Rav Yakov Moshe Twerski - Tu B'Av Together 2026

A few years ago >> [music] >> I went upstate to Otisville prison to visit a Yid that was sitting there in prison. He was sitting in [music] camp which is a better version of prison. [music] We should never know about it. And the place was buzzing over a story [music] that had just transpired that I'd like to share with you. A Yid was put into prison, we'll call him Reb Yitzchok, for being involved in a Ponzi scheme that he was unaware of. Very sweet Yidele. And this Yid came [music] to prison, he was sentenced to 6 months. And the first day that he came there, he was completely lost. Broken, shattered, [music] taken away from his family. The Yidden that were there tried to do their best in order to make [music] him feel as comfortable as possible, especially Tully. Tully was an older Yid, a Yid about 80 years [music] old, who never had been there already for a while. And he made sure that whenever Yid came in, [music] he was put at ease and to feel as comfortable as possible in that setting. So, this Reb Yitzchok came in on his first day [music] and they called out count. Few times a day they call out count because it's camp and the prisoners are able to move about more freely. [music] So, they need to make sure that nobody's running away. So, 4:00 in the afternoon, they called out count [music] and by count, the prisoners line both sides of the hallway >> [music] >> and a guard walks through and counts, 1 2 3 4, to make sure that nobody ran away. This Reb Yitzchok was standing in line together with the rest of the prisoners. >> [music] >> And the guard that day was a particularly nasty guy. In fact, the inmates called him the Nazi because he was such a hardened person and at times he acted very [music] cruelly. So, all the prisoners are standing lining the hallway and this guy's taking his time even though there are visitors in the visitor center that are waiting for them. He doesn't care. This guy has all the time in the world. So, he's standing around doing his own thing while the prisoners are lined up against the wall and waiting for him to complete [music] the count, which it just takes a minute. This Rabbi Yitzchak was not aware of the laws in the prison and one of them is probably the harshest of them all, thou shalt not miscount. [music] It's a cardinal sin for a person to miss count. And while he's standing there, he felt like he needed to use the bathroom. So, he stepped away. He saw the guard was taking his time. [music] So, he stepped away and he went to the bathroom. About a minute after he left, the guard came to count and he counted and he's one [music] short. And he starts getting all nervous. And he wants to make sure he didn't make a mistake. So, he goes back and he counts again. And he realizes that there's one prisoner who's [music] missing. So, he gets all upset and he says, "Where is he?" And his neighbor in line said, "I think that he had to go to the bathroom. So, he stepped [music] away for a couple minutes." And this guard completely lost it. He was so upset [music] because a prisoner had dared to miscount. So, he ran to this guy's room and he started pounding on the door. He says, "Get out! Get out! Get out!" This Rabbi Yitzchak [music] told me that he thought the world was coming to an end the way that this guy was pounding on the door. So, he opened up the door and he's quaking and the guard [music] is beat red and he says to him, "You miscount." And this Rabbi Yitzchak said, "Listen, I have to go to the bathroom and I didn't know [music] how how severe it is to miscount. I I I I just stepped away for for and please forgive me. I just came here today. I don't know the ins and outs." >> [music] >> And the guard says to him, "I don't care." He starts screaming at him. "You miscounted. I'm going to punish you. I'm going to show you guys that you don't rule this place. You guys [music] think you can do whatever you want to do." And this Reb Itzhak is shaking. He says, "Please [music] forgive me." He says, "Forgiveness nothing. It's not happening. You guys think you run this place and I'm going to make an example out of you as to what happens for somebody who misses count. Go eat and then you're going to give me your pass, which enables the prisoners to walk around, [music] and I'm putting you into the SHU." The SHU is a small room, which is just [music] dalet alef dalet, literally, you know, 8 ft by 8 ft. And there's a bed there and there's nothing else. It's solitary confinement. [music] And once the guard puts puts somebody in there, Rachman l'tslon, they can stay there however long that the guy decides. >> [music] >> For 1 hour that he needs to take out the prisoner, it's whenever the guard wants. It could be between 2 and 3 a.m. There's no interaction with people. They eat by getting food pushed in through the door. [music] It's a terrible terri- terrible experience. It was only this Nobody should know about this. He says, "I'm going to put you into the SHU and I'm going to make an example out of you. You guys will see that you need to abide by all the rules here and you guys can't do whatever it is that you want to do." Reb Itzhak is crying and crying and crying. >> [music] >> He says to, "Please, I beg you, don't do this to me. I'm innocent. I was framed. I don't belong here. I miss my family." And the guy says, "I don't want to know about all this. You don't