Rabbi Binyomin Pruzansky's "Stories that Inspire Greatness" by ArtScroll Featured on JM in the AM

Um, you know the rule when you go to artscroll.com make sure to use promo code radio. That's the rule. When you go to artscroll.com you want major savings and free shipping on any amount. You make sure to use promo code radio. Why would you go to artscroll.com today? Because Rabbi Benyamin Preszanki's got a brand new book. The Jaffa Family Edition of Stories that Inspire Greatness. And I will tell you that the book which has a million great stories by the way. Um, a million great stories but the the in in my opinion and we'll discuss this with Rabbi Preszanki. In my opinion, the lessons that the stories teach about seeing Hashgacha, connecting to Hashem, about how so many what seemingly are small episodes can be such a boost when it comes to realizing one's potential. And those are some of the things I gained from the book. Rabbi Benyamin Preszanki, it's been a pleasure to welcome you to JM in the AM. >> Thank you, Reb Nachman. Wow, it's amazing to be here with you. >> I appreciate that and really the last thing I said is the one that I think is the most, I don't know, the most telling, the most important, certainly for me, what I gained the most from the book. And that is that boy, sometimes we just need to realize that we've got potential. Sometimes we need to realize that our self-worth is a lot more valuable than we think or should be more valuable and viewed that way than we think. And I don't know, it's it's the it's the I guess it's the ultimate goal, right? The ultimate goal of all these stories is to really boost our self-confidence, get us to be closer to the one above and realize our potential, right? >> That's what we here for, you know, life gets busy sometimes. We all the all the noise out there, all the distractions and really we we we you know we have an opportunity every day to find our inner greatness. There's so much that we have ourselves. We don't have to look too far. We have to look inside our hearts. Right. And that's really what I try to do in in the book is to bring out stories of of great people. And then there's the regular very regular people who just do great things. >> There's a lot There's a lot of regular stuff in this book, and I don't say that God forbid to be demeaning. There's a lot of like regular everyday stuff that happens in this book. And all of those are so tied in with Hashgacha, self-confidence, and realizing one's potential. So, you know, it's like not every story is that dramatic, but just there's so much to be learned from each one. >> That's right. I always feel I always tell my children that we all have stories happening to us. If we open our eyes, we're going to see it. We're going to see it everywhere. And then at the Shabbos table, I always like go around the table, "Okay, what happened Hashgacha Protis time? What happened to you this week? What happened?" And sometimes we blow it up to make it a little more exciting, [laughter] but but we all have our stories. We all can write books, you know, we got to write it on our hearts sometimes, and sometimes, you know, we we write books that that bring out so you could see for yourself how hey, that could happen to me. I too can be great, you know. >> No question about it. In your Tefillah chapter, by the way, I think it's chapter four, in your Tefillah chapter, you really go out of the way to show that, you know, that all of us, again, you don't have to be a Torah giant, you can be a regular person, uh that all of us have the potential to actually make a difference through Tefillah. Uh how, you know, things we want, things we need, situations and emergencies that we're in can be altered simply by praying to the one above. And I I think you'd agree, I mean, I'm sure you'd agree cuz I I I guess that's the premise of the chapter, that most of us just don't realize that sometimes. >> I think we underestimate the power that we have to dive and we think like wow, the big side to kill dive for me. I'll go to that side and I'll go to Kevin Sedikim and really you have the power every day. Every day you go to dive in, you really why do you dive in even? You dive in because you're supposed to connect to Hashem three times a day like the cell phone that needs to have power. We got to plug it in. We got to plug into our neshama. And and that's the opportunity we have. I try to bring it out regular stories. Don't need the shidduch for the children. What do they do? Oh, no, I have a story there. It's three girls lined up waiting for shidduchim and we all know how how stressful that could be. And yet this youth goes and he dives and he he reaches a point where he feels Hashem help me. I could do it. Please, I know you could help me and he connects in a way in a way that has his feel with it. He just feels like his tooth is going to be answered and and then they are. >> That I I think that's the most important point. I think all of us all of us who've had some good feeler