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Rabbi Yehuda {Leonard} Blank MS, BCC
Vice President of Professional Development and External Affairs
Chair of the Chaplaincy Commission
Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim
917-446-2126  rablenblank@gmail.com
:March 7, 2024, Adar 27, 5784:
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Life, Death, Hope and Simchas

Our relationship with the Ribono shel Olam until the very end of life.

Marriage and happiness at any age.

The beginning of life at any age.

Purim and loneliness.

It’s time to be with simcha again.

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim Besimcha

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This week was the levaya of Reb Eliezer Krupnik zt”l, the uncle of Rabbi Simcha Silverman, who is a distinguished member of the RAA Chaplaincy Commission. Eliezer Krupnik was a close talmid of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim.  He recently spoke at a sheva brachos on the Lower East Side where he lived, with his wife Debbie, Tichye and his mishpacha. This past Shabbos Kodesh, he collapsed in his apartment and he was nifter to the shock of his family and the Lower East community. Throughout my years as a Rabbi and chaplain there were always discussions on how to prepare for the  inevitable. People are fearful. It is not an easy task to discuss death, but we as rabbis and chaplains have to be prepared to comfort those who we minister to. It is interesting to note, that many people choose to purchase burial plots and also life insurance even when there are no existing medical concerns. It is important to discuss a Jewish living will, as well as having a healthcare proxy. One never knows when a sudden severe illness might occur or a sudden death. Eliezer Krupnik lived as long as the Ribono shel Olam wanted him to live. His life was filled with love for his wife, family and he had a close relationship with the Ribono shel Olam. Eliezer was happy person, a good speaker who brought happiness to many people. He was an accomplished professional and a talmid chacham who gave shiurim at the Young Israel of Manhattan. Eliezer lived and breathed Torah, Avodah and Gemilus Chasadim. Rabbi Simcha Silverman, Reb Krupnik’s nephew, was very much influenced by his uncle’s way of life. Like his uncle, Rabbi Silverman has a beautiful way of caring for people from all streams of Judaism and all walks of life. Like his uncle, Rabbi Silverman as Director of Chaplaincy at Lenox Hill Hospital, in Manhattan, NYC, makes a Kiddush H in whatever he does. Rabbi Silverman encourages his mispalilim at the Etz Chaim Congregation of Flatbush to do the same. Reb Eliezer Krupnik was a wonderful role model of how a Jew should be at all times. Rav Yeshaya Siff shlita , Mara D’ Asra of the Young Israel of Manhattan, was very close to the nifter.In his eulogy he mentioned that despite our hearbreaking loss, it is Rosh Chodesh and we are not allowed to cry. May Eliezer ben Harav Avrohom Tzvi zt”l be a Meilitz Yashar for his wife, family and Klal Yisrael. 

For chaplains, rabbis and rebbetzins it is important to acknowledge the concerns a person might have about his or her life and fears of death with sincere feelings of empathy. 

On the other hand, there is another concern many have especially when they get older and want to continue having happiness in their lives. Wanting to get married when older often means wanting to share, care for and have good feelings for another person. Of course it is possible, and a lot has to do with how much a person still wishes to have that special connection and desire to want to marry. The desire to truly want to care, to share and to do for one’s spouse with all of one’s heart is important and it surely can be possible. I have shared these thoughts in previous articles but a recent miracle came to light bringing simcha to many in Israel. Just this week both the Matzav and Yeshiva World featured “MASSIVE SIMCHA IN THE OLAM HATORAH: Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky Celebrates Birth of First Child at Age 88” Matzav, March 10, 2024. 

“Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Kinyan Chochma and Yeshivas Heichal Hatorah in Yerushalayim, became a widower at the age of 82, not meriting children with his first wife. Six years ago, Rav Kushelevsky remarried; his second wife was then 56 years old.

This morning, Rav Kushelevsky, at the age of 88, and his rebbetzin celebrated the birth of their firstborn son.

Dancing broke out in the streets of Yerushalayim around Rav Kushelefsky’s yeshivos.

Rav Kushelevsky’s first wife, Sarah Leah, was a daughter of Rav Leib Gurwicz zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Gateshead Yeshiva. She passed away at the age of 77.

Rav Kushelevsky then married Mrs. Rochel Daniella from the United States, who was 50 years old at the time and a mother to several children.

The wedding took place on a Friday, the 15th of Av, at Yeshivas Heichal Hatorah, with the participation of a hundred people, just a week after the shidduch was made. Rav Moshe Shternbuch was the mesader kiddushin.

Now, the rosh yeshiva, has experienced the miracle of fatherhood at age 88. When his son celebrates his bar mitzvah, be’ezras Hashem, the rosh yeshiva will be 101 years old.

The birth took place this morning at Hadassah Medical Center in Yerushalayim, and the baby was born healthy, with no complications, boruch Hashem.”

I have written in previous articles about true life stories of older couples who married. Of course, it is up to the Ribono shel Olam and everything is possible. An older person can still include in his/her bakashos to H Yisbarach the desire to get married. The couple might not include having children at an older age but can still look forward to a life together with much simchas hachaim. The beginning of a new life as we can see with Rav Tzvi Kushlevsky can happen even at his age. His request for a child was Baruch H granted. Everything happens through and by H. 

