Finding Hashem in the Darkest Moment
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Rabbi Shmulevitz in Shanghai
During the Second World War, Rabbi Shmulevitz served as the Menahel (administrator) of a Mir Yeshiva in Shanghai, China. The Mir Yeshiva had escaped Europe, fleeing the horrors of war, and Rabbi Shmulevitz was responsible for their survival.
Funds were sent secretly from the United States—American dollars smuggled into Shanghai—so the yeshiva could continue functioning. At the time, possessing foreign currency was illegal.
One day, Rabbi Shmulevitz was caught with the money. He was taken to a police station—a place where people often never returned alive. Many who entered that room were beaten and left for dead.
Rabbi Shmulevitz’s students later asked Rabbi Berkowitz, recounting the story, how he reacted. Did he cry? Did he panic?
Rabbi Berkowitz shared a remarkable detail: the most important part of the story is not just that he survived—but how he responded spiritually.
When Rabbi Shmulevitz left that room alive, he turned to Hashem and said:
“For the fear I felt, for the pain I endured, for being scared half to death while doing Your work, here is my request.”
He then listed, with clarity and faith, the blessings he hoped to see in the future—not for himself alone, but for the students and families who would benefit from the Torah he was entrusted to teach.
And indeed, Hashem answered. Rabbi Shmulevitz moved to Israel, led the Mir Yeshiva, educated thousands of students, and raised children who became pillars of Torah learning. His Torah is studied all over the world today.
The lesson is clear: Hashem is with us even when we cannot see Him. And when something terrible, seemingly unfair, happens, we are allowed—no, we are encouraged—to look Him in the eyes and ask for the reward, the purpose, or the blessing connected to that hardship. Pain is not meaningless; it can be transformed into merit.
Rabbi Shach’s Dance
Rabbi Berkowitz shared another story that echoes this same lesson.
During World War II, Rabbi Shach and others were being deported. Starving, uncertain where they were being sent, the group boarded a train on Motzaei Shabbat, fearing it might take them to death.
Before stepping onto the train, Rabbi Shach and his companions did something extraordinary: they danced.
He explained, “If this is our last dance, let us make it big.”
Even in the shadow of certain danger, he found Ta’anug—pure spiritual enjoyment. The greatest joy of his lifetime, he said, was that dance, on the edge of death, because in that moment, he connected with Hashem in the deepest way possible.
The Map to True Happiness
The lives of Rabbi Shmulevitz and Rabbi Shach teach us a powerful truth: spiritual connection is strongest in moments of fear and uncertainty.
When darkness surrounds us, it is not a time to despair. It is a time to look upward. It is a time to transform fear into prayer, pain into merit, and uncertainty into trust.
Happiness, real joy, is not a promise of comfort or safety—it is the ability to find Hashem even in your darkest hour.
When life seems unfair, when we are tested beyond what we imagined, we have a choice:
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To give in to fear, or
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To reach higher, ask for reward in the merit of our struggle, and find joy in connection.
Rabbi Shmulevitz and Rabbi Shach show us the path: Embrace faith. Find Hashem in the storm. Dance with Him in the dark.
The greatest Ta’anug, the truest happiness, is found not when life is easy—but when we rise above fear and cling to Hashem, no matter what.
If you want, I can also condense this into a 3–4 minute storytelling version that’s perfect for a talk or a video, keeping all the emotional peaks intact.
Do you want me to do that?