"Good for us and good for the World"
Click here for the letter of HaRav Eliashiv
The Degel HaTorah National Convention began Tuesday at the
Eden Inn in Zichron Yaakov with a special opening session
attended by members of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, the
Rabbinical Committee and Degel HaTorah leaders and
delegates.
Hundreds of delegates are staying at the hotel for the three-
day event to discuss topical issues on the agenda, including
the independence of the chareidi education system, Torah
institutions, religious services, state and religion,
employment and housing. The convention-goers will also
approve the formation of the election campaign staff.
The Organizing Committee worked feverishly for the past few
weeks to prepare for the eight-session convention, which is
scheduled to end Thursday afternoon. Some of the sessions had
to be moved to larger halls at the last moment to accommodate
the large number of participants registered. Four separate
minyanim are being held, along with a special Daf Yomi
shiur.
The opening session, held in the main hall, was launched by
Rabbi Shlomo Lorincz and led by Rabbi Avrohom Rubinstein,
secretary of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and deputy mayor of Bnei
Brak. Gedolei Yisroel, including HaRav Aharon Yehuda
Leib Shteinman and HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, were
expected to attend the conference which took place after we
went to press. We expect to have a fuller report in our next
issue.
Degel HaTorah, which operates under the constant guidance and
direction of maranan verabonon shlita, has enjoyed the
support of gedolei Yisroel past and present, including
HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz who endorsed the party during
the previous election campaign. "Gedolei Yisroel adirei
haTorah were wholly dedicated to [Agudas Yisroel] and it
continues under the name `Degel HaTorah,' which was started
by Maran [HaRav Shach zt"l]. It was founded to develop
and expand and preserve the way of Agudas Yisroel as it was
founded by the gedolim of the previous
generations."
Voting for Degel HaTorah "is a kiddush Sheim Shomayim
in the whole world, for the opposing camp brings genuine
destruction to the world," said HaRav Lefkowitz. "And there
is no greater act of showing esteem for our rabbonim than
voting for Degel HaTorah."
According to an editorial appearing in the Hebrew edition of
Yated Ne'eman on Tuesday, every gathering to
strengthen chareidi Jewry is an instance of "Oz nidberu
yirei Hashem" and we should hope and pray that the end of
the verse, "vayaksheiv Hashem vayishmo," comes to
fruition as well. Degel HaTorah, which was founded by
maranan verabonon gedolei Yisroel led by Maran HaRav
Shach zt"l, continues to enjoy the support of the
present generation of gedolei Yisroel, including Maran
HaRav Eliashiv shlita. The essence and goal of Degel
HaTorah is to increase Torah, yir'oh and kevod
Shomayim in Am Yisroel by making efforts to hear
dvar Hashem on each and every development and by
adhering to the precept of ve'osiso es kol asher
yorucho to solve every problem that may arise.
The editorial continued by saying that Degel HaTorah
representatives everywhere have proven themselves loyal to
the task placed upon them by our rabbonim. Their activities
on every front are the tools that bring the chareidi public
under the banner of maranan verabonon. This week's
gathering was planned before the election date became known
and was wholly unrelated to current political developments.
Rather, the objective is to strengthen the campaign and unity
among bnei Torah, for the greater the unity within the
chareidi public the more power it has to promote Torah and
emunoh and to bring the hearts of the general public
in Eretz Hakodesh closer to Yiddishkeit.
