Dear Dr. Yael

Dear Readers:

As many of you, I have been honored to speak at the Katz Family Pesach program for o over 20 years. It takes me months to prepare for the lectures I give – I start in December.

Recently I came across a wonderful book called Food For Thought by Rabbi Yitzchak Hisiger. The stories in the book really speak to me as part of my quest to improve myself as a frum Jew who is a wife, mother, grandmother and psychotherapist.

I am very focused on positivity and believe that positive energy makes a huge difference in our lives. I am a big fan of gratitude and appreciate it when people thank me for having helped them. And I try to do the same to others. When you add a bracha to the thank you, it’s even more appreciated.

One of the stories in the book was about a Yerushalmi Jew who davened in the Zichron Moshe shul in Yerushalayim and was referred to as R” Maftir Yonah. He purchased maftir Yonah each year – no matter the cost.

So, one year, an American man who was davening in the shul joined the bidding for maftir Yonah. The bidding was fierce, each matching the other shekel for shekel.

Observing was the renowned Rav Yisroel Yaakov Fisher who realized that R’ Maftir Yonah was way out of his league. Thus Rav Fisher instructed him to stop bidding, as he was afraid the Israeli would lose his apartment.

“But the Rav knows this is my insurance policy,” said the man, “that my family continue following in the path of Torah.”

Rav Fisher responded, “I give you a haftacha (promise) that whatever segulah you usually receive from maftir Yonah will be yours.”

The Israeli man stopped biding and the American man was successful.

Two weeks after Sukkos, R’ Maftir Yonah passed away. When Rav Fisher came to be menachem avel the family, they were very upset. “Rebbe,” they said, “you canceled our father’s life insurance policy! What did you do?”

Rav Fischer sighed. “Believe me he could have had whatever he wanted! But I realized later that your father never answered amein to my promise.”

Readers, I was so taken with this story. How clearly it shows the power of one word – amein.

How many times do we have the chance to say a good word to someone, to make a difference in another person’s life and we don’t.

We all deal with great challenges, some visible to others and some hidden. We really don’t know what is going on in another person’s life.

Yet, we can all smile at someone else. We can all say “Hello” when we pass someone on the street. We can all ask, “How are you?” and mean it.

We all know that sinas chinam is why Moshiach has not come yet. And we all know that jealousy of others can strike anyone of us and cause us to think ill of others.

I ask you all, please learn to see the good in other people – and tell them about it. Say thank you when someone does something nice for you. And give them a bracha. We never know whose bracha is going to come true.

The way in which we interact with others is the way Hashem will treat us.

I wish you all gezunt, parnassah and nachas. May all our tefilos be answered l’tova.