymore.
And suddenly a tragedy from a different angle hits them!
Zeidy passed away!
Their beloved grandfather Schiff, R' Yossel Schiff of Yerushalayem,
died unexpectedly!
Their hearts can't tolerate to hear this. The atmosphere in the house becomes even more tense. Their hearts are overfilled with sorrow and fear.
It’s just a few hours later and another catastrophic news struck!
Bobby is also gone to the next world!
The hearts are broken and shattered.
There is no strength to tolerate.
Nobody is capable to believe that the reality can be so horrifying.
And inside, in the deepness of the heart, troubles the terrible fear:
What, what will happen with Totty?
He lies on the hospital bed attached to an ECMO machine, days pass by and his situation does not get any better, just worsens.
Oh, Hashem, Help!
Rosh Hashanah is approaching. Family Schiff of Ashdod is welcoming the Yom Tov with mixed feelings, yet looking forward to these significant days to daven and plead to Hashem he should send a רפואה שלימה and their dear father should be decreed לאלתר לחיים טובים ולשלום.
They don't have any strength to tolerate any more distress.
They want to see their dear father back home, as in the good days.
On השנה ראש מוצאי this family suffers the worst calamity.
Totty will never come home!
Totty is gone!
Totty passed away.
There is no time even to digest the tragic news, the funeral is going out soon.
12 children follow their father on his final path, amongst them 8 orphans not yet married off. Amongst them a bride with teared eyes. A young girl, which all her life she awaited her lucky day when her father will walk her to her חופה, and now she will approach her wedding alone, only with her mother, without her father!
The heart becomes overwhelmed with grief, pain, sorrow, longing, fear and worry.
לוויה. קריעה. קדיש. קבורה. שבעה
Everything moves forward so quick, faster than the heart can contain.
And there is not even a quiet moment so importantly needed to think for the future.
For the day after the שבעה, for the month following thereafter, and moreover for one year and ten years later. For when their father will not be with them.
Their father, which had worked hard with superhuman effort to feed his family and to supply every child with all his/her needs.
Their father, which made every effort to marry off his older four children fairly. Though not having the financial sources to fund the expenses, he strained his feet to wander to anywhere it takes he should be able to marry off his children decently, providing them with all their necessities.
And suddenly he's not here anymore to care for his children.
8 orphans, starting with the bride and down the line to the young children which don't even grasp yet what tragedy has befallen on them, in addition to the broken-hearted widow – which finds herself alone, alone, without a supporter to care for her and her family. A large children blessed family, without a father, and not even a grandfather and grandmother.
A family without a backbone. Nobody to repay the debts that were left behind. Nobody to pay tomorrow for electricity, water, gas and grocery bills, not even listing all other expenses that will be incurred in the future days and years.
A family starting off next month's budget without a penny.
A small boat wavering through a large ocean without a captain, without anybody to take responsibility and control the boat through the stormy ocean.
No.
This is not a situation we can afford to just watch from the side and stand still.
This is a case in which everyone, each and every one of us, must lend a hand to save this family not to fall into a terrible poverty pit!
With your one time donation of $180, the Schiff family be able to move on, in your merit!
No.
We will never be able to bring back to family Schiff their beloved father.
But we can at least assure them that they will not suffer from impoverishment and destitution.
At least we can assure the brokenhearted widow she should be able to marry off her children, her eight orphans, in a respectful manner!
In this crucial moment – the responsibility lies on each and every one of us!
You can help family Schiff! With a one time contribution of $180 Family Schiff will בעזהשי"ת be able to set the foundations to make a living!
A rare זכות!
The Great Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk זי"ע promised:
"Whoever will help my offspring, I will do him a favor from above".
Get yourself a good advocate who will intervene for you in heaven,
you should be blessed with all the best!