days can relate to what you just said. In the end you get this feeling. You get this feeling that you you've left it all out on the field so to speak. >> And we don't always see it right away. Sometimes it could take time. >> Yep. >> But we we got to keep trying and diving in until finally I feel like you know, like you you're doing a mitzvah. You're you're praying. You're trying your best. Eventually something's going to break through shamayim and bring you what you need most. >> And by the way and I'm and I'm not using this forum right now to discuss the validity or invalidity or any of it when it comes to the different things that people do in order to you know, in order to get to get to the points that that you know, we're referring to in this conversation. But but so many Torah giants would say just open up a sitter and dive in. Just open you know, just just go to minion and pour your heart out and that that's the best way and don't go through all the you know, machinations of of flying around the world or thinking you have to do something either drama and I'm and I'm not minimizing >> Right, well we're flying to Kever of the flying there. It's different to Google that we're trying to find. >> And the and the davening there I'm sure is very potent. Like I'm sure that you know one's davening but but don't forget that davening in one's local shuls also has the potential to do that. >> not to knock that that's great. You have to really go to a tzaddik's kever in in Europe and and and and touch to that to that tzaddik's in the shul and that's great. But we have we can't forget the everyday life. And our our grandmothers taught us, you know, you you daven, you say Tehillim and and that's how we connect on on a daily basis on hourly basis, you know, you're looking for that parking spot and you get Hashem help me find a parking spot. >> And sometimes it works. Depends what neighborhood you're in, right? Rabbi Yamin Prusansky is with us. The book is entitled Stories That Inspire Greatness. Lots of great stories in here, folks. Lots of great stories. And by the way, Rabbi Prusansky, one of the things I really enjoyed about the book is that, you know, you talk about fulfilling one's potential and the infinite self-worth that one has that we only realize once we, you know, get in tune with some of these episodes that have happened and of course we talked about Sefirah. You have a chapter on Torah studying how important that is and Emunah obviously is a big part of it but you also add in or I should say include the importance of acts of Chesed of, you know, of of understanding and feeling the the the the the real feel of a unified Klal Yisrael, real Ahavas Yisrael, so to speak. And a lot of people may not put those items at the same level of Tefillah, Emunah, Torah study, etc. And to me it seems in this book that you do. Tell me about the Chesed and unity of Klal Yisrael that is so important in this mission. >> I I think that's a part of the fabric of our lives and we've learned that over the last couple years with what's going on there at the straw and especially right now, you know, we we feel basis royal and how we have to forget about our differences and realize we're all part of Hashem's purpose of this world what he put us here for to unite to feel like brothers we're all brothers Hashem and when we play our part and we recognize that just like there's been a moment and I have to dive in and I have to have a token I have to love my friends. I have to be there for him. I have to look for opportunities because when you love your friend, you're showing how much you really love Hashem. >> Right, 100% you have you do you remember the story you wrote about the the reason I say it like that is what once I wrote my book, I realized how how little I remembered cuz I'd written it so many months before so that's why I always now start with authors by saying do you remember when you wrote the story about the miracle in Scots? Do you remember that one? >> Yeah, sure. >> All right, so this is the Bungalow Colony and someone after someone has actually closed up their Bungalow requests that they go ahead and right? Am I right about that? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. >> And what what happens? Tell me about the story. >> Yeah, so it it it it seemingly like a very simple story, you know, so it was a caterer in Lakewood he was doing a job out in the mountains in Scots. We all know what Scots and what Fallsburg and and he needed a place to stay somewhere in that area and he asked a friend of his, can I go to your Bungalow, you know, do you have a space for me? He said, you know, now he had already closed up his Bungalow. He's done for the season. He went back home. He had his family and it would take him opening reopening the electric and the and the water and everything and instead of saying no, I'm sorry. He said yes. He said yes, magical words from magical words he say yes, Yes, I can. Yes, I can do it. >> When it comes to chesed, they are magical words. >> [clears throat] >> And he let them stay, and the family came and they came on a Friday, a hectic Friday afternoon. You know how it is getting up to the mountains to the Catskills on a Friday. It's not easy. Finally, he gets there and then his child, his son, said, "Hey, you know, can I hop around and go swimming for a few minutes before Shabbos?" He said, "Sure." His mother said, "Sure, go." And he runs to the pool and there's no one in the pool area because it's almost Shabbos and he and as he goes in and he's stepping into the pool, all of a sudden he feels something by his foot. He looks down to his horror, there's a child submerged in the water. He's like, "Oh my gosh." He pulls him out and and and the child is unconscious and pulling and they start calling, "I help, help." at solo. And there was a paramedic that happened to be in a bungalow nearby. He heard the calls for at solo for help. He came, he started CPR. They helicoptered in a at solo got a helicopter to take this child, a 4-year-old child, rushed him to the hospital saving his life. Amazingly enough, there was he was able to come out of a maybe a a day or two later, come back to Scops. They rejoiced and they sang. And it all started from a yes. >> Because of because if you would have said no, the >> It led to >> Because he would have said no, the 13-year-old obviously would not have been there to go swimming. >> That's right. We don't even know what we do when >> I know that that's what's so and and you're right that it's not that, you know, it's not that dramatic a story as it develops. Obviously, the drama does, you know, enter into it, obviously. But I but it's like, you know, it's a simple thing and obviously we always wonder, you know, is it going to create good karma for us? Are we going to have, you know, something beneficial for us we do say yes to a chesed and we don't always see it immediately. Here, my gosh, did they see it immediately. >> [laughter] >> It's unbelievable. >> You know, it's about the the power of being positive, of being a happy person. Hashem wants to see us be happy and thankful, and along with that comes blessings we don't even see. We don't even see the blessings that come along with that. >> You know what this reminded me of, by the way? I crazy that this is what reminded me of. This has happened This has happened in major Jewish communities over the years. We always get these stories where um where a uh a company a company that, you know, has frozen food, for instance, right? And you can imagine how many, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars of frozen food they keep in their warehouse, and there's a power outage. And they'll call their competitors, their colleagues, and say, "Can you help me out?" And sure enough, in many, many cases, it just happened recently, in many cases, the colleagues will take all the stuff and put it in their store or put it in their warehouse, you know. >> That's right. >> And I I I I I I I I I I I >> It was one I believe with one of the ice cream companies. >> Correct. >> There was a blackout. >> Correct. >> And then [laughter] he's like, "Oh, no, our freezers are going. What what What are we going to do? All the ice is going to melt." And then the competitor came in and said, "Hey, >> And by the way, and by the way, it's not just that, you know, we wonder if saying yes is going to, you know, benefit us down the road. But on top of that, you're helping your competition. So you're >> [laughter] >> YOU'RE LIKE, "WHAT ARE YOU?" AND AND people do it cuz they know they know that only good will come from something like that. >> That's right, cuz in the end of the day, it's not about competition. It's It's about the blessing that comes, the brochos [clears throat] that come to your life when you help someone. And and your brother, he might be my cool competition. I don't think it's competition. I think it's it's someone in business, and Hashem has enough money in his bank account to to help every aid. And once you realize that, you're ready to to anyone. >> 100%, and it's really a uh I mean just I again I think people do realize that it just takes time sometimes to um to understand uh I just how powerful what they did actually was. Uh and it's such an important part of all of this, right? Ben Jamin Presentsky's with us. The book is entitled Stories That Inspire Greatness available now at artscroll.com. Make sure to use promo code radio Presentsky has a million books. Um so you can check his uh literally search his name at artscroll and you'll see just how many there are. Uh Stories That Inspire Greatness is the latest one and um uh before I let you go we got to do a word on the whole self-worth thing. It we sometimes just don't realize I don't know how great we are, how much influence we have, especially sometimes in the you know the way the one above operates the world. Like how would you put it, Rabbi Presentsky? What what is it that we're not realizing that that doesn't give us the level of confidence