Inculcating a Culture of Kiddush Hashem by Yosef Gesser

“Before depositing the check, he ph ocopied the check and displayed it on his wall as a reminder that he worked with a Yid who was ehrlich with him.” Inculcating a Culture of Kiddush Hashem

Baruch Cohen spreads the message that truth and integrity is as satisfying as success BY YOSEF GESSER

Baruch C. Cohen, a trial attorney and litigator for over three decades in Los Angeles, has dedicated himself to spreading the word of truth and integrity as inspired by our Torah. He conveys that these principles are inspiring in their own right and are synonymous with success – perhaps, even more so than his own impressive professional achievements. Baruch is sought-after as a speaker to students and adults, those in yeshiva and those in the workplace. He also created “29 Rules for the American Orthodox Jew,” in which he details how a frum Jew should conduct himself in the workplace – and in life.

Baruch is his clients’ first line of defense and offense in matters of litigation, bankruptcy, or batei din. Born and raised in Far Rockaway, his background is perhaps more rabbinical than professional. His father, Rabbi Dr. Samuel Cohen, headed the Jewish National Fund, and his grandfather, Rabbi Meir Cohen, taught the semicha shiur at Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchok Elchanan, was a long-time executive of the Agudas Harabonim, and also served as chief rabbi of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Reb Meir’s father, Hagaon Harav Shmuel HaKohen Burstein, was a rav in Shatovah, Russia.

Baruch’s mother, a Holocaust survivor, descended from the famed Hager family of the Vizhnitz dynasty and later remarried Rabbi Berel Wein (she was niftar around three years ago).

In his young years, Baruch attended Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim, Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, and Adelphia Yeshivah. After marrying his wife, Adina, he learned in kollel at Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim while earning a degree at Queens College at night.

“I was planning to go into harbatzas Torah. Then I got the bug to become an attorney,” he shares.

But, besides having built a successful law practice, amidst a world in which it seems that yashrus has become an increasingly rare commodity, Baruch has taken a leading role in promoting the imperative for creating a kiddush Hashem with our behavior and speech and avoiding chillul Hashem – a call for integrity and honesty in our lives.

“I wear a yarmulke in court and therefore I am a very visible Jew,” he says. “When you do so, you bear an extra measure of responsibility to be more careful, more courteous, more prudent. Any misstep gets magnified.

“As a member of the am hanivchar, the Chosen People, we follow the Torah. We claim to live our lives in consonance with the will of G-d, and we believe we will be answerable to Him in the World to Come. We have to set an example.

“Therefore, how could we be anything but scrupulously honest and trustworthy?”

Being honest also gives people a certain menuchas ha’nefesh.

Baruch knows a lawyer who cheated on his LSAT’s, somehow managed to get accepted to a top-rate law school, and yet, feels his entire career is predicated on fraud and that he never really earned it.

“His professional life continued in that direction and so whenever he sees a police car passing with its siren sounding, he imagines they are coming for him. He lives in perpetual fear that he will be caught. That is not a way to live,” Baruch maintains.

Seeing the Problem Firsthand

The interest in imparting lessons about ethics evolved in the course of Baruch’s legal career. As a civil litigator, Baruch tries cases before judges and juries and sees firsthand the effect of improper conduct on the secular world. He deals with cases of welfare fraud, construction fraud, slumlord situations, and other areas of perfidy. Sometimes, a litigant tries to justify question-

able conduct by saying it was for a good cause.

“In a court of law, good intentions don’t justify the theft. The world is already largely predisposed against us and such excuses only exacerbate the problem,” attests Baruch.

“There is a sense of mistrust that exists among some in our community regarding the government of our country – which is basically a medinah shel chessed, where the laws are not discriminatory. In Auschwitz, Yidden were compelled to lie or bribe in order to survive. That worked at times in that horrific situation. But we need to abandon this Holocaust mentality – we are not in Europe and the government is not the enemy.”

There are other manifestations of problematic conduct that don’t appear in newspaper headlines. Double-parking on erev Shabbos in some communities or not holding open a door for a woman with a stroller – these less dramatic issues are on Baruch’s radar as well.

Baruch’s presentations about kiddush Hashem to students and adults were also inspired by the videos of criminal defense attorney Ben Brafman, who is a role model of his in this area, which have appeared on YouTube.

A Message of Integrity

Baruch’s first concern is to share these ideals with those in his own law practice.

“I have a policy of hiring observant Jews, among them law clerks who presently attend law school. When you can inculcate in them a sense of yashrus and adherence to dina d’malchusa dina (meaning halacha demands obedience to civil laws) when they are starting out, it has a ripple effect.”

