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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
**January 23, 2025, Teves 23, 5785**
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This past Monday was a historic day with the inauguration of the 47th President, Donald J. Trump, and the 50th Vice President, J.D. Vance. This is not a political comment but an acknowledgement that everything is in the “hands” of G. We Americans who are Jewish are grateful to live in a democratic country where we can and should be able to live in peace, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We are able to attend our synagogues, our yeshivos, Bais Yaakovs, our day schools and yes, our universities and colleges without fear from adversaries and adversity. We are able to proudly wear our taleisim, our Chasidik style clothing, our Jewish stars, our yarmulkas, our tzitizis openly or just to proclaim I am Jewish without fear of reprisals or discrimination of any kind. There should not be any type of acts of hatred. We might not agree with another person’s beliefs but there should never be overt acts of hatred against anyone. We hope and pray to live together in peace.
I mentioned in previous articles that when I was given my evaluations for my CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) my supervisors noted that I was able to transcend, cross many borders, and care with sincerity ministering to patients and staff of diverse backgrounds without compromising my own religion. The care I gave was genuine. I truly cared for everyone with a full and sincere heart and the accolades my supervisors received from the various clinical departments I was assigned to, were received with respect and pride in the work that I did. Those beliefs and way of life have continued throughout my professional and personal life. I have often mentioned Avraham Avinu whose relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu was truly special and how he was able to gain the respect of the masses throughout the world with his kindness, his goodness and his love of our Creator. We are obligated to make a Kiddush H, always finding opportunities to do so despite the challenges we might come upon and to foster good relationships with people of all backgrounds. We also must find opportunities of fostering achdus, goodness, kindness and acts of good deeds we know of as gemilus chasadim and not to be judgmental of others. When I was asked about my membership with the Neshama National Association of Jewish Chaplains, I was encouraged by two wonderful mentors and dear chaveirim who were remarkable Orthodox Jewish Healthcare Chaplains, Rabbi Zev Schostak z”l and Rabbi Lowell Kronick z”l. They were brilliant, knowledgeable and well known in the work they did. Aside from my chaplaincy work with the police, I was doing chaplaincy in the healthcare arena. I became a member of the Orthodox Jewish Chaplains in Long Term Care whose members also included Rav Boruch Sacks zt’l and other distinguished orthodox Jewish chaplains. At some of the seminars and meetings, I was amazed at the professionalism and knowledge presented by Rabbi Schostack and Rabbi Kronick and other chaplains. They shared with me what CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) was about and how to become a Board Certified Chaplain. I researched CPE and even discussed it with Rabbi Sheldon Goldsmith who was the Jewish chaplain at Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC which was one of the sites CPE was being given through the Healthcare Chaplaincy of New York. I discussed it with my Rebbe zt”l who encouraged me to pursue it and about becoming a member of the NAJC which was a Jewish chaplaincy organization and not an association of rabbis or other clergy. Eventually I also joined the Rabbinical Council of America where I would receive an Ecclesiastical Endorsement so that I would be able to apply for an opening at a VA Medical Center in NYC. All of my requirements were accepted but a position in NYC at that time was not available. Having received the Ecclesiastical Endorsement was a positive step in the right direction for other chaplaincy positions. I also was very fortunate to have as a wonderful role model, Rabbi Nisson Shulman who was a well known VA chaplain and mentor in addition to being a Talmid Chacham. Another wonderful mentor of mine was Rabbi Shalom Rephun zt”l who was a chaplain at St. Vincents Hospital and at a well known Catholic nursing and rehabilitation center. He too was a well known Talmid Chacham. There were other wonderful orthodox Jewish chaplains who encouraged me to pursue professional chaplaincy. Though I was working at the Bialystoker Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and the United Jewish Council, a Jewish social service agency where I went on to doing many social service programs including having spearheaded the Manhattan Coalition on Mental Health Issues of the Elderly dealing with suicides with the elderly population . Eventually I became the Executive Director of the Lower Manhattan Healthcare Coalition doing all kinds of programs and presentations on many topics throughout the city, many of which were also beneficial to chaplaincy. There were many professionals who were intrigued with my BCC credentials alongside my MS and wanted to know what it means to be a Board Certified Chaplain. What I found truly special was meeting Jewish chaplains from diverse backgrounds from the NAJC who were devoted to caring not just for humanity but for all those of the Jewish faith and to ensure their rights as Jewish patients were adhered to. They would also provide for those with a minimal Jewish relationship, Jewish programs which would enhance their knowledge and appreciation that they are Jewish. At every NAJC conference