<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
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
<><> <>November 27, 2025, 7, Kislev, 5786<><><>
==========================
Dedication to my father z”l
I am dedicating this issue lezeicher neshmas, Tzvi Aryeh ben Moshe
HaLevi zt”l, my father who was a wonderful role model of love for H
and tremendous midos tovos. His yartzeit was Vav Kislev.
It is also an honor to include an article by Rabbi Joey Haber, who was the recipient of the Rabbeinu Moshe Feinstein Award at the
Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem and the Yeshiva of Staten Island
118th anniversary dinner, Sunday December 8, 2024.
The Palace, 780 McDonald Ave . Brooklyn, NY
Also, Thanksgiving, a different perspective.
(Parts of this article are from Moments of Inspiration, December 5, 2024)
From: Toldot: Stop Praying – And Start Begging
By Rabbi Joey Haber. He is the Dean of religious studies at Magen David Yeshiva High School where he has built positive relationships with thousands of young adults from the community. Rabbi Haber is also the rabbi of Magen David Synagogue in Brooklyn, N.Y. and of Tiferet Torah and Bet Yosef in Deal, NJ and leads the Kesher organization which provides classes for hundreds of Sephardic students on college campuses in the tri-state area. Rabbi Haber is a sought-after inspirational speaker. If you want to hear his weekly shiur, go to itorah.com. Rabb Joey Haber. This article is from JewishVues.com November 27-December 3, 2024, Page 53. “The Torah in Parshat Toldot tells what we should probably see as the first instance of antisemitism. Yitzchak Avinu was forced by a drought to settle among the Pelishtim, and they disliked him and fought with him. A focal point of the fighting was the group of wells that Yitzchak dug. These wells had actually been dug years earlier by his father, Avraham. But after Avraham died, the Pelishtim filled the wells with earth, so they could not be used. Now, Yitzchak dug them anew. And the Pelishtim fought with him over these wells.
Avraham bought a new idea into the world, the concept of monotheism, the belief in H, in morality, in our responsibility for other people, in kindness and compassion. The people decided to “stuff the wells,” to put an end to his teachings, because they did not want to have to bear this burden. Yitzchak, though, kept digging. He didn’t give up, even in the face of hostility.
In our time, too, we have a frightening wave of antisemitism. We need to be strong and resolute, like Yitzchak Avinu, and continue to “did the wells” of our ancestors and proudly carry our heritage and traditions.
But there’s also something else we need to be doing.
The opening pesukim of this parshah tells that Yizchak and Rivka were childless for twenty years before having children. During those years, the Torah writes, Vayetar Yitzchak LaShem-Yitzchak prayed to H, until he was finally answered and Rivka conceived.
The commentators point out that the Torah uses an unusual word for prayer-Vayetar. We are familiar with other words, such as tefillah and bakasha. What does Vayetar mean.
Rashi explains, Harbeh Vehaftzer B’tefillah, Meaning, Yitzchak didn’t just pray. He begged. And he begged more. And then some more. He kept asking and begging and crying and pleading.
Yitzchak’s name in gematria equals 208, and Rivka’s name equals 307. Together, they equal 515. This is the same number of tefilot that Moshe Rabbenu prayed when he asked to be allowed to enter the Land of Israel, as indicated by the pasuk Va’etchanan El H—“I pleaded to H” (the word Va’etchanan equals 525). This is how Yitzchak and Rivka prayed for the blessing of children. They cried. And they didn’t stop.
The story is told of a Rabbi who was walking with his students, and they came across a young boy who was crying. The Rabbi kneeled down to ask the boy what was wrong. The boy explained that he and his friends were playing hide-and-go-seek, and he was the one who hid. His friends never found him.
“So what’s the problem?” the Rabbi asked. “Isn’t that what you want to happen?”
“Yes, the boy said, but they eventually stopped looking for me. And that’s why I’m sad.”
The Rabbi turned around to his students and said that this is the truth of our relationship with H, as well. Sometimes, He hides. For reasons we are not supposed to know, He brings upon us difficult challenges, situations where it seems as though He isn’t helping us, What He wants during these times, the Rabbi explained, is for us to continue looking for Him, without ever giving up. We need to continue begging, unrelentingly, until H finally answers.
