I Wanted To Be Good

Recently I finished reading the book Ratziti Lihyot Tov (I Wanted To Be Good). The book is a collection of stories about Chanan Porat z"l, written by Oded Mizrachi and published by Rosh Yehudi.

Chanan Porat was a well known figure here in Israel. He was one of the founders and leaders of Gush Emunim, and a member of the Knesset for 11 years. This book reveals to the reader other facets of Chanan Porat's amazing life that are not so well known.

Chana was not just a politician. He was a Torah Scholar, a genius. The book quotes Rav Avraham Shapira saying that if Chanan would have kept studying full time instead of getting involved with public affairs, Chanan would have become Merkaz HaRav's Rosh Yeshiva instead of him.

Chanan was involved with Chessed, acts of loving-kindness, on a very large scale.

Chanan Porat was also physically strong. He was one of the paratroopers who liberated Jerusalem's Old City in 1967. He was seriously wounded in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Chanan had 11 children, among them one who was adopted.

I highly recommend this book. It is fantastic, right up there with A Tzaddik in Our Time by Simchah Raz. I hope that the book will be translated into as many languages as possible in order that all those Jews that still have not learned Hebrew can benefit from reading about this stellar personality.

Here is an interview with Rabbi Porat several months before he passed away. He suffered from a malignant tumor in his brain which at the time of the interview partially paralyzed him and interfered with his speech. The tumor eventually caused his death.

יהי זכרו ברוך