I vividly remember my first encounter with Rabbi Mottel Pevsner A”H. It was the first day of the New Zman of the Shnas Halimmudim 5760 of Oholei Torah Zal. I was coming from Yeshivas Lubavitch Toronto and I was told, correctly, that if you want to get a good seat for the year in the Zal on Troy Avenue, you must come early.

I came at 5:00am and reserved the seat that I wanted. When Seder CHassidus was finished, at 9:00am, I left the Zal to go to the Mikvah. I then noticed a boy limping down Montgomery St on his way to Daven in 770. I went over and introduced myself and, thinking that he must be suffering,  offered to help him walk. He smiled warmly and told me that his name is Mottel Pevsner from France and that he really does not need my help.

I soon realized that not only did he not need my help, he was so independent and determined and really an inspiration for the rest of us. He never allowed his physical challenge to prevent him from doing what he felt was right. He stubbornly davened daily in 770 and was always in a rush to be on time for Seder. He really did not need to take our hands for help, he actually led us by example.

This week Rabbi Mottel Pevsner returned his pure and holy soul to Hashem. We are sure that he is stubbornly, and nicely, demanding of Moshiach but at this point, his family does need us to stretch out our hands and show them support. Please donate at: https://www.charidy.com/pevzner