Always Thinking Of Others

Two thousand people in Israel have passed away from Covid-19. It isn’t possible to speak of every one of them, so here is a brief description of just one corona casualty whose spark of life continues to glow among us.

Rav Benaya Nebenzahl passed away last month after a prolonged struggle with the coronavirus even though he meticulously followed all relevant health guidelines. There are many stories about his devotion to his students, his deep concern for everyone, his endless good deeds, and his fascinating educational approach. One story about him in particular, though, caught my eye:

His daughter was once about to leave with her school on its annual trip. She asked what clothes she should wear – the school’s uniform or regular clothes. Her father asked her: “What do you think most of your friends will wear?”

She answered and then he said, “If so, wear what you think most of them will not be wearing so that if one of them wears something different from the rest, she will not feel alone and be embarrassed.”

(translation by Yehoshua Siskin)