Community Magazine September 2011

Emulating Avraham Avinu Avraham Avinu’s tent had four doors, one on each side. This was more than a gesture. Avraham wanted to show that in truth his house had no walls, and that he wanted to do as much hesed as possible. Such was the kindness of Frank Beda. One young lady wrote, “I used to always feel welcome in his home. I felt so welcome that I would invite my friends to his house. He was a sadik like Avraham Avinu, always having guests over. I am sure that Hashem is enjoying his neshama ; it is such a pure and beautiful soul. He always loved to learn and go to shul. Frank always inspired me to be more religious. I feel I became a better person because he was part of my life. I am happy to have had the opportunity to have known him.” After AvrahamAvinu underwent circumcision at the age of 99, he was certainly exempt from doing hesed as he recovered from such a painful procedure. But his attribute of hesed did not allow him to rest, and he sat outside his tent waiting for travelers whom he could host. This urge to do kindness describes the hesed of Frank Beda, who was always looking for new opportunities to give his financial assistance and his self to benefit those in need. Hazal tell us that it is a greater missva to give someone “the white of one’s teeth” with a smile, than to feed a baby life sustaining milk. Frank always had a smile on his face and a kind word to say to others. Even when he was overwhelmed with a vast number of sedaka requests, he always ensured to treat each rabbi with the proper respect and sensitivity. He viewed every contribution as a privilege and a precious opportunity to participate in the teaching of Torah to kelal Yisrael . I always left his office with a good feeling that he really valued and appreciated the work that we were doing. Beyond his generosity and concern, what made Frank stand out from all the rest, was how he valued other people’s time. He truly internalized the Hafess Haim’s principle that time is our most valuable asset, and he applied it judiciously - not just with respect to himself, but also, and perhaps especially, to the rabbis who work for the benefit of kelal Yisrael. Because he did not seek kavod (honor) for himself, he would send contributions directly, instead of requiring respected rabbis and rosh yeshivas to come and honor him with a special visit. As a rosh yeshiva myself, I can especially appreciate and testify towards this special consideration. The fact that he was so considerate in sparing others from the time and effort of coming to see him in person, shows sublime sensitivity to the concerns of his fellow man. Someone described Frank as “a sadik who did missvot behind closed doors and donated so much to worthy causes. We will miss him eternally, but we will try to live our lives in the spirit of the amazing legacy he left. His words will forever inspire me to always strive to be better.” Prophetic Insight Several months before his passing, I spent Shabbat together with Frank in his home in Flatbush. As we were walking to shul, he made a surprising remark. He said, “What would happen if I would suddenly pass on from this world? I don’t think that I or my family are ready for that.” It was as if his neshama already sensed that his days in this world were coming to an end. Shortly before his passing, Frank approached his cousin, Mrs. Sarah Haddad, at a wedding and asked her if her boys could act as big brothers for his children. She was surprised by the request, but readily agreed. Only after his passing did she realize the prophetic insight of his suggestion. Frank leaves behind his eshet hayil , Julie, and six children – Moshe, Avraham, Yitzhak, Yaakov, Shlomo and Batya. In the merit of Frank’s innumerable acts of kindness, may Hashem give them strength to stand up to the challenges of this trying time, and enable them to experience true consolation together with the entire Jewish people, with the rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash and the return to Sion , amen. A young man in our community is in desperate need of a KIDNEY BLOOD TYPE O To find out if you might qualify to donate a potentially life- saving gift, or to simply learn more about kidney donation, contact: Rabbi Menachem Friedman, Program Director of Renewal 718-431-9831 or mfriedman@life-renewal.org 30 Community magazine