Training Oneself to Think Correctly
Training Oneself to Think Correctly While I was making my way from Lyon to Paris on behalf of meetings for our institutions, the train suddenly came to a screeching halt and remained rooted to its spot. I was in the midst of writing an essay regarding the righteousness of Sara Imeinu. Throughout her life, she […]
Seeing Is Believing
Seeing Is Believing Mr. Sidney Elchadad is one of the leaders of the Jewish community in Montreal, Canada. He is the principal of the Yavneh School, where children are educated in Torah and yirat Shamayim. The school outgrew their quarters, necessitating the purchase of a larger building. Mr. Elchadad found the perfect place, but the […]
Total Immersion in His Will
Total Immersion in His Will When I thought of the idea to build a kosher mikveh in Lyon, I did not have even the start-up funds for this mammoth project. The cost of such an undertaking was an astronomical six hundred thousand dollars! The fount of funding for this project was completely dry. Building the […]
The Puppeteer Pulls the Strings
The Puppeteer Pulls the Strings I was once in desperate need of a large amount of money, in order to purchase a temporary building for our institutions in Eretz Yisrael, until the permanent building in Ashdod was completed. I arranged a meeting with two philanthropists in chutz la’aretz for this purpose. I was distressed to […]
The Right Address
The Right Address A Jew who was marrying off his daughter came to me with a request for a loan of two thousand dollars in order to pay for wedding expenses. For personal reasons, I could not meet his request, and instead, offered him a gift of a considerable amount of money. He refused to […]
Caravans of Confidence
Caravans of Confidence The number of pupils in our Talmud Torah in Ashdod had grown significantly. The crowded conditions were crushing. At the beginning of the school year, I promised the principals that I would donate five caravans, in which the pupils could learn with peace of mind. I had been depending on a pledge […]
Trusting through Tranquility
Trusting through Tranquility It was an Erev Shabbat when my family was staying in Ashdod in Eretz Yisrael. The calendar showed the end of the month, the time when I was supposed to pay stipends to the two hundred and fifty young kollel men, who labor over Torah in our institutions in Eretz Yisrael and […]
The Depressing Debt
The Depressing Debt A man came to me with worry written across his face. As soon as he settled himself, he burst into bitter tears. I was wondering what great tragedy had befallen him. He cried for some long moments. When he finally composed himself, I gently asked what was troubling him so. He answered […]
Four for Faith
Four for Faith How happy was the man who informed me that he and his wife were blessed to be expecting a baby. But their blessing was not ordinary in the least. It was quadrupled, for his wife was expecting four babies! “After some testing,” he confided, his voice lowered and lacking some of its […]
Minding His Own Business
Minding His Own Business One of my students was the owner of a successful business in France. He employed many workers. Every morning, he would attend a shiur. The rest of the day he spent doing business. After some time, his business suffered a setback. He had to make budget cuts and was therefore forced […]
A Burdensome Responsibility
A Burdensome Responsibility One Shabbat, I spoke in the Beit Hakeneset about the middah of bitachon in Hashem. I said that it is crucial for us to constantly feel Hashem walking beside us. Our problems are His. All that we must do is cast our bundle upon Him and trust that He will bring salvation, […]
Sizing up My Faith
Sizing up My Faith The following incident is a lesson in faith and trust. The pasuk in Tehillim (9:11) says, “And those who know Your Name will trust in You, for You have not abandoned those who seek You, Hashem.” The story took place on a Motza’ei Shabbat, when I was scheduled to fly to […]
