A rebbi’s care, and a boy who can now enjoy the chill of a cool drink while discovering the warmth of Torah

Living Higher

Rabbi Moshe Dov Heber, a sixth-grade rebbi in Yeshiva K’tana of Waterbury, is one of the many devoted rebbeim who has adopted Rabbi Dovid Newman’s Torascha B’Finu program, which encourages constant chazarah for middle-school boys. The program has seen monumental success, sweeping hundreds of boys into the movement as they endeavor to imbue the words of Torah in their hearts and minds.

One evening, Rabbi Heber received a message from one his student’s parents, with a picture of their son learning even as he prepared for bed. Rabbi Heber, in turn, shared this picture with Rabbi Newman — the man who really gets the credit. Rabbi Newman responded, “I see there’s a small fridge next to his bed. Can I Zelle you money and you’ll pick up drinks to fill it up? This way, he’ll have something to drink as he chazers!”

The picture says it all: a rebbi’s care, and a boy who can now enjoy the chill of a cool, refrigerated drink while discovering the warmth of Torah.

Five Minutes for Our Brethren

We’re in the beginning of Chodesh Nissan, which means the tefillah of Tachanun will not be recited for an entire month. For the bochurim in Yeshiva Darchei Torah of Far Rockaway, this carries particular poignance. Earlier this year, the rosh yeshivah, Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, instituted the yeshivah’s first schedule change in 25 years: Shacharis would begin five minutes earlier on Mondays and Thursdays.

The Tachanun recited on Mondays and Thursdays is longer than that of the rest of the week, and includes lengthy, heartfelt tefillos for the Geulah. At a time when our brothers are suffering so terribly at the hand of our enemies, Rav Altusky wanted to allow time for added kavanah during this tefillah without cutting into learning time.

Nissan is a month defined by miraculous salvation — in the merit of our many tefillos, may we soon see our deepest hopes realized.

Overheard

The very first mishnah in Pirkei Avos says, “Moshe kibel Torah m’Sinai umesarah l’Yehoshua.” That is what we are celebrating today. Not just a school campus, but a continuation of that sacred transmission, Torah that began at Har Sinai and now lives here in our community, in our children.

—Rabbi Eli Samber, head of Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, at the chanukas habayis held in honor of the school’s beautiful new campus.

The campus was primarily sponsored by a group of local philanthropists in memory of the late Rabbi Morris Esformes who passed away in December of 2022. These philanthropists consider themselves “talmidim” of Rabbi Esformes, in the sense that he instilled in them the passion for supporting Torah mosdos.

The campus that will further perpetuate the continuous chain of Torah will also stand as a testament to eternity gained through a life of selflessness and generosity.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1056)