Welcome to Divrei Chizuk! Bringing the Bais HaMikdash down 1 brick+ at a time
Olam Chesed Yiboneh
 

shlomie.gif

I was given a book recently titled "Shloimie" it gave me such chizuk on understanding what true "CHESED'' is. I urge you to go out and buy this sefer, or click on book above to order from artscroll and save 10%.
 
This whole page is Liluy Nishamas R'Shlomo Yehuda ben R'Avraham Yaakov . 

When you read this book you'll love him and wish you had known him. You'll Say that knowing him would have made you a better person.

You'll find yourself saying, "What would Shoimie have done?" And you'll do it!

On this page we will post amazing heartfelt chesed stories. If you have a chesed story to share please email it in to us at info@divreichizuk.com (click here) and we will post it. I pray to Hashem that this page will help yidden across the globe, increase in our chesed, and bring us closer together, so Hashem will be proud of us and send us Mashiach bmehera byameinu. AMEN!!!!
Below are two great things to read about Chesed. We will post each Chesed story as they come in on the bottom of this page with a number.
If you would like you can make a donation to ''Divrei Chizuk Chesed Fund'' for a loved one, or for anyone, someone you know or dont know, and we will contact them by sending them a letter letting them know what chesed was done in their zechus, by whom, (if you want to include your name) or it will say by someone who cares. The letter will also be sent to you by mail or by email. Please include all addresses and email info including your email. Tizku Lmitzvos.
For more info please contact us at info@divreichizuk.com (click here) 

Please make your heartfelt donation.

Or Please make your tax deductible check to 
Divrei Chizuk and mail to:
Divrei Chizuk 
83-21 125th st 
Kew Gardens, N.Y. 11415
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Tizku L'Mitzvos!
To all who have dedicated/donated, may Hashem send you much bracha vhatzlacha and answer all you heartfelt bakashos hakol ltov.  

It All Begins With chesed  By Rabbi Y. Adlerstein 

Chesed is chief amongst good midos. It is also the central principle, around which all other principles of Creation are predicated. All elements of chesed and love contribute to the upbuilding of the world; all forms of cruelty give rise to destructiveness.

Things could have been different, claimed the brother of the Maharal . “Olam chesed yibaneh”– the world will be built upon chesed. There is no a priori reason why this had to be. HKBH could have chosen one of His other midos, and spun a world revolving around it. He chose chesed because it is closest to His Will. Similarly, when we are instructed to imitate His midos (as fulfillment of the imperative “You shall walk in His ways”), Chazal limit this obligation to themidos of chesed, but none other. It is through chesed alone that we attach ourselves to Him.

We can perform acts of chesed with our property and our selves. Greater still is when we rise to the level of becoming the very embodiment of chesed, when we become chesed personalities. We then share in the Torah’s description of Avraham, the quintessential person of chesed. About him the Torah writes, “And you will be aberachah.”This means, say Chazal, that anyone who was touched by Avraham, or who dealt with him, or even saw him was blessed, because Avraham himself had become a berachah. Indeed, the true person of essential chesed feels for the other, and gives him his entire heart. When his friend is racked by pain, and his spirit collapses within him, the chesed personality fulfils with him the spirit of “I am with him in his trouble.” At times of his friend’s joy, he stands with him as a partner. The chesed-person influences all who enter his orbit. He gives everyone his attention, because he loves every Jew as himself. An aura of love and fraternity accompanies him; it seems as if his entire being is given over to assist the other. The chesed- person’s being is shaped by the special nature ofchesed, which is

hispashtus.Thus, chesed and love emanate and extend from him, reaching both near and far. By contrast, the person who lacks chesed is, by nature, contracted and limited. Whatever capacity he has to love, he contains narrowly within him, and applies it only to himself.

Besides all of this, an added benefit attaches to chesed. When a Jew conducts himself in the spirit of chesed, Heaven deals with him as well with the midah of chesed. The Besht, as well as others, emphasized that HKBH relates to people according to midos with which they live their lives. If they practice cruelty, the midah of Hashem’s judgment is aroused against them, regardless of the validity of their justification. Maharal shows at length that when a person attaches himself to the Goodness of Hashem by directing some of it to others, Hashem directs some of that very good to the person himself.

Yesod HaAvodah writes that a person should view an opportunity to do chesed to another as if he found great treasure. Exercising such an opportunity is a key to successful level, as was pointed out by the Rebbe of Kobrin. He taught that a day in which a Jew does not perform some favor or kindness for another is a day not really lived.