and a level of self-worth that we really need? >> Yeah, I think we live in a a generation where everyone's uh putting your name in the lights, you know, at least they're trying and then if you don't see that with yourself somehow you see you think >> Right. >> perhaps I don't have that self-worth. I'm not out there. I'm not on the front page of the the newspaper or the I'm not the one giving a million dollars and so who am I? And it's so important and and I'm not the world's talmud chacham. I don't learn so well. But when we discover the greatness in ourselves, there's no greater feeling than that and that's really what Hashem wants us to do. We have a a holiness summer Hashem gave us with greatness built inside of us. And when we tap into that, we recognize it but sometimes we could forget. It's easy to forget and and I try to bring out this story in this book. It's actually the first chapter because I felt it was so important. I I you to feel and I want you to realize your self-worth. And when you realize that, that's when you start to realize how everyone around you is great. How how life is great. How every person you meet has greatness in them. >> And you have a story, by the way, on page 52 entitled Against All Odds that I bet has happened to more people listening right now than we would ever think. And that was the diagnosis where the doctor says, "In my opinion, I have determined there's nothing to be done for your son in normal school setting. He's hopeless. He'll amount to nothing, etc., etc." And then, of course, it's that young man that turns out to be whatever it is, whether a great talmid chacham, a great philanthropist, or in some cases both. Because in this story the gentleman really did have you know, success in both areas. So, how many times has that happened? And of course, you could imagine what it would do to the self-worth of a child who would read that report. And then they go ahead and become great citizens. >> That that particular story is is someone's making his 60th birthday and he was making a simcha chosson as well. And >> Right. >> And he wanted something special. And the children said, "You know, what can we gift you, Dad? What can we gift to you?" And he said, "There was once a report when I was a child. I was a mischievous child and and there was a report that a doctor once did on me because they wanted to to throw me out of Yeshiva and they felt there was something wrong with me. And I had this meeting with the doctor. And afterwards, my dad was offered a job in Chicago. He ended up moving We ended up moving out of town. And then we never got that report. Can you find that report?" And they find the report. They dug it up somehow from many years ago. And it wrote exactly this, "This child, nothing will become of him." >> They actually They actually word the used the word hopeless in it. >> [laughter] >> You know, this child is nothing. Nothing's going to happen. And he said, "Had I seen that report years ago, I would have given up. >> Yep. >> But I never saw that report. Hashem hid it from me. And here I am making a simcha shas. I'm a successful businessman. I have a beautiful family. >> Yep. >> Thank you, Hashem, for believing in me. And that's what it's all about. A teacher can say something. A friend, who was not such a friend, might say something that's hurtful. But believe in yourself. Realize Hashem loves you. He believes in you more than anyone. >> how do we know? How do we know that that Hashem >> You're alive. >> That that that's number one. That's number one. But even when it came to Moshe Rabbeinu, where he himself had self-doubt if he could do something, Hakadosh Baruch Hu knew that he could do it. And you know, it was good enough for Moshe Rabbeinu to be good enough for all of us. Under Under standing that that God believes in us the way we we unfortunately very often never believe in ourselves. Rabbi Presansky, very inspiring book. I mean, whether summer was coming up or not, I would tell people to get it to enjoy it because just it's great it's a great read with a lot of lessons. And like I said, in the 10 chapters, I think it's 10, you just cover so many different areas in terms of um how all of us can become great or greater. And it's much appreciated. So, big yasher koach and mazel tov on the book. >> Thank you so much. What a pleasure. And >> Appreciate that very much. >> That's my goal is we should inspire ourselves and then inspire those around us to be as great as they can be. >> 100%. So many of these stories show us that we actually can. And sometimes it shows us that we have and just sometimes don't realize it. Stories that inspire greatness, Rabbi Binyamin Presansky. Appreciate his visit via telephone with us this morning here at jm in the am go to artscroll.com. Make sure to use promo code radio. Rabbi Presansky, thanks so much for joining us and congratulations on the book. >> Thank you, Malcolm. Thank you for having me. >> A pleasure. More coming up. You're listening to J in the AM.