Famous rabbi

Famous figures—whether spiritual leaders or those who carried out worldly deeds—draw people from all over the world. What drew me was the pain of the Jews, all the way to their cemetery.

This summer I've been taking short cycling trips—sometimes to nearby hills, sometimes a part of the biking trail. As always, the choice seems almost random.

We set off by bike from Podhradní Lhota to Bystřice pod Hostýnem and then on to Holešov. Several thoughts passed through my mind, but from Bystřice onward one kept returning again and again: to visit the synagogue in Holešov. I had visited a synagogue in Holešov before, but I wasn't sure whether it had been this very one.

The thought was so strong that I called the synagogue to ask if it was open. The answer was brief: "We're closing in a minute, but if you come right away, I'll gladly wait for you so you can see it, since you've come such a long way."

When we arrived, the tour was short, yet we learned far more than Google could ever tell us about this monument. We also learned that descendants of Jews come here all the way from the USA, and during their visits they pray here. After that, we went to the cemetery to see the resting place of the most famous Eastern European rabbi, Shakh, born in Vilnius.

As I entered the cemetery, I felt immense sadness and pain—as if I had just arrived at a funeral. Then I noticed an inscription stating that inside the cemetery building there is a list of names of people who were tortured or executed in concentration camps. Some of this was also written on the gravestones themselves.

I felt drawn toward the back; I walked with certainty, without knowing where I was going. I stopped only at the grave of the famous rabbi. My stomach tightened and tears began to flow. I sensed that the renowned and wise rabbi is still serving here all those who had not yet departed into the light.

I prayed to God that he and the others would not remain here, because they should have left long ago. Before finishing the prayer, I saw a great light—the rabbi leaving, and everyone following him. I felt relief and later asked the Master.

Question:
Did the souls at the Jewish cemetery go into the light?

Answer:
Yes. They were waiting for someone to show them the way. They were trapped on Earth, in a place where they would not receive light or forgiveness.

Most people are not prepared for death at all. Either they believe that after death they must remain here on Earth in purgatory and suffer because they are great sinners, or they believe only in this life and that after death there is nothing. Everyone should prepare for what comes after death. For nothing ends with death—quite the opposite. The body is only a garment. It is a tool of the soul so that it may experience this life on Earth, and after death, in time, it will clothe itself in new garments and continue in the cycle of existence, the Bhavachakra.