Under Hashem’s Watch
Under Hashem’s Watch It was the evening of the hilula in Morocco. My watch was broken, so I turned to my companion, R’ Mordechai Knafo and asked if he happened to have a spare one that I could borrow. He replied in the negative, but suggested that I pray for Hashem to send me a […]
A Charitable Dream
A Charitable Dream Mr. Marciano of Paris is always supportive of Torah institutions. He contributes to their upkeep most generously. He told me that the night before the hilula of my holy grandfather, Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a, this tzaddik appeared to him in a dream and reproached him with the following: “It is not enough […]
Pinto Police Protection
Pinto Police Protection The following incident transpired in the 1980’s, but was allowed to be publicized only recently. At the hilula of the tzaddik, Rabbi Chaim Pinto, it was told before thousands. It touched the people there in a deep way and caused a kiddush Hashem. The man who recounted the story was a retired […]
Gifts of Good Deeds
Gifts of Good Deeds I was once present at the azkarah of a woman who had died young. I spoke to the public and said, “We have gathered to pay tribute at the hilula of this woman. The word hilula is connected to the word chatunah. At a wedding, the chatan and kallah become one. […]
Fighting the Forces of Evil
Fighting the Forces of Evil For many years, the home of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a, in Essaouira, Morocco, was in dire need of renovations. It was old and crumbling. Finally, in the year 2008, extensive renovations were made, at the cost of close to 150,000 dollars. Since everything was finished by Elul, it was decided […]
Lost and Found
Lost and Found Mrs. Georgette Elkayam, a family relative, told me the following story about the Ben-Muchah family from New York. On one of their visits to Eretz Yisrael, they stayed at a hotel in Haifa. One day, Mrs. Ben-Muchah discovered, much to her dismay, that her very expensive camera, as well as a good […]
Taking a Gamble
Taking a Gamble One year, the hilula of Rabbi Chaim Pinto was on a Sunday. We spent the preceding Shabbat in Mogador, Morocco. It was an especially elevating Shabbat. The atmosphere was uplifting and saturated with holiness. All who participated felt that their spiritual batteries had been recharged. For some reason, one of the participants […]
Yosef’s Dream
Yosef’s Dream During the hilula for Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a, in Morocco, Rabbi David, shlita, had a dream. He was informed of various details regarding Eretz Yisrael and different events which would occur there. He kept the matter to himself for the next few days. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, he related the […]
Flying High
Flying High Many Jews in France suffer tremendously from anti-Semitism. The tax authorities often irrationally accuse them of tax evasion. These unfortunate souls are then tried in court, where they are unreasonably sentenced to prison terms. Mr. Ochayon alone in the airplane This was what happened to Mr. Ochayon, a French acquaintance of mine. He […]
Foreign Exchange
Foreign Exchange Mr. Shlomo Asseraf, z”l, was related to my host in Morocco, R’ Mordechai Knafo, may he live long. Mr. Asseraf would participate in the hilula for the tzaddik, Rabbi Chaim Pinto, zy”a, in Morocco, together with his entire family. He would generate enthusiasm, arousing the throngs in prayer and celebration. One year, the […]
Hilula
Rabbi Abba bar Avina asks, “Why is the parashah of Miriam’s death written immediately after the parashah of the Red Heifer? To teach that just as the ashes of the Red Heifer atoned for sin, so does the death of the righteous atone.” Rabbi Chiya bar Abba says, “Aharon’s sons died on the first of […]
Exchanging the Cloth for the Fabric of Judaism
Exchanging the Cloth for the Fabric of Judaism A priest, the son of a priest, used to propagandize, morning and evening, about the wonderful religion of Christianity and its remarkable leaders. But he did not practice what he preached. Somewhere inside him, he was uneasy with the whole thing. Various questions arose regarding the Creation […]
