Taken at Age of Ten: The Rabbi Who Gave Him Strength for Thirty Years

In the book Lehisha'er Yehudi there appears a rare and deeply moving testimony from a Jew who, as a child, was seized into the army under the Cantonist decree nearly two hundred years ago. His account reveals how a single month in the company of an extraordinary rabbi gave a ten-year-old boy the strength to remain Jewish through almost thirty years of suffering in the Russian army.

Taken as a Child

"When I was taken into the army I was about ten years old," the cantonist recounts. "I was the only child of my widowed mother."

"According to the law I should not have been conscripted, since I was an only child. But it seems the law did not apply to the poor. A wealthy Jew, a relative of mine, bribed the officials and registered me as his son. In this way I was taken as a substitute in place of his boy."

"My memories from those days are like a terrible dream. Very little remains clear. I remember only the cold, the frozen feet, the soldiers shouting and cursing, mocking us and driving us forward. Hungry, exhausted, and bruised, like sheep being led to slaughter, we eventually arrived in the freezing city of Lutsin."

A Rabbi With Compassionate Eyes

"When we entered the barracks we were surprised to see several Jews waiting for us," he recalls. "Among them stood a tall man with a dignified face, deep eyes, and a penetrating gaze. There was so much compassion and shared pain in those eyes, and such warmth."

"I was small, tired, frozen, and hungry. I was starving for kindness. The man’s eyes seemed to draw us toward him. Then he spoke in a soft and calming voice: 'Shalom aleichem, idelekh.'"

"Those simple words captured our hearts. A gentle warmth spread through us and we answered together, 'Shalom aleichem, Rabbi!'"

The man was Rabbi Naftali Tzioni, the rabbi of Lutsin.

"He came to each child, shook our hands, and spoke kind words to every one of us," the cantonist recalls. "The local Jewish community had arranged with the military commander that as long as we remained in the city the children would stay with Jewish families. I was privileged to stay in the rabbi’s own home."

Stories That Strengthened the Soul

Each day the boys were required to report to the barracks for roll call.

"Rabbi Naftali would come to sit with us for an hour or more," the cantonist recounts. "We gathered around him and listened eagerly to his stories.

"He told us about Jews who had been tortured and pressured to convert but remained faithful and gave their lives for kiddush Hashem. He spoke about Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He told us about the Crusades and the Inquisition."

But above all, one story returned again and again.

"Rabbi Naftali loved to speak about Yosef HaTzaddik, who was sold by his brothers," the cantonist says. "He emphasized that Yosef endured his trials because he imagined the image of his father Yaakov before him. It was the brothers who had betrayed him, not his beloved father."

A Lesson That Took Years to Understand

"Only years later did I understand why the rabbi repeated that story so often," he explains.

"We poor children had also been sold by our own brothers. The community leaders had handed us over in place of the sons of the wealthy and well connected.

"We could easily have turned our backs on our people because of that betrayal. But Rabbi Naftali planted within us the understanding that even if our brothers had failed us, we still had a beloved Father in Heaven, and for Him we must remain faithful."

Words That Changed a Life

"We drank in every word that came from his mouth," the cantonist remembers. "He told stories with such warmth and love. His words flowed directly from his pure heart into the hearts of the children.

"In that single month he filled us with so much Jewish learning and moral strength that it sustained us for years to come. Our hearts became deeply connected to our people, and we even learned to forgive."

"Through his words the rabbi cured us of a dangerous illness: hatred. We had felt anger toward the Jewish authorities who handed us over, but he taught us to forgive.

"What would have become of us without people like him? For me personally, that time was a rescue. In his home I felt warmth and kindness. His wife treated me like a mother."

The Final Morning

On the final night before the boys were taken away, they were ordered to remain in the barracks.

"At dawn the trumpets began to sound," he recalls. "We stood there with our packs on our backs, shivering in the cold, our hearts pounding with fear. We knew the good days were over."

"We wondered if the rabbi would come one more time. It was so early that we doubted it."

Then they looked up.

"And there he was, standing before us."

A Final Blessing

"His face was serious and a fire burned in his eyes," the cantonist recounts. "He walked among us and handed each child a pair of tzitzit. To those who had reached the age of mitzvot he also gave tefillin."

Then he raised his voice.

"Children, children of Israel," he cried. "You are Jews. Remember that you are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov."

Tears streamed down his face.

"Do not forget that you are Jews. Do not forget. Remember Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Rabbi Akiva, and Yosef."

Then he called out to them:

"Say with me, dear children: Shema Yisrael."

And together they cried out:

"Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad."

Strength for a Lifetime

"The rabbi said, 'Children, today you are beginning a difficult journey. Many troubles and hardships await you. But Hashem will be with you if you do not forget Him.'"

Then he gathered them close and blessed them with Birkat Kohanim.

"The first rays of sunlight appeared, the trumpets sounded again, and we began to march. As we passed him, he wished each of us, 'Go in peace and be well.'"

A Memory That Never Faded

The cantonist concludes his painful testimony:

"Throughout all the years that followed, I could always see him before my eyes, standing there and whispering the words of the blessing: 'May Hashem bless you and protect you.'"

This powerful story carries a profound message for parents and educators. A single month filled with faith, love, and a strong sense of Jewish identity gave a young boy the strength to remain steadfast through three decades of suffering in the Russian army. The words he absorbed from that rabbi turned him into a quiet hero of endurance and faith.