Headed toward Hope
The atmosphere in the kollel of our institutions in Paris was one of gaiety, as Purim was on its way. Suddenly, a young man, Uriel, entered, his face boding no good. He immediately walked up to me and burst into tears. It took some time until he could contain himself. He pointed to his head […]
A Jewel of a Prayer
Once, when I was learning Torah in a Beit Hakeneset in Lyon, a man walked into the synagogue and began praying bitterly. I asked if there was anything I could help him with. He wiped away his tears and related that he had lost all of his money in gambling. He was now supplicating Heaven […]
On the Wings of Prayer
Mr. Smadja is a man of faith who lives in the United States. When his father passed away, he wished to say Kaddish for his soul. But the words of Kaddish were unfamiliar to him, so he came to my brother, Rabbi Yaakov Pinto, shlita, asking that he teach him this prayer. After they finished, […]
Clothes Make the Man
When I was a young boy, my parents sent me to yeshiva in England to learn under the guidance of the esteemed Rabbi Chaim Shmuel Lopian, zt”l, Rabbi Shammai Zohn, zy”a, Rabbi Binyomin Zev Kaufman, shlita, and Rabbi Yisrael Malul, shlita. It was Elul 1966, and I was overcome with overwhelming homesickness for my family. […]
Prayer
“A prayer of the poor man when he is wrapped in entreaty, and pours forth his supplications before Hashem: Hashem, hear my prayer, and let my cry reach You!” (Tehillim 102:1-2) Rashi explains that the poor man refers to Am Yisrael, an impoverished nation. The Malbim asserts that prayer is the outpouring of the soul […]
Fishing for Mitzvot
I was once summoned to the home of a wealthy individual in Brazil who had been diagnosed with cancer, rachmana litzlan. When I entered his spacious home, I clearly felt the meaning of Chazal’s statement that this world is merely an antechamber before the World to Come (Avot 4:16). My escort and I made our […]
Keeping Things in Focus
A couple once came to me for a blessing in the merit of my forefathers, zy”a. They had been married for ten years, yet still did not have children. I innocently thought they were asking for a blessing for children. But what they requested was a blessing to find a spacious home at an affordable […]
Running Away from the Goal
I was once visiting Yerushalayim when a marathon was taking place. I noticed numerous people running on and on. I asked myself, “Where are they running? Doesn’t the pasuk in Tehillim (122:2) state, ‘Our feet stood firm within your gates, O Jerusalem’? In days bygone, the people would rush toward the Beit Hamikdash, where the […]
Model Behavior
A handsome young man once came to me and said that he was asked to pose as a model. The first time I saw him, I was also struck by his good looks. At that time, I had put forth a prayer that his features should never be the cause of his downfall. I was […]
Preparing Properly
I once spent time by the hospital bed of a deathly ill man. The whole time I was there, I spoke to him encouragingly, offering him words of inspiration in faith and trust in Hashem. But I could tell that something was bothering him. “What’s on your mind?” I asked. “I am wondering what will […]
The Ultimate Advocates
once had occasion to visit the Jewish cemetery in Geneva. One of my escorts drew my attention to the grave of the well-known philanthropist, Edmond Safra, may he rest in peace. This was a man of noble bearing, who donated generously to various tzedakah causes. Thousands of people would knock on his door, waiting for […]
Provisions for the Long Road Ahead
A precious French Jew named Mr. Fitusy, a”h, merited discovering his heritage in the last decade of his life, when he was approximately eighty years old. In spite of his advanced age, he clung tenaciously to Torah and mitzvot at great self-sacrifice, not foregoing one iota regarding mitzvah observance. One winter day, when the entire […]
