Close to 1,300 men and women gathered at an event titled “Dina D’malchusa Dina” to raise awareness on “preventative pidyon shvuyim,” featuring among others Rabbi Aaron Lipskar of the Aleph Institute and renowned criminal defense attorney Mr. Benjamin Brafman.
On Thursday night, some 1,300 men and women converged upon Ateres Chaya Hall in Borough Park to attend an event sponsored by Agudath Israel’s KnowUs division. The goal of the event, titled “Dina D’malchusa Dina,” was to raise awareness of how, as Torah Jews, we can uphold the highest standards of ethical and financial rectitude, especially when interacting with secular society.
The standing-room-only crowd was riveted by addresses by Rabbi Avrohom Schorr, Rav of Bais Medrash Nezer Gedalyahu; Rabbi Binyomin Eisenberger, Rav of Bais Medrash Heichal Hatfilla; as well as by Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, Chief Executive Officer of the Aleph Institute; and renowned criminal defense attorney Mr. Benjamin Brafman. The evening was chaired by the Agudah’s Executive Vice President, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel.
Harav Schorr implored the large gathering to strengthen the quality of living with histapkus and acceptance of Hashem’s adnus, and exposed how underlying weaknesses in these areas can lie at the root of challenges in the implementation of dina d’malchusa dina.
Harav Eisenberger, through an odyssey of ma’amorei Chazal, explicated the singular midah of Klal Yisroel’s ne’emus: where we are pleasant not only in our own eyes, but also in the eyes of those who behold us.
Rabbi Aaron Lipskar described the “preventative pidyon shvuyim” that we can undertake, and recounted, employing moving anecdotes, various legal and psychological checks that can help one avoid legal disaster.
Finally, Mr. Ben Brafman closed the remarkable evening by weaving wit and deep legal wisdom to instruct how one can avoid trouble that may not present itself as such, and the amazing impact that seemingly small positive actions can have.
The event also featured audiovisual presentations by the Aleph Institute, an organization that supports incarcerated, military, and institutionalized persons and their families, and by the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing every Jew to their mission of creating a kiddush Hashem in every interaction.
Photo Credits: Hillel Lash/Agudath Israel
I’m sure Rabbi lipskars speech was fantastic