A Miraculous Spectacle
A Miraculous Spectacle An older woman was having trouble finding her marriage partner. She came to me, pleading that I bless her in the merit of my holy fathers that she find her intended in the near future. I acceded to her request, praying that Hashem should enlighten her eyes and help her find her […]
One Shidduch Leads to Another
One Shidduch Leads to Another A certain young man was having difficulty finding his intended. He constantly prayed for Hashem to allow him to build his own home, but no match seemed right. The suffering young man once came to me and asked that I pray for him, in the merit of my fathers, that […]
A Momentous Match
A Momentous Match After I had reached the age of shidduchim, I discovered that I was having difficulty finding my partner in life. I was offered numerous suggestions, but none was appropriate. I turned to my father, asking him for guidance navigating the rocky road toward my future home. With his far-reaching vision, Father assured […]
Matchmaking
“One who has found a wife has found goodness, and has brought forth favor from Hashem” (Mishlei 18:22) Rabbi Yudan said (Bereishit Rabbah, Toldot 65) that if there would be a halachically illegitimate male and female on opposite ends of the world, Hashem would bring them together. A noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosi, “In how many […]
Visualizing Divine Intervention
Visualizing Divine Intervention During the winter of 1984, I had an appointment to meet with the Admor of Sanz, zt”l, in Union City, New Jersey. The meeting was scheduled for 9:00 p.m. after Ma’ariv. We decided to leave at 7:30, to give ourselves enough time for any delays. That very afternoon, I was notified that […]
Waves of Gratitude
Waves of Gratitude A disciple of the Rav saw a clear sign of hashgachah pratit, which brought him closer to his Heavenly Father. This is his story: When I lived in Los Angeles, I once heard that Rabbi David Pinto, shlita, was in town. I hurried to where he was staying and asked him to […]
A Fateful Call
A Fateful Call The pressure in our yeshiva on Fridays mounts as Shabbat approaches. Hundreds of calls are forwarded to various extensions throughout the building. People ask for a blessing before the onset of Shabbat, a piece of advice, or just a few words of inspiration. The time allotted for these calls is shorter than […]
Let There Be Light
Let There Be Light I used to smoke. There were many tzaddikim throughout our history who smoked l’shem Shamayim. Certainly, smoking should be avoided, for it causes untold damage to one’s health. Baruch Hashem, I have quit smoking and thereby strengthened my overall health. One Motza’ei Shabbat, when I was still smoking, I had an […]
A Heavenly-ordained Heads-up
A Heavenly-ordained Heads-up I was once receiving people in a foreign country. A woman approached me and asked for a blessing for general success in the merit of my holy ancestors. For some unknown reason, I instructed her to do an MRI. The woman was most surprised. “What for? I am not sick, chas v’shalom. […]
Ticket to Divine Intervention
Ticket to Divine Intervention On the fifth of Elul, 5764, the hilula for my father, zy”a, was celebrated in Montreal on the Motza’ei Shabbat of Parashat Shoftim. I was scheduled to fly to New York the next day, and from there, to Israel. My secretary had purchased my plane ticket, which was due to be […]
The Real Deal
The Real Deal On the way to Toronto, for the sake of inspiring fellow Jews to increased Torah observance, I decided to spend the weekend in Deal, New Jersey. Although it seemed to make more sense that I should remain in Canada and participate in the simchah of a major Torah supporter, thereby benefitting our […]
Directed to the Right Address
Directed to the Right Address I once found myself, as I often do, at the airport. I asked one of my escorts, R’ Chaim Kurson, shlita, to procure a permit for himself so that he would be allowed to enter the section where only passengers may enter. R’ Chaim looked at his watch. “Honored Rav,” […]
