Tragedies Rock the Country During Bein Hazemanim

It has been two weeks since we last met on the pages of this newspaper, and I have much to tell you. Of course, one of the top news stories these days is the upcoming election, which is drawing steadily closer as the competition heats up between the various parties. However, that is perhaps a secondary issue right now. Bli neder, I will write more about it next week. For now, we are turning our attention to the month of Elul, which lies immediately ahead of us.

But even as we look toward the future, we cannot help but reflect on the immediate past. Sadly, this year’s bein hazemanim has brought a series of tragedies: People drowned at the beaches, fell from heights, or were killed in traffic accidents or even household accidents. There was a baby boy who choked to death, a baby girl who drowned in a private pool, a young boy who drowned in a river, and a small boy who died of heat stroke after being forgotten in a hot car. It seems as if this year’s bein hazemanim has been marred by more tragedies than ever before. Not all of the tragedies are connected to bein hazemanim, but many of them are. And since Klal Yisroel is like a single unit, every death of an individual Jew brings terrible pain and grief to all of us.

It is no secret that the gedolei Yisroel have always warned us to exercise special caution during bein hazemanim, especially because of the general laxity in Torah learning that naturally manifests itself during this season. I have always felt that the reduction in Torah learning is countered by the increase in chesed performed during these days. Countless chesed organizations are especially active during the vacation period, when they organize events for the benefit of the sick or disadvantaged. I have personally witnessed the accomplishments of two of these organizations, which left me dazzled. Mesugalim, an organization that supports families of children with autism, organizes special vacation programs for the children during this period. Every child in the program is assigned an individual counselor, and some of the children even receive two counselors! With hundreds of children registered for these programs, this means that hundreds of yeshiva bochurim and seminary students volunteer to serve in this capacity, freely giving up their own vacations so that the children’s families can have a few days of respite when they can breathe more easily. Mesugalim was founded by my friend Avi (Avrohom) Mimran, who is commonly known as “Itzik’s father.” His own son, Itzik, suffers from a severe case of autism and is profoundly low-functioning. Mimran is a remarkable tzaddik who has been spurred by his own experiences to help many others.

The second event I attended this year was the annual event held by B’Lev Echad, the organization founded by Dudi Weitman to support hundreds of families of sick children. B’Lev Echad provides programs, vacations, and various events throughout the year and even maintains a special facility in Beitar Illit, but I am referring specifically to its annual summer event. Chazal teach us that anyone who has a sick family member in his home should ask a talmid chochom to daven for them; I would add that his next step should be to approach B’Lev Echad and ask to be included on the list of recipients of their prodigious chesed. I have long been astounded by B’Lev Echad’s activities. Every year, the summer event is even more outstanding and on a grander scale than the year before. At the beginning of bein hazemanim, they held the “greatest summer event in the world for special children and their families,” which the families have been eagerly awaiting since last Rosh Hashanah. There were hundreds of children there, and every child with special needs pointed proudly to the family members who were permitted to attend the event because of him (or her). There were also hundreds of counselors and volunteers, and the event featured musical performances by Amram Adar, Benny Laufer, the Neshomah choir, and Shmulik Sukkot. It was a fantastic experience. At some point, dozens of children were invited to the stage to sing with Sukkot, leaving them in a visible state of ecstasy. Not many people are aware of the immensely complex logistical coordination required for such an event, including collaboration with the police, who insisted on keeping the audience off the stage. When the gates were opened and the children were invited onto the stage, it was a nightmare for the security team, but it was also a shining moment for B’Lev Echad and a dream come true for dozens of children. It is chilling to think of how many ill or needy people walk among us while we are often completely unaware of their travails. B’Lev Echad and the many other such organizations deserve tremendous appreciation for all that they have done to ease the burdens of many beleaguered families.

Heartfelt Prayers in Meron

In light of the recent string of tragedies and hardships, a number of leading chassidish rebbes called on the public to travel to Meron on erev Rosh Chodesh Elul and to daven at the kever of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai for Hashem to put an end to His people’s suffering.

