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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
**August 15, 2024, Av 11, 5784**
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I truly mean it from the heart.
An amazing story of one’s bakashos, hashkafa pratis and a
phenomenal rabbi and his wife who gave their lives al Kiddush H.
The Aibeshta hears our prayers.
Caring for each other.
“Gift of H’s Attention.”
Don’t give up. Always have hope.
The atheist who finds the rabbi meaningful to her.
The bounced check.
Coming Attractions.
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Several of those who I ministered to asked me if G would hearken to their prayers. If after numerous times of beseeching G and nothing visibly had changed, what good was praying. I myself would pray to give a response that was earnest and sincere. When a person depends on a chaplain more for reassurance rather than an answer, much thought must be given for an appropriate response. Aside from a chaplain’s spiritual assessment, there are also chaplains’ interventions which include offering a blessing or praying. There are too many variables which a chaplain must take into consideration under these circumstances. Often a person will say please pray for me or please pray with me. This is not an unusual request. Whatever a person is seeking from H, the bond between a rabbi or chaplain (and I include rebbetzins for it is not unusual for a person to request a bracha from a rebbetzin) is stronger when the bracha or tefillah is coming from or together with them. It comes from the heart. Another request might be to say a Mishabeirach in the synagogue, in person or at the bedside. Together with those blessings or prayers, we include words of hope and encouragement. Many who have not had a strong relationship with Judaism will seek the help of H in their time of need. It is not unusual for a person to speak to G in his or her own words asking G for His help. What is always encouraging is knowing a rabbi, rebbetzin or chaplain can have a meaningful and lasting impression with someone who is not affiliated or religious. In a previous article, I mentioned about a Jewish woman who works in a local store and the relationship we have with each other. I mentioned that I was hoping to meet her again and ask her what her Jewish name is. She works at one of the cashiers .I mentioned I had a question to ask her. I spoke softly so others would not hear and make her feel uncomfortable. I also did not want to put her job in jeopardy. On the contrary, she said that for me she would find a place and time to speak which she did. She said she would speak to me anytime and anyplace in the store and not feel uncomfortable. I asked her if she knew her Jewish or Hebrew name. She shared with me that somewhere, possibly on her father’s side there were some relatives who were religious. but from her mother’s side not religious. In fact, she was brought up as an atheist with no Jewish anything and at the present time not requesting to have a Jewish name. She said there is nothing Jewish about her but she feels speaking to me is very important and meaningful. She knows and recognizes my being not only Jewish but religious and she feels very comfortable and hopes to continue speaking to me whenever she sees me. I did not use the word blessing or G in any way. I am very pleased to have this cordial and positive relationship. She once again mentioned to me how much she appreciates my acknowledging that she is part of my Jewish family and how sincere I am. What a beautiful way to make a kiddush H.
When we speak of Shalom al Yisrael we are referring to all of Klal Yisrael and not any one group of Jewish people. The same with Chaveirim Kol Yisrael and Am Yisrael Chai. We must believe this in our hearts if we are to have achdus- unity. That is what the Ribono shel Olam wants of us. I would like to share one of the many wonderful stories presented on the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Tisha B Av video presentation about how we should care for another Jew. Mrs. Rivky Glick was at the checkout counter where she noticed a bounced check clearly in view of other customers with the name of the person posted for everyone to see. She asked the manager why that check was being displayed so everyone could see whose bounced check that was. The manager responded that he wanted to teach a lesson to all the customers about what happens when someone pays for his or her groceries and the check bounces. Mrs. Glick asked the manager if she would pay the fifty dollars would he remove that check. This woman is the wife of a husband who is in Kollel and probably could least afford to hand over fifty dollars. The manager asked Mrs. Glick if she was related to or knows the person of the bounced check. She responded no but felt it was a tremendous chesed to care for another Jew especially not to have that person embarrassed. She surely taught the message of Ahavas Yisrael and caring for another Jew.
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“Gift of H’s Attention”
From:
One Hundred Brachos. Counting Your Blessings
“100 Times A Day”
By Rabbi Moshe Goldberger: The Judaica Press Inc. Page 126-127
“Boruch atah H shomeia tefillah. H listens to our prayers. What an amazing privilege! Whenever we have a problem, we are encouraged to speak to the Master of the universe. We have a special “800” number. No telephone bill at the end of the month, the line is never busy, we always get through on the first sincere try, and the Abishter is always listening to us- even in the middle of the night.
