By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Home

The Far Rockaway/ Five Towns community mourns the loss of Mrs. Rebecca Balsam A”h, wife of Reb Moshe Balsam zt”m and lehavdil bain chaim l’chaim father of Rabbi Balsam the ninth grade Rebbe at Mesivta Torah Moshe.  The levaya took place at the Agudah of Long Island.

Her husband had written parsha sheets every week for the purpose of revealing crucial and important sources to study in the meforshim.  These sheets were put into sefer form entitled, “Sources of Greatness.”  The name of the book also very aptly and appropriately describes Mrs. Balsam a”h and her husband zt”l, and lehavdil bain chaim l’chaim – her children as well.

Rav Meir Braunstein shlita, the Rav of the Agudah, spoke first.  He quoted the pasuk (Tehillim 127), “K’chitzim b’yad gibor – kain bnei ha-ne’urim” – about arrows that the more one puts effort into pulling back the longer the arrow pulls in.  Rav Braunstein explained that one sees the effort that the two of them had put into raising their children – from the remarkable nature of the children of this family – all of them talmidei chachomim immersed in learning and a daughter who reached incredible heights in chessed and ruchniyus.

Rav Yaakov Bender spoke next, he quoted from the remarkable sefer that her late husband had written about sources on the Parsha.  He quoted a kli yakar that highlighted how they eschewed the values of societ around us and focused on Torah growth and ruchniyus.

Rav Yaakov Reisman shlita, Rav emeritus of the Agudah spoke next and gave remarkable chizuk.  He addressed the unspoken question as to how such a remarkable family could suffer blow after blow in the loss of Rav Moshe Balsam zt”l and then a loving wonderful mother.  We do not question.  He cited numerous chazal and their meforshim as to the remarkable Emunah and bitachon bashem that we must all aspire to reach and the fact that the two of them had reached this.

Mrs. Balsam’s brother, Rabbi Eliezer (Larry) Langer, spoke next.  The Langers came from Shanghai and settled in San Francisco.  She went to Bais Yaakov of Denver and they would travel by bus for the three-day trip to Yeshiva Ner Yisroel. He spoke how she had taken in him and his children in their home and was a loving aunt – making them feel very much at home.  He spoke how she was non-judgmental to all her nieces and nephews of the entire family.  They all loved her and called her auntie, writing to her, and becoming very close with her.  She lived life to fullest not-withstanding a diagnosis some two years ago.  She drove carpools, engaged in chessed, interacted with her family, nurtured and advised.

Rabbi Akiva Balsam, her son, spoke next.  He spoke how being a social worker was truly a part of her.  She loved people and worked in a psych ward, eventually becoming its head. Her main job for 25 years, however, was at Gesher Yehudah in Flatbush for children with challenges in learning. She constantly took more and more courses so that she could have better tools to help her.  She was involved in giving shiurim for families who had lost children r”l.  She was involved in numerous support groups, and he mentioned the names of numerous organizations.  She was kulah chessed.  She lived her entire life for others, and was entirely self-less.  And yet, she put so much effort in her children.  She farherred pediatricians to see if they were up to par.  She thoroughly researched the schools she would send her children to study at. She managed so many things without ever neglecting her children.  She made food and snack packages – leaving them on the doorknobs when she couldn’t be there herself.

Her favorite song was “tov l’hodos lashem, ulezamer leshimcha elon.”

Rabbi Akiva Balsam shlita was scheduled to be the new sixth grade Rebbe in Yeshiva Darchei Torah this upcoming Monday, but due to the shiva – there will be a delay.

Rabbi Ezra Balsam spoke next and highlighted how she was mechazek her children after the loss of their remarkable father zt”l.  He also spoke about how she had inherited her selflessness from her mother.

Her daughter Bluma is a paragon of chessed herself.  She launched a chessed organization to assist young girls in difficult situations.

Her daughter Bluma wrote a letter to her mother which Ezra had read at the levaya.  “People who met you would never dream what you have gone through.”  She mentioned how at her grandsons siddur play she got the devastating phone call and came back with that same smile on her face.

One can see all that she planted in her daughter Bluma and two sons, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ezra.  They too, now have talmidim.  The entire community mourns her loss.

The author can be reached at [email protected]