I often mention that H loves us and we love H. I came across an article in the FJJ, Flatbush Jewish Journal about a rabbi in Israel who received a large inheritance from someone he did not know- all because of his love of H and because he stood up for the honor of H. Here is the story which can be found in the February 29th, 2004, issue page 108. “Living Emunah by Rabbi David Asher, from Artscroll.) “A Deep-Rooted Love” “Those who have a real, deep-rooted love for H are prepared to do anything to stand up for His honor. His will is their will. They would give up everything to please H and they would do it happily. It takes a great deal of hard work to develop this kind of love, but everyone can attain it. Of course, the rewards for our efforts are bestowed in the Next World, but sometimes we see side benefits in This World as well.

The average stipend in a kollel in Eretz Yisrael is the equivalent of $500 -$600 a month. Yet there is a kollel in Ramot which pays four times that amount, and there are eighty avreichim learning there. This kollel was founded by Rabbi Gold, who personally funds the entire project. He spent $4 million supporting the kollel for its first two years. Nobody knew how he was obtaining the money, as he had not been known as a wealthy man prior to opening the kollel. One Purim, when he was slightly inebriated, some students asked him how he made his money, and he told them. When Rav Chaim Zaid heard the story, he was so inspired that he went to Rabbi Gold’s house to hear it directly from him.

One day, a few years ago, Rabbi Gold decided to take his children out for a fun day. He would do this in two shifts: six children one day, and six the next. The first day they traveled to many different places and then went our for dinner afterward. On the way home, at 11:30 at night, they ran out of gas on the highway. Rabbi Gold got out of his vehicle and tried to flag down a passing car, but nobody stopped to offer help. Finally, thirty minutes later, a car pulled up. When Rabbi Gold explained his problem, the driver – we’ll call him Koby – responded, “I’m a secular Jew, and I’m not too fond of religious Jews.” He got back into his care and pulled away.

A few minutes later he was back. “My conscience wouldn’t allow me to leave a family stranded on the road in the middle of the night,” he confessed. He drove Rabbi Gold to the nearest gas station and waited for him to fill a container with gasoline to bring back to his car.

Rabbi Gold came back a minute later, empty-handed. “Please drive me back to my car,” he requested.

“Why? Where’s the gasoline?” Koby asked, confused. 

Rabbi Gold pointed to a large, flashing sign: Patuach B’Shabbat – We are open on Shabbat. “I can’t buy gasoline from this place,” he said.

“Are you crazy” Koby exploded. “Your family is stuck on the highway, it’s after midnight, and there’s gasoline here. Just buy what you need!”

“You don’t understand,” Rabbi Gold said softly. “You see, I love H and H loves me. For someone to sell gasoline on Shabbos is one thing, but to put up a sign and flaunt it – that’s another level entirely. This is dishonoring H, and I can’t watch it. I will stand up for His honor and would rather sleep in my car than be part of this chillul H.”

Koby angrily drove Rabbi Gold back to his car, let him out, and sped away without another word.

Again, he returned. “I can’t just go and leave you here like this. I shouldn’t be helping you now, after what you did. I just feel bad for your children. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

He drove Rabbi Gold to the next gas station which was quite a few miles away. It took them more than half an hour to get there and back. Rabbi Gold and his family got home at 1:30 in the morning. 

Three months later, Rabbi Gold received a phone call from Koby, telling him he needed to speak to him, immediately, in person. Mystified, Rabbi Gold agreed, and they set up a time and place to meet.

“My father passed away recently,” Koby began. “He owned six large buildings in Tel Aviv, and I am his sole heir. However, my father stipulated in his will that he wanted to leave 40 percent of his estate to somebody whom H loves.’ His reasoning was that since he wasn’t the best Jew during his lifetime, when he faces H he could at least tell Him that he is helping someone whom H loves, hoping that in return H will help him. 

“ I read this strange request and had no idea to whom to give this 40 percent. But last night, it hit me. I remembered you and what you said: ‘I love H and H loves me.’ I thought about how you stood up for H’s honor and thought, This is the man my father wants me to give the money to.”

Rabbi Gold said he supports the kollel completely from the revenue he earns from the buildings he received in that inheritance.

This story is one in a million. However, in the same way Rabbi Gold was overjoyed to find out about his inheritance, in the future, every Jew will have much more joy when he sees the rewards he will get for each time he stood up for H. These rewards will make up for H. These rewards will make Rabbi Gold’s inheritance seem like child’s play money. H loves us all and it is up to us to love Him back.” 

Purim is a beautiful holiday but it has its own unique concerns for those who are home bound, lonely or truly feel lonely. It is truly praiseworthy to invite those who you might deem to be lonely to a Purim seudah. You will truly enhance their simchas Purim. The Purim seudah is a festive meal instilling and uplifting good feelings with singing and conversations with each other. Feeling part of the family spirit at the seudah enhances wonderful and warm feelings of togetherness.

We see the outcome of the Purim story. Though H appears to be hidden, He is with us all the time. He loves us, and we should always love Him- with all of our heart, with all of our might and all of our soul. We should try our best not to give up hope. For H, everything is possible.

It is a mitzva to be with simcha in Adar.

Let us help to bring simcha to one and all.

Click below for the Purim song
משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה

Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank