A Captivating Conclusion
A Captivating Conclusion One day, a gentile appeared at the yeshiva in Lyon with a horrific story. His daughter had suddenly disappeared. He assumed she had been kidnapped, but he had no clue as to her whereabouts. A number of his friends advised him to come to our yeshiva and request the blessing of the […]
A Kiddush Hashem from Kiddush
A Kiddush Hashem from Kiddush I was asked to be present at the sickbed of Mr. Moshe Ben-Naim in the hospital. He was unconscious due to a severe brain disease. Around his bed, stood family and friends. Many seemed far from a Torah lifestyle. As I entered, I heard hostile murmurings of, “Why did the […]
Recovering Her Faith
Recovering Her Faith Mr. Kimchazi, z”l, once asked that I bless his son with children, in the merit of my ancestors. “Honored Rav,” he said, “my son and daughter-in-law are not Torah-observant. I think that by fulfilling this desire for a child, Hashem will show them His might. Maybe that will bring them back […]
A Healthy Dose of Sanctification
A Healthy Dose of Sanctification A young man approached me in Mexico. He related that, Baruch Hashem, he had found his intended and become engaged. But sadly, his fiancée had recently been diagnosed with a difficult illness. His parents insisted that he break off the engagement, but he refused. “Honored Rav, I am in a […]
Glorifying His Name
Glorifying His Name The Moroccan House of Royalty was known for its tolerance of the Jews. Many of its members were staunch believers in the power of the Jewish Sages. They highly respected the tzaddikim in their midst. Against this backdrop, the daughter of a Moroccan nobleman, who is today an elderly lady, would often […]
Kiddush Hashem
“You shall not desecrate My holy Name; and I shall be sanctified among the Children of Israel” (Vayikra 22:32) Rashi expounds: Surrender yourself, i.e., your life, and sanctify My Name. Whoever desecrates Hashem’s Name is prevented from doing teshuvah. Yom Kippur and suffering will not atone for this terrible iniquity. Only death can remove this […]
A Respectful Refusal
A Respectful Refusal On one of my numerous trips around the world, the stewardess walked over to me and wished to shake my hand. This was an unusual gesture. It is the job of stewardesses to serve the passengers and wish them a pleasant flight, not to shake their hands. Of course, I declined her […]
The Book That Spoke Volumes
The Book That Spoke Volumes A non-Jewish woman once brought me a book she had written about the angels and asked for my approbation. This was her third book on this subject. Every few years, she would come to me with another book and ask for my endorsement. I took one look at her defiled […]
Growing Closer to Her Roots
Growing Closer to Her Roots After Pesach one year, I was standing in the train station on my way to Paris. A woman suddenly appeared and asked, “Rabbi, why is it that after the Pesach holiday, many Jews grow beards?” “Why does this interest you?” I asked, in return. I wasn’t even sure she was […]
Washing off Impurity
Washing off Impurity After every time that I shook hands with a specific person, I would feel a strong urge to wash my hands. I once asked him if he was scrupulous in the mitzvah of netilat yadayim of the morning and before breaking bread. When a Jewish person is not particular to wash his […]
Sitting at a Safe Distance
Sitting at a Safe Distance Whenever I travel abroad, I always offer a prayer that I should not find myself seated beside a woman. I ask Hashem that neither I nor my escort sit near a woman. Baruch Hashem, most of the time, we merit seeing Hashem’s guiding hand, ushering us to kosher seats. Once, […]
Perceiving Purity
Perceiving Purity At a wedding of a yeshiva student of ours, I took note of the brothers of the host. According to their dress, they were far from a Torah lifestyle. Their faith in Hashem was kept internal. But during the course of the wedding, I noticed them casting glances at the kallah, and telling […]
