When Ben-Gurion Blessed Someone That He Should Be Successful in Bringing Up His Children & Grandchildren with "Torah & Good Deeds"

When Ben Gurion turned 80 years old, he received thousands of good wishes from all over the world, but there was one in particular, that he cherished the most.

Yaakov Guthertz was lucky to get an "aliyah" to the Torah on Yom Kippur of 1966, in a shul in Herzliyah...... the minhag of that shul as is in most shuls in the world is that the one who  receives an aliyah get an opportunity to make a "Mee She'beirach" where he also pledges to donate to the shul or other holy institution.

Yaakov Guthertz asked the gabbai of the shul to make the "Mee She'beirach" in honor of Ben Guion's 80th birthday and pledged a considerable amount of money in honor of the first Prime Minister of Israel.

When Ben Gurion, who was convalescing in Haifah, heard about this from Emanuel Harusie, a prominent author, Ben Gurion wrote a letter thanking Yaakov Guthertz for the "Mee She'beirach" and subsequently wished him among other blessings that he should have nachas of his children and grandchildren and that he merit to be successful 

לגדלם לתורה ולמעשים טובים

"in bringing them up to Torah and good deeds!"

Below is the letter in Ben Gurion's own handwriting 

Loose translation:

"The well known writer Emanuel Harusie wrote me, that you received an aliyah to the Torah last Yom Kippur, and after the blessing, you made a "Mee She'beirach for me pledging a considerable amount of money in  honor of my 80th birthday.

I received thousands of good wishes from all corners of Israel and its outlying areas.

 I will not say that any of these wishes were in any way less in my eyes ... in fact I appreciate each and every blessing.

But I was totally blown away when Emanuel Harusie told me about what you did.

I am therefore sending you my deep gratitude and sincere blessing that you derive much nachas from your children and grandchildren that you be successful in bringing them up in Torah and good deeds.

Our complete independence and redemption has yet to be completed ... and the work to achieve that, is still great before each and everyone of us, be he old or young, and we must therefore exert effort in achieving those goals and make Israel worthy of the prophesies of  the Prophet Yeshayahu the son of Amotz:

"I will set you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations"

With best regards,

D. Ben Gurion, Nof Yam "