I can personally bear witness to this. I spent a day in Tzefas during bein hazemanim; in fact, I made the trip for the purpose of interviewing two people for this newspaper. On the way, I stopped at the kever of Rabi Meir Baal Hanes in Teveria for Mincha and Maariv, and I witnessed thousands of people davening with great passion, some shedding rivers of tears. To my mind, this is a clear sign that Klal Yisroel has been beset by troubles. At the ancient cemetery in Tzefas, I witnessed the same sight again: thousands of people davening, with hundreds of them shedding bitter tears. Even though it was bein hazemanim, when people often visit such sites, the volume of visitors was still far greater than usual, especially at a time when the security situation is far from simple. And the same was true in Meron: On my way back, I stopped at Meron to daven and found the area packed with people. Hundreds of cars were parked there, while thousands of people poured their hearts out at the tziyun of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, begging Hashem to put an end to their hardships.

One of my interviewees in Tzefas was Mayor Yosef Kakun. We had a long and fascinating conversation, from which I will share just one small item here: The mayor told me that he cannot understand what he described as the disappearance of the American community. He felt that the flow of American visitors to Tzefas has dwindled, and he is perplexed by the absence of foreign tourists. I hope, however, that he is mistaken.

I will also observe that the city of Tzefas has changed significantly since my last visit several years ago, perhaps due to Mayor Kakun’s activities. The city is cleaner, the older part of the city is more colorful, and many new businesses have opened there, while thousands of tourists explore the alleyways of the old city of Tzefas every day. My son, who stayed in the newer portion of Tzefas, would perhaps be better equipped to tell you about that part of the city; I spent my time in the old city, where I stayed in a new establishment known as Beit Atzulat Europe located in the heart of the city, across from the municipal building on Rechov Yerushalayim, which is the main street in the old city of Tzefas. While I am not much of an expert on the tourism industry, I believe that Atzulat Europe may well become a leading destination in Tzefas if it continues in this fashion.

Speaking of the davening in Meron, perhaps I should mention the tefillos that were held last week in the village of Mir at the gravesite of Rav Yeruchom Levovitz. Many years ago, when Rav Yeruchom’s matzeivah was erected, Rav Shlomo Wolbe traveled to Mir for the occasion. Ten years ago, a delegation of rabbonim from Israel and America visited the site, including the mashgiach’s namesake, Rav Yeruchom Levovitz of Chicago, and Rav Nachman Levovitz, one of the roshei yeshiva of Mir in Yerushalayim. This time, an ohel was established at the kever.

Rav Chanoch’s Legacy

By now, you are probably familiar with my tradition of announcing the upcoming arrival of Elul in this column. This is my way of fulfilling the tzavaah of Rav Chanoch Karelenstein, my close friend and rebbi who tragically passed away in Elul of the year 5759/1999. I have written at length about Rav Chanoch in the past. A few weeks before his passing, just before Rosh Chodesh Elul, Rav Chanoch appeared at my doorstep. This alone was quite a feat; I live in a fourth-floor walkup, and Rav Chanoch, who was quite ill at the time, used the last dregs of his strength to climb the steps to my home. And why did he come? He had a simple request: He wanted me to make sure that the word “Elul!” appeared in large, bright red letters on the front page of the widely read newspaper for which I was writing at the time. I tried to protest that this was not an accepted practice; the front page of every newspaper was reserved for headlines, not the name of the month, but Rav Chanoch was insistent. “If even one Jew is inspired to do teshuvah because of this, it will be a zechus for me,” he said. “And do not be concerned. Perhaps people will mock you for this at first, but others will emulate your example in the future.”

Rav Chanoch Karelenstein was a man of many accomplishments. He was a brilliant talmid chochom and a confidant of all the gedolei Yisroel. He was married to Rebbetzin Tzira Levin, a renowned educator and the granddaughter of Rav Aryeh Levin, the famed tzaddik of Yerushalayim. Naturally, this meant that Rav Elyashiv, who was Rav Aryeh’s son-in-law, was Rav Chanoch’s uncle through marriage, and Rav Chaim Kanievsky was like a cousin to him. And these gedolei Yisroel were very fond of him. He was also held in high regard by the roshei yeshiva of Ponovezh and by the Steipler Gaon. As always, I must fulfill his dying wishes this year by announcing that Elul is on our doorstep. Elul!

Two weeks ago, the 55th volume of the Torah journal B’Nesivos Hahalacha was released. The latest volume, yet another masterful product of Rav Nochum Kastner’s work, contains remarkable chiddushim from all the gedolei Yisroel, along with an entire chapter dedicated to Rav Chanoch’s chiddushim and edifying anecdotes about him. I will quote two brief anecdotes: Before his wedding, Rav Chanoch’s grandfather, Rav Shmuel Boruch Werner, visited the Steipler Gaon to invite him to the wedding. The Steipler shook the grandfather’s hand and said, “This isn’t only your grandson’s wedding; it is the wedding of a person who will be one of the greatest marbitzei Torah of the coming generation.” Indeed, even though Rav Chanoch passed away at the young age of 42, he did become one of the Torah world’s greatest teachers and authors, to the point that Rav Chaim Kanievsky commented that he had achieved more in his short lifetime than many people manage to accomplish while living to a ripe old age. After Rav Chanoch’s passing, hespedim were held in the yeshiva of Yeruchom, where he served as rosh yeshiva along with Rav Shimshon Pincus. “We are paying tribute to him from the vantage point of Yeruchom, but we should really be eulogizing him from the perspective of the entire world,” Rav Pincus said. “The Jewish people have lost a leader.”

Soldiers on the Front Continue Paying with Their Lives

Sadly, we have been continuously receiving more and more tragic news. On Wednesday, the IDF announced that two soldiers in the Reserve Paratroopers Brigade, Harel Birenstock of Nokdim and Tamir Vaknin of Eilat, were killed in an explosion in the village of Majdal Zoun in southern Lebanon. Four other soldiers were also severely wounded in the blast. The IDF condemned the explosion as a violation of the ceasefire, but that does not make much difference to the soldiers and their families. In any event, the evidence seems to indicate that the blast came from an old Hezbollah bomb that was planted on the site before the ceasefire took effect. This is a very important detail; if it turns out to be true that there are explosive devices that went undetected during earlier sweeps of the area, it will mean that the IDF soldiers are in constant peril.

Last weekend, it was revealed that the IDF chose to suppress information about another incident, in which Hezbollah launched an explosive drone at IDF forces in southern Lebanon that did not cause injuries or damage. In response to reports that the information had been hidden from the public, the army announced, “The IDF spokesman will not publicize information that is assessed as being likely to harm our forces operating in the combat zones.” Incidentally, the IDF has been carrying out constant offensives against Hezbollah terrorists arriving in the area. According to sources in the IDF, seven terrorists were eliminated in the village in the past month alone. The soldiers are assigned to monitor the area and eliminate threats. Hezbollah terrorists tend to move either on foot or on motorcycles, which they use to transport weapons. In order to stop their advance and to prevent residents from entering the area, the IDF distributes leaflets warning that it is a combat zone and that returning to the village is dangerous.

At the weekly cabinet meeting this Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in reference to the northern front, “We are hearing all kinds of rumors about Lebanon. I would like to make it clear that in recent days, Israel has operated forcefully in Lebanon and eliminated terrorists, including on the Ali Taher Ridge. I cannot go into detail about it. We are in the middle of a very important operation, and we are working with sound judgment and prudence. With determination and care, the IDF is eliminating threats.”

There are still dozens of terrorists on the Ali Taher Ridge whom the IDF is not operating to eliminate. The ridge is an area in which the IDF has limited control, mainly at its access points. In addition to the terrorists who are trapped there, the area also contains terrorist infrastructure that has yet to be dealt with. It is unclear whether the prime minister meant that the army is carrying out surgical operations on the ridge to eliminate the terrorists there or to deal with the subterranean terror infrastructures. The IDF has chosen not to comment on the matter.

There is also much to say about the steadily mounting phenomenon of Israeli citizens spying for Iran, which is utterly unfathomable. And in other news, there was a near-lynching when a family unwittingly entered Jenin after receiving directions from the Waze navigation program. The occupants of the Israeli car were almost murdered within minutes. This, too, is a mind-boggling incident that only reinforces the conclusion that almost all the Palestinians are murderers.

The Darkness Will Lead to Light

Chazal tell us that everything is dependent on mazel, even a sefer Torah in the heichal. And it seems that even a heichal itself requires mazel—or, at least, gabbaim and a community such as those that belong to Kehillas Torah U’Tefillah in Givat Shaul, with its rov, Rav Yaakov Fogel. I have had the good fortune of davening in that shul on a number of occasions, and on every one of my visits, I have found it to be developing and expanding even more. The bulletin board outside the shul features notices about a wide range of shiurim on various areas of the Torah, including shiurim on Kodshim and Taharos for children. This learning program includes tests and public siyumim for the participants. Without a doubt, if a shul is dependent on mazel, then this shul’s mazel is exceptional.

The shul serves many of the neighborhood’s distinguished yungeleit, and I have also seen some of the most prominent residents of Givat Shaul there, including Rav Chaim Cohen, who is known for his close connection to Rav Elyashiv; Rav Meir Freiman of the Bais Din Hagadol; Rav Shlomo Perlman, and others. I listened attentively to a drosha delivered by the rov, an outstanding talmid chochom and orator who also heads a kollel in the Pressburg shul. Rav Yaakov Fogel, who I believe is originally from America, spoke about the deeper meaning of recent events, pointing out that we are living through a period that seems to herald the end of days, when all ideologies have been shattered and everyone seems to be suffering from a sense of helplessness and uncertainty. Today, the entire world, and Eretz Yisroel in particular, is anxious about what lies ahead. President Trump’s mercurial nature is only serving to make things more distressing, as he appears to change his positions dramatically from one moment to the next. The natural emotional reaction is despair. This week, however, Rav Fogel pointed out that great light often comes as a result of the darkness, an idea that he drew from the writings of Rav Eliyohu Eliezer Dessler.

“Even arrogance has an end in sight, and evil will ultimately put an end to itself,” Rav Dessler writes. “To any discerning eye, there is no doubt that the events of our days are leading in that direction. We saw where a person’s haughtiness led him in the recent past, and in the present as well, we see how the world’s sense of security and material complacency has disappeared. Very soon, it will be clear to everyone that this world has already been shattered into fragments and there is no way to repair it.”

Thus, Rav Yaakov demonstrated how seemingly negative events can give rise to good. Perhaps, then, part of the process of redemption is the destruction of all that preceded it. Rav Fogel continued quoting Rav Dessler: “The destruction of human pride thus places before us a dreadful and terrifying choice. Either we can lose all hope of repairing the world and sink into the depths of despair, or we can recognize the truth of spirituality, and instead of unthinking despondence, we can recognize the utter insignificance of the physical world before Hashem’s majesty. Through this, the nature of man can be revealed…. This truth will be revealed specifically through the despair over this world and will illuminate a person more and more until he arrives at complete repentance.”

One Standard for Shas, Another for Yesh Atid

At the beginning of this week, MK Yoav Segalovich of Yesh Atid resigned from the Knesset. Segalovich is a former police superintendent and was a member of the team investigating Prime Minister Netanyahu. One might have expected him to flee from the public eye and bury his head in shame as the rampant misconduct in that investigation came to light, but he did not run away. In fact, his resignation from the Knesset was for the sole purpose of joining Raam, the Arab party led by Mansour Abbas. And if you think that sounds absurd, you are right.

I will write more about Segalovich switching parties in the future, but at this point, I would like to focus on the hypocrisy that came to light in the wake of his departure. Now that Segalovich has stepped down from the Knesset, his seat will be filled by the next member of his party’s list, who will take over his place in the Knesset and his salary for a period of two months, even though the Knesset is in recess. In response to this … no one uttered a word.

Contrast that with the hue and cry that erupted two months ago, when MK Moshe Arbel of the Shas party resigned from the Knesset and was replaced by Erez Malul. When Malul was installed in the position, cries of mockery and derision echoed from the benches of the opposition, and from Yesh Atid in particular. The left-wing lawmakers decried Malul’s entry into the Knesset, blasting it as a frivolous waste of public funds in light of the fact that the Knesset was about to dissolve.

This argument was disingenuous, for a simple reason: Malul received only the wages that Arbel gave up. There was no loss of taxpayer funds, since the salary was earmarked for whoever occupied that seat, and it was merely transferred from one man to another. But aside from the fact that the opposition’s criticism was based on a lie, it was also completely hypocritical. Eighteen days later, Boaz Toporovsky of Yesh Atid resigned from the Knesset, and Oz Chaim was sworn in to replace him. Of course, his colleagues rushed to the Knesset to congratulate him and celebrate his new position, completely forgetting the ostensible wasting of public funds. And why is that? Obviously, there is one standard for the Shas party and an entirely different standard for Yesh Atid. Or, as Yair Lapid put it when he was challenged about the different reactions of the police and prosecution to different groups of protestors who disturbed the public order, “These aren’t the same people.” Two weeks ago, Mohammed Abu al-Hija was sworn in to the Knesset to replace MK Ron Katz (Yesh Atid), who stepped down from his seat as well, and he, too, was welcomed warmly with none of the complaints or derision showered on Malul. He received handshakes from the few MKs present that day, and he beamed as he celebrated his new role. Again, the double standard is clear: Erez Malul’s salary is a waste of public funds, but when Mohammed al-Hija joins the Knesset, it is a festive occasion for democracy.

The word for this attitude, of course, is hypocrisy.

Let me add a few words about Boaz Toporovsky. I am certainly allowed to reveal that Toporovsky did not share the racist and anti-religious approach of Yair Lapid, son of Tommy Lapid, and Yesh Atid. When he was a student, Boaz Toporovsky was part of Nefesh Yehudi and absorbed a good deal of Jewish knowledge there, in addition to the traditions that he picked up from his family and upbringing. He did not ride the wave of anti-religious incitement to join the Knesset.

As for Ron Katz, I can reveal even more than has already been disclosed. Katz began his political career in Yesh Atid in Petach Tikvah, where he ran for office with the slogan, “We have come to dispel darkness.” Nevertheless, before the election, he reached an agreement with the Shas party in Petach Tikvah and with Uriel Bosso to form a bloc; neither party would enter a coalition without the other. Shas ended up with six mandates while Yesh Atid won four, and they joined the coalition hand in hand. At that time, Bosso bought a pair of tefillin for Ron Katz, which he still wears every day. During his time in office in the Petach Tikvah municipality, Bosso once encountered a situation that required him to make a decision that would harm the religious community, but he refused to do so. To his colleagues from the Shas party, he explained, “This might cause harm to lomdei Torah, and I do not start up with Torah learners.” Katz’s mother hails from a traditional Tunisian family; her father owned a grocery store in Beer Sheva. Before she passed away, Mrs. Katz said to her son, “You will find among my belongings a notebook containing a list of people who bought groceries from the store and never settled their accounts, but you should not collect the money from them. These people do not have the wherewithal to pay.”

Five years ago, Ron Katz moved into the apartment building where Moshe Arbel resides. The two families first shared a Shabbos seuda at first and went on to develop a close friendship, and Katz and Arbel ultimately began learning Gemara as chavrusos. “When we finished Megillah together,” Arbel once told me, “Ron said, ‘I am angry about the fact that this precious thing called Gemara was hidden from me. I am not speaking about becoming a baal teshuvah; I am referring to the treasure known as the Talmud Bavli.’” Before he learned with Arbel, Katz had never been exposed to Gemara. They recently completed Maseches Brachos together, which perhaps might have something to do with the fact that Katz has begun attending shul. Incidentally, Moshe Arbel has been serving for several years as the rov of a shul in Petach Tikvah known as Bais Eliyohu. Since his departure from the Knesset, he has been able to expand his delivery of shiurim and Torah lessons. I would not be surprised to learn that Ron Katz is one of the regular participants.

Families Face Financial Crunch as School Year Begins

I should really update you on recent events in the Knesset. Despite the fact that the Knesset is in recess, the Finance Committee is continuing to deal with budgetary allocations, some of which deal with the needs of the chareidi public, such as the salaries of chareidi preschool teachers. Of course, petitions were filed with the Supreme Court against the allocations of funds for chareidim, and the court saw fit to freeze the funds that the committee had decided to transfer. The petitioners argued that the decisions were made too close to the election and that it was especially inappropriate given that the Knesset is not in session. The chareidi parties countered with the argument that the Finance Committee made the same type of last-minute allocations under the Lapid-Bennett government, but those claims fell on deaf ears, as could only be expected. Once again, perhaps we are witnessing another application of Yair Lapid’s rationale that “these aren’t the same people.”

The fact that the chareidi community is buckling under the weight of financial hardship does not seem to be of much concern to the left-wing politicians or the judges. We must be thankful that the budget for food vouchers was approved quietly and on time, and that it did not trigger petitions to the Supreme Court. And in case anyone had any doubt about the necessity of the food vouchers, the recent notice from Chasdei Yosef should have put those doubts to rest. My own examination of the government database revealed that thousands of requests have been received for information about how to receive food vouchers or refill the balance on an existing card. There is no doubt about it: Many people are relying on these vouchers for some of their most basic needs. People with full stomachs and bank accounts enjoy preaching to others; in fact, Ehud Barak once proclaimed that it is better to hand out fishing rods than fish. But while they are busy pontificating, the poor are going hungry.

