Home › Forums › Bais Medrash › Those who used to call R Blumenkrantz a"h for advice, who do you call?
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February 8, 2011 10:17 pm at 10:17 pm #594880OfcourseMember
I used to call with the more heavy questions once or twice a year. He had tremendous understanding and patience and when I hung up I felt that I was doing the right thing and had a sense of calm.
Since he died, I havent found anyone who comes close either understanding-wise or patience-wise.
If anyone can recommend a Rov who might fill the void, please offer name and number. TIA
February 8, 2011 10:37 pm at 10:37 pm #756347eclipseMemberOf course,I feel the same way as you.
Rav Blumenkrantz z”l is simply irreplaceable;there is no one like him.
I do recommend a Rav,but I would rather give you the info “off the air” so ….
February 9, 2011 12:44 am at 12:44 am #756348doodle jumpParticipantOf Course: I know what you mean:( What a loss to K’lal Yisrael.
February 9, 2011 12:51 am at 12:51 am #756349Feif UnParticipantI have a Rav I use for regular shailos, but when it comes to the “heavy” shailos which he doesn’t feel comfortable paskening, I call R’ Mordechai Willig from Riverdale.
February 9, 2011 12:58 am at 12:58 am #756350yogiboobooMemberAside from my usual Rav, with other sheilahs like Kashrus etc i’ll call Rabbi Binyomin Forst
February 9, 2011 1:02 am at 1:02 am #756351OfcourseMemberThe cut and dry Shailos (Kashrus, etc) are easy, but when it’s a Hashkafah related Aitzah I need, where there are a few options, and I need an Adom Gadol with a fatherly touch, which R’ Blumenkrantz was, Im stuck now.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. 🙂
February 9, 2011 1:27 am at 1:27 am #756352lkwdfellowMemberOfcourse – depending on where you live, there are many choshuve Rabbonim in different cities that have tremendous understanding and patience. To name a few: Rabbi Gissinger in lakewood, Rabbi First in Chicago, Rabbi Hopfer in baltimore.
February 9, 2011 1:51 am at 1:51 am #756353OfcourseMemberAnother advantage of calling R’ Blumenkrantz a”h was he never asked- Who are you, Where are you, What are you, Where did you get my number? The first time he spoke to you, he acted like he knew you for years. He had some personality!
Will the other Rabbanim mentioned act similarly?
February 9, 2011 1:56 am at 1:56 am #756354happiestMemberRabbi Feiner in the FarRock/5towns area
He is amazing!!!
February 9, 2011 4:21 am at 4:21 am #756355ProfessionalMemberof course, non can be same as R Blumenkranzts ztl, I went to his levaya, he didnt know me by name, but i felt so much hakaras hatov. what a caring father he was to anyone who contacted him.
I called once for someone who came from overseas, and needed a school. He told me: Tell Rabbi x I said she should go to his school, vekach haya. a 2 minutes conversation and it was a done deal BH. no discussion of tuition. just a word from R Blumenkranz. loved and admired by all.
R Gissinger I am told is very hard to reach, a lot of good people around, but no replacement, not the same. R Feiner is a young person, he moved from EY not too long ago, would be curios to hear more about him. His wife gave a shiur, and in my humble opinion it was too much like a morah talks to high school class, not my style at all.
February 9, 2011 5:24 am at 5:24 am #756356commonsenseParticipantI too was a big chassidiste of Rabbi Blumenkrantz, I call many people for shailos including Bais Horaah either of monsey or lakewood who make it easy but lately for questions that require some understanding I have started calling Rabbi Viner from Monsey. Certain things about Rabbi Blumenkrantz that impressed me I feel are present in Rabbi Viner. It is not easy to find someone that you are comfortable calling, Hatzlocha.
February 9, 2011 5:09 pm at 5:09 pm #756357OfcourseMemberDoes anyone know who, if anyone, the Rebbitzen recommends to callers who ask if she can suggest anyone with a similar style?
February 9, 2011 8:38 pm at 8:38 pm #756358eclipseMemberof course,I just realized!
If any of his sons took over for him,they would probably follow the derech they observed with their father,the Rav,z”l.
I don’t think that question should be posed to the rebitzen,though.Did you mean hypothetically?
February 9, 2011 10:02 pm at 10:02 pm #756359Pashuteh YidMemberOfcourse, I know a perfect Rov for you whom I have used for years. A gaon shebgeonim, and one of the warmest and most aideleh people alive. Totally mekubal in and a product of the Yeshivishe velt. He is the Rov of a rather large kehilla so I hesitate posting his info online without asking him. He is busy yomam valayla with chesed, bikur cholim and shiurim, so I am worried if he receives a slew of new phone calls, he may simply not physically be able to function, as he is up most nights as it is.
I am sure privately I can give him one more person. Maybe the Mods will let you contact me.
February 9, 2011 10:07 pm at 10:07 pm #756360YW Moderator-80Membersend the name to [email protected] and, bli neder, ill pass it on to ofcourse
February 9, 2011 10:55 pm at 10:55 pm #756361OfcourseMemberPashuteh Yid, sounds great! You made my day! Thanks! Looking forward.
February 9, 2011 11:04 pm at 11:04 pm #756362Pashuteh YidMemberYou’re welcome.
February 9, 2011 11:50 pm at 11:50 pm #756363Pashuteh YidMemberOne thing is that it may sometimes takes a bit of time for the Rav to get back to you. It used to be quicker, but the community grew, so don’t get frustrated.
February 10, 2011 1:31 am at 1:31 am #756364charliehallParticipant‘when it comes to the “heavy” shailos’
I ask the same rav the “heavy” shilahs as the “soft” ones. For many of the heavy ones HE calls HIS rav.
February 10, 2011 2:25 am at 2:25 am #756365OfcourseMembercharliehall, I feel you cant compare asking personally to someone asking for you. I’d always feel like I might have gotten a different answer had I explained the issue myself, with the often necessary back and forth dialogue. I wouldnt want to take that chance with an important issue.
February 10, 2011 2:41 am at 2:41 am #756366eclipseMemberDID one of his sons take over,by the way?
February 10, 2011 4:44 am at 4:44 am #756367clearblueMemberYes, one of his sons took over his shul. It is so heartwarming to hear people talking about Rabbi Blumenkrantz ztzl, of whom I felt the same way.
February 10, 2011 5:13 am at 5:13 am #756368OfcourseMemberAll the times that I felt that my father a”h was no longer alive but I had R’ Blumenkrantz to call for advice, whose level of concern felt fatherly, the once or twice a year when I had difficult questions. And now no more.
I think I remember, tell me if Im wrong, by one of his Hespedim it was repeated that a child asked him why he so calmly answered a Shailoh at midnight about whether a certain brand of Cream Soda was Kosher or Pareve, and I think he answered maybe she needs it badly, maybe she’s expecting…and another time he was upset at a child of his who didnt call him out of the shower, right before Shabbos, when someone had an urgent Erev Shabbos question, and the family had no warm food for Shabbos as a result. So typical. He really considered all Bnai Yisroel his family.
I hope to try some of the Rabbonim suggested here iyH.
February 10, 2011 5:15 am at 5:15 am #756369HIEParticipantRav yisroel Belsky is quite reliable
February 10, 2011 5:42 am at 5:42 am #756371OfcourseMemberHIE, thanks but thats not what Im after when I have one of those rare, B”H, heart-wrenching questions. All Rabbonim are reliable. Im not talking Basar v Cholov or Hilchos Shabbos here.
February 10, 2011 1:47 pm at 1:47 pm #756372truth be toldMemberYou want to try Rabbi Belsky. Very caring, understanding and knowledgeable.
I called him out of the blue for an issue I was having. It was the first time I spoke with him and he totally involved himself to try and resolve it. He can be hard to reach though.
February 10, 2011 2:48 pm at 2:48 pm #756373eclipseMemberMods,I get it, but I’m telling you…
February 10, 2011 2:59 pm at 2:59 pm #756374HolyMoeParticipantIt was actually his Yahrzeit two days ago.
What a great warm person.
What a great teacher.
What a great Possek.
One of his Mechutonim told me that in the middle of his child’s Vort and Chasssuna he was getting calls from Mashgichim and Mikvas from all over and calmly answered all the Shailos without making the caller know that he was interrupting.
February 10, 2011 3:14 pm at 3:14 pm #756375dontbeagolemMemberR Blumenkrantz represented the Demus deyuknah of yisroel Sabah for many of us
i stil feel a void .. I miss his hadras panim at simchas and other significant events
February 10, 2011 3:52 pm at 3:52 pm #756376eclipseMemberNot all rabbonim are sympathetic to women.Fact.
Rabbi Blumenkrantz z”l is up on my dining room wall as a “real” tzadik.He was a “malach”.
You are only a real gadol if you treat ALL yidden humanely.
February 10, 2011 8:04 pm at 8:04 pm #756378charliehallParticipant“charliehall, I feel you cant compare asking personally to someone asking for you. I’d always feel like I might have gotten a different answer had I explained the issue myself, with the often necessary back and forth dialogue. I wouldnt want to take that chance with an important issue.”
I feel the exact opposite. My rav knows me well and knows where I need to be machmir and where my yetzer hara won’t be tempted by being meikel. Even the gedol hador doesn’t know any of that. Also, I have been taught that it is important to follow a consistent derech and not pick and choose rabbis for shilahs — even gedolim.
(And my rav seems to enjoy it when he gets a chance to consult with a gedol over an interesting shilah.)
February 10, 2011 9:18 pm at 9:18 pm #756379shlishiMembercharliehall
whos your rov and which gedol does he consult?
February 10, 2011 9:33 pm at 9:33 pm #756380cherrybimParticipantYour Rav will advise you on everything, including which Rav too approach for a particular piece of advice or halacha.
Your Rav is part of your life, every day of your life.
February 10, 2011 9:40 pm at 9:40 pm #756381OfcourseMembercharliehall, the questions I have arent mostly Halacha, they’re more advice kind of questions… over the years they concerned schools, jobs, Shidduchim, children, etc. where you need a patient caring listener.
Id like to offer one story where Rabbi Blumenkrantz was involved. A daughter of mine accepted a job at a certain girls camp. After that she got a much better offer elsewhere and it was still months before the summer. She badly wanted to go to the second camp. Rabbi Blumenkrantz told my daughter to go to the head of the camp she commited to and ask if she is willing to find someone else to replace her and if she is, my daughter is then free to go to the second camp. If not, stay with offer #1, and I give you a Bracha that good will come out of it. The head of camp #1 didnt want to release her from the agreement, so my daughter did as R’ Blumenkrantz said and stayed with camp #1. She ended up being Head Counselor the next year and loved the experience. We then called Rabbi Blumenkrantz (who often said call me to tell me how it goes) who was happy to hear of the happy update.
February 11, 2011 12:22 am at 12:22 am #756382volfParticipantTo Ofcourse:The story was with celery soda the call came at 4:00 AM from a woman The oven story was Erev the first days of Pesach just 15 minutes before Yom Tov.
February 11, 2011 2:56 am at 2:56 am #756383OfcourseMembervolf, Wow!!!! How do you remember the details that carefully?
These are the stories we heard, I’m sure there were many we dont know about.
volf, are you family by any chance? If yes, you should all be gebentched. Either way, Im curious who you call now for advice. If you remember the details like that, you must have really admired him as well.
February 11, 2011 6:46 pm at 6:46 pm #756384HIEParticipantofcourse: rav belsky is extremely caring understanding and pleasant to talk to. he takes your situation and helps you like its his.
February 11, 2011 7:03 pm at 7:03 pm #756385OfcourseMemberHIE, thanks.
Of the many advantages of calling R’ Blumenkrantz, a”h, was that he seemed to always be available, not limited to certain hours. Another, was the fact that whoever picked up the phone didnt seem like they were not that happy to get yet another person’s phone call that day. I never felt like my call was unwanted or bothersome.
February 11, 2011 7:14 pm at 7:14 pm #756386HIEParticipantthat could be sometimes true but im in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath where Rav Belsky is, when you speak to him you realize his gadlus.
February 11, 2011 9:35 pm at 9:35 pm #756387OfcourseMemberHIE, thanks!
The Rabbonim who treat their callers with caring, patience and dignity dont realize how much its appreciated and how it affects the callers’ feelings about Yiddishkeit, which is never harmed, only helped, with a boost. It’s a cycle. Like Lipa says (strange to quote him) when I make people happy, they make other people happy….
February 13, 2011 4:28 pm at 4:28 pm #756388charliehallParticipant“whos your rov and which gedol does he consult? “
He is a retired rabbi who had shuls in the Bronx, Westchester, Long Island, and elsewhere, who earned semichah from Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik z’tz’l (“The Rav”) back in the 1960s. He still works part time as a chaplain. One nice thing about having a rabbi who doesn’t have a congregation is that he isn’t very busy; he always gets back to me very quickly.
He never tells me *exactly* which gedol he consults with for any particular issue; this makes sense because these are private psaks. If the gedol wanted to publish that particular halachic opinion, it is up for the gedol to do so! Similarly, I don’t publish my own rav’s name although I’ve referred people to him personally. The gedolim I’ve most often heard him mention are Rabbi Hershel Schachter and Rabbi David Cohen. But if he personally heard a ruling from The Rav, he almost always paskens that way, even when The Rav was a Daat Yachid.
February 13, 2011 4:31 pm at 4:31 pm #756389shlishiMemberwhich Rabbi David Cohen?
April 5, 2011 3:26 pm at 3:26 pm #756390OfcourseMemberPY, Ofcourse, I know a perfect Rov for you whom I have used for years. A gaon shebgeonim, and one of the warmest and most aideleh people alive……….
I am sure privately I can give him one more person. Maybe the Mods will let you contact me.
Thanks for your efforts, but I tried calling more than once. There’s an efficient sounding secretary who takes messages but the Rov never called back even once, despite my leaving messages with name and phone numbers.
April 5, 2011 4:10 pm at 4:10 pm #756391cherrybimParticipant“..but I tried calling more than once…but the Rov never called back even once”
Most Rabbonim today are far busier than their predecessors of time past. They do not have the time for playing telephone tag, unless you are someone that the Rav knows or are a regular mispallel in his shul. You will have to keep trying to reach him on the telephone or better yet, go to where the Rav davens and speak to him personally. The main point here is, as I stated earlier, you should have a Rav all the time, not just when you need him.
April 5, 2011 5:12 pm at 5:12 pm #756394Pashuteh YidMemberOfcourse, sorry to hear about the difficulties. It is not a bad idea to try to attend one of his weekly shiurim, and speak afterward. However, if that is not possible, then it may take time. One thing for sure, is that the weeks before Pesach are the worst for any Rav. I myself who know him very well, never try to call during that time, unless it is an immediate and quick Pesach shayla.
If you can wait until after Yom Tov, may be best. However, if it is urgent, then maybe keep trying. Note, the secretary is not Jewish. This Rav always felt that having a frum, Jewish secretary means that people’s private matters may somehow get out into the Jewish community at large. He therefore bdvaka has a non-Jewish secretary who is unlikely to have any frum friends to whom she might unwittingly relate anybody’s personal info.
April 5, 2011 5:38 pm at 5:38 pm #756395OfcourseMemberPY, Im grateful to you for trying, but I left the first message a month ago.
April 5, 2011 5:48 pm at 5:48 pm #756396mewhoParticipanti called the number in the book, left a message and was called back. my question was answered.
April 5, 2011 7:46 pm at 7:46 pm #756397enlightenedjewMemberWho’m I gonna call? … Ghostbusters
April 5, 2011 9:47 pm at 9:47 pm #756398GumBallMemberyeah my mother called R” blumenkranz too-he was my mothers teacher……shes says the same this that she doesnt know who to call….
April 6, 2011 2:17 pm at 2:17 pm #756399yogiboobooMemberthere is a number in the Blumenkrantz book that you can call-718-337-6056. Mods, its in the book for this year so its a public number. again there is rabbi binyamin forst who is also available. whenever i call he is very patient and takes the time to answer my questions. i only call him if i cant get in touch with my Rav or if I’m calling about something more intense. since my rav is in constant contact with Rabbi Forst it is ok. you can ask him anything and he is there to gladly answer it for you. i always made it a point to say who i was whether he asked or not because i wanted him to know who i was etc. B”H he is a really special man!
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