Rebbe Nachman's Chariot: A Tribute to Moshe Chaim (Mark) Fisher ob"m

I hope that my tears won't short-circuit my keyboard. There are many stories about dedication in spreading emuna, but few can compare with the story of Mark Fisher. A terminal illness was mercilessly and systematically gnawing away at Mark's body. All he cared about was encouraging the other oncology patients in the world famous Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in New York City. His heart's desire was to utilize every last moment on this earth to spread Rebbe Nachman's teachings – particularly the light of emuna – so that there wouldn't be a single patient in the hospital who didn't have the benefit of this medicine for the soul.

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Elijah the prophet was walking and discussing Torah with his prime pupil and disciple, Elisha. Suddenly, a chariot of fire with horses of fire descended from the sky. The horses and chariot separated between the teacher and his pupil, then took Elijah in a storm skyward to the Heavenly abode (see Kings II, 2:11).

Elijah's exit from the physical world is one of the most dramatic accounts in the whole Tanach. Yet, we underestimate our own times, the threshold of the long-awaited Messianic age. Our generation has been blessed with hidden tzaddikim who also have left this world in a manner no less dramatic than Elijah in his chariot of fire. Let me tell you about one, whom Hashem gave me the privilege of knowing – Moshe Chaim (Mark) Fisher of saintly and blessed memory, from Flatbush in Brooklyn.

January, 2011

Mark's body was hit really hard with the nasty big "C", the disease whose name we don't like to mention on our lips. Yet, his phenomenally optimistic emuna-filled mind and heart ruled his tormented body. In January of 2011, just a mere year ago, I saw Mark in the flesh for the last time. He had just gone through a stiff radiation treatment but he came directly from the hospital – chemo bag and all – to hear me speak that night in Flatbush.

Continue reading the moving continuation of Rebbe Nachman's Chariot in this week's stimulating issue of Breslev Israel web magazine in English.

Also featured this week:

Rabbi Shalom Arush: The Illuminated Mind

Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak: The Secrets of Torah

Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook: Egypt and the Mayflower

Zev Ballen: Just Relax

Dovber Halevi: Like A Fighter

Rivka Levy: Doctor of the Soul, Life of Brian

Yehoshua Goldstein: Don't Get Shot

Sandy Sasson: Time to Pray

The Beams and Breslev Israel wish you a fantastic week!