‘Yedidya’ Novel – Like Chaim Potok’s ‘The Chosen’!

“Yedidya” is a novel based on the shiurim of Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis, and written by Naomi Elbinger

Here is the blurb:
Meet Yedidya Steinhart: a typical yeshiva bachur, or at least he would like to be. He’s left behind a tough childhood in New York and is determined to make it at an elite Jerusalem yeshiva.
But then two unexpected events turn his world upside down: first, he is visited by an apparent nevuah ketanah, a “small prophecy” as described in the Talmud; second, he is falsely accused of a serious crime, with devastating consequences.
Yedidya‘s quest for redemption brings unlikely friends, mentors, and adventures, as well as illuminating discoveries about happiness and faith through the ups and downs of real life.
The story is meant as a parable but also holds its own as a novel.
Criticism:
I wish it hid its allusions better and had some more editing.
Praise:
“Yedidya” reminds me of Chaim Potok’s bestseller, “The Chosen” for its successful synthesis of a literary plot and an interesting (!) religious message (a successful synthesis rarer than moon rocks) and its accurate portrayal of its Israeli-Anglo world.
And I hate reading fiction novels. I only read this one out of curiosity to see what Rabbi Yaakov Travis had to do with it.
Not including a “call to action” here…

SAMPLE CHAPTER from Upcoming Torah Book on Marriage (Rabbi Yehoshua Alt)

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Changing Diapers and Taking out the Garbage

How should we view menial tasks such as changing a baby’s diaper, taking the garbage out or cleaning the house? We may consider these tasks relatively insignificant. However, the truth is that they may be just as important, when we do it l’shem shamayim.

When R’ Yehuda Samet and his wife had several small children, they hung a sign over their changing table that read, “I am changing this diaper in order to help this child grow into a Torah scholar (if it was a boy), a Yerai Shamayim, a servant of Hashem, an Eishes Chayil (if it was a girl) and I’m doing it with sincerity and joy.” Although they didn’t always read it out loud, it had a tremendous impact on the way they changed diapers.

A poor guest who finished eating at the house of the Chozeh of Lublin noticed him cleaning the table. Puzzled, the man asked, “I can understand that you serve the guests because of the great mitzvah of hachnasas orchim, but why are you cleaning the table? Servants do that.” The Chozeh answered him that on Yom Kippur after the holy service in the Kodesh Hakadashim, the Kohen Gadol would also remove the fire pan and the spoon. So too this mitzvah is no less important.

This idea is represented by the terumas ha’deshen which was removing the ashes from the mizbeach — the dirty work. For this reason, דשן is an acronym for דבר שאינו נחשב, that which is considered inconsequential. We see how significant it is since it was placed next to the mizbeach.[1] So the next time we need to do some dirty work, we should realize that it is actually cleansing us.

 

[1] Vayikra 6:3.

Rabbi Yehoshua Alt

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Yechezkel Hirshman Writes to Hyehudi…

Here is his what he wrote (in response to this):

BSD

Hello Mr. Hyehudi, LOY”T
I really do not know much about you or your personal hashkafos only that they appear to me to be somewhat confrontational.
Regardless, I am always gratified that anyone even reads my posts and more so that they post references to it. Yasher Kochacha for that.
I actually would like you to reference my material more often. I have really only seen two posts referenced and the substance of these two posts in particular give me a bit of insight. (Oddly enough, they both mention Rav Dovid Cohen.)
As far as the post that I deleted, be assured that not only did you have nothing to do with this, but I wasn’t even aware that you ever referenced my post until about the time it went down. In that vein, I want you to know that I have a personal policy that, to the extent possible, when I refer to other people in my posts, especially to other writers, I make an effort to notify them that I did so. If I have their email, or if I can locate it, I will send them a copy.
I wrote an extensive post of this policy and why I do it. You can see it here:
As such, I think you likewise have an obligation to notify me if you reference my posts. I am available at this email.
Back to the deleted post, all I will say on why I deleted it is that Rav Dovid Cohen is still a distinguished person and represents the Torah world, so to denigrate him any more than is absolutely necessary would be  לא תלין נבלתו because, when any distinguished Torah personality is disgraced, it is  קללת אלוקים תלוי and I do my utmost to be sensitive to Kavod shamayim.
And, yes, I do still have the original, but it is no longer for public consumption.
Hatzlacha rabba,
Kol Tuv,
Yechezkel Hirshman
P.S. You may post this email if it suits you – totally unedited but you may remove this PS.
The end. I intend to reply tomorrow.
UPDATE: Here is my response to the above.