Paterfamilias

Grandchildren’s Eulogies 1999: ARI (AGE 24): …he spent hours explaining his unique perspective on the Akeida (the binding of Isaac) and his understanding of man’s relationship with G-d. I treasured the times when I would go to him for his opinion and a clarification of my own, whether it was the purpose of prayer, Rambam’s view on the immutability of natural law, or the intention of sacrifices. He always taught me that the most important thing is always to learn—Torah, physics, anything. MAYA (AGE 22): …one of the most important things he taught me was the lesson of uvacharta b’chayim—choose life—and his way of choosing life was accepting the past as it was and approaching the future with the passion to make it the best it can be. Saba was also a rodef shalom—he loved conflict merely because it had within it the potential of resolution, and this love of peace drove his every deed. MICOLE (AGE 20): …every roller coaster I go on will remind me of how it’s a sin to scare yourself. Every time I buy a dress on sale, I’ll remember that it doesn’t matter how much they take off—it matters how much they leave on. No day exists devoid of some sort of reference, whether conscious or not, to a lesson that I once learned from him; every time I close my eyes, I can still hear him say, “I love you,” clear as ever. JOSHUA (AGE 18): …he taught me how to play chess and was patient enough to play with me for hours on end—including me in my youthful thirst for competition. His vast knowledge of how things worked resulted from his desire to comprehend the world around him. It kindled in me a similar inquisitive attitude and curiosity… The kindness and patience Saba showed me in my formative years will remain with me forever. KYRA (AGE 14): …he would tell me Zuky stories, and I would always wonder how they would turn out. They captivated and surprised me. Every time Saba said, “I love you,” I knew he truly meant it… Saba, but I truly want to let you know that I love you and I will always take with me your wisdom, your philosophy, and your love. ANDY (AGE 12): …in his house there’s an adding machine. It is a big black box which has lots of buttons on it. Whenever I went down those three floors to visit him, we played with it. As I got to the age of four, he started teaching me about it, and he even taught me about all the complicated buttons. As I got to age six, I realized that he was a math genius. Now he is old, ninety, so now sometimes I even teach him things. AKIVA (AGE 5): …I love Saba. I hope the Mashiach will come soon, and we will see Saba again. I remember that Saba loved me and sang, “I’m forever blowing bubbles” and “Row, row, row your boat.” I use Saba’s desk. I remember that everyone was trying to help Saba since Saba was very weak. Saba had a big birthday cake with ninety candles… Saba loved Akiva, Ben, and (newborn) Daniel… I went to shul a lot with Abba to say Kaddish for Saba. BENJAMIN (AGE 3): I don’t remember Saba.