Community Magazine January 2014

As the last lights of the menorah went out this past Hanukah, so did the light of an entire community, with the passing of Rabbi Ezra Labaton, Ezra ben Nizha, zt”l. F or over 30 years, Rabbi Labaton served the community as rabbi of Congregation Magen David of West Deal. His influence and impact were felt far beyond the synagogue’s walls, and he succeeded in penetrating the hearts of many thousands of Jews, and planting within them the seeds of love and devotion to Gd. These seeds have formed a vast garden which continues to grow each day, and the beauty of its flowers and the diversity of its fruit are a remarkable kiddush Hashem . “WALKING HUMBLY WITH YOUR GD” People who knew Rabbi Labaton would wonder, how did he do it? How is it that while building a congregation true to the traditions of Aram Soba, in an otherwise insular community, he managed to attract and inspire Ashkenazim and Sepharadim, Israelis and Americans, novices and erudite scholars, and rich and poor? As many of his followers and admirers recognized, he accomplished this not with just his knowledge of Torah. Rather, the secret of his success was the way in which he imparted that knowledge and provided that direction. The prophet Michah (6:8) teaches, “He has told you, O human, what Gd demands of you – only doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with your Gd.” Rabbi Labaton taught and led with honesty. With integrity. With decency. With purity. With care. With concern. With compassion. With faith. With love. And above all, with humility. The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5) teaches that the greatness of the Almighty is demonstrated by the fact that when mankind stamps out coins from one mold, the coins are all the same, but when the Almighty stamps each human with the seal of Adam, no one is the same as his or her fellow. For this reason each one of us is obligated to say, “The world was created for my sake.” The Mishnah’s teaching accurately captures Rabbi Labaton’s approach to others and to himself. He appreciated the unique contributions that could be made by each and every person with whom he came into contact, and he understood that because each person is unique, his or her relationship with Hashem would necessarily be special. He therefore treated each person and each life with respect and looked forward to being a part of their lives. One of his favorite moments of the day was the daily shaharit minyan. He loved interacting with all the different kinds of people who would attend, and helping them to start their day off right, not only with a dose of daily halachah , but also with his trademark exuberance. One could always look forward to receiving a smile, a pat on the back, and a “so good to see you again” or a “did you know that you’re fantastic!” Rabbi Labaton took special care of those who had recently joined the minyan in order to say kaddish for a departed loved one. He recognized that the period of mourning is a time when people typically had many questions and were looking for guidance. And he therefore went to great lengths to help mourners understand the laws and underlying concepts of avelut (mourning). Additionally, he took very seriously the opportunity to establish an appropriate connection when starting them on the process of sitting shivah . He valued the Torah that he had acquired and always sought to apply his knowledge in a way that would improve people’s lives, and thereby, the world. To this end, he deployed great sensitivity and a gentle touch. THE ART OF LISTENING In the Book of Shemot (22:25-26), the Torah exhorts a lender who takes a poor man’s blanket as collateral to return it to him before night so he has what to cover himself with. Gd warns, “It shall be that if he calls out to me [because he does not have his blanket], I shall listen – for I am compassionate!” Gd shows special compassion for those enduring hardships and worries that keep them up at night. Emulating the special compassion of theAlmighty, Rabbi Labaton was a very patient listener. He was privy to the multitude of problems and concerns that kept people up at night, offering a listening ear and sound advice. Countless people turned to him for counseling and guidance. He was constantly on the phone or at meetings helping people overcome or manage their problems. And he knew when professionals with a particular expertise were needed, and made referrals and connections as necessary. MICHAEL A MISHAAN 34 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE