Dear Parents,
I’m departing from my usual format to reach out with an appeal for funds that touches every single parent who values a Torah chinuch for their children. For many years, the Chames family, starting with the legendary Dr. Abe Chames z’l, and continuing with the extended Chames family through the Chessed Avrohom Zev fund, which they founded in Dr. Chames’ memory, has been assisting our Rebbeim and families to provide additional funds for their Pesach expenses. More recently, Chesed Avrohom Zev has partnered with the renowned Chasdei Lev organization which provides food and essentials for the Yomim Tovim for Rebbeim and Moros across North America.
Chesed Avrohom Zev has been providing meaningful additional financial support to our Rebbeim and Moros, at a time of year when their salaries no longer stretch to cover the additional Yom Tov expenses.The result of the community’s support of Chesed Avrohom Zev in partnership with Chasdei Lev has enabled our Mechanchim and Mechanchos to purchase Yom Tov needs at dramatically reduced prices. In addition, Chesed Avrohom Zev has been providing meaningful additional financial support to our Rebbeim and Moros, at a time of year when their salaries no longer stretch to cover the additional Yom Tov expenses. Why, you may ask, is that of special significance for me?
In the aftermath of the passing of Aharon’s two older sons, the Torah tells us that Moshe instructed Elazar and Isamar concerning the Korban Mincha (Vayikra 10:12) and refers to them as his (Aharon’s) remaining sons. Rav Avraham Yaakov Pam zt’l (Sefer Noam Avraham Al HaTorah) points out that aside from the literal meaning of the words, there is a deeper meaning that is relevant for all Jews.
Rav Kalmanowitz would describe the awesome responsibility that rested on the shoulders of the survivors to help rebuild from the destruction and reestablish centers of Torah.Rav Pam makes mention of Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz zt’l, legendary leader of the Vaad Hatzalah during and after World War II and founder and Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn. He would often refer to the remaining sons when appealing for funds for rescue or to support Bnei Torah who were alone in the world. There was such tremendous loss of Torah, and Rav Kalmanowitz would describe the awesome responsibility that rested on the shoulders of the survivors to help rebuild from the destruction and reestablish centers of Torah.
Rav Pam then applied this concept to more recent times. Despite the incredible achievements of rebuilding the Torah World from the ashes of the Holocaust, and the proliferation of Shuls, Yeshivas and Kollelim, Torah Jews are still a very small percentage of world Jewry. We may have thriving centers of Torah, but the large swath of non-religious Jews is intermarrying and assimilating, R’L.
Rav Pam concludes that every Torah Jew today should feel it his or her responsibility, as one of Aharon’s remaining sons, to do everything possible to help rebuild the Torah world and spread Yiddishkeit far and wide. Every Jew is called upon to utilize every opportunity to grow in Torah and mitzvos.
Those who are truly the essential remaining sons are our Mechanchim and Mechanchos.Those who are truly the essential remaining sons are our Mechanchim and Mechanchos. They have taken it upon themselves to enable every member of Klal Yisrael to be part of the rebuilding and strengthening of living a Torah life. Our responsibility is to take special care of those who are the builders of our children and the sustainers of the newly renewed world.
Please give generously, with simcha and an open heart, and make sure that you are counted among the remaining sons.
Tax-deductible donations may be made via the online portal by clicking on the link below:
https://www.rayze.it/drchamespesach2024/
Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Kalman Baumann
