Lomdei Torah Will Not Be Arrested for Now
I have much to report to you this week, even though it is the middle of the Three Weeks—or perhaps precisely because of that. Let’s begin with the topic of the draft crisis and its impact on bochurim and yungeleit throughout the country. If someone tries to tell you that the military police raided a yeshiva and took ten or twenty bochurim into custody, I can tell you right now that you should not believe them. That isn’t to say that it can’t happen; it is certainly a realistic scenario, especially as the attorney general continues pressing for more and more measures targeting bnei Torah. (Last week, she remembered that there are yeshivos for youths at risk, and she maliciously made sure to remind the Finance Ministry that their government funding, which is not part of the general budget for yeshivos, should be slashed as well.) However, this scenario can take place only in a few months. First, there is a series of events that must unfold.
For a yeshiva bochur to be classified as a deserter, he must first receive a draft order and ignore it. He will then receive another letter instructing him to report for registration and a medical examination. If he ignores that order as well, he will receive a third letter, this one warning him that he is about to be declared a deserter. This is known as a “tzav adom” (red order). If the bochur ignores this letter as well, an arrest warrant will be issued. At that point, theoretically, if he commits an infraction such as crossing the street at a red light and receives a ticket, or if he tries to leave the country at the airport, an officer might discover that he is listed as a deserter and summon the military police. In an even worse scenario, the military police might take the initiative of setting out to various places to track down and arrest deserters. And in the worst possible scenario, they might show up in yeshivos to carry out arrests. But while this is all entirely plausible, it isn’t an immediate concern. Even if the army sends out 50,000 draft notices today, it will take several months before anyone is actually declared a deserter.
You might be wondering, then, how it is possible that the army has already arrested a number of deserters, especially at the airport. This has little to do with the current situation and is simply because there are always deserters. Until the recent crisis erupted, every yeshiva bochur who received a draft order was required to appear at the draft office with a letter from the Vaad HaYeshivos confirming his status as a talmid in a yeshiva, whereupon he would receive a deferral of the draft for half a year. This procedure had to be repeated every six months until the candidate passed the age of military service. But there were always some bochurim who ignored their draft orders and disregarded the rabbonim’s warnings to take the matter seriously. These young men would receive multiple draft orders until they received the status of deserters, and then they would think that they would be able to leave the country without a problem.
At this point, it seems likely that Netanyahu will work to have a draft law passed as quickly as possible, perhaps even while the Knesset is in recess. He certainly does not want to remain dependent on a coalition with an exceedingly slim majority. And at this point, even if the chareidi parties do not vote against the government, it is clear that they are not in favor of the government.
In other news, there are conflicting reports about the status of the impending hostage deal. President Trump has said that he has reason to believe that ten hostages will be released very soon. In Israel, for some reason, the outlook seems to be pessimistic. Hamas appears to be confused and disjointed, with no one to take control of the situation. And there are increasing calls within Israel for the government to reject any deal that doesn’t bring all the hostages home. The situation is very sad and painful.
I could also write at length about Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who is becoming increasingly entangled in a web of legal woes. The ministerial committee discussing her dismissal received the court’s approval to continue its work, in spite of Baharav-Miara’s demand for the court to issue an interim order prohibiting any discussion of the matter. The committee then decided unanimously that she should be dismissed from her position. The next step is for the government to vote on the matter; however, the judge who heard the petitions against her dismissal, has already announced that the government’s decision will not take effect until it is reviewed by the court.
Another major news story deals with America’s decision to begin investigating the funding received by left-wing organizations in Israel fighting against Netanyahu. This story seems to be in its infancy, and I am sure that there are many more surprises in store.
But let’s move on to some more detailed discussions of the latest events.
Hopes Dashed as Violence Erupts in Syria
It sounds like a fantastic scenario that couldn’t be conjured up by anyone’s wildest imagination, but it is also what is happening before our eyes: Israel is fighting against Syria. Not only has this improbable scenario come to pass, it also took place with startling rapidity.
