By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
SAN DIEGO — Fifteen years ago there was a family from New York who lost their father. Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ztl, Rosh Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, had a particularly fond relationship with the deceased father and took it upon himself to ensure that his orphans would have a fatherly figure to turn to and that they would receive proper chinuch.
He told the children to correspond with him through letters and that they could ask him any question that they have on their minds or write to him about any issue they might encounter. R’ Nosson Tzvi kept photos of these orphans in his pocket as a constant reminder of his “other” family.
The children took advantage of their surrogate father and would correspond with him about everything, even inconsequential . Rav Nosson Tzvi, with great difficulty due to his Parkinsons disease, would write a letter in response. This went on for many years until the boys grew up and came to Eretz Yisroel to learn in Yeshivos. R’ Nosson Tzvi got the boys into various Yeshivos that catered to each one’s uniqueness. Every Friday night, the boys could be found enjoying their Shabbos Seudah at the table of the Rosh Yeshiva. He kept his word towards those orphans for the rest of his life.
There was a little 8-year-old girl among those four orphan boys. Unlike her older brothers, that little girl didn’t know how or what to write to R’ Nosson Tzvi. After a while of not receiving any letters, she was saddened that she didn’t have a close relationship with the Mir Rosh Yeshiva. That sadness was transformed when her mother handed her a letter from Yerushalayim addressed to her. She excitedly opened the letter and pulled out the paper inside. It was a hand-drawn picture of a large heart shape with a loving message to her, signed by Rav Nosson Tzvi on the bottom. Since her father had passed away, she never felt so loved. She is now a married woman who to this day recalls how happy that letter made her feel.
~ Dedicated to Lizecher Nishmas Shlomo ben Yitzchok.
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Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego. He may be contacted at baruch.lederman@sdjewishworld.com