On this Shabbos Shlach, as we celebrate Alex Glassman’s Yahrtzeit, whom we all loved so much and who we miss so dearly, there can be no doubt as to what is happening in the heavens right now.
We know that on the day of the anniversary of passing, the soul, of a dearly departed loved one achieves an “Aliyah” – a spiritual ascendancy – in the heavens above, thus making the occasion a joyous one, rather than a sad one.
I think that it is quite fitting that the Shabbos upon which we are celebrating Alex Glassman’s yahrtzeit is the Shabbos in which we read the Torah portion of “Shlach”… “Shlach” means we are all messengers on a mission. Hashem, our Commander-in-Chief, lays out the specifics of the mission.
If we approach our mission with the attitude of “we'll see” as in: “I’ll see… I’ll look to determine whether or not I can do this… I’ll see if it fits into my schedule, if my job allows for it,.”… It can have questionable results. Not a winning formula for success
If, on the other hand, we approach it, saying to ourselves: “Come what may, I will fulfil my mission!”. If the question is not whether you will do it; only how you will do it, you can be sure that the Almighty will help tear down the obstacles standing in our way, and we will enter the promised land of success! After all, if G-d asks and expects something of us, it means that we surely have the capability of doing it.
In many ways, our beloved Alex was a poster-boy for this approach to life’s challenges and pursuits. He approached every new opportunity with zest and enthusiasm. He was such a warm and passionate soul. His cheerful demeanor – as manifested in his distinctive hearty laugh – would lift the spirits of all those around him. He was a proud Jew and a generous humanitarian.
He would often lament the fact that having grown up in a small town in Quebec where there was no Jewish community life, he did not receive much of a Jewish education in his youth. But gosh --- how much joy, pride and satisfaction he would derive from fact that he is now helping provide such an education to the Jewish kids of this community!
Whether it was going on a mission to help start up a paper company in Israel, supporting his alma maters, Israel’s Technion, or Chabad of Naples, his physical height was a symbol for how he stood tall for causes close to his heart. At the same time, he was a modest, self-effacing man, awkward about being thanked for his generosity -- giving and helping was "just what Jews do".
The soul of Alex – Eliyahu Glassman shall surely have an Aliyah – shall surely ascend in the holy spheres above, taking pride in all of the good that continues to be done in his name (and shall do so in perpetuity); and praying for his beloved Carol, and for all of us who have the privilege of worshiping, studying and celebrating in this sacred House of G-d that bears his name. Tihay Zichro Boruch – may his memory be an eternal blessing for all…