One of the great privileges of the Jewish nation is the right every Jew has to speak directly to H, as it says: “How beloved are Jews, for they do not require an intermediary! (Yoma 52a).
Our privilege carries with it the responsibility to develop the awareness that when we pray, we are indeed conversing with the Al-mighty, and that He is actually listening to our voice and thoughts.”
This prayer is the culmination of the middle prayers of the Shemoneh Esrei and it summarizes the requests for all of our personal and communal needs. We are now asking that H listen to and respond to all of our above requests.
Now is the time to also think of any other specific personal needs that were not mentioned yet:
Do you or your children need a shidduch? This is an opportune time to pray for yourself and for others in need as well! (“Listen to our voices”- shema koleinu.)
Do you need spiritual, physical, or financial help?
Pray for yourself and others.
Are you worried about your children? Now’s the perfect time to pray for them.
The significance of this bracha is emphasized in a halacha in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, 109:1 – The amen of the third and sixteenth (both conclude their respective sections of the Shemoneh Esrei) are equally important regarding certain technical laws. We have to realize that this is our opportunity to focus on any and all of our needs to address to H who is always listening and all of our needs to address H Who is always and eager to respond!”
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“The Change in the Mussar Shmuess”
From:
Zera Shimshon: The sefer. The stories. The segulah.
By Rabbi Nachman Seltzer in conjunction with Rabbi Menachem Binyomin Paskesz and Rabbi Yisroel Zilberberg: The Shaar Press. Distributed by Mesorah Publications Ltd: Pages 553-559. “There is no question that one of the most important yesodos in Jewish thought is that of taking responsibility for one another. This makes complete sense. If we are all brothers and sisters (and yes, this point has been drummed into us from a very young age), it then behooves us to actually treat the people we meet as if they are more than strangers – and to smile at them and go out of our way for them and basically to try to help them in any way possible.
Though the Yidden may have only become responsible for one another once they crossed the border into Eretz Yisroel, once again, the responsibility is permanent, part and parcel of our lives.
I want to tell you about a Yid who lived his life (until the day he died) helping every Jew he met. Like a brother.
This is a story about a tzaddik who lived in our times and died al Kiddush H not long ago. This individual and his devoted and special wife chose to live in a city far, far away from the established communities of Orthodox Jews, so that they could bring their brothers and sisters back to the Ribono shel Olam on a daily basis. They were dedicated to their cause and worked tirelessly day and night to save their nation. And they did it in India, surrounded by a billion people who have zero connection to the ideas they espoused. They considered their work holy, and they did it wholeheartedly and for the sake of Heaven.
I am referring to Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg and his wife Rivky ( may H revenge their blood), who were murdered by terrorists during an attack at the Chabad House in Mumbai, India, in November of 2008. They are remembered by all who knew them with fondness and love, for everything they did for the Jewish people and for the incredibly selfless way they did it.
This particular story occurred on an erev Pesach. The hours were passing . Soon it would be time to sit down by the Seder table. But instead of rushing home to get dressed for Yom Tov, Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg was making his way through the streets of Mumbai, stopping every person he saw who looked even vaguely Jewish and informing them that there would be a Seder in the immediate vicinity. The majority of the people he met were not Jewish and couldn’t have cared less about the Seder, but Rabbi Holtzberg was willing to keep trying on the off chance that maybe the next person he met might be a Jew and would agree to attend his Seder that evening.
And so it went.
Suddenly the young shaliach glanced at his watch. It was later than he thought. He needed to get home. There was only time to ask a few more people. Where should he go? He glanced around him at the crowded streets filled with thousands of people going about their normal, everyday business and suddenly he knew what he wanted to do. Without wasting any time, Rabbi Holtzberg headed across the street and entered the lobby of a hotel.
“Excuse me,” he said to the girl behind the counter.
“Yes?”
“Can you please tell me if you have anyone with a Jewish name staying at the hotel?”
“I don’t know what names are Jewish,” she told him,” but you can take a look at the guest book and if you see any Jewish names, I’ll be glad to tell you their room number.”
Thanking her, Rabbi Holtzberg read the names on the list and midway down the page, he struck gold.
Dvor.
That sounded like an Israeli name.
“I think I found something,” he told the receptionist. “Can you give me his room number, please?”
She gave him the number and directions to the room. He bounded up the stairs and was knocking on the door less than a minute later.
