Ereb Hanukah, the 24th of Kislev, is a very significant day for the Jewish people, as it marks the Yahrtzeit of one of greatest Jewish philanthropists of all time, and perhaps the greatest since Sir Moses Montefiore.
Mr. Edmond J Safra A"H, Edmon Ben Ester, was a man whose heart was larger than his entire being. After earning his fortune, he went to work using the money to support Am Yisrael on every level. He, as much as anybody else in the world, understood the teaching of our Sages in Pirkeh Abot: "The world stands on three pillars – on Torah, on Aboda, and on kindness." He generously supported Yeshivot, Kollel students and day schools around the world, in virtually every continent. His support was offered to all the various groups of Jews, but he was especially involved in supporting Sephardic institutions. Nobody invested money toward the promotion of Torah study like Mr. Safra. He was also personally connected to Torah learning, and brought Rabbis to his office each and every day to study Zohar and read Tehillim. Even after his passing, scholars study Zohar and read Tehillim in his memory.
In regard to Aboda – prayer – Mr. Safra built countless synagogues across the globe, and untold numbers of Jews are able to pray in a proper synagogue with a Minyan only because of his generosity. As for kindness, his contributions that have been publicized are but the tip of the iceberg of the assistance and support he gave to people in need. His generosity extended well beyond the Jewish world, as he invested enormous sums to support medical research that finds cures for diseases. He dispensed his kindness on a global level, genuinely concerned as he was for the wellbeing of all mankind.
All Am Yisrael, but particularly the Sephardic Jewish world, owes an immense debt of gratitude to Mr. Edmond Safra, and our congregation is very proud and fortunate to carry his precious name, and be called the Edmond J Safra Synagogue. On Ereb Hanukah we join with the Safra family and with Jews around the world in honoring and celebrating the legacy of this extraordinary individual, and committing ourselves to perpetuating his memory and legacy every day throughout the year.
I imagine that many people might be asking, "What can I learn from this man? After all, I will not be wealthy like him. What do his life and achievements mean to me?"
There are many answers to that question, but I would like to point to one in particular. Every donation he made was in memory of his mother and father. Many buildings throughout the world carry the names of his parents. Whenever he had a Yarhtzeit for one of them, he went to a Yeshiva or synagogue and prayed, and paid Rabbis to study Torah in their memory, recognizing the benefit this brought to his parents’ souls. We have much to learn from Edmond J Safra about what Kibbud Ab Va’em (honoring parents) is all about. As children, we have an obligation to do all we can to bring our parents honor both during their lifetimes as well as after they leave this world. And nobody showed us how to do that like Edmond J Safra.
May his memory be a blessing to us and to the entire Jewish nation, Amen.
