On Wednesday 30 Av an unprecedented event of kovod
HaTorah in which HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv participated
for an hour-and-a-quarter took place. Seated at a dais in the
Binyanei Ha'Uma convention center, HaRav Eliashiv confirmed
his support and tribute for the Yeshivos HaRan network of 18
yeshivos and kollelim.
The Yeshivas HaRan network is named after HaRav Nochum of
Shadik, a man revered by Jerusalem Jewry who reportedly
merited gilui Eliyahu Hanovi beside the Kosel. The
network is headed by HaRav Nochum of Shadik's great-grandson,
HaRav Tzvi Weissfish.
HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv has been supporting HaRav
Weissfish since his first yeshiva was founded in Jerusalem's
Ramot neighborhood upon the instructions of the Steipler Rav,
HaRav Weissfish's uncle.
The Steipler Rav instructed HaRav Weissfish to raise every
question concerning the yeshiva with HaRav Eliashiv, who was
the Steipler Rav's mechutan. Eighteen years ago, the
Steipler also published the first letter supporting the
yeshiva.
Teshuva on Ramot Road
The kollel has its own story to tell. It all began in
the days of struggle over Shabbos traffic on the Ramot Road.
HaRav Weissfish, one of the first residents of the new
neighborhood, offered a fresh response to the riots conducted
by police against the Shabbos demonstrators: a kollel
opening with ten avreichim.
Amazing success has accompanied Yeshivas HaRan since its
inception as a small, struggling kollel. Its
inauguration ceremony, at which 300 people participated, was
attended by HaRav Yaakov Kamenetsky, who said: "Ramot is
Sodom, and its only right to exist is the mokom Torah
that has been founded there."
Seated at the Feet of the Aron Kodesh
Since its inception, the kollel has grown by leaps and
bounds. It expanded rapidly, and today 500 avreichim
pore over their gemoras in the large study hall in
Ramat Polin. It is so filled to capacity that some of the
avreichim sit at the foot of the aron kodesh.
Anyone coming to this kollel with its legendary
rischa deOraisa is stunned by the sight of hundreds of
avreichim studying Torah without pause with
outstanding shemiras zmanim.
The Ramot Kollel HaRan is the network's crown jewel. However
2000 lomdei Torah study in 22 other network
institutions: kollelim, yeshivos and chadorim
located both in Jerusalem and in the nearby areas of Beitar,
Beit Shemesh, Telz Stone, Elad, Givat Zeev, Kiryat HaRan in
the Brachfeld complex, and Modi'in Illit. It also sponsors
the Messilot organization functioning in various centers of
Russian immigration throughout the country.
How was this achieved? How could one man have founded and
support so many Torah institutions?
HaRav Weissfish himself tried to give an answer to the 2000
people who had come to hear how the empire had been
established and how it continues to merit nonstop siyata
deShmaya.
HaRav Weissfish was filled with emotion and his candid speech
made a deep impression on his listeners. He said that
although 18 years have passed since the founding of the first
kollel, he himself doesn't know how his own
institutions continue to flourish and how he will cover next
month's expenditures.
A Fast Before Every Trip
Excitement rose to a peak when HaRav Weissfish told the
guests about the secret of the existence of Kollel HaRan. He
related that prior to every trip, he visits the grave of
HaRav Nochum of Shadik on Har Hazeisim while fasting, and
them proceeds to the Kosel to recite the entire sefer
Tehillim.
Everything is Siyata deShmaya
In a choked voice, HaRav Weissfish said, "I testify that
there is no chochmah here, no cleverness: only weeping
and fasting. Our success is dependent upon only one thing:
siyata deShmaya.
40 Se'ah of Tears
HaRav Weissfish related the following story: "In the early
years of the yeshiva, I visited HaRav Finkelstein, president
and head of New York's Boyan Yeshiva, and I stayed in New
York for an entire month without managing to collect a cent.
HaRav Finkelstein suggested that I stay for two more weeks,
and then held a melave malka, attended by Rav
Finkelstein's father-in-law, HaRav Reuven Fein. At the dinner
18,000 dollars were collected, enabling me to open the
kollel."
HaRav Weissfish told HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv that with
the tears he shed during his disheartening wandering abroad,
a kosher mikveh of 40 se'ah could have been
filled.
The attendance of HaRav Eliashiv at the gathering for such a
relatively long period of time was also a surprising. But
this was explained when HaRav Weissfish divulged his Torah-
empire management secret: he approaches HaRav Eliashiv with
every problem and follows his instructions exactly.
HaRav Eliashiv also designates a fixed time every erev
Shabbos in which the HaRan roshei yeshiva present
detailed weekly reports about their institutions and consult
him about plans for the future. In addition, HaRav Eliashiv
meets with them during the week as urgent issues arise.
To the Mikveh Before Each Visit to HaRav Eliashiv
It is needless to say that what concerns HaRav Eliashiv is
the spreading of Torah study and the mesiras nefesh
for its sake. The sole reason HaRav Eliashiv devotes so much
time to helping these institutions is that such mesiras
nefesh characterizes Yeshivas HaRan and its institutions
around the clock, all year round.
HaRav Weissfish pins the source of his success on the total
subservience to all of HaRav Eliashiv's guidelines and
directives. He relates that since his great uncle, the
Steipler Rav, instructed him to seek HaRav Eliashiv's
guidance on every issue, he resolved that prior to each visit
to HaRav Eliashiv he would immerse in a mikveh.
Before going abroad, he would also obtain the promise of
Rebbetzin Eliashiv, who was known for her tzidkus and
prayers, to recite chapters of Tehillim every day on
his behalf.
Ardent Support of HaRav Shmuel Auerbach
HaRav Weissfish also merits the ardent, warm support of HaRav
Shmuel Auerbach, who is moser nefesh for Yeshivas
HaRan, sparing no effort to help the network's kollelim
and yeshivos.
HaRav Weissfish also pins his success on the prayers of his
father, HaRav Shmuel Weissfish, a great-grandson of HaRav
Nochum of Shadik. HaRav Weissfish's father goes to the Kosel
every day of the year, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur, and among other things, davens on a daily
basis for the success of the yeshiva.