It all began with clashes between Bedouins and Druze in the area of Suweida. After the violence led to dozens of deaths, the new Syrian government decided to intervene and sent military forces to the area, and Israel responded by sending in its tanks.
Until just recently, optimists had been envisioning a peace agreement between Israel and Syria being signed on the White House lawn, with President Trump proudly presiding over the event as he prepared to receive his Nobel Prize. However, this dream seems to have evaporated. While President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s new regime in Syria has been obeying Trump and seeking his friendship, and while al-Sharaa was not opposed to peace with Israel, and some officials in his government even met last week with Israeli officials in Europe, the warming of ties between the two countries seems to have been suddenly aborted.
Why did Israel become involved in the massacre of Druze? I am reminded of Menachem Begin’s resentful comment at the time of the massacre in Sabra and Shatila, “Goyim are killing goyim, and they are blaming the Jews.” In this case as well, Israel found itself in the middle of a clash between two non-Jewish forces. The hostilities began with Syrian Bedouins murdering Druze citizens of Syria, which triggered Israel’s involvement because of the large community of Druze in Israel who consider themselves brothers of the Syrian Druze. The Israeli Druze hurried to aid their brethren, and hundreds of them crossed the border into Syria. Israel, as a state, was unable to refrain from defending its Druze citizens, which made it necessary to protect the Syrian Druze as well. The Israelis stayed on the sidelines for a few days, until it became clear that the violence was growing as the number of fatalities in the battles reached 350, including 30 Druze who were executed in cold blood. It was also revealed that the soldiers serving Syria’s new president, who was presumed to be a moderate, had taken part in the violence as well.
The Israeli Druze appealed to the entire world to come to the aid of their brethren, who were being massacred in Syria. When they received no response, the Druze in Israel began crossing the border to assist their brethren, carrying live weapons with them. Hundreds of Druze also crossed the border from Syria to Israel to escape the area of the hostilities. Israel launched a military intervention to trigger a ceasefire, and in the middle of last week, the new Syrian regime sent reinforcements to the area in an effort to put an end to the fighting. A statement released by the Syrian defense minister revealed that military units had been deployed in the area and that a “secure corridor” was being opened for citizens who wished to escape from the danger zone. Regardless of whether al-Sharaa was aware of it, many people joined the battle and sided with the Bedouin against the Druze.
America Promotes Ceasefire in Syria
The escalation began when the Syrian government announced a curfew in the area. After al-Sharaa’s forces entered the city, Prime Minister Netanyahu held an emergency phone conference with Defense Minister Yisroel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The Israelis feared that al-Sharaa’s government might harm the Druze and take their weapons. Netanyahu and Katz later released a joint statement: “We have instructed the IDF to immediately attack the regime forces and weaponry that entered the Suweida area of the Druze Mountain in Syria, in violation of the demilitarization policy that prohibits introducing troops or weapons that would endanger Israel into the area of southern Syria.” This means, in a nutshell, that Israel viewed the Syrians’ military actions as a direct threat to itself as well. According to this statement, Israel was obligated to prevent harm to the Druze in Syria due to the profound alliance between Israel and its own Druze population, with its familial and historical ties to the Syrian Druze, while also ensuring that the area adjacent to the Israeli-Syrian border remained secure.
On Wednesday evening, after the attempts to broker a ceasefire in Syria were unsuccessful, the Israeli air force attacked the entrance to the headquarters of the general staff of the Syrian regime in the vicinity of Damascus. According to Syrian reports, Israel used an unmanned aerial vehicle to attack a building in Damascus belonging to the Syrian ministry of defense. The IDF later announced that over 160 attacks had been carried out, mainly against targets in Suweida and Damascus, including a direct hit on Syrian soldiers and an air strike in the heart of the capital city. “We have witnessed very difficult sights, tremendous cruelty, and murder,” Israel announced. “We have been monitoring al-Julani’s regime [al-Sharaa’s nickname] for a long time. These are former ISIS terrorists, and they haven’t changed.” The Israeli air strikes targeted tanks, rocket launchers, armed vans, and roads used by regime forces in southern Syria.