I used to attend, though there were several diverse minyanim, the “mechitza” minyan was always filled and the catering was always strictly glatt kosher. Of course I was not the only Orthodox Jewish chaplain. Through the years I found myself contacting Jewish chaplains in various states who were helpful regarding patients and their families and in turn, I too was contacted by chaplains of other states seeking my assistance in family situations. In order to retain one’s BCC there are certain requirements that must be met including continuing education and ongoing readings about clinical studies. Most of all it is important to have a kesher with the Ribono shel Olam and understand the meaning of emunah/faith and betachon/trust in H. Being an Orthodox Jewish chaplain reminds us of how we must follow the guidance of our Torah. A Torah observant Jewish chaplain has the same responsibilities as any professional who is Jewish. We must try our best to put our best foot forward to the best of our ability. I have yet to find being observant an impediment to whatever I have been doing professionally. My feelings for a fellow human being have not changed over the years. On the contrary, all that I have learned which are so important is to be sincere, to find meaning of hope and happiness in all that I was doing which I pray would bring joy to H. Bringing comfort to a person going through a challenging time is important. Enhancing one’s positive self-being and self-worth is gratifying. Giving chizuk with the appropriate words is inspiring. Reassuring that a person is not alone and that he or she is being heard with hearts that are connected with compassion and empathy can make the difference in helping to uplift a person from being downtrodden to feeling cared for and a worthy person. What is extremely important is to always find hope and that anything and everything is possible.
From Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, MD book “Happiness and the Human Spirit. The Spirituality of Becoming the Best You Can Be.” “I am aware that I have some shortcomings, and I want to become a better person.”
“Since becoming a better person requires time and effort, you will make this investment only if becoming the best person you can be is sufficiently important to you.” Here is an example. Now, my handwriting is far from the best, and there is no question that I put more time and effort into improving my penmanship, I could do so. But if I don’t do that because having beautiful handwriting is just not that important to me. Violin and piano virtuoso, on the other hand, who are the acknowledged masters in their fields, practice hours every day because being the best musician they can be is of utmost importance to them.
If you have decided that becoming the best person you can be is important to you, it’s going to take practice. You’ll need to do some things to make it happen. Here’s an example.
A young salesman approached a farmer and began to talk excitedly about the book he was carrying. “This book will tell you everything you need to know about farming,” he said. “It tells you when to sow and when to reap. It tells you all about the weather, what to expect, and when to expect it . This book tells you all you need to know.”
“Young man,” the farmer said, “that’s not the problem. I know everything that is in that book. My problem is doing it.”
Nothing comes easy but there has to be a desire to want to try to become the best person he or she can be and that is where giving chizuk and uplifting encouragement is helpful.
Returning to spirituality, here is another example Rabbi Dr. Twerski gave:
“At the age of forty-six, Dotty came to the Gateway Rehabilitation System in Pennsylvania for treatment. How she had survived until that age was a mystery because she had begun abusing substances at the age of fourteen, and in the years that followed, she had countless brushes with death from overdoses. Once she achieved sobriety, however, she threw herself wholeheartedly into trying to help others to recover, and many people owe their lives to Dotty.
Still, she never entirely shook off the wounds and fears from her drugging days. Once, we attended a funeral of a mutual friend, and we were two out of ten mourners in attendance. When we left the cemetery, Dotty said to me, “When I die, I want there to be a procession two miles long because I want to have made the friends I could not make when I was drugging.
At age sixty-two, Dotty was diagnosed with cancer. Her hospital room was always busy with the noise of friends visiting and trying their best to be there for her. Many of these friends she had help to recover. Some, she had pulled back from the brink of death. To say they were all connected is a compliment to Dotty on a life lived with great purpose.
When Dotty died, she indeed had a long funeral procession, and if it was not a full two miles long, it was not much less.
During her early life, Dotty had been very much alone, disconnected, and into self-gratification. Her mind had been in a state of suspended animation from the high of drugs, and she could not relate to other people. Once she recovered, however, Dotty loved and was loved. She was not alone in life or abandoned in death. By helping others by looking outside herself, she was able to connect with people. Dotty was a spiritual person.”
Epilogue from this book.
“Throughout history many philosophical systems and disciplines- religion, psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, even nonreligious and antireligious systems-have tried to explain and aid the human struggle for mastery over mind and behavior. At first, there does not appear to be a common denominator to all these systems. Religion may conflict with psychology, communism may conflict with religion, and so forth.
Enter spirituality, and the common denominator becomes apparent. There may be differences of opinion about what the optimum for human beings to be is, but any system can advocate that people become the best they can be.
The concept is simple. Every living creature comes into the world in a state of potentiality. Except for human beings, nature has endowed every creature with the instincts that can lead to its actualization. We humans are the exception. In order to become the best we can be, we need to focus our efforts in that direction, to intentionally exercise and implement the traits of the human spirit to the best of our abilities. This process-whether we call it actualization, self-improvement, personal growth, or self-fulfillment- is spirituality. Failure to embrace spirituality leaves us in a state of incompleteness and discontent.
Our happiness depends on being complete people. We are not born violinists, engineers, doctors, or scientists. Though we may excel in any of these occupations, perfecting ourselves as human beings lies not in a skill, but in maximizing ourselves in every possible way.
I hope this exploration of what it means to be a spiritual person will help you achieve the happiness that is your “unalienable right” and help you become the person you were created to be.”
I would like to share Rav Moshe Feinstein’s zt”l kindness and thoughtfulness.
There was a woman who would call Rav Moshe every Friday. On one of those Fridays his relative answered the phone. He mentioned that Rav Moshe was not up to taking any phone calls and wanted to know if this person could call back another time. She mentioned this call is for today, Erev Shabbos, as she would always call to find out what time licht benching was. In one of the interviews Rav Dovid Feinstein zt”l gave about his father, (to paraphrase) he mentioned that not everyone can be like my father in gadlus, Torah knowledge but everyone could be like my father in midos. Rav Moshe cared about his mishpacha and his talmidim . Reuven Gerber, a dear chaver of mine, mentioned to me several experiences he had with Rav Moshe. Reuven lived in the same apartment building as Rav Moshe zt”l and saw the Rosh HaYeshiva getting into a car. Reuven was soft spoken and didn’t think it was appropriate to ask the driver if he could ride to the yeshiva with Rav Moshe. However, he didn’t have to. Rav Moshe told Reuven to get into the car. On Yom Kippur when Rav Moshe would stay in the yeshiva overnight, Reuven had the zechus of staying with Rav Moshe and administering to all of the Rosh HaYeshiva’s needs or requests. Reuven mentioned to me how caring and thoughtful Rav Moshe was including the wonderful chizuk Rav Moshe gave him. Reuven was grateful to the Ribono shel Olam for the zechus of caring for the Rosh HaYeshiva.
There is much to learn from our Gedolim, from our mentors and from each other. No one is perfect though we want to believe one’s spouse is, or our mentors are but we do know Hakadosh Baruch Hu is perfect. For ourselves, we cannot say we are perfect for there is always room for improvement and growth in our midos, our knowledge and in striving to be the best we can be.
What is the purpose of continuing education? So that we can continue to broaden our knowledge and to learn new and better ways to improve ourselves and our ways of doing things with positivity. We also continue our Torah learning to also broaden our knowledge and our way of life learning and improving ourselves in our Judaism which is never ending. There is so much to learn whether it be halachos/ Jewish law, Talmud, Chumash, and so much more. Ultimately, our Torah learning brings us closer to H. There are so many commentaries about the Haggadah including the different laws and customs for the entire Pesach and the Pesach Seder. This year there are special laws and customs for Erev Pesach which falls out on Shabbos. I personally have several Haggadahs. One of my favorite is the Kol Dodi by Rav Dovid Feinstein zt”l and The Halachos of Pesach by Rabbi Shimon Eider zt”l who use to come to the Yeshiva (MTJ) to review the many aspects of Pesach with Rav Moshe zt”l.
We pray for the rest of the hostages to be free and for the bodies of those who died to be returned for proper burial. May we be zoche to have Shalom al Yisrael with Chaveirim Kol Yisrael and Am Yisrael Chai. May we be zoche to be the impetus of helping to imbue hope and happiness to those we minister to with goodness and kindness.
From: Faith and Trust
By Rabbi Shemuel Houminer. Published by Quantum Press, Distributed by Feldhem Publishers. Pages 24,25 “Tie One’s Thoughts to G’s Kindness.”
“The Maggid of Mezritch explains the verse, “He who trusts in G will be surrounded by kindness” (Tehillim 32:10), to mean that a man’s soul clings to that which occupies his thoughts. Should his thoughts be tied to G’s judgment, his soul will be judged. When a person trusts in G’s attribute of kindness, his soul will cling there, and “kindness will surround him.” Therefore, he should constantly immerse himself in thoughts of G” (Maggid of Mezritch).
Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank