ויאמר יוסף אל אביו בני הם אשר נתן לי אלקים בזה ויאמר קחם נא אלי ואברכם (ויחי מח: ח-ט)

The Chassid R’ Shmiel Sternberg a’’h was drafted to the Austrian Army during WWI.  He was assigned to guard the borders between Austria and Switzerland.  While standing guard, he decided to cross the border into Switzerland.  He would become a refugee and thus escape the Austrian Army.

He was engaged at the time.  Since he was an army escapee, he knew he couldn’t return to Galicia to marry, for he would be severely punished.  His wedding was delayed for five years until his father-in-law, R’ Moshe Menachem Retek a’’h asked Maran Reb Yissocher Dov of Belz zt’’l, what they should do. They don’t see any options for how the couple can marry.

Maran didn’t answer at first.  When R’ Moshe Menachem asked again, Maran said he should return with his daughter, the Kallah.  When the two came to Maran, Maran told the kallah to travel to Switzerland, marry, and build a Yiddish home together.  Maran also forewarned the kallah to dress according to the daughter of a Chassid and shouldn’t change the ways of her forefathers.

Switzerland in those days had few Chassadim and righteous Yidden. Despite the spiritually low environment, R’ Moshe Menachem and his wife adhered to the words of Maran and raised their children with Yiras Shamayim and Chassidus.

With time, when the danger of his escape from the army faded, R’ Moshe Menachem and his wife left Switzerland to visit their in-law in Yavriv. R’ Moshe Menachem possessed a nice voice and was honored to daven for the amud.  However, an issue arose. The congregants had a rule that the Baal Tefillah’s (person who davens) wife must wear a tichel to cover her hair, like the women in Yavriv, and not a sheital – wig.

When R’ Feivish Yavraver zt’’l, a grandson of Maran The Sar Shalom zt’’l, was asked what to do, he said: “According to the weakened Yiddishkeit in Switzerland, if a woman wears a sheital in Switzerland, it is if she wears a tichel in Yavriv.”

Maran, the Belzer Rebbe shllita, explained this story based on the p’sukin in the parsha.  Yakov saw that Yosef’s children didn’t wear the same clothes as the Avos wore.  So he asked Yosef, “מי אלה” – Rashi says, “From where did they come that they aren’t worthy of a bracha?” ויאמר יוסף אל אביו בני הם אשר נתן לי אלקים בזה -these are my children. Since they were born and raised in Mitzrayim, according to the lowly environment, their clothes are worthy and respectful, even though in Eretz Yisroel, they’re not worthy for Yakov’s children. יאמר קחם נא אלי ואברכם – Yakov acknowledged and told Yosef to bring his children to receive a blessing.