1st Yartzeit of Rabbi Rodal

The first Yahrtzeit of a beloved teacher, Shliach, and friend, Rabbi Menachem Rodal A”H, is coming up on 28 Nissan.

Take part in this special Zchus by purchasing a letter, word, Posuk, Parsha or more at www.RabbiRodal.com

By Devorah (Rodal) Heidingsfeld

“You don’t need an elephant to teach the color grey—but the kids certainly won’t forget it.”

Or, using nature and animals to awaken interest and excitement in his students; interest and excitement for nature and, more importantly, the Creator.

These are just a taste of the principles, philosophy, and passion my father, Rabbi Menachem Rodal ob”m developed, espoused and perfected over 4 decades in Jewish education.

As his first yahrtzeit approaches on April 13, 2018, I pause again as I have so many times over this past year to think about this giant of a man I called Tatty for 37 years. Yet, how to encapsulate such a personality in a short article?
My father was a unique and special individual. With my mother constantly at his side, guiding and channeling his energies in so many different ways, he impacted tens of thousands of people, despite his life being cut far too short. His attitude and approach could best be summed up as “emet”—truth, and “shalom”—Peace. He was extremely honest and truthful yet loving and caring in the way he dealt with himself, his family, and others and the world around him.

I feel the need to write about my father as there is so much to learn from him. As I strive to live up to his values, I know that he stood for everything that was right and proper in this world. His unconditional love for every one of G-d’s creatures. Thousands know him for his never ending and always present jokes and sense of humor. Yet, what people probably never considered was the why. Humor was his way of bridging any gap, making anyone feel at home, and brightening their day. His jokes were told the same way to the greatest academic as to the child. If you didn’t get the joke, he would patiently explain it, so you wouldn’t feel bad.
Rabbi Menacham Aaron Hakohen was truly a lover of peace. It hurt him, almost physically, to see argument and strife. He took pains to greet and get to know those who others may have overlooked. A life-long lesson engrained in my upbringing occured at our Shabbos table. Our Shabbos table was filled with guests, including those that may not have otherwise been invited for a meal elsewhere. My father would say that he especially loved the “back-of-the-shul Jews.” In other words, those that did not feel comfortable or welcomed enough to even leave the very back of the shul.

Out of the hundreds of stories I heard during shiva, perhaps one encapsulated my father so beautifully. A man came to the house and in an instant, one could tell that he was not the most popular person in shul. He commented to me that he felt so special that Rabbi Rodal gave him the time of day, and lamented “who would speak to me now?”

To my father, each conversation was a meaningful and real interaction, cementing the bonds of connection. As a kid, I would be exasperated that he had to stop and speak with every employee at the bakery before we could leave. That it would take us forever to walk down the street as he shared a joke, a good word, or a Torah thought with passersby. As a father, his dedication to my mother and their children was legendary. Each of his eleven children viewed themselves as having “the” unique connection with him. For such was his interactions, filled with meaning, depth, humor, and love.

Humble, unassuming, and selfless, were characteristics that he stood by and lived with. With absolutely no airs about him, he had no problem to get on the floor to give his grandchild a ride, or to talk to someone at their level. In his interactions with people and the world around him, he emulated the exhortation in Pirke Avot, “be like a student of Aaron hakohen, love peace and love the briyot—creations, and bring them closer to the Torah.”

The Mishnah says that Aaron loved the briyot. Commonly interpreted as people, it is also translated as creatures. He had a great love of nature and animals, and especially enjoyed showing how the complexity of nature and animals show the hand of the Creator.

Rabbi Rodal’s relationship with Judaism was simple and straightforward. He did the right thing with joy and dedication. He served G-d by doing mitzvot, and enjoyed learning and teaching Torah, and especially understanding and delving into the simple explanation of Chumash (bible) and the Rashi commentary. He would regularly ask questions of his own children and students and discuss and delve into each answer and include his own novel ideas. My father was a chassidic Jew with his own original approach. He was completely dedicated to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and strived to live up to the Rebbe’s ideals.

His dear wife, children, in-laws, grandchildren, students and friends were all impacted by, and will deeply miss this truthful, loving, and unassuming—yet giant of a man.