He knocked once, No answer. He knocked again. Nothing. He tried a third time and when there was still no answer, he turned to leave. He was already at the end of the hallway when he heard the door to the room open. Stopping in his tracks, he turned back and caught sight of a man standing in the doorway who looked as if he’d just been awakened from a deep sleep.
The man saw Rabbi Holtzberg standing there. They looked at each other.
“Who sent you?” asked the man, in Hebrew.
“HaKadosh Baruch Hu,” replied the rabbi.
“Wait a second.”
Rabbi Holtzber waited in the hallway. A minute later, the man returned and invited him into the room.
“sit down, please,” he said to his unexpected guest.” I need to tell you a story.”
Rabbi Holtzberg didn’t exactly have time to listen to a story at that moment- Pesach was about to begin-but he had never put his needs before the needs of another Jew, and he wasn’t about to start then. He sat down and prepared to listen to the man’s story.
The stranger introduced himself as a kibbutz youth named Yaniv Dror and went on with his story. Rabbi Holtzberg listened patiently, giving the impression that he had all the time in the world, though a clock was ticking away the minutes inside his head.
I arrived here in India not long ago for a nice vacation, which I mainly spent in the southern part of the country. The truth is, I wasn’t even planning on being here in Mumbai, but things spiraled out of control and here I am, through no choice of my own.
Yesterday, I was traveling across the country by train. My plan was to transfer to another train when I reached the station here in the capital. When the train stopped at the central station I got off and made my way through the tangle of people and headed for one of the ticket counters, where I planned to purchase a ticket for the next stretch of the journey.
I requested a ticket and the agent asked me for the money. Reaching into my pocket I found, to my shock, that it was empty. There was no wallet in my pocket! I don’t have to tell you that india is one of the most crowded places on earth and, in the course of my travels, someone must have relieved me of both my money and my passport. Mumbling something to the ticket seller, I turned and left the station at a complete loss as to where to go next. I was stranded in a foreign country with no money and no ability to go anywhere. I felt powerless and unable to function.
All around me people came and went, but I felt more alone in the world than I’d ever felt before. India wasn’t Israel. People die here all the time and nobody cares. People sleep on the streets and live their entire lives as animals and no one thinks twice about it. What was I going to do?
Finally as though I had no strength to deal with the situation, I sat down on a nearby rock and put my head in my hands.
Suddenly I heard someone talking to me.
“What’s wrong? the man was saying.
I looked up. The man was speaking English with a heavy French accent.
“What happened to you?”
I told him what had happened.
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from Israel and …”
His eyes lit up when he heard the word “Israel.”
“You’re a Jew !” he said enthusiastically. “So am I.”
He shook my hand, and I felt a little better, as if maybe things might turn out ok after all.
“Regarding your passport,” he went on, “the Israeli embassy is closed now because it’s almost Pesach. In fact, tonight is the Seder. In fact, tonight is the Seder. Do you know what that is?
“Kind of.”
“It’s a major chag, and I’m sure they told you about it in gan when you were a kid. Anyway, the embassy will be open again in a couple of days, and you’ll be able to arrange for a new passport.” “But I don’t have any money.” “Here’s some Indian currency,” said the man, removing some bills from his own wallet. “Take the bus to the city and rent a room in a hotel. Then call your parents and ask them to wire you some money. Meanwhile, you’ll have a place to stay until you get some cash.”
I couldn’t get over the kindness of this complete stranger. We had never met each other, but that hadn’t stopped him from helping me with both money and advice. I couldn’t express the gratitude that I felt for him.
I tried to thank him and I hope that he understood the depth of my feeling. Then we parted. I found a bus stop and boarded the bus along with what seemed a thousand people. The language was strange, the people were strange, the food was strange. Everything was different, everything was foreign.
The bus rumbled through what seemed like a million streets until we reached a strip of hotels and commercial businesses that looked more hospitable. I got off the bus and walked through the busy streets, searching for a hotel that I could afford. I saw many hotels that I would have liked to stay at, but I knew that I didn’t have sufficient funds to allow myself the privilege. As I walked further down the street, the hotels got less fancy and I knew that they were closer to my price range. I chose one at random and asked the receptionist for a room for two days, paying up front.
She gave me a key, and I walked up the stairs and found my room at the end of the hallway. As you can see, it isn’t much of a room, but at least I had a roof over my head and a place to rest until I could get through to my parents.
