<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
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
= June 12, 2025, 16 Sivan 5785 =
=============================================
PLEASE BE MISPALLEL FOR MY DEAR CHASHUVA MECHUTAN
NASSON BAUMANN FOR A REFUAH SHELEIMA
Nasson ben Raitz
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
It is with tremendous pride for me to be one of many wishing mazel tov to
Rabbi Mendy Mirocnick, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Alliance of America on having been appointed
Judge of the New York State Court of Claims
and Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court.

Partial General Overview

The New York State Court of Claims is the exclusive forum for civil litigation seeking damages against the State of New York or certain other State-related entities such as the New York State Thruway Authority, the City University of New York, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation and the New York State Power Authority (claims for the appropriation of real property only).

The Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County handles civil cases (those not involving criminal offenses). The court is empowered to decide all such matters. However, the New York City Civil Court is authorized to decide civil cases in which money only in the amount of $50,000 or less is at stake.

The Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County is a trial-level court, the highest court for civil cases in the state court system in New York County. Cases are decided in this court in the first instance. Some decisions from this court may be appealed to a higher court, the Appellate Division, First Department, 27 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

====================================================================

Having achdus, unity, recognizing the goodness of all Jewish men, women and children is very important. Being Jewish, we realize the importance of caring, being respectful, empathetic, compassionate to ball our fellow human beings.  But being Jewish we also understand how important it is to be proud of one’s religion and all the various mitzvos we have throughout the year. Most of all the love G has for all of our Jewish sisters and brethren. There are many who choose to put aside their knowledge and affiliation with their Jewish faith but unfortunately history has shown one cannot remove their Jewish identity. We are a nation who should be proud of the many accomplishments and contributions Jewish men and women have given to society. What is it that keeps us together, that is of course our Holy Torah and most of all the love G has for all of His children. There are those who wish to live in a self contained society and there are those who live in communities that are integrated with many people of diverse backgrounds. Yet there are also those who wish not to identify with their Jewish brethren and are missing out on their own religion.  Those who never had the opportunity or experience of being a proud Jew can always find inspiration from the Rabbis and Rebbetzins who are affiliated with Jewish outreach. 

There are so many opportunities of being successful in business, finance, medicine, science, mental health, law enforcement,  chaplaincy, education, the judicial arena and yes as elected officials amongst the multitudes of other professions where a person can be a proud member of society as well as a proud member of the Jewish nation.  For years many thought of hospital chaplains as a glorified rabbi doing bikur cholim. Today, chaplains are very sophisticated and knowledgeable in areas not only in the spiritual sense or in Torah knowledge but in medical areas, the psychosocial areas and more helping them to assist their patients, family members, care givers and members of the hospital team. Many chaplains today have advanced degrees and certifications in many areas as well as being well versed in halacha and medical ethics. They are as comfortable having dialogues and discussions with noted Rabbonim and Gedolim as they are with the many specialists such as doctors, mental health specialists and other disciplines in the professional world. Being able to minister to such a wide spectrum of backgrounds and making a Kiddush H is always important. Appreciating the virtues of doing gemilus chasadim and caring for others with empathy and compassion is truly special. 

Most people think of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l regarding his gadlus in Torah but don’t always think of his gadlus and midos and his love for fulfilling mitzvos.  Rav Moshe conveyed the significance and importance of all gemilus chasadim from the most  simple to the more complex. The Rosh HaYeshiva shared the importance of being mekayiem them with determination, zerizus and kindness. The following is from Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l

  From Darash Moshe – Rabbi Moshe Feinstein on the Torah.
Artscroll Judaica Classics. Mesorah Publications Ltd.

Vayikra. Parshas Bechukosai. Page 219 (26:4) “Venasati gishmeichem beitam. Then I will provide your rains in their time.” This teaches us that the universe functions only due to man’s good deeds. When one performs good deeds and observes H’s laws, the rain truly belongs to him because it was for his sake that the rains came.”

The Lubavitcher Rebbe was known for many things including finding kindness and goodness in all Jews. The Rebbe encouraged doing mitzvos which will bring a Jewish man, woman and child closer to H with a loving relationship and to do those mitzvos with much happiness and joy. 

From: Light Points From the teachings of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe on the Weekly Torah Portion. 

Bamidbar Page 1. “Seu es Rosh kol adas benei Yisrael. Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel.” “Numbers that Matter.” “In the first thirteen months after their exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people were counted three times. Rashi explains the significance of all this counting: Because of their dearness to Him, He counts them all the time.”
The significance of all the counting is not for G to determine the precise number of individuals within the Jewish nation- as G surely know their number without conducting an actual census-but, in Rashi’s words, “to make their dearness known. “In spiritual terms, this means that the census revealed withing the Jewish people themselves the nature of their endearment to G.

How so? Because in a census, the value that each individual adds to the count is the same; every person counts as no less and no more than one. This means that the count highlights a quality common to all Jews, regardless of their background, education or spiritual sophistication: the “Jewish spark”- the essential Jewishness of the soul of every Jew. This “Jewish spark” manifests as a sense of unbreakable attachment to G, due to which every Jew, regardless of their level of Jewish knowledge or observance, is capable of surrendering their very life for their faith in order not to separate from the one G in which they intrinsically believe.
This indomitable “Jewish spark,” common to all Jews, is the Jewish people’s greatest source to all Jews, is the Jewish people’s greatest source of “dearness” before G. By taking a simple count of the number of people that make up the Jewish nation, G “made their dearness known,” revealing withing them (and in fact, to the entire world) the essential Jewish spark possessed by every single Jew.
Likkutei Sichos, vol, 8, pp. 3-4.”

In our Rosh Chodesh benching we recite the words Chaveirim Kol Yisrael . Let us truly believe in those words, not just saying them but believing in our hearts that we are all one. In order to fight back aagainst antisemitism we all must join together and not permit our enemies to divide us. We must join together and show our adversaries that no known adversity will divide us and take our Torah from us. We must show that with our love for each other, our Jewish nation cannot be torn asunder. Through our midos, our good deeds, our care and compassion for each other we will remain strong and steadfast. How we treat each other can only keep us together.  There is immense meaning to Chaveirim Kol Yisrael and Am Yisrael Chai.  Let us all find opportunities of making a Kiddush H and B’ezras H with all of our maysim tovim and love of H we will truly have Shalom al Yisrael.

Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank