The Wonders of Harav Yitzchack Kadouri

100 Continues Harav Yosef Chaim Gadol shlita: The Rav was more impressed by a boy’s re¿nement of character than their cleverness or shrewdness. He appreciated when they would work on themselves and would often guide or hint to them how they rectify their character, turning a weakness into a strong point. For example, once an older, more learned student reprimanded a younger student, before the Rav. The younger student found it hard to swallow, and wanted to vent his anger back. The Rav immediately sized up the situation and spoke up. “King David tells us (Psalms : ) ‘I shall be as a mute, a speechless person who does not open his mouth.’ If King David advices us to be silent and not answer back, we should learn from him and act accordingly.” This is how the Rav dealt with tact and consideration, teaching his students to act with res- traint. Saved from death In , a car was ambushed on its way to (mmanuel, in the Shomron region of Israel. Mrs. Naomi F. was asleep in the car, as Arab terrorists shot from all sides. The driver sped ahead and then lost control, causing the car to swerve off the side of the road and careen over the embankment, descending to the gully below. Naomi was jarred awake, not realizing what was happening. In a matter of seconds, her body was thrown and bounced around, causing severe whiplash and cerebral fractures. She was pronounced dead on arrival, and for a week, her body was kept on arti¿cial life support systems. The doctors told the family that there was little hope of her returning to normal. Her family sat by her bed and whispered constant prayers for her recovery, for any sign of life. Their prayers were answered. Naomi returned to the land of the living, and was a constant visitor of the Rav and a recipient of his blessings for many years. Ten years later, the next attack took place. Naomi continues her story. “Cha- nukah came, and I wanted to travel to my son in Bnei Brak and surprise him with some fresh home-made sufgoniyot , and then return to (mmanuel on the four o’clock bus, making it just in time for candle lighting. But G-d had other plans. As I was planning my trip, a friend called me, who lived in Jerusalem. She was in a very dif¿cult situation, and she poured out her heart, begging me to ask the Rav for a blessing. My compassion was aroused and I told her that I would meet her in Jerusalem, pushing off my trip to Bnei Brak for a few hours. I made up to meet her at the Kotel and then called the Rav’s house, asking