I locked the door of my room and lay down on the bed. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. From one second to the next everything had changed. I had been traveling through India without a care in the world, my wallet in my pocket, and now I was stuck in the third-rate motel with no money and nowhere to go.
I looked up at the ceiling and then did something completely out of character. I started talking to H.
“What’s going on here?” I asked Him. “I wasn’t planning on being here. I didn’t even want to stay in Mumbai. I don’t understand.”
At the same time that I was having this conversation with H, another part of my brain was marveling at the fact that I, a boy who had grown up on a completely irreligious kibbutz, was engaged in conversation with a Heavenly Being Whom I had heard of but never had anything to do with myself.
Suddenly I recalled that the man with the French accent had mentioned something about it being the night of the Seder. Dimly I recalled Pesach at the kibbutz. I think there were some matzot in the dining room and some Pesach decorations, but not much more than that.
“Here’s the thing.” I said to H. “The Jew that I met at the train station told me that tonight is the beginning of Pesach-Seder night. I know that our connection is tenuous at best. I mean, this is the first time we ever had a conversation. But if You love me even a little bit, then give me a sign that You know that I’m here all by myself in the middle of nowhere. Don’t leave me here, friendless and alone!”
After I poured out my heart to the One Above, I closed my eyes and, exhausted beyond belief, I fell asleep instantly. Listen, it had been a tiring day both physically and emotionally, and I was utterly drained.
Suddenly I heard the sound of knocking – as if from far away. First I thought that I was dreaming and that it was all in my imagination, but the knocking didn’t go way and eventually I woke up, pulled myself out of bed, and went to open the door. And there you were.
A rabbi, dressed in rabbinical garb. Hat on your head. Beard framing your face. A living, breathing emissary from Heaven. Of course, this brought me right back to the conversation I had just concluded with H. So you can imagine how I felt when I asked you who sent you and you replied that you were sent by none other than H! It was the most direct and amazing response in the world!
“I guess this means that you are coming with me back to the Chabad House for the Seder?” said Rabbi Holtzberg.
“I guess it does,” replied Yaniv.
The Seder table stretched across the room. It was covered with beautiful settings, flatware, and goblets at every seat. There were people from all over the world, travelers, tourists, and businessmen. There was also a lone kibbutznik.
And when it was time for someone to rise and open the door for Eliyahu HaNavi, the two of them- Rabbi Holtzberg and his surprise guest – exchanged a meaningful glance. But only the two of them knew why. And now so do you.”
It was a zchus to have quoted the story about Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg zt”l and his wife Rivka a”h. The terrorists not only murdered these two holy neshamos but other distinguished rabbonim who were mashgichim representing kashruth organizations. Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg a”h were known for their tremendous hachnasas orchim in addition to their other holy work. Rivka was five months pregnant. Their only child Moshe who was two years old at that time was saved by their very devoted Indian nanny. Both are living in Eretz Yisrael. The Chabad-Lubavitch Center has since been rededicated.
Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg z”tl and his wife Rivka a”h were two phenomenal tzadikim who would go to any extremes caring for their fellow Jews. The Chabad House in Mumbai, India was a beacon of light where other Jews found comfort and a spiritual place to be as well as kosher food. No one anticipated that this makom kadosh was on the hit list amongst other places for a horrible attack by terrorists. Life does go on, including the Chabad House of Mumbai.
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Many of the presentations available on Tisha B Av evolved around October 7th, 2024. The world has not been the same especially for Jewish people. We cannot give up hope. We must remain united – with achdus. We all need and care for each other. The world does not permit us to forget who we are. We must remain strong and steadfast and never forget our heritage. G is here for all of us and the gift of the Torah and our mesorah is for all of Klal Yisrael. We had hoped that this Tisha B Av, Mashiach would have come and revealed himself to us. We just might have to wait a little longer, but Please G, it will happen sooner than later. When it will take place, we do not know but we wait for the arrival of Mashiach every day.
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Several major presentations for rabbis, rebbetzins and chaplains will be forthcoming. One will include Military Jewish Chaplaincy by Rabbi Doniel Kramer and Rabbi Jacob Goldstein and Chaplaincy at a major VA Medical Center and the differences between a VA Medical Center and a regular medical center by Rabbi Dovid Oni with input from Rabbi Kramer. This will be taking place on Thursday November 14th, 2024. Information about this presentation will be forthcoming. Once again, this, as with other presentations can be of value to rabbonim and rebbetins as well. Information about the November 14 will be forthcoming.
All my very best.
Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank