HABACHUR SAADYA EHRENPREIS Z”L
by Rabbi Moshe Boylan
The Pasuk tells us Dodi yarad legano… {This is a mashal for a beloved indi- vidual that comes to pick a beautiful flower from a garden.} Chazal darshen that the Beloved is Hashem, and He comes down to Olam Hazeh to remove a special “flower”, a special neshama to take with Him up to the Olam HaEmes. I am reminded of this Chazal when talking about the recent tragic petirah of Saadyah Ehrenpreis (Saadya Yehoshua ben Eliezer zichrono livracha).
Saadya was a young adult with Down Syndrome, and attended many pro- grams for such individuals, including Darkeinu (a program in Eretz Yisroel), Kinor Dovid/Harmony Services and a special Makor program which is connect- ed with Yeshiva University.
What made Saadya so special? First of all, we can mention the famous story with the Chazon Ish: Once a father brought his developmentally disabled son to see the Chazon Ish. He immediately stood up, and later explained to the father that such disabled individuals have very special neshamos.
Certainly, it can be said that Saadya had such a special neshama, not just because he was born with a disability, but also due to his exquisite middos tovos, which we can all learn from.
Let us give an introduction: When we think about people getting Olam Haba, sometimes it is assumed that this is only for those who are outstand- ing in Torah and Tefilah, etc. While these are certainly extremely important things which do lead a person to Olam Haba, we see from Chazal that there are certain traits in Bein Adam LaChaveiro that can also help a person to be a Ben Olam Haba. {As an aside, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l explained that while every Jew has a portion in Olam Haba, a Ben Olam Haba is someone whose entire essence is Olam Haba, and not just someone who has some connection to Olam Haba.}
What are these middos? Chazal tell us that once Eliyahu HaNavi was asked by an Amora who is a Ben Olam Haba in this shuk (business center)? Eliyahu HaNavi pointed to certain individuals. The Amora asked who they were and they said that they were happy people that made other people happy. We see from here that always being involved in helping others to be happy is such a great thing that it enables one to be a Ben Olam Haba. {Additionally, Meforshim say that one must first be happy himself, in order to make others happy. The midah tovah of Simcha one has internally can help the person to spread Simcha to other people. Thus, the people in the shuk had internal Simcha, which enabled them to spread this Simcha to others.}
This was truly something that could be said about Saadyah. He was some- one that had internal Simcha. Mr. Yechiel Hirth, Program Coordinator at Kinor Dovid/Harmony Services, who worked with Saadyah for many years, looked at his computer to see all the pictures he had of Saadyah over the years. Unsurprisingly, from all the many pictures, he could not find even one picture in which Saadyah was not giving his famous signature smile. Smiling shows in- ternal Simcha and enables one to spread his Simcha.
{As an aside, Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l used to talk about the importance of smiling to others. Chazal tell us that giving a smile to others is better than giving him milk. Rav Miller mentions that milk is an important liquid that gives others great nutrition. Nonetheless, the positive effect of smiling is more important than giving others milk.}
As mentioned, Saadyah used his happiness to give others happiness. When he would meet others he would say how happy he was to see them and cheer them up. If one of the bochurim he was with was in a bad mood, Saadya had almost antennas to pick up on this and would do his best to cheer them up. He would tell them things are alright, and would often put his hands around them to make them feel better.
Rav Penner Shlita (head of the RIETS program in Yeshiva University), mentioned that while Saadya was part of a relatively small program in Yeshiva University, he was well known amongst the talmidim. Everyone knew him and liked him, as he cheered them up and made them feel good.
Another midah we can learn from Saadya can be understood from the words of the GR”A zt”l: Haakshan yatzliach, one that is stubborn will be successful. {Of course this akshanus in only a midah tovah if used properly and appropriately.} Saadya represent- ed these words in his stubbornness in doing chesed and helping others. One example would happen when a bochur in his program would lose his Tefilin. Saadyah would not give up, and would look all over until finally finding the Tefilin for his friend. Likewise, if someone needed help with carrying his briefcase or knapsack, Saadyah was always ready and willing to help.
Part of this akshanus was also seen in the way he would do something he was asked. If one of the counselors needed a room to be cleaned, Saadya could be relied upon to clean it 100%. This meant that it wasn’t just cleaned a little bit or mostly, but as much as Saadya could. While this might take more time than others, Saadyah was determined to do the job totally and completely. This is also a midah tovah we can learn from. When we have something to do, we should do our best that it should be done totally and completely, not in a half way manner.
He also had the midah tovah mentioned in Chazal of shachein tov, being a good neighbor. Mrs. Hirth, who is the CFO of Harmony, lives just a block away from the Ehrenpreis family. Whenever Saadyah would see Mrs. Hirth, he would say “Hello neighbor!”. He would then ask everyone if they know that Mrs. Hirth is his neighbor.
Another important midah tovah that Saadyah had was going to shul and dav- ening. He would often be seen davening in the nearby shuls, including Keneses Beis Avigdor, led by Rav Aharon Kahn Shlita and the Young Israel of Avenue J, led by Rav Boruch Dov Braun Shlita.
Since simchas hachaim and spreading Simcha was such a midah tovah by the niftar, perhaps it can be suggested that as a zechus for the niftar, we can have extra kavanah in saying Mizmor Lesodah in Pesukei Dezimra. This is especially appropriate, as it is a Kapitel that said Ivdu es Hashem besimcha. Even those who may not daven Pesukei Dezimra (like many women), can say this Kapitel by itself, and have the zechus of Pesukei Tehilim, together with emphasizing the midah of Simcha in serving Hashem. We can likewise learn from Saadyah to look for others that are not feeling well (whether physically or emotionally) and try our best to help them feel better. This will be a zechus for ourselves and for the neshama of Saadyah Yehoshua Ben Eliezer z”l.
In conclusion, the gematria of Nizkeh geulah yachad is equal to Saadya. We are mispalel that in the zechus of following in the path of Saadyah in tefilah, Simcha and making others happy, we should soon see the geulah shelaimah bim- hayra beyameinu Amen.