Al-Sharaa responded, “The Israeli entity is trying to turn our territory into a scene of chaos. The Syrian nation will always be prepared to fight for its honor. We are the people of this land, and we are capable of overpowering the Israeli efforts. We are eager to bring to justice anyone who harmed our Druze citizens.” He continued denouncing Israel, accusing the country of causing the situation to deteriorate. “Since the previous regime fell, Israel has been trying to dismantle Syria,” he said. “We have decided to make local sects and sheikhs responsible for preserving security in the region. To preserve our national security, we have chosen not to be dragged into fights.”
But the story does not end there. No one could have expected President Turmp to sit in silence and simply accept the strikes and fatalities in Sria, especially since he has recently been behaving like a brother to Netanyahu and a father to al-Sharaa. Sure enough, Trump called on both sides to stop attacking each other, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio invested “hours of diplomatic talks,” which, he claimed, yielded agreements on measures that would bring the situation in Syria to an end. The Israelis aren’t exactly calm about the situation; they are convinced that al-Sharaa feels that he is close enough to Trump to allow him to take too many liberties. For the time being, however, a measure of calm has been restored. But this story illustrates the lightning speed with which events can change in Israel.
Trump Angered by Attack on Church; Netanyahu Apologizes
Last week, I mentioned that two Palestinians had been killed at the end of a clash with Israeli settlers, and since one of them was an American citizen, I feared that the incident would lead to a wave of venomous propaganda against Israel. As it turns out, that isn’t exactly what happened. Ambassador Mike Huckabee revealed that he had “firmly requested” that Israel investigate the death of “the Palestinian American who was beaten to death in the village of Sinjil, near Ramallah.” Huckabee added, “There must be justice for this criminal act of terrorism.” Meanwhile, the American victim’s family called on the State Department to open an immediate investigation. The victim had lived in Florida, where he was born and raised, and his family insisted on justice. “He was cruelly beaten to death while defending his family’s land from settlers attempting to steal it,” they said. “The settlers who killed him must be brought to justice for their crimes.” A spokesman for the State Department said to the Israeli media, “Guaranteeing the security of American citizens abroad is of paramount importance to us.”
Meanwhile, President Trump personally weighed in on another incident in Israel. On Thursday, he called Netanyahu following an IDF strike in Gaza that caused damage to a church and led to the deaths of three civilians while injuring ten others. The White House press secretary, who was questioned about this incident, responded, “The president did not react positively…. I understand that the prime minister agreed to publicize a statement that the Israelis were mistaken in attacking this Catholic church. That is what the prime minister told the president.” Indeed, immediately after that conversation with Trump, Netanyahu announced publicly, “Israel deeply regrets the strike on a church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful. We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of consolation. Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protect civilians and holy sites.”
An IDF spokesman reported, “According to an initial probe following the reports of injuries at a church in the city of Gaza, it has been determined that shrapnel from a mortar fired during a military operation inadvertently struck the church. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The IDF directs its attacks at military targets only and acts as much as possible to limit the harm to civilians and religious structures. The IDF regrets any damage that occurred unintentionally.”
Shock in Israel: The Ambassador Comes to the Court
As it turns out, Ambassador Huckabee is a highly active diplomat who immediately aligns himself with his president’s agenda. This Shabbos, he visited the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, which is east of Ramallah, near Yerushalayim. At the end of this unusual visit, Huckabee wrote, “Taybeh is a quiet village home to many American citizens that has suffered from vandalism, including arson at an ancient church. Desecrating a church, mosque or synagogue is a crime against humanity and G-d.” The ambassador added, “I work for all American citizens who live in Israel—Jewish, Muslim or Christian. When they are terrorized or victims of crime, I will demand that those responsible be held accountable with real consequences.” He thanked village officials for giving him the opportunity to get a firsthand look at some of the damage, which they attributed to extremist settlers.
Meanwhile, Huckabee stunned the country of Israel last Wednesday when he showed up at the courtroom where another day in Netanyahu’s trial was about to begin. As soon as he entered the room, dozens of reporters swarmed around him, and Huckabee said with a smile, “I have come to see what is going on here.”
The sensational nature of the scene cannot possibly be overstated. A foreign ambassador had come to a courtroom to show solidarity with the defendant in a criminal case—in this case, Netanyahu. Moreover, Huckabee came equipped with a prop—a Bugs Bunny doll. Two weeks earlier, in a bizarre scene that unfolded in the courtroom, Netanyahu had been questioned about how, when, and for how much money Arnon Milchan had paid for such a doll he bought in Manhattan for Yair Netanyahu when he was a child. Rumor has it that this line of questioning was what elicited Trump’s outrage over the ludicrous trial. In any event, Huckabee entered the courtroom, created a major stir by virtue of his very presence, and had his picture taken along with the prime minister in the courtroom. He left fairly quickly, even before he had a chance to hear that the hearing was hastily declared a closed session (for security reasons), which forced the rest of the audience to leave the courtroom as well. The ambassador later released a brief message: “I dropped in to the trial of the prime minister of Israel in Tel Aviv today. My conclusion is that Donald Trump is right. Again.”
To be fair, Huckabee’s appearance shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone. Shortly before his visit to the courtroom, he had attended a public event in Tel Aviv where he said, “I am going to visit the Netanyahu trial. It will be interesting to witness it. I would say that it is unusual for a prime minister to be on trial during a war and during negotiations over hostages.” When asked if his visit to the courtroom was on Donald Trump’s request, Huckabee said, “The president has made his position clear. That is something personal for him. He considers the prime minister to be a friend.”
Of course, Netanyahu’s enemies voiced harsh criticism of Huckabee’s involvement, and some even called for him to be expelled from Israel.
In any event, the time has come for me to write a bit more on the subject of Netanyahu’s trial. This week, Netanyahu managed to avoid the hearings due to a stomach ailment. But I will report on the subject at greater length in the near future, bli neder.
A Sefer Torah for Special Children
Last Wednesday, I attended an unusual and moving event at the Special Children’s Center in Beitar Illit, which is managed by the Belev Echad organization. This event celebrated the beginning of work on a new sefer Torah, in which every letter is a manifestation of tefillos and hopes for a brilliant future for the children served by the organization. The work on the sefer Torah began in the building constructed by the organization in Beitar Illit, which provides everything that the children need. The sefer Torah will be kept in the building that is the flagship project of this organization founded by Dovid Weitman. This institution serves as a beacon of light for dozens of children and young adults with special needs, providing them with a therapeutic environment and educational programming around the clock. This enables children struggling with complex challenges to receive not only the medical and physical care that they need, but also things that cannot be bought with money: endless love, human warmth, a sense of belonging, and a supportive family environment.
Before You Are a Kanai, You Must Know Shas
Kanaus—intense religious fervor and zeal—has been one of the themes of the recent parshiyos. I have always been amazed by the people whose hearts burn with the fervor of kanaus, by their passion and blazing desire for the highest standards of spiritual accomplishment. For instance, this week, we were informed that Rechov Haneviim in Yerushalayim was repaved in a fashion that makes it possible for kohanim to walk down the street without concern of exposure to tumah. I wasn’t exactly aware of the problem or familiar with the details, but I have no doubt that this development will be a source of relief for kohanim. This is the type of kanaus that deserves to be praised.
