You Already Know

In 1972, twenty Jews in Romania were facing death—and their salvation came from an unlikely conversation that speaks to us today.

Skulener & Scoop

In 1972, the situation of Jews in the Soviet Union was extremely harsh—especially in Romania. One day, twenty Jews in Romania were arrested, accused of plotting against the government, and the authorities wanted to sentence them to death.

At that time in the U.S., there was a Democratic senator named Henry Jackson, a strong supporter of Israel. Everyone called him “Scoop” Jackson—from his days as a journalist, always chasing the big scoop. He had advanced a law that would forbid free trade with countries that violated human rights. It was aimed mainly at the Soviet Union, to pressure them to grant Jews exit permits. At the very same time, that senator was also busy running in the Democratic primaries, trying to become his party’s candidate for President of the United States.

In New York there lived a Chassidic Rebbe known as the Skulener Rebbe. Born in Romania, he was deeply involved in helping Romanian Jews. When he heard what was happening, he decided he must meet Senator Jackson as quickly as possible, since the senator held the key to saving Jewish lives through that very law.

But how do you track down a senator from Washington State just two days before Super Tuesday—the crucial primary day? The Rebbe’s circle heard that there was a rabbi in Seattle who had strong connections with Jackson. The Skulener contacted him and begged him to arrange a meeting with the senator the very next morning in Washington, D.C. At first, the rabbi insisted it was impossible. But after the Rebbe pressed him again and again, he finally agreed to try.

He worked the phones, pulled strings, and turned the world upside down—until he finally succeeded in reaching the senator. He explained the desperate plight of Romanian Jews, adding that the Skulener Rebbe himself was Romanian, personally carrying their pain, and that he wished to meet him.

To his surprise, Senator Jackson agreed: “Tomorrow morning, ten o’clock, in my Washington, D.C. office.”

Overjoyed, the rabbi called the Rebbe to share the news. The Rebbe then added: “Since I don’t speak English, you must come with me and serve as translator.”

The rabbi protested: “But I’m in Seattle—how can I possibly get to Washington, D.C. by tomorrow morning?”

And the Rebbe replied: “If you truly want to, you’ll manage.”

He Knows

Indeed, the next morning the Skulener arrived for the meeting with the senator. They entered, the Rebbe began with blessings, and then the senator turned to the rabbi in English: “Ask the Rebbe—what can I do for him?”

When the question was translated, the Skulener answered in Yiddish: “He knows what needs to be done.”

The rabbi relayed this to the senator, who replied: “I don’t know.”

The Rebbe insisted: “He knows.”

Back and forth it went—“I don’t know” … “He knows.” Finally, the senator gave in and said: “O.K., I already know what the problem is. But what do you want me to do?”

Again the Rebbe answered in Yiddish: “He knows what needs to be done.”

Once more the exchange repeated until at last the senator yielded: “O.K., I already know what I must do. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

Right after the meeting, Senator Jackson picked up the phone and called the Romanian ambassador in Washington. When told the ambassador was busy, Jackson said: “If I were him, I’d take this call.” The ambassador quickly came on the line.

The senator told him plainly: if they did not release the Jews at once and allow them to emigrate to whichever country they chose, Romania would be placed on the list of nations violating human rights—cut off from free trade with the United States.

And it worked. They released the Jews immediately.

Everyone Knows

On Yom Kippur we too come to the synagogue for a meeting with the King, with G-d. And we ask: “G-d, what do You want from us?” And what answer do we get? The very same one the Skulener Rebbe gave the senator—“You know.” G-d says: “You know very well what I want.”

It’s like a father rebuking his child for misbehaving and calling him by name. The child shrugs and says, “What? What do you want?” The father replies: “What do I want? You know exactly what I want.”

People often ask me: “How do I know what my mission in life is?”—as if one has to search through the Russian archives to find it. The Torah’s answer is clear: “It is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.” G-d asks us simply to be a little more Jewish: another mitzvah, a bit more Torah study, more thought for another Jew, more kindness to our parents, more consideration for our spouse. What exactly? G-d says: “You know very well what I expect of you.”

On the other side, when we come before G-d on Yom Kippur and ask Him for life, health, and blessing, G-d asks us: “What do you need for the coming year? Where do you want a special blessing?” And what do we answer? “You know.” Because in truth, G-d knows far better than we do what we really need. We think we know, but He truly knows. And we want Him to promise us a good year—according to His knowledge and His infinite perspective, far beyond what we could ever imagine.

May it be for all of us a year of goodness and blessing.