Forgiveness After 35 Years

By COLlive reporter

Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim, one of the first programs for Ba’alei Teshuva located in Morristown, NJ, marked the 18th yartzeit of one of its beloved teachers on Wednesday.

In a special address, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zalman Dubinsky paid tribute to the late maggid shiur, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Lipskier, also known by the name Fitzy, of blessed memory.

Rabbi Dubinsky spoke of Rabbi Lipskier’s unique ability to blend high Chassidic aspirations into practical living, and always having an open ear for students’ struggles and challenges.

“This is also the lesson of the day that the yartziet falls out – the 11th of Shvat, coming a day after such a charged day represents bringing the inspiration of Yud Shvat into the regular days after,” he noted.

Rabbi Dubinsky told a personal moving episode where Rabbi Lipskier approached him some 35 years after a trivial event to ask forgiveness.

“Many of us don’t have to think back decades to find something we did wrong, we just need to think back maybe only a few minutes,” he said.

“What is so inspirational about this is the fact that here was a person who took to heart every moment of life and his sensitivity to other people was truly remarkable. Certainly Rabbi Lipskier is being a Meilitz Yosher for all of us here today, let us likewise learn in his Zechus.”