Wrong Number, Right Message
Wrong Number, Right Message R’ Daniel Afriat always takes care of the grave of my grandfather, Rabbi Chaim Pinto, in Morocco. He does this with extreme devotion. May Hashem repay him appropriately. I once needed to speak to him. By mistake, I dialed the wrong number and ended up reaching Rav Daniel Peretz, shlita, his […]
The Tale of the Teller
The Tale of the Teller Stories of hashgachah pratit obligate us to recognize the Master of the world, Who manages it every moment of every day. The Rosh Yeshiva of Slobodka Yeshiva related this amazing account of Divine intervention. The story strengthened my faith in Hashem and His intervention in all areas of life. There […]
The Wonder Drug
The Wonder Drug The following incident happened to my secretary who accompanies me on my travels. We were on our way from France to Israel. Approximately one hour before take-off, my secretary suddenly discovered that he had left behind very important medication that he takes to lower cholesterol. Since this medicine can be purchased only […]
Getting the Message
Getting the Message Father, a”h, passed away on the 5th of Elul, 1985. I was in Morocco at the time, for the celebration of the Bar Mitzvah of the son of R’ Mordechai Knafo, my host there. During the evening of the Bar Mitzvah celebrations, I was overcome by a feeling of unease and foreboding […]
Songs of Salvation
Songs of Salvation The following story made waves throughout France and beyond, causing a tremendous kiddush Hashem. The Moyal family of France is very close with the Pinto dynasty. They are devoted participants in the hilula of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a, in Morocco. During one hilula ceremony, I wanted to speak with Mr. Moyal. I […]
Divine Intervention
“Hashem is in the abode of His holiness, Hashem’s Throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids examine mankind” (Tehillim 11:4) The Malbim comments on this pasuk that Hashem’s conduct of the world is at times revealed and at times hidden. An intelligent person can envision Hashem sitting in the holy Beit Hamikdash, […]
Warming Ourselves by the Hearth of Torah
Warming Ourselves by the Hearth of Torah I recently had the merit to resolve a difficulty of the Ba’al Hafla’ah in a specific sugya. I had learned this sugya thirty-five years earlier, as a yeshiva bachur, yet it remained fresh in my mind all these years, as though I had just learned it. I am […]
A Spiritually Satisfying Repast
A Spiritually Satisfying Repast In my parents’ home in Morocco, as in all Jewish homes of those days, throughout the Pesach holiday, we would satisfy ourselves with potatoes, matzah, and a bit of chicken. Those days did not see the plethora of foods available today, all with superior hechsherim. All of the assorted foods, cakes, […]
Hidden by Humility
Hidden by Humility A broken woman once came to me. With bitterness and pain, she related that her family did not have bread to eat or water to drink. Her children suffered from cold, hunger, and thirst on a daily basis. As if to prove her words, her son suddenly appeared, crying out to his […]
Furnishing the Soul
Furnishing the Soul A man once asked me to bless him with success for himself, his wife, and their sixteen children. As we spoke, he mentioned that his family lived in a three-room apartment. “How do you have enough room for such a large family in such small quarters?” I asked, in awe. “Honored Rav, […]
True Valuables
True Valuables When I was a child, I discerned Father’s abhorrence for money and all things materialistic. Father had a shoe box which he hid in his closet. In it, he kept his so-called fortunes. We children imagined untold wealth accumulating in that small box. Only Mother, may she live long, knew the truth. She […]
Happy with His Lot
Happy with His Lot I learned invaluable lessons from the wonderful lifestyle of my teacher, Rabbi Chaim Shmuel Lopian, zt”l. I witnessed how he was satisfied with the barest necessities, while living with great joy. It is difficult to believe that in our generation, there are still people who subsist in such simplicity. Rabbi Chaim […]