One who diligently studies Torah but does not occupy himself with acts of chesed “is as if he did not have a G-d.” What he lacks, explains Rashi, is Hashem standing over him protectively. Without that protection, he lives his life as if he did not have a personal relationship with G-d. Were he to practice chesed as well, his affairs would be conducted from Heaven through protocols of chesed. Thus, his umbrella of protection would be more complete, working to assure his safety even when he did not otherwise deserve to be spared.

tikun - the long process of bringing a flawed world back to the rarified state of Gan Eden before Adam’s sin – began with Avraham. He started the process of reestablishing spiritual order to a world of chaos, of sohu va’vahu. His work was followed by the six Shepherds who distilled other midos.

His contribution, of course, was the perfection of the midah ofchesedchesed is associated with no figure in Chumash as strongly as with Avraham. Why, then, does chesed not appear on the Mishnah’s short list of characteristics of Avraham’s disciples? Instead, the Mishnah speaks of a generous eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul.

We might answer that when the Mishnah speaks of disciples of Avraham it refers to Avrahams-in-training, those who aspire to become like him. The Mishnah doesn’t describe Avraham so much as how a person should position himself to be able to imitate his great chesed. The three traits mentioned by the Mishnah are the important precursors to chesed activity. Similarly, when the Mishnah describes the polar opposite traits and links them to Bilam, it assigns the blame for stunted chesed development to those traits. (Their common denominator is a heightened sense of self. Nothing stands in the way of true chesed as anochiyus, attaching great importance to ones own self. And nothing allows the natural chesed within us to flower and flourish as much as diminishing that sense of self.)

This analysis is appealing, but doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The facts indicate otherwise. It may seem reasonable that we need a generous eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul to do chesed, but arguably this is not so. We note much chesed performed by people who are far from these traits.

The Mishnah, of course, is correct – and so is our interpretation. What we see does not amount to a counterexample to the Mishnah’s thinking. The Mishnah speaks specifically of those who wish to become chesed personalities, whose chesed flows from their essential selves. People can perform chesed for reasons both more and less laudable. People who have not yet become full chesedpersonalities can be moved by circumstances to respond withchesed. That does not make them master of chesed, and certainly not chesed personalities. They are not walking in along the path of our forefather Avraham.

In a word, ordinary people can do chesed, but only special ones arechesed at their cores. (To be continued.)

1.What is Chesed?

     by Rivkie Greenland*


*The following was written by Rivkie Greenland  as an introduction to a Shiur that was delivered L'Iluy N ishmas Reuven ben Menachem Mordechai on the day of his funeral. The topic of the Shiur was Chesed. It was delivered by her at the Yeshiva University Kollel Torah MiTzion Girls Learning Program.

I remember once crossing the street in downtown Chicago many years back. I was running late to work and I tripped and dropped all my papers all over the ground in the middle of the street. A man came to my side, bent down, helped me collect my papers and said to me “There. That’s my good deed for the day.”

I clearly remember stopping in my tracks and thinking... “Good deed for the day?”…. FOR THE DAY? What did that mean “for the day?”

The reason I had that reaction is because in yiddishkeit, chesed has no limits. In fact, as we say in davening every morning it is a mitzvah rewarded in this world and in the next. The ramifications for every act of chesed that we do properly are therefore massive.

In Tehillim is says “ Olam Chesed Yibaneh” The world is built with chesed. We often hear chesed translated as “loving kindness” but it is so much more than this. It’s so much deeper. It’s what we do for people without payback or cause. It’s being proactive towards another person for no other reason than there is a need to fill. It means being good-hearted and having a good attitude, treating people with respect, compassion and sensitivity. It means identifying a need, pain or trouble in another person and doing all that you can. And influencing others to do the same. It means pursuing opportunities to do all the chesed that our circumstances and resources including our talents and our kochos allow. Really giving till it hurts. And it means to love chesed, and to do it with love.

And what is the ultimate act of chesed? We know it as a chesed shel emes. That is the term used to describe the task of preparing a body for burial (taharos). There is no greater chesed than this because there is absolutely no payback. And in most cases, no one will ever know who did this chesed for whom. It’s kept very quiet.

