|
Published in Chabad of Georgia; Spring 1999. Copyright© 1998. All rights reserved. The following writing may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in any way including electronically, without the prior written consent of the author. |
|
by jane davis December, 1998 It was Wednesday night.
December 2. 6 PM. i had just turned on the computer, clicked
my "get mail" button and there it was. An announcement from
Chabad
cyberspace, "A
notice to all our subscribers" and i knew, i feared that
this was it. This was the announcement i did not want to
hear. And so i ignored it. i
looked at all the other mail while that one quietly called
out to me, "you must read this....now." "It is with tremendous
pain and sorrow that we must inform you of the passing
......." the rest of the words were lost behind the tears
that automatically flooded my eyes. NOOOOOO every fiber of
my being screamed out. NOOOOOO. Not Yosef Y. Kazen, known to
many as simply "YY". The entire world, Jew and
Gentile alike, lost a leader, a Rabbi, a true teacher. A
jewel lived among us lighting up souls around the world.
When a visionary is so close it is often hard for people to
acknowledge or fully understand the great works being done.
Such was the case with Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak son of Rabbi
Shlomo Shneur Zalman Kazen and Rebbetzin Shula Shula
Kazen. The world of cyberspace
and computers is still an enigma to many. Since human nature
fears what it doesn't know as well as resists change, it is
only natural that many within the Lubavitch community did
not understand the depth to which this great man, this
tzadek was connecting with and teaching the world at
large. i first "met" Yosef
Kazen, with great reluctance almost four years ago. i had,
as media, witnessed an electric chair execution in Georgia.
my entire being was so rattled by this experience that i was
in deep, deep need of spiritual connection with a Rabbi, a
person who i associated with "loving, caring, compassionate,
available." Much to my dismay, after banging on doors, i was
unable to find a Rabbi who had the kind of time that i
needed. i had questions upon questions since i had witnessed
something so evil and was aware that among the masses the
"Old Testament" (in other words "Jews") was responsible for
this atrocity. Somewhere within my n'shama, i just "knew"
that our Torah had other teachings/meanings. i wanted to
believe we were a loving people. But, trying to find a Rabbi
with time is like trying to find an observant Jew in
McDonalds. Since i was a user of
cyberspace a friend suggested i send my questions to the
Chabad
Cyber site. At
this point i was reluctant. i didn't think i could handle
another rejection from a Rabbi, a spirit leader. i had too
much to delve into. i was fully prepared to forget the whole
thing from a Jewish perspective. However, something inside
me didn't allow that to happen. That inner voice, that
Jewish soul, took over. i emailed some questions to this
nebulous "group" and got a response that led to more
questions and more questions and a daily sharing with a man
so wise that i, and whoever else was so fortunate to know
him, was merely blessed. That "group" turned out
to be Rabbi Yosef Kazen. From those initial questions
developed a friendship that i can only say is one i dreamed
of having with a Rabbi. It reminded me of when i was a
little girl and would hear stories of the Rabbis of Chelm.
Wisdom. Compassion. Time. He was a boundless ball
of energy. He was Judaism in action. His purity came from
that. That is what he was from the inside out. He loved
teaching Torah. Not just in words, in action to both Jews
and Gentiles. He answered questions without judgment. He
knew his purpose on earth. "Is it kosher for me to get high
(smoke marijuana) on Shabbos?" one subscriber asked
him. "I never heard of the
Noahide Laws," a monk in a distant Monastary exclaimed, and
Yosef helped teach even the remotest of places connected
today thru the internet. He knew. Yosef Kazen was
touching lives around the world as remote as Antarctica. He
was lighting up souls. Educating. Loving every minute of it.
Souls were lit up throughout the world via contact with him
in his cyber world. His congregation knew no bounds. He was
available 24 hours a day. He never said "I'm too busy"
despite the fact that he was a committed husband and father.
i am eternally grateful to his family for giving him the
support needed for him to be an individual light unto
nations and helping others in their paths. i was one of the lucky
ones from cyberspace to have met "Kazen", as i fondly called
him. It was like meeting the Wizard of Oz. He had phoned me
from the hospital trying to say that he was "OK." i was on
the next plane to NY. He was asleep when i
entered his room in intensive care so i sat in a chair at
the foot of his bed and watched him. my Rabbi. my friend.
There was a beautiful peace to this man hooked up to all
kinds of machines and tubes. A white and blue towel was
draped over his head, his yarmulke peeping out from
underneath. When he opened his eyes half an hour later he
didn't move. He squinted. He smiled. He said, "Are you who I
think you are?" "Yes." i beamed. "Are you
Kazen?!" What a way to meet. And
we picked up conversation as if we were typing in cyberspace
or speaking on the phone both of which we did almost daily
for years. "You are very wise to have come here, " he said.
"you never would have gotten this kind of time with me!" and
we laughed. i spent four glorious days in silence and in
conversation, questions asked, questions answered, Torah
taught as well as just two unlikely friends sharing some
painful moments. "You can't die!!!" i told
him, "we have too much work to do!" Although he didn't think
his time was up, he was also so ready if that was God's will
for him. On December 1, 1998, 2
PM, surrounded by some of his loving sisters, God took this
magical man back and left so many with the resounding
question death imparts....... "WHY?" His legacy must be that
his work live on. i know it will live on thru me because we
had become a team in learning, educating, and sharing. From
one lone voice out here - from one woman not part of your
community - i beg you all to search your souls. Who among
you is as dedicated to the ideals of walking the walk as
Yosef Kazen did? His work must go on. He had the vision. He
established the groundwork. Now, he sits somewhere else and
watches. Please, do not let this
great mans' work fall by the wayside. He was lighting up the
world!!! Give your time. Give your dollars. Give your
support. YY, wherever you are,
thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul for all you
did simply by being you and sharing your strength, wisdom
and love of mankind and Torah. |