We need Vayetar—to keep asking and pleading. We need to stop talking and start crying and start begging; to stop talking and start pleading with our hearts.
H wants us to keep searching, to keep pleading , until we find Him and He will them come to help us and bring our nation the peace and tranquility that we so desperately want. May it happen speedily, Amein.”
===================================
From: And so, too, may I come to You and cast my
Supplication. My eyes are fixed upon You.
Composed by Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz of Prague
By Rabbi Yisroel Besser, Tefilas HaShelah. Page 61,” The Chofetz Chaim’s daughter was experiencing a difficult situation. When she told her father about it, he asked if she had davened for help.
She replied that she did, but she had not been helped.
The Chafetz Chaim asked her how she had davened. She said that she told the Ribono shel Olam to help her.
“That’s not a tefillah,” her father replied, “that’s giving advice to the Ribono shel Olam. He does not need eitzos. Instead, you should ask, plead and beg for mercy, because that is a tefillah.”
In this tefillah, we do not merely express our hopes, or even ask: we plead, we supplicate, and we beg, ensuring that our efforts are laced with tefillah.”
====================================
We begged, we prayed that our father would eventually improve from the Parkinsons disease which gradually made his life difficult. Yet we, his family, would look at him with pride to see how he remained strong and steadfast for years without giving up hope and true to his lifestyle be an erlicha and devout Jew and human being. He was such a kind person. He was my role model of how a Yid should behave, loving H with one’s heart, soul and koach. He taught the essence of what it means to be sincere, to being compassionate and be filled with simchas hachaim. I learned from him to be thankful with what one can do and not what one cannot do. This saying of his shows itself in every aspect of a person’s life especially when the person’s life is deteriorating. I saw the tears escaping from my father’s eyes when it became more difficult for him to say the Kaddish for his parents on their yartzeits. But Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l gave him chizuk, when the Rosh Yeshiva saw his tears.
My father taught midos through his actions, by his words of compassion and empathy for others throughout the years. I learned from him to be kind to others and not to speak lashon hara or say unkind words to others. He showed me the beauty of our surroundings, whether it be in Upstate NY, .in the country or in the city. We watched the various birds singing or chirping their songs and enjoying the beauty around us. I learned to appreciate all that H does for us and gives us daily. My father never raised his voice or said words that were vulgar or inappropriate. He was so gentle, so caring for his mishpacha, for his parents, for Klal Yisrael and for all man and womankind with respect and goodness for everyone. He set examples of what it means to care for others and find opportunities of Kiddush H. There were times when he had challenges with his butcher store being broken into, yet he never uttered words of anger especially not to H for causing difficulties in his life.
In addition, my father loved to sing and enjoyed music because it would bring feelings of goodness and enhancing our closeness to H and our spiritual lives. He had strong zest in life and a positive outlook. He had so much emunah and betachon in H. He would take me to shul beginning in my childhood and looked forward going together with him. Rather than wanting to be more independent, doing things with my father throughout the years was always uplifting. I looked forward to going to meet with various Rabbeim, Litvish and Chassidush. He encouraged me to go with him to the Beis Medrash Hagadol shul to listen to Rav Oshrei’s drashas which were in Yiddish and to appreciate Rav Osherei’s passionate words. He would bring me to the various neighborhood shuls and listen to other devrei Torah. My father instilled within me a love of doing mitzvos, davening with kavaneh and learning Torah. My father taught me the meaning of achdus, how he had such a positive relationship and looked at all Jews in a positive way. For that matter, everyone is created in the image of H. He showed what it means to be a loving and caring husband to his wife, my mother. He was so sweet to her and sensitive to her needs. He was truly extraordinary. He taught me the importance of honesty. He ensured that the weights in his butcher store were accurate. When he felt the city inspectors were not always careful when checking the accuracy of the scales, he would either give his customers extra meat or chicken or charge the customers less. Once, he ran after a customer in the cold to return extra cash. The customer thought she gave my father a five-dollar bill, but in actuality it was a fifty-dollar bill. However, my father ran after her, because he was concerned the customer might be going shopping and would think she lost the fifty-dollar bill. He would also make extra deliveries, especially for the elderly by going shopping for them and bringing those items to their apartments. My father taught me the importance of Gemilus Chasadim. My parents would convey the importance of being law-abiding citizens as part of making a Kiddush H. When I was a child, years before I became a police department chaplain, he would bring me to the local police precinct where the police officers were always happy to greet me and give me little presents. I suppose they thought I was cute. I found all the police officers very friendly and they were respectful of my father. He was such a humble person, so patient and understanding.
When we would go to Rav Halpern, the Dembiker Rebbe zt”l for mechiras chametz, I sat in amazement of how patient my father was and so respectful of the Rebbe who we were very close to. What a simcha it was to see Rav Henken smile when my father came into his apartment and they would speak. For years, our mishpacha had a close relationship with Rav Henken and Rav Feinstein and other chashuva Rabbonim. Years ago, during the summer, my father would often drive Rav Henken around the country collecting for Ezras Torah and then bring him to my family’s bungalow for a rest and refreshments.
My father taught me the meaning of our bakashos and to be passionate in our tefilos, in our prayers. Even with our prayers, H decides what and when to answer, but we always remember that whatever the outcome, H only does what is best for us. My father taught me to have a positive disposition and a kind demeanor. He imbued in me the beauty and spirituality of our tefillas, no matter where we would daven. H is with us all the time, wherever we may be. When coming close to a loved one’s yartzeit, rather than being melancholy, remember the good times, increase your mitzvos so you can bring an aliya to the Neshama. We all have an opportunity of bringing closeness to the Ribono shel Olam, bringing achdus in Klal Yisrael, increasing Shalom al Yisrael and making the coming of Mashiach more of a possibility.
My father’s levaya was packed with standing room only. It was a sight to be seen. In attendance were Jewish and non-Jewish men and women from diverse backgrounds. All came to give honor to a man who brought kindness and goodness to all. He was so respected, so loved and well thought of by all who came to give him their final respect. Many spoke about his good humor and ability of bringing a smile and a source of comfort for anyone going through a difficult time. He was always filled with happiness and had a smile on his face. Many of those who eulogized him spoke about his devotion and love of H, his Torah and mitzvos and also his love for his family. He was truly a kindhearted, Erlich Yid. My desire throughout the years was to follow in the ways of my father z”l and apply his wonderful attributes to my professional and personal life and my mishpacha as well. Most of all, he taught his family to love the Ribono shel Olam, our Torah and mitzvos. May he be a meilitz yosher for his mishpacha and Klal Yisrael.
=======================================
From: A Dance of Joy
By, Rabbi Tzvi Nakar, 102 Stories That changed people’s lives. Volume 2, Tfutza Publications. Pages 126-128. “Baruch H, I have the privilege of living in the holy city of Yerushalayim, the city that H chose as His own dwelling place. For several years, I rented an apartment in a building that had several apartments all owned by the same person. One day I received a call from the landlord saying that he had official permission to tear down the building and rebuild a new and larger building in its place. I had one month to pack up and leave.
I went to see one apartment after another, but none of them, for one reason or another, was suitable for our family. As the days passed, my neighbors left, one by one, until we were the only tenants left. The landlord was pressing us to leave, but we had nowhere to go.
One night, while I was sitting with my family, trying to figure out what we were going to do, the landlord knocked on the door and told me that he was losing money every day we remained. He informed me that work on the building was starting in two days, no matter what.
I invited him into the house and showed him the packed boxes of dishes and clothing. I told him that the situation was far from ideal for us, as well. We simply had no choice, because we couldn’t find a suitable apartment.
He sympathized, but he’d already closed the deal with the contractor. The work had to start in two days.
Feeling dejected, I left the house to daven Ma’ariv. I davened from the depths of my soul that I should find an apartment right away and we wouldn’t be thrown into the street. I poured out all the worries and hardships I had faced in the last month, and at the end of the tefillah, I felt lighter, like H had heard my prayers and my yeshuah was already on its way.
As I was leaving shul, I noticed a newsletter that told the story of a Holocaust survivor name Yisrael Klein who was miraculously saved from the Gehinnom he went through. He attributed his yeshuah to a specific incident.
