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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
**February 12, 2026, 25, Shevat, 5786**
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The sweetness of helping build and develop a foundation for the love of our faith in Judaism. The ability of being able to do many positive things in life. Helping another person to recognize his or her abilities and strengths is doing so with chesed.  We can all build our Sanctuaries, our relationship with H and to be successful in life to the best of our abilities. Offering to care for others with compassionate care is truly vital helping to enhance a person’s physical, emotional, or spiritual quality of life. Those are messages we can convey and help imbue in those who we minister to with our devotion and dedication in our Avodas H. The importance to recognize that all Jews are like twins caring for each other as brothers and sisters regardless of their background or knowledge of Torah or Judaism. Our Avodas H is also making a Kiddush H. Offering compassionate care as discussed in my previous Moments of Inspiration is to be caring with sensitivity and a heart filled with the desire of helping others whether it be to enhance their physical, emotional or spiritual quality of life. As Rabbis, Rebbetzins, Chaplains and other professionals, we are able to uplift the lives of those who we minister to including those of us who we offer care to those who are not of the Jewish faith. The Kiddush H we do are truly special indeed and for us to be proud of.  We are all ambassadors of H and Klal Yisrael. Two of the greatest ambassadors of H and role models were Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu. They brought the light of H with much kindness and goodness wherever they journeyed and to whom they shared that tremendous spirit. 

In my sensitivity trainings I gave through the years, one of the most important words I stressed was to be sincere. To believe from one’s heart on how to be compassionate is to be truthful to oneself and belief of truly caring with a heart filled of love, of being empathetic, of being understanding and the willingness to listen and not to be judgmental of others. I often mentioned to the diverse populations I addressed that we might have different skin colors, different languages or dialects we could converse with, different cultures, different religious faiths, different hair styles and so on but the color of our blood was all the same. It is up to all of us to strive to have the same kindness and goodness we can and should give to others and to each other with sincerity and sensitivity. We are all created in the image of G.

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From: Darash Moshe: A selection of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s choice comments on the Torah. Artscroll Judaica Classics, Mesorah,  Parshas Terumah Pages 133-134

“They shall make a Sanctuary for Me” (25:8) “ On the surface it would appear that the holiness of the Sanctuary has to emulate from H, and that humans can only build a physical structure which H then makes into a Sanctuary by causing His Presence to dwell in it. Nonetheless, this verse seems to imply that it was the task of the Jews to actually make a Sanctuary, and not just the building to house it. If so, the Torah teaches us here that it is within the power of humans to cause H’s Presence to dwell among them.

How can we accomplish this? I believe that the following verses, which list the materials to be used in the Mishkan, map out the process to be followed. Really, the Torah should first have stated the mitzvah of building the Sanctuary, and only then specified the materials required for its construction. Had it done so, however, it would have been impossible to make a Sanctuary, for that can be done only if the donors are aware that everything they are giving really belongs to H and is entrusted to them only for safekeeping and to be used in accordance with the wishes of the owner. Therefore, when He asked them to return it, they had not right to know what use He intended to make of it, just as a bank has no right to ask its depositors what they intend to do with their money after they withdraw it.

And this holds true for all issues which are imbued with holiness. Only when one gives with this understanding will the project merit success as a Sanctuary, for without this attitude it is difficult to gain merit for the construction of building something holy.” 

From: Kol Dodi on the Torah by Rabbi David Feinstein. Artscroll Judaica Classics, Mesorah Publications, Ltd, Parshas Yisro, Page 120.

“In the third month from the departure of the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt, on this day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai” (19:1) “Rashi comments that the Jews arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, six days before they were to receive the Torah there. Astronomically, the month of Sivan is represented by Teomim, Twins.

There is an interesting symbolism in the fact that the Torah was given under the sign of the Twins. The Torah is called Toras Chessed, the Torah of Kindness (cf. Mishlei 31;26), as the sage Rabbi Simlai taught, “the Torah begins with chesed and ends with chesed” (Sotah 14a). In order to keep the Torah properly, the way that one twin relates to another. The Torah wants us to strive for twin-like sensitivity to each other’s joys and sorrows, pleasures and frustrations.

This was the level that the Jews attained at Mount Sinai, under the sign of the Twins. In the next verse, the Torah says, Vayechan sam Yisrael neged harhar, Israel encamped there, opposite the mountain. From the fact that the word “encamped” is in the singular form, Rashi concludes that the Jews at that time were as one man with one heart.

This is a goal to which we should aspire in all of our dealings with our fellow Jews. Even though we are separate individuals, with differing needs and personalities, we are still closely tied to all our fellow Jews with bonds of love and responsibility for one another. As Rabbi Akiva taught: Veahavta lereiecha kamocha, Love you’re your fellow as yourself (Vayikra 19:18), is a cardinal rule of the Torah (see Rashi).”

May we be zoche to be ambassadors of H and Klal Yisrael bringing the light of kindness, goodness, sensitivity and sincerity to one and all.

Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda Blank