His desire is that when they become attorneys themselves, they will transmit these ideas to others.

Baruch has been invited to lecture on these concepts at numerous venues including yeshiva high schools, Jewish student unions, various colleges in Southern California, law groups, and CPA firms run by observant Jews.

Young people have been particularly responsive to his message, for a simple reason. During their school years, they have merited to hear from numerous rabbanim, roshei yeshiva, and other rabbinical guest speakers. But it has become “old hat” for many and does not resonate with some after a while.

“When they see a lawyer coming in wearing a yarmulke and imparting solid Torah lessons, it packs a different punch. It’s a different dynamic when they hear the message from an unexpected source,” he explains.

Baruch supplements his remarks about creating a kiddush Hashem with a PowerPoint presentation that depicts newspaper headlines trumpeting the escapades of people who were convicted for wrongdoing.

“It has a very jarring effect on a lot of kids,” he notes.

His mission is a double-edged sword of sorts.

“There is something presumptuous about someone like me lecturing and sharing Torah knowledge about being straight in business because it presumes that I am honest – and I try to be – so I have to be more honest, more courteous, more prudent than the next guy.

“Once I finished a case for a particular client for which my final bill was $75,000. The client had given me $80,000, which was sitting in the attorney-client trust account. I handed him a check for $5,000.

“He looked at me and said, ‘I never had a lawyer who gave me back money.’

“I told him, ‘It’s not my money. I did not earn it.’

“Before depositing the check, he photocopied the check and displayed it on his wall as a reminder that he worked with a Yid who was ehrlich with him.”

Fortifying Yiddishkeit

Honesty and integrity in one’s professional life are not the only issues that Baruch addresses with his audiences.

Baruch was well groomed for his role of impacting others. Inspired by his rosh yeshiva, Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, Baruch has learned and continues to learn a great deal of mussar. He gives vaadim on sefarim such as Chovos Halevovos (Shaar Habitochon), Mesilas Yeshorim, and Orchos Tzaddikim. Absorbing their contents goes a long way towards enabling one to withstand tests of monetary greed or other wrongdoings, he avers. No need to eye the car one’s neighbor drives or the exciting vacation his family took. Hashem’s plan for one is not necessarily His plan for you.

“When you internalize these teachings, it affects how you think,” Baruch shares. “When I transmit these teachings to baalei battim, With attorney Nat Lewin they soak it up – it’s like giving water to a wilted flower.”

A not uncommon comment he has heard from students is “Mr. Cohen, when I’m in yeshiva, I wear a yarmulke; when I’m in yeshiva, I wear a yarmulke; when I’m not in yeshiva, I don’t.” Seewhen I’m not in yeshiva, I don’t.” Seeing a successful kippah-wearing profesing a successful kippah-wearing professional has motivated many boys to resional has motivated many boys to recommit to wearing one outside as well.

“My message is: never apologize for who you are. Be proud of who you are. You have a lot to offer the Jewish People,” he tells them. This idea resonates deeply with adults as well. Many frum Jews don’t wear a With late Justice Antonin Scalia yarmulke in their workplace. After hearing Baruch speak, many reason, “if Baruch Cohen can do it, I can do it.”

They understand there is no need to be apologetic for their Yiddishkeit. At the same time, he puts to rest concerns about maintaining a professional image as he conveys the picture of a frum professional who can interact professionally and with great camaraderie with clients and colleagues alike.

Many people have expressed a sense of pride when seeing a competent lawyer in the courtroom or a chief surgeon in a hospital or another professional wearing a yarmulke. This individual is earning an honest With his Rebbi, Harav Alter Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva, Chofetz Chaim, and with his chavrusah, Rabbi Yitzchok Summers, Rav, Congregation Anshei Emes in Los Angeles

living on a level that enables him to support a frum family in these times of skyrocketing costs of living. “When one sees an individual who gives shiurim and mussar vaadim, who writes chiddushei Torah, who speaks publicly and yet who also appears in court dressed fashionably, who interacts properly with judges and jurors without violating halacha, it makes one feel good,” Baruch asserts. “I speak to jurists after a trial to get feedback on my performance. I am always fine-tuning my professional skills. I make sure to speak with them with menschlechkeit.” One attendee at a speech who works in a kosher restaurant appreciated and felt validated when Baruch discussed politeness with his audience. Baruch gave the example of someone who comes into a restaurant, doesn’t act courteously, and leaves a table in total disarray. A similar example is that of davening on an airplane and blocking the aisle. What if an elderly person needs to use the facilielderly person needs to use the facilities? “Think ahead,” Baruch advises. ties? “Think ahead,” Baruch advises. He also coaches interns and employees in his practice on how to mainployees in his practice on how to maintain Torah values in their professional tain Torah values in their professional lives and feel a sense of pride in their lives and feel a sense of pride in their Jewishness while being a responsible Jewishness while being a responsible worker. worker. “I tell my law clerks, ‘Your value system cannot surface at the moment it is tested. Don’t inform your employer on Friday afternoon that you With his stepfather, Rabbi Berel Wein need to leave early for Shabbos. At the outset, inform him about your value system.’”

