<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
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
<><> February 27, 2025, Shevat 29, 5785<><>
Erev Rosh Chodesh Adar
Mishenichnas Adar Marbin B’Simcha:
<><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Can we give up hope? We are all so saddened with the tragic death of rhe Bibas children and their mother who were taken hostage. How cruel can people be? Unfortunately our nation has gone through many tragic periods throughout the generations. Yet, as Dr. David Pelcovitz, world renown psychologist, has often said, “our people, the Jewish people and of course the Israelis are very resilient and have learned how to overcome adversity and challenging times. We never will give up for we truly believe in having hope. Our faith in G can never be taken from us. How many of the hostages were able to endure such cruelty and such harsh conditions is beyond understanding to find faith as they did is truly amazing. There are countless stories of tremendous resilience by those who endured the Holocaust. Of course, we must take it upon ourselves not only not to forget but to ensure we will continue to have our own faith and trust in H and keep the flame of our people alive, strong and steadfast. We must always find opportunities of chesed, kindness, goodness, compassion, empathy, and caring for each other. We must never give up making a Kiddush H. We also have to believe in Chaveirim kol Yisrael, Am Yisrael Chai, and show the world that nothing will ever deter us from caring for each other.
From: Kol Dodi On The Torah
By Rabbi David Feinstein, Artscroll Judaica Classics. Mesorah Publications Parshas Mishpatim. Pages 132-133. “And you shall place the show bread in front of Me continually. The phrase Lechem Panim. “The phrase, Lechem Panim,” which is normally translated as show bread, liter means “the bread of faces “the bread of faces,” and our Sages said that its two ends faced upwards, so that they were like two faces looking at each other. What moral lesson can we draw from this unusual shape?
The Sages meant to teach us that, even when we eat, we should not think primarily of satisfying our own needs, but rather of serving H. The two faces looking at each other teach that as we eat we should have the needs of others continually in mind.
This means that if we see someone who doesn’t have what to eat, we must share our food with him, even though we may be depriving ourselves. Furthermore, we should do this for the sake of pleasing H and not just because we feel it is the right thing to do. To give away all of one’s food because he has no appetite is a lower level of righteousness than to give away a small amount that one wants to eat because H wants him to be generous to others.
The real measure of someone’s commitment to Torah is not how he learns but rather how he eats. Someone who can master his human, physical desires for the sake of Heaven is the highest kind of tzaddik.
One test of whether one’s eating is really for the sake of Heaven is whether he is capable of putting aside a particular tasty food for Shabbos. After all, Shabbos is the one day when there is a special mitzva to enjoy the pleasures of the world.”
We can only imagine the starvation the hostages had to endure and yet there are unbelievable stories of how grateful to H they were for what they had been given. One of the hostages mentioned making kiddush on water. Others shared how they tried to observe Shabbos and the various Yom Tovim. They surely gave all of us reasons to be thankful for those who are alive and to shed tears for those who are no longer alive. Yet the world has seen anti semitism at it’s worse and continues to spread like a horrible disease without a cure. We are thankful for those who are willing to stand beside us and help protect us regardless of their religion and culture. We are not alone and we must remain vigilant as well as resilient. All Jews must rally together not in protest but in achdus, with brotherhood and sisterhood. We all need each other.
We must never forget our G for just as the Purim story tells us how finally Klal Yisrael joined together in fasting, in prayers and in good deeds. With the help of Hakadosh Baruch Hu they were able to overcome their adversaries and adversity. We must pray for all those who truly wish to help, defend and protect the Jewish people whether they are elected officials, civil servants, or our neighbors and friends. Even the smallest kind gesture of greetings, holding the door, helping someone no matter how minute it might seem can go a long way.
We must find opportunities of doing gemilus chasadim for our fellow Jews. In my past two articles I have written about the importance of helping with shidduchim. One cannot imagine how important it is to bring simchas hachaim to a woman or man seeking to have a caring spouse and if possible, to start a family with. Even with couples that might be past childbearing age, having a loving caring relationship is so important. I am including a new flyer for a shidduch event for Shomer Shabbos singles ages 27-44. I always recommend anyone interested in attending these events to call for additional information.
Purim is right around the corner with Pesach not too far behind. Jewish chaplains are tremendously involved behind the scenes with many sensitivity trainings for staff throughout medical centers and nursing and rehabilitation centers as well. Chaplaincy is not just for the healthcare facilities but for practically all types of chaplaincy positions. Chaplains are kept abreast of the many laws and customs that should be observed. This is in addition to everything else chaplains do on a daily basis. If chaplains come across a situation in which they might not know the answer, they seek the appropriate answer. This by the way is not just regarding the Jewish holidays but for all kinds of concerns such as end of life situations, proper Jewish burial and traditional mourning observances.
Should any of my readers need to know if a specific medical facility anywhere in the USA or Canada has a Jewish chaplain, or an Orthodox Rabbi, I would be willing to do the research. You can contact me at the email address or cell phone number located at the top of my article.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the hostages. We are thankful to H for those who have been released and we are inspired by many hostages who have increased their love for H and His Torah. Their faith and trust in H in the harshest environment made them stronger rather than weaker. Hamas tried to break their spirit but were unable to do so. Their physical bodies were broken but their spiritual bodies endured. The hostages have been and continue to be the highest level of role models for all of us in Klal Yisrael. May H grant those who are still alive a complete refuah sheleima and may those who were murdered Al Kiddush H be an everlasting memorial and remembrance for Klal Yisrael.
May we truly have Shalom Al Yisrael and appreciate every Jew as our brothers and sisters following in the ways of Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu.
May the month of Adar be filled with simcha:
Mishenichnas Adar Marbin B’Simcha:
משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה
Just as when Av begins we decrease with joy,
so too when Adar begins, we increase with joy.
Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank