Seeing G-dliness: A Collection of Chassidic Tales

The following article is an editorial transcript of stories from the alumni Farbrengen with Rabbi Yaakov Goldberg, which celebrated Hadar Hatorah Yeshivah’s historic milestone – its 50th anniversary – on Shabbos Parshas Naso, 5772.

The Imbecile

There was a very coarse unrefined Jew by the name of Moshke. Not only was he arrogant, all together not very nice, but he was simply an utter imbecile! One year, a strange desire overtook him. He wanted to be the one chosen to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Since he was very close to the poretz, the land baron, of the area, he decided to use this most powerful contact to materialize his craving. He didn’t seem to care too much for the fact that usually, the most respectable and virtuous Jew of the town gets this great honor. This year, he wanted to do it himself regardless of his questionable worthiness.

Moshke went to his friend the poretz and told him of his wish to blow the shofar in the shul on Rosh Hashanah. The poretz indifferently agreed to his friend’s request, although he couldn’t care less for his Jewish friend’s need for this ‘strange’ honor of blowing a shofar. Moshke then had the poretz sign a letter which decreed that Moshke will be getting the great honor of blowing the shofar this Rosh Hashana, then, he sent the letter to the Jewish community leader.

When the community leader received the signed letter from the poretz, he was dumbfounded. He immediately went to the rabbi of the town to seek his guidance.

He couldn’t fathom that an arrogant imbecile like Moshke would be given the rabbis’ honorable role on these most holy of days.

When the rabbi was shown the letter with the authoritative signature of the governing poretz, he just smiled and shrugged off the whole thing. He assured the community leader that all will be well, and instructed him to change nothing of the regular order of things.

When Rosh Hashanah came, Moshke came to the shul with his expensive extra long shofar, anticipating his great moment of glory.

When it was time to blow shofar however, to his utter amazement, the holy rabbi was summoned instead of him!

Surely they got the poretz’s letter, he thought to himself. He justified this blunder in his mind with the assurance that tomorrow, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, he will get the honor. When the second day came, again Moshke brought his fancy shofar and waited impatiently to be brought to the Bima, and in front of the whole community, sound his extravagant horn. To Moshke’s stupendous disappointment, the rabbi was called for again to blow the shofar for the community.

’I was supposed to be the one blowing the shofar. I was supposed to be the one blowing the shofar’, he kept saying to himself again and again, growing in rage, until his anger consumed him to such an extent that he vowed to punish the rabbi and the community leader for their blatant disrespect.

The day after Rosh Hashanah on Tzom Gedalya, the fast of Gedalya, the Rabbi and the community leader were called to attend an emergency meeting with the poretz. Moshke had gone to the poretz and informed him that the Jews in the shul completely disregarded the poretz’s letter, which demonstrating their disregard of his authority, the Jews therefore, should be punished.

When confronted, the rabbi smiled and said to the poretz, ‘Dear sir, with all due respect, I would like to take this opportunity to teach you a little about Judaism.

In the holiday season marking the beginning of the Jewish year, we blow the shofar on three different days, the first day Rosh Hashanah, second day Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. Seeing how highly regarded Moshke is in your eyes, esteemed baron, we wanted to honor him with the greatest honor, blowing shofar on Yom Kippur by Neila, the very last closing prayer.’

The poretz turned to Moshke and with an irritated voice said, ‘Moshke, you impatient horrid little Jew. See how they wanted to honor you and you are making such a fuss over nothing!‘

Moshke, with tears in his eyes, replied, ‘But baron, on Rosh Hashanah there are so many Tkias, blows, to make with the shofar, on Yom Kippur at Neila, there is only one blow!’

‘You stupid Jew!’, the poretz bellowed impatiently, ‘when you are given the chance and you have the shofar in your hands, nobody can stop you, Moshke, you can make as many blows as you like!’

**

When someone has the ‘shofar’ in one’s hands, when a person is given the privilege of speaking in front of an audience, the individual must realize that one cannot do and say as one pleases, a person cannot make as many Tkias, blows of the shofar, as he wishes at the Neila prayer when only one is called for…

The speaker has a big responsibility and an obligation to say the appropriate and correct things.

The Ink of a Farbrengen

There’s a story told about Rabbi David Halevi Segal, known as the TaZ, the Torei Zahav, the famous commentator of the Shulchan Orech. He got married to the daughter of the famed Rabbi Yoel Sikis known as the Bach, the Bayit Chadash, another great Shulchan Orech commentator about whom it’s said that when he passed away, Gehenom was cooled down so he would pass through to Heaven un inconvenienced.

For a living, the TaZ owned a store which his wife operated while he sat and learned. After some years, she requested that he help her in the store. He would come and help for a few minutes, a quarter of an hour or maybe even half an hour, and then he would disappear, going back to his studies.

His wife, at some point, confronted him about this phenomenon asking why is he omly helping her for such a small amount of time.

‘Why did you marry me?’ Asked the Torah giant. ‘Obviously I married you because you were considered an outstanding Illuy, Torah prodigy. That’s why I married you.’ His wife answered. ‘Well what is an Illuy? An Illuy is someone who can learn and master in a few minutes what it could take someone else learn well in a few hours. Well this also is the case with helping in the store, I can achieve in a few minutes more than others can in several hours!’.

Likewise with drinking in a Farbrengen, for me, drinking a small portion of L’chaim can achieve more than for some other people a whole bottle is necessary…

Dovid Hamelech, King David, says in Tehilim, Psalms, ’Leshoni Et Sofer’, my tongue is like a writers quill. Before fountain pens and ballpoint pens there where quills. Quills are writing utensils utilizing feathers that were sharpened at their ends and used ink to write. With a quill the writer had to dip the quill in the ink every so often to be able to continue to write.

So it is by Farbrengens as well, we must dip our tongue is some L’Chaim to moisten it a little so the words can come out, bypassing any barriers.

Just like without the ink it’s impossible to write, without a little L’Chaim, it’s difficult to get beyond the boundaries of oneself and bring the necessary words out on the table.

L’Chaim Uvracha!

More Precious than Pearls

A Rabbi who was trying to recruit students for his Yeshiva, traveled to some nearby towns and villages where he met many Jewish families whose children where not given the opportunity to learn Torah. One particularly bright boy of Bar Mitzvah age caught the rabbi’s eye. Attempting to impress upon him the importance of learning Torah, the rabbi told him that Torah learning is more precious than pearls. This boy was taken aback by this piece of information, and instantly enrolled in the Yeshiva.

This boy was so motivated by the rabbi’s words ’learning Torah is more precious than pearls’ that he learned with diligence, dedication and toiled for a whole decade! By this time, the once simple village boy became quite a Torah scholar, having developed his mind and heart to become a fine young man of high morals, a vast knowledge in Judaism and a refined pure character.

The rabbi took him aside in yeshiva one day and told him that since the boy now was of marriageable age (he was 23), it was time that his parents make a Shidduch, marriage arrangement, for him. Therefore he should go back to his parent’s village. The boy packed his belongings, and set out home bound.

On the way back to his parents, he stopped over by an inn. In the inn the boy started learning a complicated topic in Rambam which made him lose all sense of time until he satisfactorily settled the problem almost a week later.

At the end of his stay, he informed the innkeeper he will be leaving. The innkeeper, a simple observant Jew, presented the yeshiva student the bill which amounted to 1000 coins.

Upon seeing the bill, the student told the innkeeper he wanted to share with him what he had been laboring on for his entire duration in the inn. With the innkeepers permission, he started on an elaborate exposition.

The boy first mentioned what the Rambam had stated and then presented the Raved’s question on the Rambam. He introduced the Kesef Mishna’s answer to the Raved’s question which didn’t sit well with the boy because of a few variables which he shared. Then the boy continued to explain how he managed to answer the objection of the Ravvad and delivered an astounding Chidush, innovative explanation, that brilliantly settled all opinions which took the words of the Rambam, the Ravvaad and the Kesef Mishna to a much deeper level of understanding, a beautiful tapestry of thought.

After the delivery of the inspired discourse, the boy offered the innkeeper a unique deal. ‘ Dear innkeeper. I have just presented to you a most complicated Koshea, complex question, with a thorough comprehension of a few commentators as well as my original solution for this intricate subject which took me several days to learn and solve. Since you have presented me with the bill for my stay here in your cozy inn, I’d like to make you a special proposal.

I learned from my teacher that Torah study is more precious than pearls, and here I presented you with not one pearl, but a whole necklace of pearls, strung together by an organized original Torah insight. Surely, a strand of pearls costs at least 5000 coins. You are requesting of me 1000 coins. Since Torah study is worth more than pearls, I should charge you more than 5000 coins for listening to my words of Torah, however, I will only charge you 5000 as a discount. The 1000 you ask will be settled by your debt to me, and the rest, the remaining 4000 coins, you will give to me. Surely this is a fair exchange with a great incentive for you…’

Even though the innkeeper was a simple Jew who admired Torah scholars and appreciated hearing words of Torah, nevertheless he didn’t agree to this ‘business deal’. ‘I must say that your Torah words were very moving to me and I’ve never heard such inspiring teachings, however, I need real money. I can’t buy my necessities with your words.,’ said the innkeeper.

‘My dear innkeeper. I see that you drive a hard bargain. Listen, even though this is completely beneath it’s worth, I will give you the privilege of having listened to my Dvar Torah, Torah insight, as even exchange to my stay’s cost. My Torah presentation which surely is more precious than even pearls easily exceeds the worth of 5000 coins. However, I will let you have it for 1000 coins, the amount you are charging me. This is a deal of a lifetime. Have you ever heard of such a find?!’ The yeshiva scholar exclaimed in exasperation.

‘I’m sorry young rabbi, but you stayed here almost a week eating three meals a day. I really need actual money!’ Insisted the innkeeper.

Displeased, but out of no other choice, the boy took out the bag where he put the money his parents gave him, and paid his debt.

Proceeding on his journey, instead of going back to his parents home, he changed his course and traveled back to his yeshiva’s rabbi.

Completely disillusioned and depressed, the boy confronted the rabbi, telling him the whole story. After he went over the whole exchange with the innkeeper, he asked him weeping ‘rabbi, when I met you as a young boy you told me that the words of Torah are more precious than pearls. I studied so heard completely believing in what you had told me. How come the first experience I had coming out of the yeshiva seems to contradict your words. How come the innkeeper not only didn’t respect my words of Torah as something more precious than pearls, he didn’t respect them as even matching the price of pearls? In his mind, not even something the fifth of the price of pearls?’

The rabbi asked his student to come to his home where he would answer his question.

The rabbi lived in a house with a barn in the back of it, as many houses did in the village.

When they arrived at the rabbi’s home , the rabbi asked his wife to lend him her strand of precious pearls, which she did.

The rabbi then took his disenchanted student to the barn, where his animals lived.

The rabbi took the pearl necklace and proceeded to place it next to his cows head. The cow looked at the pearls grunting and mooing in a lazy song of apathy. After sniffing them, the cow just walked away. The rabbi then took the pearls and placed them in front of the sheep. The sheep glanced at the pearls momentarily, and immediately after glanced away focusing it’s concentration on something more to it’s liking.

The rabbi continued this experiment with the rest of his livestock, however the response was the same as the cow and the sheep, disinterest and indifference.

The rabbi, put the pearls away in his pocket, and then took some dirty moldy hay from inside the barn and faced the animals. When the animals saw the ’treasure’ in his hands, they all started getting excited making a lot of noise with each one pushing the other to gobble the hay from the rabbi’s hand.

After the rabbi let the livestock consume the hay in his hand, he walked over to his student who was watching the scene in the corner.

‘My dear student. The words I told you were, and are, 100% true, Torah learning is more precious than pearls. However even though pearls are really pearls it doesn’t change the fact that Behemas, animals, are just Behemas!’

Seeing G-dliness

A great revelation of Hashem occurred during Matan Torah, the giving over of the Torah, at Har Sinai, Mount Sinai.

It says that the Jews then ‘saw the sounds’, Roim Es Hakolos, and that they heard that that is usually seen. Interestingly, these refer to physicality and spirituality.

That which is only heard, something distant or concealed from eyesight which we only hear about, is likened to spirituality. Physicality and the material world is likened to that which we actually see.

On the occasion of Matan Torah, the Jews ‘saw the sounds’, which alludes to the fact that on that day Hashem, the spiritual realm which is usually hidden, was so revealed it was palpable, it was readily seen and recognizable to the naked eye, while the physical world and it’s boundaries, which are usually seen and are so familiar, seemed so foreign and distant, to such an extent that it was likened to something a person only hears about but hasn’t actually seen for themselves. In the first commandment of ‘Aseres Hadibros’, the ten commandments, Hashem exclaims saying ‘Anochi Hashem Elokecha’, I am Hashem your G-d!. Hashem reveals himself. The Jewish people clearly saw G-dliness!

But the second commandment seems like a strange put down. In the second commandment Hashem states ’Lo Yiheye Lecha Elokim Acherim Al Panai’, you shall have no other gods before me.

A logical question arises, if Hashem revealed himself to the Yidden so clearly, ‘I am you G-d’, why then command them not to serve idols? Why would they want to do such a low thing when they literally saw Hashem? Seemingly the command is futile and unnecessary.

The answer to this question is quite simple. The reason the Yidden were commanded not to worship idols, even though it might appear to be beneath them, is because Hashem wanted to warn them of possible situations that could arise when they descend back into the world, after the revelation of Hashem on Har Sinai.

During this climactic time when it’s visibly apparent that ’I am your G-d’ this warning might seem useless, however when the Yidden will go into the world, all of the sudden they might be mistaken and give importance to the material world and it’s distractions.

A person could be holding on the very highest levels where the individual might even have the clarity of ‘I am Hashem your G-d’, however, the world remains a place where the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination, doesn’t stop working, attempting to lure the individual to other pursuits and interests besides G-dliness, Elokim Acherim, other gods.

This idea is also reflected and reinforced in the Parsha of Naso. In the beginning and the end of the Parsha it speaks of the building of the Mishcan, the Taberacle, and the many duties and details it entails. However in the middle of it, the narrative stops and takes a tangent speaking of banishing ritually impure people from the camp and the laws of a Sota, a woman who has been promiscuous, only then to return to the Mishcan laws.

Why is there a split in the Parsha and what is the connection of these apparently vastly different topics?

To answer this question let’s go to the beginning of the Parsha which tells us of the tribes of the Leviim, Gershon and Merari. When the Jewish people journeyed, the Gershon family transported the Tabernacle tapestries, veils and coverings, while the Merari family carried its structural components, such as the beams, boards and pillars. They had the great privilege of dealing with the holy Mishcan on which G-d’s presence dwelled, nevertheless, Hashem is warning us that even though a person is involved in the holiest of endeavors, dealing with the Mishcan, even if the individual is someone of great distinction, he still must always be on guard. An impure person could spread contamination unto him and a person’s wife could behave in an inappropriate manner,, G-d forbid.

There is no guarantee. ( However, we are given some instructions and practical tips, distance yourself from impure people, get them out of your midst, and beware of wine/ alcohol consumption because it could lead to severely improper behavior.) Therefore you have to watch yourself. Be aware of any impurity even when you are busy with holy things so that you can rectify them.

Personally speaking, a person could ask a related question. How could it be that a person who went to yeshiva, a person who ‘saw G-dliness’ could act in a manner below his previous level to the extent that it might even appear like Haya Kelo Haya, it’s as if it never was, that it’s as if they never even went to yeshiva. Or how could it be that even though a person learned a Maamer, a Chasidic discourse, or after their Davening, afterwards, they put the Sefer or Siddur down and act in a manner that doesn’t completely reflect that which was learned or the prayer that was prayed, and is followed by delighting over a scrumptious delicious breakfast and chasing after other worldly desires and interests.

How is it that when a Jew who studied in yeshiva could find themselves in their office on 42nd st, or 34th st, or any street for that matter, and the billboards and streets get the person’s heart pumping and mind pulsing, the material world seems so real while G-dliness seems so very distant?

Even while a Jew is doing well spiritually and is on the level of seeing G-dliness ‘I am Hashem your G-d’, even if they are Bney Gershon VeMerari, the sons of Gershon and Merari involved in the holiest of work, they are still being warned ‘you shall have no other gods before me’ because a person should never be so assured of themselves with the notion that they are unsinkable in this world. Even though one moment you are ‘seeing G-d’, beware, the Yetzer Hara doesn’t ever stop, and attempts to make the person fall with other worldly traps. The physical world, with it’s many faces, strongly misleads by suggesting that besides Hashem there is something else, Elokim Acherim.

The story of the Rashbi, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, adds yet another dimension to this subject of ‘I am Hashem your G-d’ and ‘you shall have no other gods before me’.

In short: The Rashbi and his son hid in a cave for thirteen years, from the Romans, escaping a death sentence. During this time they were learning Torah day and night completely detached from the world. Miraculously, they didn’t have to worry about anything material.

They had the cave for shelter. They ate from the fruit of a carob tree that grew right by the cave which also had a refreshing spring by it from which they drank. They covered their bodies with sand during the week so as not to ruin their clothes, which they only wore on Shabbos and Yomim Tovim, holidays. In this manner, completely removed from the world, they catapulted to great spiritual heights during their stay in the cave. They are renowned for their unique lofty level of awareness of ‘I am Hashem Your G-d’ and ‘Ein Od Milvado’, there is nothing besides Him.

When the Roman king died and their decree was annulled, twelve years after initially escaping into the cave, they exited it. They were stunned to see people dealing with plowing and planting the earth. To them it was unfathomable to waste precious time on such mundane tasks. How could people neglect Torah study and deal with worldly concerns? Whatever they looked at was eaten by fire. A heavenly voice told them to go back into the cave saying ’Have you come out of the cave to destroy my world?’. They went back for another year. When they got out of the cave this second time, they had an entirely different perspective, they recognized the great value of the Jewish people who clung to Torah and Mitzvos despite the decrees and persecution of the Romans, while working ‘in the world‘.

Even though the Rashbi and his son were on an extremely high state of awareness of ‘I am your G-d’, during the extra year in the cave they developed an added understanding that despite the experience of being completely removed from the world, specifically by descending into the world and working with it, is crucial and important.

When they came out of the cave the second time around, the Rashbi and his son sought to help the Jewish people both physically and spiritually.

Hashem created the world to in order for us to settle it, ‘Lasheves Yatzra’, it is necessary to come out of ones ‘cave’ of ’seeing G-d’, and help the world all the while maintaining focus on G-d. We must toil within the world (with all of it‘s challenges, difficulties and hardships), yet, remain above it.

A vital thing to remember though, is that there are two loves existing that completely contradict each other, Ahavas Hashem, love for Hashem or, Ahavas Olam, the love of the world. Each one is juxtaposed against the other, and at every moment a person has to choose between the two, ‘I am Hashem your G-d’, Ahavas Hashem, or ‘Elokim Acherim’, Ahavas Olam…

Personal Matan Torah

When he first came to America, the famed Chasid, Itche the Masmid was shocked at what he saw. When asked about his experiences in this new land he exclaimed “They actually eat real hamburgers! Bepoal Mamash, in actuality!” People weren’t pretending or wishing to eat hamburgers that were almost impossible to get in Europe, they were actually doing it! Dreaming about doing something just isn’t enough…

It’s quite a fortuitous Hashgacha Pratis, Divine Providence, that we are gathered together on the Shabbos after Shavous, the holiday on which we celebrate receiving the Torah, celebrating the 50th year of the Hadar Hatorah Yeshivah, the worlds very first Baal Teshuvah yeshiva. It’s quite a tremendous milestone for a Mosad, institution, which has literally touched thousands of people over several generations.

We have here today people who learned in the Yeshivah over 40 , 30 years, 20 years ago etc. to our current students.

The yeshiva of Hadar Hatorah is a mother to many people. Just like with a mother who nurtures her child, so does Hadar Hatorah nurture it’s students, it’s children. Certainly at a certain point the child wants to separate more and more from his mother to grow independently and demonstrate how he doesn’t need mommy anymore. However, no matter what happens, the child is always the mothers child. Even after the mother passes away, you are required to remember her and say Kaddish.

However, remembering the past as important as it is, shouldn’t be the primary focus of an individual, Hamaseh Hu Haikar, the actual deed is the most important, what is the person doing now and what will they be doing in the future.

There is a Baal Teshuva in Memphis I met a few times visiting my son-in-laws’ Chabad house over the years who has kept reminding me of an analogy I gave him of doing Teshuvah, returning to one’s Jewish roots or advancing in ones spirituality.

The analogy is that of driving a car. There are two things a person looks at while driving, the windshield, which shows the driver what’s ahead, and the mirrors showing someone what is in back of them.

A person cannot drive properly if they were preoccupied with the mirrors showing what’s behind them, not only that but it could be dangerous, but rather they need to mostly look at what is ahead of them so they could get to their destination.

So too it is with life and with Judaism, sometimes it’s important to reflect back, but the great majority of the time, a person needs to look forward.

It’s not about where you have been as much as where you are going.

Along the same line, my father used to say regarding Shiduchim that you shouldn’t think of making a Shiduch, you should just make one.

G-d Centered

In today’s day and age there is a prevalent self centered attitude that manifests itself in many ways. A person easily judges everything using the words ’I like this’ or ’I don’t like this’. ‘This part I like’ while ‘that aspect I don’t care for’. This includes this Farbrengen, ‘I like this Farbrengan’, ‘I don’t like this Farbrengan’, ‘It bores me, I heard all this already’ or ‘he is funny, it’s entertaining for me, I like it!’.

The pursuit of self gratification puts all experiences on a scale measuring just how much of it is good for ‘me‘. The ‘I’ rules.

The obsession with oneself is so dominant that this self centered attitude even permeates child rearing. Parents ask the child for what they like at every step, aiding the child to lead the way instead of being taught and shaped by the parents.

This attitude is completely opposite of what Chassidus is all about!

This parenting /teaching method completely undermines the idea of Kabalas Ole, accepting the yoke of heaven, which requires doing things that sometimes a person might not ‘want‘ to do.

The backbone of Chasidus is Bitul Hayesh, the nullification of self, which practically means that a person doesn’t just do whatever they like when they like it, but rather an individual is trying to fulfill the Ratzon Haelyon, the supernal will of Hashem.

A key advice to rid oneself of such thinking is to ‘get out of oneself’.

Stop thinking about yourself and instead of being self centered become G-d centered.

Like it says, ’ Ani Nivresi Leshamesh Es Koni, I was created to serve my maker. The only reason a person is alive is not to ‘enjoy the world‘, but rather to serve Hashem.

Until a persons’ death, when their mission is complete, as long as a person wakes up in the morning, it means that their job isn’t complete and they are needed to do more.

We must always remember that we are on a special spiritual mission, a mission which should saturate our entire time here on earth.

Siyum HaShas

Rabbi Vishedski remarked one time that he wanted to become a millionaire so he went to work to achieve this desire. At first he was getting $100 a week, then $200. After some time he decided to quit this ambition since it was just too difficult. When asking him what did he do then, he answered that since working to attain his first million was too hard for him, he decided to work on his second million dollars!

One of our Alumni here told me that they are about to finish learning the Shas for the second time!

There are so many people that didn’t complete learning the Shas even once! Perhaps we could suggest for them to skip the first round and just jump right into learning it for the second time…

I just want to clarify and point out that the Shas isn’t yours to ‘finish’.

It’s one thing to learn the whole cycle, but quite another to walk away from the cycle with a certain haughtiness or egotistic attitude that one has finished learning the Shas, or that one has ‘completed it’.

Whether a person learns one Daf, or one Masechta, or the whole Shas, they should be conscious of the awesome fact that that they are learning and uniting with Chochmas Habore, the wisdom of the Creator.

The achievement of learning is connecting to Hashem, not to inflate one’s ego as a result of learning a certain amount.

The Rebbe states in the Hayom Yom of the 29th of Teves ‘Anan Poaley DeYemama Anan’, we are day workers.

The job of Chasidim is to continuously keep working at it and illuminating, adding the light of ‘day’, Torah & Mitzvos, to wherever we are. Unlike people who retire when they are done with work, move to Florida, and waste their days baking in the sun, Chasidim are never ‘done’.

It’s not up to us to ‘finish’ nor are we ever ‘finished’, we are assigned to keep working….

Hopefully soon, we will see with our own eyes that which is ‘heard‘ ( G-dliness), and hear about that which is ‘seen’ (physicality) in the coming of Mashiach in the Geula Hashlema, the complete redemption, where Hashem will be completely revealed.

***

Rabbi Yaakov Goldberg is an admired and beloved educator who merited to be called a Lamdan, a diligent scholar, by the Rebbe. He is the Rosh Yeshivah of Hadar Hatorah and a Meshiv in Tomchey Tmimim in 770 where he answers questions on all Shas and Halacha.

Hadar Hatorah is the world’s first Baal Teshuvah Yeshivah (for Jewish men with little or no formal background in Jewish knowledge or practice) literally transforming thousands of lives since its founding in 1962.

It offers full time and part time curriculums as well as shorter learning retreats such as Yeshivah Shabbos and the ten day Yeshivacation, both in Brooklyn (winter) and their Catskill Mountains campgrounds (summer). Telephone: (718) 735-0250, website: HadarHatorah.org

Rabbi Bentzion Elisha is an award winning photographer (ElishaArt.Com) and writer based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.