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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 2, 2026, 17 Tammuz, 5786**
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I have been asked why I do not include in my articles political satire, negative comments about others or discuss “juicy information” that sells newspapers about local, nationwide or worldwide news. I have also been asked why I don’t discuss and give examples of Chilul H. My mission in writing my articles is two-fold.  First, I seek to arouse Klal Yisrael to walk in the ways of H. Also, I want to share resources that illustrate the essence of H’s kindness and goodness which we should all want to emulate.  There is so much anger and bitterness in the world today. Therefore, I don’t have to  add “fuel to the fire” with negativity when in my heart I want so much to share the ways of H in order to have our hearts filled with loving kindness. Aharon HaKohen found opportunities of bringing shalom bein adam techareiro and helping to bring shalom between husband and wife. We cannot and must not forget that H runs the world though there are many cynics who do not believe so. In our spiritual vocabulary we believe in the meaning of emunah/ faith and bitachon/trust in H. However, we sometimes have to remind ourselves, especially when the going gets tough or challenging, the importance of having faith and trust in H, in each other and in ourselves. 

We are now in the “Three Weeks”. Surely it is most appropriate to find goodness in each other and ourselves during these days and to help those who are always cynical of others, being judgmental of others, to seek out the ways of finding kindness from within our hearts with TLC. We must not walk around under the “dooms day” cloud when we hear about antisemitism spreading throughout the world. Rather, we should enhance our thoughts, our faith and our trust in G.   

From: Brisk on Bitachon. The Brisker Derech in Bitachon- Teaching of HaRav Dovid Soloveitchik. Adapted by: Rabbi Avrohom Alter Hoffman. The Judaica Press, Inc. The Merit of Faith. Pages 13-14. “In these turbulent times, when the forces of evil have reared their heads and Jews around the world feel unsafe, it is more essential than ever to study the .

Principles of emunah and bitachon.

In the piyut “Shoshanas Yaakov,” recited on Purim after the Megillah, we say: Lehodia shekol kovecha lo yeivoshu, velo yikolmu lanetzach kol hachosim bach- To make known that all who place their faith in You will not be ashamed, and those who take refuge in You will never be humiliated.

Rav Dovid explained that upon reading the Megillah, one might mistakenly assume that the Purim miracle occurred only due to Mordechai and Esther’s righteousness. However, the piyut clarifies that the salvation came in the merit of the Jewish people’s bitachon in H.

Likewise, in the perek of Tehillim that refers to the miracle of Purim, the pasuk (22:5) states:

Becha batchu avoseinu batchu vatefalteimo- In You our fathers trusted; they trusted, and You rescued them. 

Again, we see that the salvation did not come solely through the merit of tzadikim like Mordechai and Esther, but rather through the faith of the entire Jewish nation.

Rav Dovid often cited the Machilta in Parshas Beshalach, which teaches that the redemption from Egypt also occurred in the merit of emunah, as the pasuk in Parshas Shemos (4:31) states: 

Ayamein Ha am- And the nation believed.

The final ingathering of the exiles at the time of Moshiach will also       world in the merit of emunah, as the pasuk (Hoshea 2:21-22) states:

Veeirastich li leolam… verastich li be emunah- I will betroth you to Me with emunah.

May it be H’s will that this sefer be received warmly by the Torah world, and may its lessons be deeply internalized by all who study it. And in its merit, may H protect us from all who seek to harm us, and may we soon witness the Geulah Sheleimah bimheirah beyaminu. Avrohom Alter Hoffman. MacSincerekyhon Mussar V’hashkafah L’Beis Brisk”

To all of my readership and beyond. Let our emunah and bitachon in H remain strong and steadfast. Let us not permit fear or any negativity overcome us. We are proud members of the Jewish faith and proud Americans. May we be able to overcome adversity.

May there be peace, tranquility and friendship with much happiness.

Sincerely, Rabbi Yehuda (Leonard) Blank