My father Rabbi Sholom Weingot, z”l, was one of Hashem’s incredible
gifts to the world. In his almost 50 years of chinuch and counseling, he impacted so
many people in so many ways. He knew how to connect to the young and old, all
stripes of humanity and he understood what different
people appreciated and what gave them strength. He brought simcha to people’s lives through songs, jokes, and stories, and
gave renewed hope and confidence when life was tough.
There are
so many facets to my father’s personality. He exemplified ahavas Yisrael, ahavas Hashem, ahavas haTorah,
extreme patience and sensitivity, and a unique joy of life. My mother shared many times during shiva that my father never spoke a negative word about a person
because he only saw the good in people. He loved peace and chased peace
wholeheartedly.
He grew up
in Brooklyn, New York, and learned by Rav Mottel Weinberg in Eastern
Parkway and the yeshiva of Montreal. He spent lots of time by Rav Yitzchok
Hutner, zt”l and Rav Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, and absorbed their words of Torah
and chizuk. In the time he spent with
different rebbeim, he took a different nekuda
(quality) from each of them for his personal growth. An older friend of my
father recently shared that he felt my father perfectly blended the Litvish and
chasidishe styles of Torah and avodah.
My fathers
respect for my mother (she should be healthy and well) was striking. He
always spoke of her with the highest, well-deserved
praises. He constantly sought her wise advice and directed us to her for advice
on important decisions. After a bris or
kiddush, he loved bringing her home a
plate of food for her to enjoy.
One of the
many beautiful memories I have of childhood is the way my father accorded
respect to mishulachim who came to
our door. Whenever possible, he’d invite them in, seat them at the dining room table,
personally get them a drink and listen to their situation. After giving them tzedaka, he’d share words of strength
and blessing for their success and healing. A few gabbai tzedaka he actually took under his wing to help them
navigate the city and help reach their goals.
My father’s
Torah knowledge, emunah, and bitachon guided his every move, he was
never afraid to do what he believed could benefit others. His message of emunah and bitachon was not just what he preached but also how he lived his
own life. He rarely displayed stress or was scared about how difficult
circumstances would work out. He deeply trusted that Hashem would take care of
things and that whatever happened was for the best.
He shared
with us that in his darkest, most difficult moments, he cried out to Hashem and
actually felt Hashem pull him through when he had no strength left. After his
terrible car accident in 2021, which he miraculously survived, he made it his
mission to spread the message of emunah
and bitachon to strengthen those
going through difficult challenges.
As a rebbi
and principal, my father knew how to bring out the best in each student and
help them to identify their own strengths, talents, and capabilities. He
believed in the students whom so many others didn’t and taught them to believe
in themselves. Through his warmth, spending time, and meaningful conversations,
even the most depressed teenagers would find a renewed appreciation for
life. Many have continued on to yeshivos and colleges and have had much success in all areas of their lives, baruch Hashem.
A well
respected rebbi in town just told me that watching my father changed the way he
and his peers understand their role as rebbeim. He said they now work on
greeting their students more happily and focus on the positive traits of each
student to help them reach their potential. Many others mentioned that they had
only met my father once or twice, but the encounter was so impactful that
they'll never forget his warmth and his kind and uplifting words.
Around 20
years ago, my father was hired to be the Rosh Kollel of Baltimore Dirshu, right
at its beginning. He always enjoyed waking up early and learning, and he
cultivated an atmosphere of unity and friendship for the kollel. Some have told
us that they owe their Torah leaning to my father, and they joined Dirshu and
stayed because of his influence.
My father
was a master composer. He composed beautiful tunes to Shalom Aleichem, Aishes
Chayil, and many more, as well as ballads and grammen for Yom Tovim and special events. As a chazzan, he led the
davening year-round at Rabbi Shafran’s shul for over a decade and, after that,
led the davening beautifully whenever and wherever called upon. The sweetness
of his voice was a reflection of the person he was and an expression of the
inspiration he felt we can get from davening.
During the
last year of his life, my father was spreading the message of hoda’ah, thanks to Hashem. If we
constantly recognize the gifts and blessings that Hashem gives us, we’ll be changed people. We’ll be happier, and we’ll
find a closer connection to Hashem. At this particular time of self reflection
and emulating the attributes of The Merciful
Almighty, let us try to see the best in others and ourselves, and thereby merit
a speedy redemption.