In recent times, kanoim have been rallying to defend ancient kevorim in Yehud. Distinguished rabbonim from every circle have joined their protests. I admire the people who travel there and protest the desecration of graves at great risk to themselves. The violent behavior of the security guards there must be condemned. The guards have been ruthlessly beating the protestors as if they live in a lawless society. And these men aren’t even police officers (which is not to say that violence is permitted to the police). One of the guards was caught on video inciting a dog to attack the protestors, a sight that I found chilling. I found myself thinking back to a time when I brought a puzzle to my late parents’ home with a picture of a large but affable-looking dog on the cover. When my mother saw it, she was aghast. “How can you buy something like that?” she demanded. “Don’t you know that dogs like that one ripped our flesh in Auschwitz?”
It is sad indeed that an incident in Eretz Yisroel in the year 5785 reminds me of Auschwitz in the year 5705.
Let me add one more insight about kanaus: Many years ago, I accompanied Rav Chanoch Karelenstein to an event held in the Toldos Aharon bais medrash. The Toldos Aharon Rebbe was somehow made aware of Rav Chanoch’s presence, and when he retired to his office to rest at some point during the event, we were invited inside to meet with him. The Rebbe and Rav Chanoch had a friendly conversation, mostly speaking in learning, and at one point I remarked, “Rav Chanoch is a great kanoi.”
The Rebbe responded, “That is the type of kanai we need to have. Zeal without knowing Shas isn’t real kanaus. A person may be a kanoi only after he has learned the entire Shas.”
Six Thousand Laws Placed on the Table
The Knesset is about to begin its summer recess amid a cloud of uncertainty. At this point, there is a chance that a new election will be announced immediately after Sukkos, and the members of the Knesset will begin packing their bags right away. But despite the uncertain future of the 25th Knesset, its members have continued introducing new bills as if nothing has changed. This week, 61 new bills were placed on the Knesset table, with identification numbers ranging from 5979 to 6040. This means, quite simply, that over 6000 laws were placed on the table during the 25th Knesset’s term. And let me point out that placing a law on the table is merely the very beginning of a long process. After a bill has been introduced, it takes 45 days before it can be brought to a vote. And since every party has a quota of bills that it can submit at any given time, the chances of the latest bills being brought to a vote would be virtually nil even if the current Knesset remained in power for two more years!
Putting that aside, one cannot fail to recognize two particularly diligent Knesset members: Eliyohu Bruchi was responsible for eight of the 61 new bills introduced this week, and Eitan Ginsburg introduced another sixteen. But does either of them believe that any of their bills will be passed into law? With regard to Ginsburg, one can at least understand his enthusiasm, since he was sworn in to his position just last week and entered his job full of vigor. (Ginsburg replaced Gadi Eizenkot, who just resigned from the Knesset, presumably in preparation for launching a new party either on his own or together with Naftoli Bennett). Eliyohu Bruchi, on the other hand, was a “Norwegian” member of the Knesset, one of the group of MKs who will vacate their Knesset seats due to the return of the members of UTJ who just stepped down from their ministerial posts (Goldknopf, Porush, Maklev, and Tessler). Along with Bruchi, Moshe Roth and Yitzchok Pindrus will likewise be leaving the Knesset. And once he steps down, all the bills he introduced will immediately be voided. If his colleagues had signed the bills along with him, at least his work wouldn’t be going to waste. Whenever a member of the Knesset leaves the parliament, all of his initiatives are immediately canceled, including any bills in the legislative pipeline; however, if the bills were signed by other MKs, then his colleagues can continue his work after his departure. In short, it is a shame that Bruchi is leaving the Knesset and it is a shame that his bills do not bear other signatures, since many of those proposed laws are worthy measures indeed, such as a law that would grant free admission to national sites to newlywed brides and grooms. Equally unfortunate is the fact that the Knesset will now be losing a couple of important voices from the Shas party as well; Erez Malul and Simon Moshiashvili, who occupy seats in the Knesset by virtue of the Norwegian Law, will be departing as well, now that the Shas ministers are resigning from their positions in the government.
Who Can Put a Blue Light on the Roof of a Car?
There is a common perception that the Knesset does not accomplish much; however, that is a misconception that I would like to debunk. While the media tends to report mainly on the screams and shouts traded by Knesset members, there is much more to the proceedings there. The Knesset’s work ultimately results in things that affect us, on both an individual and a communal level. For instance, Ayman Oudeh could have been ejected from the Knesset if the impeachment process had succeeded—and it failed only because UTJ came to his assistance, and Yesh Atid then decided that they would likewise not support the impeachment. A total of 73 Knesset members supported the bid to impeach him, however, and the critical threshold of 90 votes was far off. And if the draft law is passed—which we all hope will happen—then we will all breathe a sigh of relief, and the implications will be massive. Again, the Knesset’s work should not be underestimated.
Yes, there are times when the Knesset seems to be focusing on trivial matters. For instance, this week the Knesset Economy Committee discussed the blue lights – the Israeli version of the American red lights – that are attached to the roofs of cars driven by police officers, emergency responders, various security personnel, and even government ministers. It turns out that the members of the Knesset were interested in this perk as well, and the committee was tasked with defining who is entitled to use the blue lights, which make it possible for a motorist to neatly cut through a traffic jam.
On the other hand, I visited the Education Committee this week while it discussed the tribulations faced by the Shuvu school in Chadera, and it seems that MKs Taieb, Gafni, and Sova will be able to use their authority to prevent the municipality of Cholon from closing the school. An unusual scene unfolded during the committee session: A group of mothers who cannot be described as chareidi, to say the least, burst into biter tears over the prospect of their children being denied a Jewish education. Once again, it seems that there can be benefit from a discussion in the Knesset.
Meanwhile, the National Security Committee discussed the law proposed by Eliyohu Bruchi and his colleagues to prohibit the use of water cannons with skunk water by the police. At some point, it would be valuable to quote that discussion at great length. The information presented to the Knesset simply defied belief. It was amazing, although perhaps not surprising, that Israel is the only country in the world where the foul-smelling skunk water is used, and is almost the only country to use water cannons with ordinary water to disperse riots. It was painful to see how the police ignored a series of critical questions, such as whether anyone had investigated the physical and psychological damage caused to people who are stuck by water cannons. This bill was placed on the table by a large number of Knesset members (Har-Melech, Ben-Ari, Lasky, Tibi, Lazimi, and others), and all of them copied it from Uri Maklev, who first came up with the idea. Once he became a deputy minister, Maklev was barred from introducing new legislation, but his colleague in Degel HaTorah, Eliyohu Bruchi, took up the challenge. The bill, which was approved in its preliminary reading and is now being prepared for its first reading, requires the police to use cameras to document their activities and prohibits the use of skunk water. In a rare gesture, MK Tzvika Fogel, who was chairing the session, allowed Bruchi to lead the discussion in the Knesset even though he wasn’t yet a member of the Knesset that day. As of now, Bruchi has become a non-member once again, but Uri Maklev has reclaimed his seat and can continue advancing the bill. Once it becomes a law, it will have a direct effect on every demonstrator in the country
Ofer Cassif Banished from Knesset for Two Months
Ayman Oudeh wasn’t the first member of his party to face impeachment. His colleague Ofer Cassif was nearly impeached as well. But while Cassif was spared from outright dismissal, he received a severe penalty from the Knesset Ethics Committee (which was headed until recently by MK Moshe Roth of Agudas Yisroel). The Ethics Committee has the power to impose many punishments on the members of the Knesset, ranging from a simple reprimand (which is basically meaningless) to distancing a legislator from the Knesset and even docking his pay. And when the penalty affects an offender’s pocket, he tends to take notice.