One time he saw a fellow Jew- weak from starvation, belly was swollen from hunger- rummaging through a trash pile looking for a scrap of food. Yisrael went over to him and said, “I don’t have any food to give you, but I can give you empathy and encouragement.”
With that, Yisrael took the other Jew’s hands, embraced him, and then started dancing with him, joyous in the knowledge that they were Jews who loved H and who loved each other. They danced for a long time, each giving the other the strength to go on.
When I finished reading this amazing story, I decided that I, too would dance before the Creator for being born a Jew and for all the kindness that He does for me constantly and that He will do for me in the future, including an apartment to rent (speedily, I hoped).
I left shul and headed straight for a wedding hall nearby. I entered the hall and joined the circle of dancers, dancing fiercely and joyfully, while I murmured thanks to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for everything H does for me.
I felt tangibly that H had sent me this challenge so I would have the opportunity to be closer to Him, and this thought alone made me feel joyous.
As I left the hall, I ran into my brother-in-law. While we chattered, he mentioned that he’d seen an ad for a suitable apartment being rented out cheaply. He went with me to see the apartment, and I realized I’d seen this apartment a month before, but the rent had been much higher then.
The landlord seemed to read my mind, because he said, “What I’m asking is much lower that I originally advertised because I haven’t been able to find a renter.”
I felt that H had been saving the apartment for me, and that the rent had been lowered just for me. I went home feeling happy and upbeat. We signed the rental contract the very next day, and moved into our new apartment the day after that. I felt that this turn of events had undoubtedly come about as a result of my faith and my feelings of gratitude and joy in H’s kindness.
The secret to a good life. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.”
=====================================
From: Very Good Inside
By Rabbi Yechiel Spero. What A Story. ArtScroll Series, Mesorah Publications Ltd, Pages 250-253. “Rebbes are very busy.
With hundreds, even thousands, of Chassidim and numerous responsibilities, they often have little to no time left, even for simchos. As such, they cannot attend every chasunah they are invited to, let alone each l’chaim, tenaim, or even sheva berachos, even for Chassidim.
But sometimes, there are exceptions to the rule.
A man in his mid-60’s went to the Bobover Rebbe, Rav Shlomo Halberstam, and invited the Rebbe to his youngest daughter’s sheva brachos. It seemed like an unusual request. It was well-known that the Rebbe had a very hectic schedule, which left little time for attending simchos, and the man wasn’t even a Bobover Chassid. Why would the Rebbe attend this sheva brachos?
But something in the man’s tone intrigued the Rebbe; he sensed it was important for him to go so he agreed. The Rebbe walked into the simcha and immediately that baal simcha ran over to welcome him. “Rebbe, I must tell you my story.” and he proceeded to reveal the story behind his strong desire to have the Rebbe at the sheva brachos.
Though I was only a young man before the war, H blessed me with a melodious voice and I served as a chazzan in Bobov. People seemed to enjoy when I davened at the amud. Then the Nazis arrived and I lost everything. My entire family was destroyed. My wife and children were taken from me, along with my friends an just about everyone I knew. I was utterly alone.
To be quite honest with you, my faith was terribly shaken. I had questions with no answers. And so, on Shabbos shortly after the war, feeling completely lost, I pulled out a cigarette and smoked. It felt very strange but I was very angry and very upset. It’s not so much that I needed or wanted the cigarette, I just didn’t want to keep Shabbos.
One Shabbos, after you finished davening in your newly established shtiebel, the two of you passed me on your way home. You could have ignored me and walked the other way, but you turned to me warmly and said, “You used to be a chazzan in the town of Bobov. Why don’t you come to our shtiebel? I’m sure the olam would love to hear you daven once more for the amud!” I tried my hardest to refuse, but with your warmth and sincerity, you convinced me.
The next week, I made my way to the shtiebel, where I davened for the amud. After davening, you thanked me, praising my davening effusively and repeatedly, making me feel so good about it.
But I was still a mechallel Shabbos.
The next Shabbos, the two of you passed me again. This time, though, when you came by, I was in the midst of smoking my cigarette. Even so, you didn’t look at me in a disapproving manner. You didn’t chide me. You didn’t say one word about my smoking. Instead, you told me, “Last Shabbos, you gave us such hana’ah (enjoyment) when you davened fahren amud (in front of the amud), Would you do us a favor once more this Shabbos?” I was very taken with the offer.
