I consider it an honor to be associated with this exceptional
work -- Rabbi Dovid Abenson's new sefer, -- Bridging the
Gap.
Rabbi Abenson's great success lies in the fact that he has
used his own life's experiences in order to help others. He
is in essence saying to us: "I know what it means when things
are not going the way they should. I know what it means to
feel alone, I know what it means to need advice, and to need
someone to care for me -- and so I know the advice needed to
help others in similar situations!"
He has put these experiences into this book. It is almost as
if the Ribono Shel Olom has especially placed him into
those difficult circumstances in order to direct him to his
tachlis in life -- and Rabbi Abenson has indeed
followed the call of HaKodosh Boruch Hu. He could
easily have achieved greater security and financial stability
by going into more apparently lucrative professions. Instead,
he wanted to guide others through the difficulties that he
himself has experiences -- that is truly mesiras
nefesh.
His merit for doing this is indeed very great. He has been
blessed with great siyata deShmaya and has managed to
do things that many people with greater potential and bigger
abilities have not been able to achieve.
The secret of Rabbi Abenson's success is that he continually
seeks advice from people with greater experience than
himself. Perhaps Rabbi Abenson's greatest attribute is that
at every step in his life he has never been afraid to ask
advice. He continuously discusses whether what he is doing is
right, what else must be done, and how it should be done.
That was the reason he was able to compile this book.
Bridging the Gap has so very many useful ideas in it,
with many inspirational lessons to help other people. This is
an unusual merit, a unique area of harbotzas haTorah
and zikui horabim, making a haromas horuach for
many individuals.
Unfortunately, there are numerous people who feel lonely,
isolated and uncared for, lacking basic skills. Many of the
children whom we call "drop outs" have not become like that
because they have a bigger yetzer hora than other
people, but because they feel less cared for than other
people.
Those children who fall through the cracks of our educational
system have, very often, lost out on those fundamental skills
that they should have acquired earlier in life. If we could
only give them a little more care, a little extra
understanding, or a little more help, an invaluable
chizuk can be achieved, giving these people a feeling
of value and self-esteem. Instead of, chas vesholom,
dropping out altogether, they will want to achieve and stay
within the fold, carrying on to reach high madreigos,
which otherwise they would never have dreamt of before.
Through the program outlined in this book, Rabbi Dovid
Abenson has managed to make unbelievable changes. Twenty
years ago, I would never have imagined that even half of his
achievements would have been possible.
Sharing one's knowledge requires a certain amount of
mesiras nefesh. People imagine that if they start
giving away their ideas and their trade secrets, then other
people will go into competition with them, and threaten their
whole parnossoh. This book, therefore, demonstrates
the true mesiras nefesh of a Yid -- working
only for the sake of Klal Yisroel, enabling other
people to use some of his unique ideas.
May Hashem bless his work with much success, so that Klal
Yisroel will get great benefit from his programs!
