Charity
“Charity rescues from death” (Mishlei 10:2) The Gemara expounds (Shabbat 156b), “This does not refer to a strange death, but to death itself.” Ten difficult things were created in the world… and death is the most difficult of all. And charity rescues from death (Bava Batra 10a). “One who pursues charity and kindness will find […]
A Captivating Prediction
A Captivating Prediction The avreich, Mr. Ben-Shimol, related the following narrative in order to sanctify Hashem’s Name: My father was once arrested in France due to a scandal incited by the media. The police were seizing people of stature, in an attempt to extract information regarding specific people whom they were after. Since my father […]
Striking a Chord of Connection
Striking a Chord of Connection In 1993, a woman in Houston underwent medical testing for an advanced growth in her vocal chords. She was told to undergo surgery of the vocal chords in order to save her life. She would be able to speak only by means of an apparatus implanted in her throat. In […]
The Disappearing Act
The Disappearing Act An avrech once informed me of the happy news that his wife was expecting a baby. But during a routine checkup, it was discovered that the baby had a certain medical problem. Many newborns are born with this problem. Many suffer from it all their lives, rachmana litzlan, while in others, it […]
Braced by the Blessing
Braced by the Blessing In 1998, Mrs. Dina Cohen brought her young daughter to see Rabbi David Pinto, shlita. She bitterly related that her daughter couldn’t walk. She was fitted with braces, which hopefully would help her. After Rabbi David saw the child, he turned to her mother, and asked, “Why can’t your child walk?” […]
A Piercing Prayer
A Piercing Prayer An old friend from Bnei Brak once asked me to bless him. As I looked at him, I saw great danger lurking before him. I looked down and saw a nail lying in the street. I picked it up and declared, “If this man is slated to undergo any sort of danger, […]
Smoke Signals
Smoke Signals My uncle, the tzaddik, Rabbi Meir Pinto, a brother of my father, zy”a, was very ill in his old age. He spent his last days in the hospital. I had the privilege of attending him there. One day, my uncle asked me to bring him a cigarette. I hurried to do his bidding. […]
A Release of Faith
A Release of Faith R’ Moshe Gopez, an acquaintance, was sitting shivah in Eretz Yisrael for a family member. I arrived to perform the mitzvah of comforting the mourning, and also delivered a shiur in Mishnayot for the elevation of the soul of the deceased. I intended to travel to Yerushalayim after the Ma’ariv prayers. […]
A Brilliant Portent
A Brilliant Portent When I was a young boy, I used to watch Father, zy”a, light many lamps in cups of oil in memory of the tzaddikim, may their memories be blessed. Father would light untold amounts of these lights, to the extent that he would often say that if he had eye problems, it […]
The Tzaddik’s Word
“The G-d of Israel has said– the Rock of Israel has spoken to me – [Be a] ruler over men; a righteous one, who rules with the fear of G-d” (Shmuel II, 23:3) Rabbi Abahu interprets this pasuk in a novel way (Moed Katan 16b): The G-d of Israel has said, “Speak, the Rock of […]
Building Belief
Building Belief An American Jew told me how he merited doing complete teshuvah. This is his story: I used to deal in real estate and was extremely wealthy. But suddenly, the wheel of fortune turned. The real estate business fell into depression. My business was hit hard and I was left with nothing at all. […]
Satisfied With His Lot
Satisfied With His Lot A man once approached me and related that he had three daughters of marriageable age. However, he did not have the large amount of money necessary to marry them off and provide for their trousseaus and living quarters. He himself did not own his house, but rented it. “Would you like […]
