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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
*** April 10, 2025, Nisan 13, 5785 ***
NYPD Commissioner, The Honorable Jessica Tisch – Proud to be a Jew.
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Pesach also known by many as Passover is observed by Jews throughout the world. There is so much symbolism to this Yom Tov reminding us of the significance of what it means to be a Jew. Rather than looking at not eating chametz as a restriction, remind us of why we do not have anything connected with unleavened bread during the eight days of Pesach. At the Seder we eat symbolic foods connecting with the bitterness of our servitude in Egypt, dipping the maror, the bitter herbs, in the charoses. We also dip a small piece of vegetable in the salt water. At the Seder we use three matzos, whether it be the hand made or machine made shmurah matzos . Of course, let us not forget the four cups of wine and in the center of the table the Kos Shel Eliyahu HaNovi. Most of all we follow the Seder using the Pesach Haggadah. We sing the traditional songs, the Four Questions and so much more that make the Passover Seder so unique, so special, so meaningful and so joyous. For many, the Seder and the entire Yom Tov in general brings back memories after memories from our childhood days up until and including the present with thoughts for the future. There are so many customs I did not mention that are unique to various household backgrounds such as the eating of the hard boiled egg, the walking around with the matzah on the shoulder just to name a few. Whatever the case, Pesach is truly a special Yom Tov and I might add that it includes the delicious meals served. There are not hundreds but maybe thousands of Haggadahs filled with explanations, commentaries, questions and answers and so much more. Of course there is the famous Maxwell Coffee Haggadah. Passover is for every single Jewish man, woman and our youth – of all ages. The Haggadah is available for all Jewish people from every background. It is also available for the non -affiliated whose Jewish background might find reading the Hebrew text with difficulty. The Haggadah was translated into many different languages to help those who do not understand Hebrew. As the saying goes “there is something for everyone.” This year with Erev Pesach being on Shabbos, with the first Seder, Saturday night, after the Shabbos has concluded. This makes Shabbos even more intriguing. For those not familiar with what to do with eating challah on Shabbos when Shabbos is also Erev Pesach, discussing it with a rabbi, rebbetzin or chaplain can be very helpful. For example, there was a man who found it challenging, in fact very confusing when he found out searching for chametz took place Thursday evening instead of the night before Pesach. When he was on his way to work Friday morning, he noticed boys in his community standing next to a metal barrow with a fire coming from it. He got off the bus to inquire as to what they were doing. He remembered that he did bedikas chametz but did not know he had to burn the chametz that Friday morning .He ran back to his apartment to get his bag of chametz to burn. The next mistake he made was buying the regular size challos for Shabbos plus noodle kugel as part of his Shabbos meals. He was invited to both of the Pesach Sedarim and the rest of the Pesach meals but not for Friday night and Shabbos day. Thank goodness Friday night at shul he was reminded that Shabbos morning davening was at 7:00 AM instead of the regular 9:00 AM so he could eat the challah or whatever food he had that was chametzkik before the prescribed time not to eat anymore chametz or have anymore chametz in the house/apartment. But oh oh, what was he to do with all the extra challah and the noodle kugel he was not able to finish? I will leave that up to your imagination what he was going to do. Well at least I will mention that at the prescribed time it was all gone. Is it possible for this to really happen? Of course! For someone who is not familiar with Shabbos and Pesach protocols anything is possible. The mere fact of doing something as strange as having to have one’s Shabbos meals very early in the morning and having to finish eating any chametz by a certain time is quite unusual. Also, having to discard any left-over chametz is not the norm. So, what to do with all the left over chametzdik food can be perplexing but it has to be done. This young man thought he was on the right track but felt perplexed and sad not having paid more attention to his good friends and his neighbors about what to do for Pesach. He finally went over to his rabbi to explain what had happened. With soothing words the rabbi was so understanding and shared how he too almost made similar mistakes years ago using comforting words of spiritual healing. Rather than finding fault or mistakes in this man’ss judgments, he was compassionate and exhibited understanding with sweetness. In fact, the mere fact is that everything was caught just in time to realize his misjudgments which turned out in a positive way and that H was with him all the time.
I once heard a story about a grandfather who was a Holocaust survivor. He would wear his camp uniform at the Seder to express how he is now truly free from slavery and hardships. Remembering those infamous days that were more bitter than the maror. He wore his uniform to attest to his real slavery which was not just symbolic. Unfortunately, with the rise of antisemitisim here in the United States of America and throughout the world does not permit us to take our feelings of freedom for granted. Our adversaries don’t let us forget we are Jews and that there is only one “promised land” they don’t want us to have. Why so much hatred, we do not know- or do we? Are we to stand tall and proud of who we are or cow down in a corner with fear and in trepidation. Are we going to be afraid to wear our yarlmukas, our kippas, our tzitzis strings hanging out, chasidik clothing or the Magan Dovid Jewish star with pride of who we are? Well, there is one person who is well known, an outstanding person in the positions she has held and presently holds who proudly wears her Jewish Star- the Magen Dovid and proudly says she is a Jew. Her name- the Honorable Jessica Tisch, the New York City Police Department Commissioner. In the early days of having become the NYPD Commissioner, she proudly wore her Jewish Star with tremendous pride. At the recent NYPD Pre Passover meeting she spoke so eloquently, with pride of being the Police Commissioner who is Jewish. She is not one to cow down to being a – the police commissioner who happens to be Jewish. She spoke of how Mayor Eric Adams and the NYPD will not tolerate any type of antisemitisim and will do everything and anything within the law to eradicate it in New York City. Jessica Tisch is not just a Jewish Police Commissioner but a Police Commissioner who is Jewish and a proud one at that and we should all be proud of her! She is an exceptional Police Commissioner who does not take her prestigious position lightly but with tremendous dedication, wisdom, and fortitude rising to the occasion of leading the greatest police department in the world to even greater heights and prominence. We sincerely wish her continued success in all of her endeavors.
Pesach is filled with all the wonderful and meaningful mitzvos that are unique just for this Yom Tov. We pray that every moment of Pesach should be absolutely phenomenal with much joy and happiness. May our rabbis, rebbetzins and chaplains continue to be a wonderful resource and source of inspiration, encouragement and guidance to one and all. May each and everyone of us be an inspiration of kindness, of goodness caring for each other and ourselves. May we continue doing acts of kindness, gemilus chasadim and helping those in their time of need. We truly need togetherness under the banner of Achdus, Am Yisrael Chai, Chaveirim Kol Yisrael and especially Shalom Al Yisrael. May we continue to be Mikadeish Shamayim, sanctifying G with our good deeds, our kindness we can do for all men, women and children whatever their background. We should care for all of mankind for we are all created in the image of G.
To all of my fellow chaplains from the many types of chaplaincy you might be in, may you continue to do all the wonderful acts of kindness and professionalism you bring to your positions. Being a professional and established chaplain is not to be taken lightly. May you continue to do your Avodas H and continue making a Kiddush H.
May everyone have a truly magnificent Pesach and may it be possible when we open the door for Eliyahu HaNavi, for him to tell us Moshiach is on his way. One last word of advice which I’m sure many are aware of and that is to try to get the youngsters who hid the Afikomen to reveal where it is hidden before they fall asleep.
Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank
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