At this time of year, the chesed organizations are busy distributing packages of school supplies in advance of the new year. Every one of those packages represents a savings of hundreds of shekels for families that have to watch every shekel that is spent. One economic newspaper recently featured an article by Shoshana Chen-Shenker, a chareidi journalist from Bnei Brak, under the title, “Studying Is Expensive” (using the Hebrew word yakar, which can also indicate that something is precious). Her point was that school books and supplies such as notebooks, writing utensils and the like can add up to a huge bill. In another article, she discussed the price of schoolbags and knapsacks. The bottom line is that it is quite difficult for the average family to keep up with the price of a child’s schoolbag and all that it contains.

I have become closely acquainted with the chesed distributions managed by Ohr Leah, an organization founded by Rav Eliyohu Cohen at the request of his illustrious rabbeim, Chacham Yehuda Tzadkah and Chacham Benzion Abba Shaul. This year, in addition to the usual list of supplies and goods, each aid package contains a pen, a calendar for the year 5787, and a letter addressed to the “families of Ohr Leah.” The organization’s munificence is coupled with a concerted effort to maintain the recipients’ dignity: “We are approaching the end of the year, and you can see that all of our distributions have taken place, with siyata diShmaya, with generosity and abundance for the benefit and to the great joy of our beloved families. Despite the wars, the rising prices, and the decrease in some of our donations, we have succeeded in continuing and even expanding our distributions.”

“The donations that made it possible for this year’s distributions,” Rav Cohen revealed to me, “have come primarily from the standing monthly contributions of acheinu Bnei Yisroel”—that is, not from wealthy donors but from the simple, monthly contributions of ordinary members of our community.

A Visit to Rav Pam

I have much more to write about, but I am about to reach my limit for this week. I will therefore end with a story that I might have told you in the past, but that bears repeating in honor of the 25th yahrtzeit of Rav Avrohom Pam.

Many years ago, Aryeh Deri was the minister of the interior in Israel and was held in high regard by everyone. At that time, he came up with a revolutionary proposal involving some sort of privatization initiative for local governments, and he was invited to present his idea at the offices of Merrill Lynch in Manhattan. When the administration of the Mir yeshiva heard that he would be visiting America, they invited him to be the guest of honor at their dinner in New York. Even in America, there was much interest in the brilliant young Sephardic man who was reshaping the country of Israel and channeling millions of shekels in government funding into Torah institutions and other religious causes. At the time, no one knew that the Israeli government was about to declare war on Deri, fearing that he would change the character of the state.

I accompanied Deri on his trip to America; I was one of his aides at the time, and I was happy to join him. We had been told that he would be visiting the gedolei Torah of America, and I could think of nothing better. Together, we were guests of the roshei yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoah of Lakewood, which was an exceptional experience for me. We also visited Rav Avrohom Pam, and I was assigned to approach his home and inquire if the rosh yeshiva could receive us.

While Aryeh Deri and his entourage waited on the curb, I knocked on the rosh yeshiva’s door. When the door was opened, I asked if Deri and his companions would be permitted to visit the rosh yeshiva.

“Yes,” said the man who opened the door.

I was somewhat taken aback. “Are you sure you don’t want to ask the rosh yeshiva first?” I said.

“Are you referring to Avrohom Pam?” the man at the door asked me. “That is me!”

I was astounded. Rav Pam was wearing an unpretentious short jacket and ordinary hat, and he had personally opened the door rather than sending someone else to do it for him. Flustered and embarrassed, I began stammering in response, but Rav Pam smiled his famous smile and said, “Everything is fine. I have been waiting for you; I already prepared some refreshments.” Naturally, I was shocked.

There was one other occasion when I visited Rav Pam’s home: at a seuda to give thanks for the miraculous recovery of Rav Chaim Michoel Gutterman, the director of Shuvu in Eretz Yisroel and a phenomenally gifted individual in his own right. Rav Gutterman had experienced a medical miracle, and Rav Pam, who was the visionary behind Shuvu’s establishment and continued supporting the organization until the end of his life, arranged a seudas hodaah in his own home. Rav Pam was also the one who decided to add the name Chaim to Rav Gutterman’s name during his medical crisis. I will never forget that visit to Rav Pam’s home, when I even received the privilege of delivering a speech during the seuda.

Whenever I reflect on it, I am reminded of the old adage that a great man is measured by the smallest things he does. Indeed, Rav Pam had a place in his heart for every Jew and cared for everyone, great or small.