Rabbi Asher Freund: A Father to All Who Needed One

In Parshat Ekev, we find the verse: "And you shall walk in His ways." Rashi explains: "He is merciful and you shall be merciful, He performs acts of kindness and you shall perform acts of kindness."

It is told about Rabbi Zundel of Salant that when he traveled for business to large fairs, he would help wagon drivers with loading and unloading, and even brought water to the horses himself. His acquaintances once asked: Does our teacher go to such trouble even for animals? He answered: “Our Sages say, 'Just as Hashem is gracious and merciful, so too should you be gracious and merciful,' and about Hashem it’s written: 'Hashem is good to all, and His mercy is upon all His creations', without distinction between one person and another, or even between people and animals.”

The late Rabbi Asher Freund, lived this teaching with his whole heart. He was known for his deep compassion and kindness, and for being like a father to those who were struggling and broken-hearted. His home was always open to anyone in need. People who had been through hardships in life found warmth, care, and dignity in his presence. Like a loving parent, he would provide for their needs without hesitation. Everything he did came from a place of true humility. He actively avoided honor and praise.

Rabbi Asher would often speak about the importance of emunah and the simple belief that we truly own nothing, and that everything we have comes from Hashem. When quoting our Sages’ teaching, "Just as He is merciful, so should you be merciful," Rabbi Asher would explain: “Hashem is compassionate toward the Jewish people even when we fall short. He still treats us with kindness. In the same way, we should continue showing mercy to others even when they upset us or behave in ways we don’t like.”

His close students and friends shared many stories about Rabbi Asher’s acts of kindness. One student recalled: “At one point, I started slipping spiritually. I lost my motivation to pray and learn Torah, and I became bored and empty. Rabbi Asher noticed, and invited me for a talk. At the end of our conversation, he gave me a mission to take care of a young man who was mentally unwell. I was to look after him and help with everything he needed.

“So I spent all my time from morning to night caring for this young man. That’s when I saw how amazing Rabbi Asher’s kindness really was. On one hand, he gave me a purpose and lifted me out of my own darkness, and on the other hand, he made sure the young man felt cared for and loved. One day, the phone rang. It was Rabbi Asher. He said he was marrying off his daughter soon, and he wanted both me and that young man to come celebrate with him. When the wedding day came, we arrived at his house and saw him already standing outside in his shtreimel (fur hat worn on Shabbat and holidays). But when he saw us, he asked if I had polished the young man’s shoes for the wedding. I said I hadn’t. Without a word, he went back inside, brought shoe polish, and sat down to polish the shoes himself.”

Another touching story was told by Rabbi Asher’s daughter: “My father would often send me with a bag full of chickens for Shabbat to a woman who lived in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood in Jerusalem. I would bring the chickens to her, but she never said thank you. This hurt me, especially since it happened again and again.”

One day, she decided to find out why. She discovered that when Rabbi Asher delivered the chickens himself, he would also quietly clean the woman’s home in honor of Shabbat. So when his daughter came instead, the woman wasn’t disappointed by the chickens but because no one would be there to clean the house for Shabbat...

Another time, a couple came from far away to seek Rabbi Asher’s advice. When they arrived, they saw him leaving his house in a coat, heading toward his car. Their hearts sank, they had traveled all this way for nothing. But the moment he noticed them, Rabbi Asher turned back, canceled his trip, invited them inside, laid a tablecloth on the table, and offered them sweets with warmth and respect.

One of his close students shared another powerful memory: “Many of the people who came to Rabbi Asher’s home were in very difficult situations. There was one young man in particular who would shout and act out wildly, making others uncomfortable. I tried to gently suggest to Rabbi Asher that perhaps this young man didn’t belong in the house. But he answered firmly, ‘Is this my house, that I can throw someone out of it?’”

That was Rabbi Asher Freund. A man whose every act showed love, dignity, and compassion for all of Hashem’s creations no matter their state, no matter their story.