Helping Colleagues

With Rabbi Eytan Feiner

baruch-With Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz, z”l, rav of the White Shul in Far Rockaway

“I said, ‘Ma’am, I believe in G-d. His treasuries contain enough to feed the entire world. Your success does not impact on me in the slightest.’

“That brief interaction kindled something. Two months later, she called me to say that she was interested in learning about Yiddishkeit and would like some direction.

“This type of exchange results when one has developed confidence in his path and has imbibed a healthy dose of hashkafah and mussar,” Baruch asserts.

Baruch offers another way to make a kiddush Hashem – assisting others in the same line of work by providing guidance and support. providing guidance and support.

From his vast experience as a trial attorney and litigator, he shares inal attorney and litigator, he shares information unconditionally with other formation unconditionally with other attorneys. attorneys.

“I do what I can to help someone else’s parnassah. And I find that when else’s parnassah. And I find that when you do so, Hashem pays you back many you do so, Hashem pays you back many times in return.” times in return.”

Rabbanim counseling people who are dealing with litigation or have to go are dealing with litigation or have to go to beis din send people to him. to beis din send people to him.

Baruch shares, “I once started advertising my services in a magazine vertising my services in a magazine where another lawyer – who is Jewwhere another lawyer – who is Jewish but not observant – was already ish but not observant – was already placing ads. She approached me at a placing ads. She approached me at a function and told me, ‘You’re stealing function and told me, ‘You’re stealing clients from me. You are an Orthodox clients from me. You are an Orthodox

Jew with a yarmulke. How can you do that?’

“I responded, ‘Tell me about your practice. Perhaps I can refer clients to you.’

“She was astonished. ‘How can you refer business to me when I was nasty to you?’

The Myth of Perfection

Reb Baruch has formulated a list of 29 (it was originally 15) “Rules for the American Orthodox Jew,” which deal with the core essence of who we are. Some of them Baruch mentioned in our discussion. But I was intrigued by #10 on this list, “The Myth of Perfection,” and asked Baruch to elaborate on it.

Baruch explains that no one worth admiring ever succeeded without many failures on the way.

“Perfection is a good thing – it pushes people to achieve – but it has a dark side as well. The drive to achieve perfection can intimidate people to the point where they don’t bother trying. ‘Perfect is the enemy of the good,’ wrote the writer and philosopher Voltaire, which was quoted by Rabbi Yissocher Frand at the Siyum Hashas. Just because you can’t finish Shas, doesn’t mean you can’t finish a masechta, a chapter of Chovos Halevovos. Trying to be perfect is an elusive glory.”

Baruch adds, “There is also an element of arrogance in assuming one can achieve perfection. Everyone is destined to fail or experience a setback at some point. Those with an adequate dose of humility can handle that. You struggle mightily to understand a difficult piece of Gemara but when you eventually comprehend it, it is extremely meaningful. Those who cannot admit their mistakes are ultimately destined to fall on their faces.”

He advises, “Improvement is gradual, so celebrate the journey, embrace the struggles. Those who strive for perfection and are dismayed when they don’t reach it are showing a sign of not being emotionally healthy.

“Back when I was in law school,” he adds, “I knew someone who, to my mind, was the image of success without a care in the world – a fancy house, expensive cars, luxurious vacations. Later, after I had started my law practice and was dealing with bankruptcy, he contacted me because he was being sued. His employer, a relative, who had provided his trappings of success, drove him out due to his lack of initiative.

“That put to rest any notions of someone with a perfect life,” concludes Baruch.

In our contemporary and sophisticated society, many would view the idea that honesty is the best policy as a hackneyed cliché. Yet, most of us would agree that trust and honesty are core ingredients for relationships – whether in business or in our personal lives. Acquiring these qualities may be easier said than done and requires hard work and changing attitudes but, as Baruch Cohen has showed us, it is truly the only policy which enables us to live a meaningful life and fulfill what our Creator expects of us.

To obtain the “29 Rules for the American Orthodox Jew,” email Baruch Cohen at BCC4929@gmail.com.