But your son looked at you quizzically and stated,” Tatte, he’s a mechallel Shabbos! Are we really going to bring a mechallel Shabbos to Bobov to daven fahren amud?”
I stood there not knowing what to say. He was right.
However, you responded, “He is not a mechallel Shabbos. It’s the Hitler inside of him that is mechallel Shabbos.”
So I came back to shul to daven for the amud. After davening, you complimented me once more. As I was about to leave, you asked me to stay for Kiddush. I did.
Slowly, my life began to turn around.
“Today,” concluded the baal simcha, “I am a shomer Torah u’mitzvos, no different from the other frum Yidden. Baruch H, I have been blessed with a large family, all shomer Torah u’mitzvos. That came about only because you looked in my heart and saw that I did not mean to be a mechallel Shabbos. It was only a result of the hopelessness the Nazis planted inside of me. Once you showed me who I really was, I was able to become that person once again.
Sometimes, an individual finds himself in a very bad place. Perhaps he’s going through a crisis of some sort, whether physical, emotional or spiritual making him feel upset and somewhat disillusioned, not permitting him to perform at his best.
However, a Yid must know that he is innately good; he has such goodness inside of him. Only the crisis and difficulty are causing him to sin.
Chazzal tell us, “Ein adam over aveirah ella im kein nichnas bo ruach shtus-A person only commits a transgression if a spirit of flourishment enters him (Sotah 3a).
Perhaps that’s the message. A person must separate himself from his sin.
When he does, he is able to realize how very good he is- and how very great he can be.”
The opportunities of chesed, of caring, of loving, of kindness and goodness are not hidden from us by the Ribono shel Olam. He loves us for He truly knows how much we care. We are mispallel for H to guide us helping to bring the kesher between us and the Ribono shel Olam closer. There is so much and so many things to be thankful for but we must be sincerely appreciative to the Ribono shel Olam and be mindful of all that He does for us and never take anything for granted.
Many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day with a traditional meal and even a parade. Times have changed, not only with different opinions of what Thanksgiving Day is all about, but also whether this holiday should be celebrated at all. For many, Thanksgiving is at least one day to give thanks to G and for many it is a day off from work when families can get together having a nice meal together. I had a next-door neighbor who would cook up a storm for Thanksgiving Day. It was always an opportunity for her family to get together when they were able to have off from work at the same time. They gave thanks to G , making brachos and birkas hamazon as they do throughout the year, not just on one day. In fact, we give thanks to G with our many tefilos such as Modim anachnu lach which we recite in shemoneh esrei every day of the year. Our traditions and our tefilos have been handed down through the centuries and have not “changed with the times.” There used to be when black and white TV family shows such as Father Knows best were the norm often showing the family sitting around the dining table saying a prayer before their meal would begin.
On a personal note, I give thanks to Hakadosh Boruch Hu for having such a wonderful Eishis Chayil who is from Baltimore, MD. Returning once again to her home town where I have already met members of the community has been so inviting showing much kindness and outgoing warmth and goodness. On my father’s yartzeit I was able to daven for the amud in the Bnei Jacob Shaarei Zion Synagogue and felt at home as I would be back on the Lower East Side of NYC. I have already davened there several Shabbosim. The Rav, Rabbi Doniel Rose who was also our Mesdader Kedushim at our wedding is an exceptional Rav who shows such wonderful TLC to all of his mispallim as he did for me and my wife helping to prepare for our simcha and beyond. My wife and I now have two wonderful communities we belong to- the Lower East Side in Manhattan, NYC and Baltimore, MD, where both communities welcome us each with their own exceptional personalities that are truly special. The LES has always been thought of as an out-of-town type of community and the same as the community where my wife has been part of and where I now am also a part of. It is truly so nice to have been receiving from both communities’ invitations for Shabbos meals and invitations to simchos.
May everyone continue to find opportunities to offer appreciation to the Ribono shel Olam for all that He does for us with His infinite kindness and goodness. May we always find goodness in others with great opportunities of making a Kiddush H, with Achdus, Shalom Al Yisrael and Chaveirim Kol Yisrael.
Sincerely, Rabbi Yehdua Blank