run this place. I'm going to show you. I'm going to make an example out of you. Go eat." >> [music] >> Itzhak told me that he went to the >> [music] >> room where they all ate and his face is drenched with tears and Tolly, 80-year-old Tolly sees him and Tolly says [music] to him, "Itzhak, what's going on? You're crying. Why are you crying?" >> [snorts] >> And he starts telling him what happened, that he stepped out to [music] the bathroom when the guard was counting and the guard wants to put him into the shoe and he doesn't know what to do about this. [music] He can't take it. So, he says, "Let me see what I can do. I've been here for a while. Let me see what I can do for you." So, Tuly walks over to the guard. The guard was in the pantry going through the pantry [music] with his back to Tuly and Tuly says to him, "I need to [music] talk to you." He says, "Get out of here. I don't want to talk to you." Tuly says, "Please, give me a minute." The guard says, "Get out of here. I don't want to talk to you." Tuly says, "Please, 1 minute." And the guard turns around and he's beet red [music] and he says to him, "What do you want?" Tuly says to him, [music] "I understand you. You need to lay down the rules. You need to show that people need to abide by all the rules here and we can't [music] do whatever it is that we want. I understand you. I don't blame you. I understand you [music] need to put somebody into the shoe. But, Yitzhak won't be able to take it. Yitzhak just arrived today. He's innocent. He was framed. He's He's a newbie here. You put [music] him into the shoe, he'll snap. He'll go crazy. I understand you need to do this, but I'm begging you one thing. [music] Put me in instead of Tuly. Put me into the shoe. I'll take it. I can handle I can handle it. I can manage. >> [music] >> I've been here for 8 years. Let Yitzhak go. And the guard looks at him because nobody in their right mind goes into the [music] shoe. And the guard says to him, "Are you making fun of me?" And Tuly says [music] to him, "I'm not making fun of you. Here's my pass. I promise you. Put me in instead of Yitzhak. [music] He can't handle it. I'll manage." And this hardened guard, this [music] guy who they called the Nazi, his eyes filled with tears and he says, "Nobody does [music] this besides for you. Only you Jews will do this for each other. Nobody in their right minds would do this. Take your pass [music] back. Tell your truck he's good to go. Both you are off the hook. True story. I heard it from everybody involved. There's nothing more precious to the Abishter when we davening for [music] each other, when we put ourselves into someone else's shoes, experience their hardship, and cry for [music] them. The Gemara compares those who are waiting for a shidduch to prisoners [music] that need to get out. And we have to know that the most precious thing in the [music] world is when we can put ourselves into someone else's shoes just for a moment and davening for them and cry out to the Ribono shel Olam on their behalf. Only a Yid could do this. The possuk says that when Basya opened up Moshe Rabbeinu's box as a baby, "V'hinei naar boicheh." There was a child that was crying. And she said, "Mi'aldei ha'Ivrim zeh." This is a Jewish child. How did she know it was a Jewish child? The Baal HaTurim says, "V'hinei naar boicheh" is not Moshe. >> [music] >> She saw that Aaron HaKohen, his brother, was standing on the banks of the Nile and he was crying. And she [music] looked and she saw there's another child crying for this child and she said, "If one child is crying for another child, this must [music] be a Jew because only they know how to cry for each other." And this is what the Ribono shel Olam wants. The Torah Sheleima says, "V'chanosi es asher ochen v'richamti es asher racham." I'll gift a free gift to the one who I want to gift freely and I will have [music] pity on the one who I want to have pity on. So, he says, "When we davening for each other, [music] then even if the person who is davening doesn't have enough merits that the Abishter should listen to him, but because he's davening for someone else, "V'chanosi [music] es asher ochen." The Abishter says, "I will give a freebie to even to [music] the one who doesn't even deserve it." And even if the person who he's davening for is undeserving, "V'richamti es asher racham." I will have mercy and pity [music] on him, the Abishter says. So, on this Khamisha Asar B'Av, when the incredible organization Yad L'Achim has everybody davening for each other, where we all have each other in mind that we can give in our names, go to Tu B'Av.org >> [music] >> and let's daven for each other and let's poel yeshuos and nechamons. Let's daven for each other. Let's daven for each other. And let's daven for each other. >> [music] >> Yad L'Achim has this amazing initiative. Tu B'Av together for shidduchim. To be mispallel for ourselves, for our families, for each other. It's an unbelievable slush for all the yidden to get together. Tefillas Rabim has a special power. It's a givaldige eis ratzon, a time when we can have our requests and tefillah answered. Everybody needs to tune in. On Tu B'Av.org Say Tehillim together. [music] Zman mesugal for nyonei shidduchim. Let it be that the tefillos of this Tu B'Av the eimah d'kamei Kudsha Brichu All the people that are looking for shidduchim, b'ezras Hashem, will find their intended match.