There’s a story of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai who was walking with his Talmid Rabbi Yehoshua past where the Bais Hamikdash had stood. It had just been destroyed by the Romans and they had witnessed the destruction. Rabbi Yehoshua started crying and Rabbi Yochanan said to him, "Yehoshua, my son, why are you crying?"

He answered, "Because the house that Hashem gave us to be atone for our aveiros, no longer exists."

"You don't have to cry,” says Rabbi Yochanan. It says in Hoshea, that Hashem said, 'I want chesed, not korbanos.' We see from this that every time that someone does a chesed, Hashem sees it as though they are actually giving a koban in the Beis Hamkidash. The chesed itself is just as effective as the korbanos are for atonement.

When I was younger, and someone would say the word chesed, the first image that popped into my head was the person who helped an old lady cross the street. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I saw that picture in children’s book once. Truthfully, I actually can’t remember the last time I helped an old lady cross the street. This is not to say it’s not a chesed. It is. But as I grew up, matured, and started paying attention, I began to see chesed performed as an adult. And that only scratched the surface of what chesed really means.

I watched my mother put a coke by our front door every day for the mail carrier—summer and winter! I watched her roll down her window many times to offer a ride to an older person or just someone walking down the street. I saw her take elderly people shopping to Jewel (a major grocery store), drive them home, and help them take their groceries into their homes. I saw her spend hours on the phone trying to set up taharos. I saw my parents open their home to so many people who just needed a meal for shabbos.

But, I really got a dose of learning in these past few years, watching all of the hundreds of people in both here in Chicago and in St Louis who exemplify this middah especially with regards to helping my sister Tovi and her family.

Whether it was a hour after school; overnight help; babysitting so she could run errands or go out for the evening; preparing meals; monetary assistance that helped pay for the many extra things Reuven needed.

The shadows (young people hired to stay with Reuven and attend to his needs away from home) who did their jobs helping Reuven with respect and love; extra curricular fun programs so the family could relax and enjoy; the Davening and the tehillim; the challah baking... There was never an end to the offers. Nor did people take no for an answer. People just came… and did. They came with love - quietly and without fanfare.

My sister wanted to relay the message that every time people came for an hour or two to help, it was as if they gave her an entire day. She wanted everyone to know that those who gave will never understand how much they helped her and that she truly feels like the chesed she received from them helped her accomplish all that she needed to accomplish in taking care of Reuven, z”l.

Finally, we are so very blessed to have been able to see very clearly the chesed of Hashem running thru the veins of the entire course of Reuven’s illness.

The chesed which placed my sister’s family in communities who either were actual family or acted just as if they were, so that she could accomplish the what she needed to.

The chesed of Hashem who put Reuven in a hospital that gave him doctors who were willing to go to the ends of the earth, literally, to learn a procedure which saved Reuven’s arm.

The chesed of Hashem that gave my brother in law, the opportunity to find a job in his hometown knowing that all the love and support they could ever need would be right there.

The chesed of Hashem that blessed their family with twin boys right in the middle of Reueven’s bone marrow transplant.

The chesed that although Reuven was in the hospital right before their brisin, that he and my brother in law came home in time to be there and participate in their bris of their newborn sons.

The chesed of finding them a resource- a special person who has been conducting cancer related nutrition research for the past 17 years and gave them an open door to help Reuven live the best quality of life in these past couple of years.

The list goes on and on. And I’m sure my sister would add a thousand things. Of course, the ultimate chesed, of Hashem, being that in the exact moment he wanted to take Reuven from this world, he did so in the most peaceful calm way, not causing Reuven or his family to suffer even one ounce. The sudden shock of Reuven’s sudden death was also the ultimate chesed of Hashem.

We should continue to always be able to look carefully at a situation and assess how we can be helpful where there is a need. Hashem should give us the strength to fill it, push ourselves to do more, and to influence our friends as well.

In this zechus, may all the cholim have a refuah shleima, and may we be zoche to have Mashiach so very soon.

Our first chesed, is Liluy Nishmas 
''Reuven ben Menachem Mordechai'' z'l, 
a young boy who loved to daven. A dear member of Divrei Chizuk sponsored Liluy Nishmaso the sefer "Praying With Fire'' a 5min Lesson-A-Day, to help one improve in their tfilah and connection with Hashem. To get your FREE copy please email us at info@divreichizuk.com
 

#2.“Divrei Chizuk Evening Kolel”

Liuly Nishamas

R’Shlomo Yehuda ben R’Avraham Yaakov z’l


You can now make a donation Liluy Nishamas, refuah, bracha hatzlacha, yeshua, parnasa,.

Each day(s) a name(s) will be posted and read, as we are learning and davening. We will also be going to the Kotel and other holy places to daven and say Tehillim. We will then send a letter (please include all names and an YOUR email or phone number so we can contact you) Letter to be sent out will look like this-

 

 Bchasdei Hashem we are very thrilled to announce the Divrei Chizuk evening Kolel. It has very special individuals, under the guidance of HaRav Eliyahu Dahan shlita, and is located in Yerushaliyim. 

We wanted to share with you, that (xxx xxx) made a donation,for (you choose for how long) of learning to our “Kolel” Liluy Nishmas xxxx xxxxxx. 

Divrei Chizuk is an organization that gives hope and strength to people all over the world, through our web site and our daily inspiration. We are also able to help people through the many campaigns that we run. 

Recently, I received a book entitled “Shlomie”,

(R'Shlomo Yehuda ben R'Avraham Yaakov z’l), who was a person who exemplified the true meaning of chesed. Chasdei Hashem, the thought came to me that we need to improve on our chesed, and take chesed to a new level. We created a page on the divrei chizuk site (divreichizuk.com) called “Doing Chesed’’. 

Through taking all our chasadim to a new level, may we all be zoche to see the building of the Bais HaMikdash bmehira byameinu. Amen!

#3. Our third chesed program is for  a very special boy who was nifter at the age of 10. R"L

We will BE"H be continuing giving out the sefer Praying with Fire a five minute a day lesson liluy nishmaso for more info please contact us at info@divreichizuk.com .

 

 Aaron Sholom Tepfer, z”l.

Aaron Shalom Tepfer,z'l 

.

Boat Tragedy Victim

 

Boat Tragedy Victim

FAR ROCKAWAY, N.Y. -  

Coming home from Camp Agudah last week, Aaron Tepfer was looking forward to starting learning from his brand new set ofMishnah Berurah he received as a camp gift, in the sixth grade of yeshivah he was to start on Monday.

At the levayah Sunday morning of Aaron Sholom Tepfer at Yeshivah Darchei Torah.

Instead, a horrific boating accident Friday afternoon left close to 2,000 grown people and young children sobbing, as Yeshivah Darchei Torah bade farewell to their beloved classmate and friend.

Aaron, who was to turn 11 after Sukkos, was enjoying a boat ride in Reynolds Channel just off the Five Towns community of Cedarhurst where he lived. He fell into the water, and when he tried climbing back into the boat, his left leg got stuck in the propeller.

Aharon was niftar at midnight
that night, throwing his parents and wide circle of family friends into mourning.

At the levayah Sunday morning at Yeshivah Darchei Torah, his father said that he personified his name: he had the middah of Aharon Hakohen who was anohev shalom and a rodef shalom.

Moshe Benoliel, Darchei Torah’s director of alumni affairs, told Hamodia on Sunday that “Aaron was a serious talmid who took his learning seriously. He absorbed at home the values of Torah being the priority.”

Rabbi Benoliel said that Aaron’s zest for life combined with his unusual sensitivity made him a frequent mediator during arguments between children.

Born to Tuli and Rachel Tepfer in 2002, Aaron’s father, a businessman, is a Daf Yomi maggid shiur at his shul and his mother is a secular studies teacher at Darchei Torah. Aaron is the youngest of six brothers to attend Darchei Torah.

At the levayah, the sounds of loud weeping was heard throughout the overflowing crowd.

“The sight of a father, his hand wrapped around his son, was not unusual,” Rabbi Benoliel said.

Maspidim recalled anecdotes of Aaron’s infectious sense of humor, and the fact that it occurred two weeks before Rosh Hashanah.

“This was our shofar,” declared Harav Yaakov Bender, Rosh Yeshivah of Darchei Torah.

Other maspidim included Tuli Tepfer, Aaron’s father; several of Aaron’s brothers; Harav Dovid Spiegel, the Ostrov-Kalushiner Rebbe of Cedarhurst; Harav Yaakov Feitman, the family’s Rav; Harav Shlomo Avidgdor Altusky,Rosh Yeshivah of Darchei Torah; two of Aaron’s rebbeim and a rebbi from camp. Kevurah was at Mount Moriah cemetery at Fairview, N.J., near his grandfather