The Ethics Committee recently released decisions regarding five members of the Knesset, one of whom was Ofer Cassif. Cassif received a severe and almost unprecedented punishment: He was banned from the Knesset for 60 days, with his salary docked for the entire period. Since the Knesset is about to begin its recess, the Ethics Committee decided that the punishment will begin on the day the Knesset returns to work after Sukkos, meaning that Cassif will be banned from the Knesset from October 19 until December 19. This is the second time that Cassif has been distanced from the Knesset, although the first penalty did not extend for such a long period of time. This time, the committee found Cassif guilty of severe breaches of ethics, in part due to his equating the situation in Gaza with the Holocaust, calling for soldiers to refuse to obey orders, and repeatedly equating the soldiers of the IDF and the Israeli government with perpetrators of genocide. The committee added in its decision that if Cassif violates the rules of ethics again, he will be sanctioned immediately.
However, this was not the end of the story. As it turns out, a Knesset member has the right to appeal a decision of the Ethics Committee to the Knesset speaker, who is required to include the appeal on the Knesset’s daily agenda. Cassif will then have the right to address the Knesset for five minutes in an effort to convince them to overturn the committee’s decision, and a representative of the committee will be given five minutes to explain the decision. (The committee will not be represented by Moshe Roth, who is no longer a member of the Knesset as I explained before.) Once the two speeches have been delivered, the Knesset will take a vote. And if Cassif’s appeal is rejected there, he has the right to take it to the Supreme Court—which is something that he will almost certainly do.
Memories of Rav Benzion Abba Shaul
Last week marked the yahrtzeit of Rav Benzion Abba Shaul, who passed away on 19 Tammuz 5758. Rav Benzion was a very interesting person whom I had the privilege of meeting on several occasions. He was opposed to voting in the Knesset elections, but he served as a member of the presidium of the Shas party’s network of Talmudei Torah. Rav Ovadiah Yosef was his neighbor on Rechov Chana, and the two illustrious rabbonim, in their younger years, used to walk to Yeshivas Porat Yosef together every day, learning together on the way. “Rav Benzion Abba Shaul was a man of many accomplishments,” Rav Ovadiah once related. “He possessed all the positive middos in the world, especially humility. We were neighbors in the same building, number 8 Rechov Elkanah, where my children would play with the neighborhood children. One Friday afternoon, a child threw a sharp stone at my son Avrohom, which cut his lips, and he needed to have stitches, but I was completely unaware of the incident. Rav Benzion came downstairs and saw that he was bleeding, and he immediately took hold of him, lifted him onto his shoulder, and brought him to Bikur Cholim Hospital, where he was treated. Meanwhile, I knew nothing about this, even though it was my son who was injured. He could have come to me to tell me what had happened to my son, but he did not do so; instead, he took my son on his own and saw to it that he was treated and cared for until Shabbos, at which point he had to walk home on foot. Finally, when he arrived together with my son, who was feeling better at that point, he informed me that all was well. Who else could be so humble? He knew that I was learning, and he did not want to disturb me.”
This week, I visited the bais medrash of Kollel Ohr Leah in the neighborhood of Geulah, a Torah empire that was established by Rav Eliyohu Cohen in the bomb shelter near the Avichayil bakery. During the day, dozens of Sephardic yungeleit sit in this bais medrash and sustain the world. At night, it also serves as the venue for chessed distributions arranged by Ohr Leah. Rav Cohen once revealed to me that his massive operation would never have taken form without the encouragement of Rav Benzion Abba Shaul. This week, in honor of Rav Abba Shaul’s yahrtzeit, Rav Eliyohu and his group put together thousands of school supply packages for the beginning of the upcoming school year. Each of these packages contains dozens of items and will surely be a financial boon and an emotional boost to the recipients, as the impoverished families will be warmed by the knowledge that someone cares about them.
I asked Rav Eliyohu to share one of his recollections about Rav Benzion, and he said, “He gave me practical guidelines for chessed work. First, he told me to try to ensure that the goods we distribute are appropriate and significant in volume. Second, we are to make sure that we are kind and gracious to our beneficiaries. And finally, we must make every effort to ensure that none of the recipients suffer embarrassment.”
