Yom Kippur at the Cantonists' Shul

The Cantonists were Jews who, by decree of Czar Nicholas I, had been snatched from their families when they were young children for a 25-year term of "service" in the Czar's army, where every cruel means had been employed to force them to abandon Judaism. The few that did survive were so emotionally and psychologically destroyed that they were never really able to live normal lives, and so they lived together in little villages.

One Yom Kippur Reb Mordechai, a follower of the third Chabad Rebbe, happened to lead the Prayers in a Cantonist's Shul.

They requested though of Reb Mordechai that one of the Cantonists themselves will lead Ne'ilah, the closing prayer of the holy day.

Reb Mordechai was in awe; he had never experienced such a minyan; comprised of Jews each of whom had been through such hardships, and only for the sake of G-d.

His soul flowed into the prayers, never had he sung so beautifully. Finally, it was time for Ne'ilah, the closing prayer.

Reb Mordechai stepped back, and one of the Cantonists then stood up and took his place at the podium. Before he began to lead the prayers, he started unbuttoning his shirt.

Reb Mordechai was about to protest: You can't take your shirt off in the synagogue!

But as the opened shirt revealed hundreds of scars; years upon years of deep scars.... each one because this man refused to forsake the G-d of Israel, Reb Mordechai gasped and tears ran from his eyes.

The Cantonist then raised his hands to G-d and said in a loud voice.

"G-d...Send us Moshiach! Redeem the Jewish people now!

"I'm not asking for the sake of our families, because we don't have families.

"I'm not asking for the sake of our futures, because we have no futures.

"I'm not asking for the sake of our livelihoods or our comfort, because we don't have any of those things either.

"We're just asking: Assey l'maan shemecha -- G-d! Do it for Your sake!"

He then closed his shirt and the prayers began.