Thursday, January 26, 2012

The man who made me who I am

The Jewish Week printed an article about my Rav, Rav Aharon Bina. Unfortunately, it is not a positive article.

I would like to respond to this article here because I feel that my short response, buried in the second page of the comment section, was ineffectual amidst all the other voices trying to be heard there.

I chose Rav Bina to be my posek because I have never met a man so open and honest. What he feels, he says. This applies to his opinions of people as well as his vast Halachic knowledge. I love knowing that he will always be up front with me when I ask him anything.

When I was told that it was financially impossible for me to return to Yeshiva for a second year, Rav Bina offered to accept me free of charge.

He bent the rules so I could go to family friends on Rosh HaShanna (a night when NO student is allowed out of Yeshiva) because he knew the family. He knew that they were close-to-poverty poor, and wanted them to have whatever gift I would be bringing them. He even gave me money to get them a thank-you gift afterward. I later found out that this was one of many families Rav Bina assisted financially without their knowledge.

On another "in" Shabbat (when all boys have to be in Yeshiva), Rav Bina once again let me out when my mother asked for special permission to have me be with her. She was visiting from the US and wanted to spend her one Shabbat in Israel with her son. Despite his reputation as a strict follower of his own rules, he let me go. Ever since my mother's murder, that Shabbat has even more meaning for me. Rav Bina let me spend that much more time with her.

I discussed my life with him. He let me into his home late into the night just so he could listen to whatever I'm-18-so-whatever-problems-I-have-are-monumental issues I had to vent. And he didn't only do this for me; he did it for any of his boys that wanted to talk to him. Almost 24 hours a day for a whole school year he was there for me.

When my mother was killed, Rav Bina was at the funeral even though I hadn't seen him in six years. He held me while I cried into his shoulder. He came back numerous times during the week of Shiva, despite the many other things he certainly had to do.

He officiated at my wedding. He didn't want any payment or even any under-the-table tip. He said I could donate some money to the Yeshiva if I felt like giving any money. Because he was doing it it for me, not the money. If money was to be given, it should be for his boys instead of himself. That's just who he is. He even gave us a lovely silver Kiddush cup that I'm proud to use at my Shabbat table.

Every year I pray with Rav Bina on Yom Kippur. I wake up before the crack of dawn so I can be in the Minyan HE leads. And in the nine years I've been doing so, he's never charged me for my seat. In return I've offered to lead the Yeshiva's tours free of charge, but he insists on making sure I get paid each time.

I'm not going to bring up the negative things said about him in the article, because I don't think they deserve acknowledgement.

He's my Rav, and I owe all that I am to him.

Consider that when you hear or read anything negative about him.