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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
*** July 24, 2025, 28, Tamuz 5785***
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PLEASE BE MISPALLEL FOR MY DEAR CHASHUVA MECHUTAN
NASSON BAUMANN FOR A REFUAH SHELEIMA
Nasson ben Raitz
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It is hard to believe that the three weeks have already begun and soon we will begin the Nine Days. Our daily activities take on a different way of life with days of mourning culminating with Tisha B Av. There are various restrictions in our daily activities to remind us of the sadness that occurred to the Jewish people throughout the ages. One could ask, isn’t sufficient to read all the sad things that occurred to the Jewish people? Why do we have to display our mourning for the Churban Beis Hamikdash and all the other horrendous atrocities and hardships the Jewish people had to endure? Just as a mourner must tear his or her clothing and sit shiva, so too we must show our signs of mourning. Many feel sad because they think of the loss of their dear ones. Some remember situations or events that brought sadness into their lives that helps them feel a certain sadness on Tisha B Av. It is difficult to comprehend the tragedies of long ago, even about the Holocaust with the loss of millions through the years. Nevertheless, any loss of life, any acts of violence are hard to understand and feel sad about especially having occurred so long ago. Tisha B’ Av has been designated as the day of mourning for the tragic loss of Jewish life throughout the centuries.”
Speaking of sadness, there are so many reasons to be sad periodically. There are many instances, occurrences, personal events that can bring about sadness or feeling depressed. Perhaps losing a valuable item or the breaking up of what was thought to be a meaningful relationship can be difficult to accept. H does not want us to be sad. In fact we are mispallel for ourselves and for others to have simchas hachaim. There is a reason for everything. Nothing happens by itself. H runs the world and all of us as well. There is always a hidden silver lining we might not be aware of until it is meant to be for us to know what it is. It is permissible for a couple to become engaged during the Nine Days.
It is time for us to help each other to instill happiness in others as well as ourselves. Let us be mispallel that Tisha B’ Av will become a Yom Tov when we can walk with a smile, with a heart filled with love, care and compassion for each other. Let our lives be filled with kindness, goodness, love of H and let us be wonderful ambassadors of H and Klal Yisrael bringing one and all much pride and joy. May we be zoche to share maysim tovim and simchas hachaim.
The following two stories were found on Matzav show us how a Kiddush H was performed. Kiddush Hashem in Action: Chessed from New Jersey to the Skies ,July 21, 2025 10:15 PM, Matzav
Two recent incidents in the United States—one on the ground and one mid-flight—have garnered significant attention online, showcasing the selfless kindness of frum Jews and creating a powerful kiddush Hashem that resonated far beyond the confines of their communities.
The first event unfolded in Jackson, New Jersey, a township that has seen growing tension in recent years between the established non-Jewish population and the expanding frum community. Last Wednesday night, a bolt of lightning struck a group of locals at an amusement park, killing one person and injuring 14 others. One of the critically wounded was rushed to Jersey Shore Medical Center by ambulance, but the vehicle broke down en route.
With the victim’s life hanging in the balance, a call for immediate assistance was dispatched. It was members of the local Hatzolah who responded first, without hesitation. The frum volunteers swiftly arrived, transferred the injured non-Jewish woman to their ambulance, and successfully transported her to the hospital for further treatment.
A popular local news station with hundreds of thousands of listeners featured the story, praising Hatzolah’s volunteers for their professionalism and compassion. The report specifically countered a commonly heard accusation that Hatzolah helps only Jews. The story prompted a wave of online reactions from non-Jews who shared their own experiences of being helped by Hatzolah members. “This,” one commenter wrote, “is what Judaism looks like.”
The second episode took place in the air. A Jewish man from Jackson was flying back from Atlanta to Newark, seated in first class. A flight attendant approached him and asked if he’d be willing to give up his seat so a mother and daughter could sit together. Without a moment’s hesitation, he agreed and moved to the economy section, where he was seated next to an elderly non-Jewish couple.
Divine providence became evident shortly after takeoff, when the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Albany, New York. All passengers were evacuated, and the Jewish passenger noticed that the older couple beside him appeared disoriented and unsure of what to do. Upon learning that they, too, needed to get to Jackson, he offered to share his private car service with them.
During the ride, the couple opened up, explaining that they were on their way to visit their daughter—who, ironically, had recently expressed frustration about the influx of Jewish residents in Jackson. “After what you just did for us,” they told him, “we’re going to tell her how Jews really behave. Maybe she’ll start looking at her neighbors differently.”
These two simple stories, deeply human and unspectacular in their details, reveal the true nobility of everyday chessed done without fanfare and without expectation of reward.”
“It’s what Yidden are all about.:”
{Matzav.com}
Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank