|
|
| ||||
|
IN-DEPTH FEATURES
"A person doesn't always find the path that he ought to be
taking. For the want of a mentor he might stray onto tortuous
sidetracks. Or, he might go right inside without enough
advance preparation and lose his bearings due to the
powerful, intoxicating aromas of PaRDeS [the acronym
of the initial letters of the four levels of Torah
interpretation: pshat (simple meaning), remez
(allusion or hints), drush (expounding or homiletics)
and sod (secret teachings)]. This [danger] led to [the
imposition] of protective measures and limitations, as well
as to [people's] keeping away from the approaches to the
wisdom of the Kabboloh" (from the pamphlet issued when
yeshivas Shaar HaShomayim was founded).
Yeshivas Shaar HaShomayim came into being after two
distinguished Yerushalmi Yidden shared the same
astonishing dream. The yeshiva truly is a Gateway to Heaven
within which, over the years, numerous students of all ages
and levels have elevated themselves heavenward.
Fascinatingly, its name is taken from a posuk (Bereishis
28:17) that Yaakov Ovinu uttered after the dream in which
he saw mal'ochim ascending and descending between
heaven and earth.
One night, HaRav Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach zt'l awoke
suddenly after having dreamed a strange dream. Exhausted, he
turned over and quickly dozed off again but soon he woke up
again, shaken, after the dream repeated itself. His
drowsiness now having disappeared and he being none too
interested in trying to fall asleep again just to see the
dream a third time, he arose, dressed and went outside into
the cool Yerushalayim night.
His footsteps echoing softly in the deserted streets and
alleys, he made his way to the Botei Broide neighborhood
(adjacent to Machaneh Yehuda), to the home of HaRav Shimon
Horowitz zt'l, one of Yerushalayim's great
kabboloh scholars.
After a time he became aware of the sound of more footsteps.
In the darkness he made out a figure, recognizably Jewish,
coming towards him. When the figure came close to him he
discovered to his surprise and joy that it was the very
person whom he wanted to see — HaRav Shimon Horowitz
himself.
"What are you doing out so late?" Rav Shimon asked Rav Chaim
Leib.
"I was on my way to see you. I had an amazing dream tonight
and I wanted to tell you about it."
"Very interesting. I also had an astonishing dream about you
and I was on my way to you."
Conferring on a dark street corner, the two were staggered to
discover that they had both dreamed about the same venerable
elderly man, his face shining with an otherworldly light, who
had forcefully requested of them that his Torah be learned in
Yerushalayim. "My Torah has the power to bring the
Shechinah back from its exile," he told them.
Rav Shimon decided that the person who had appeared to them
was apparently none other than the holy Arizal, who is known
to have regretted the fact that his Torah was not widely
circulated among Yerushalayim's Ashkenazi population. The
only place where the Ari's kabboloh was then studied
in Yerushalayim was the Beis Keil yeshiva which produced
scholars of the stature of HaRav Shalom Sharabi (the
Rashash), HaRav Yedidiah Aboulafieh and the author of
Shemen Sasson.
Then and there the two Ashkenazim decided to open a yeshiva
for the study of the Ari's kabboloh. Without fanfare,
an initial group formed and began learning in the Old City
and very soon the first shiur was being delivered.
A Home of Its Own
Over the years the yeshiva underwent many difficulties,
moving from one place to another before finally coming to
occupy its own current premises on Rechov Rashi in the Mekor
Boruch neighborhood. By the way, there is a meaning to the
arrangement of the windows in the beis medrash. There
are thirteen windows — the gematria of
echod — on each side, together making twenty-
six, which is the gematria of Hashem's Name.
Among the yeshiva's first talmidim in the Old City was
HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank zt'l. An earthquake in
Yerushalayim in 5627 (1927) slightly damaged the yeshiva's
building but it remained there until 5708 (1948), when
fighting broke out prior to the departure of the British.
Haganah fighters took up a position on the roof of the
yeshiva from where they were able to fire on the
Jordanians.
When the Old City fell to the Jordanians shortly thereafter,
the conquering Jordanians set fire to the building with all
the seforim and furniture inside, contrary to all
international rules and laws. The yeshiva tried
unsuccessfully to reclaim the building following the
liberation of the Old City in 1967. The Machon Yerushalayim
publishing house now occupies the renovated building at
number one Rechov Gal'ed, and only a plaque commemorates the
yeshiva that was once situated there.
Despite all its travails the yeshiva remained intact. It
relocated at first to the Katamon neighborhood together with
many other Jewish refugees from Old City. To this day there
is a beis haknesses named Shaar HaShomayim in
the building that the yeshiva occupied on Rechov Amatzia.
With growing tensions on the Jordanian border the yeshiva
moved again to the Beis Yisroel neighborhood, learning in the
building that now houses the shtieblach. In 5718
(1958), following the intervention of Rabbi Menachem Porush,
the yeshiva moved to temporary premises on Rechov Rashbam.
One of HaRav Chaim Leib's sons, HaRav Refoel Auerbach
zt'l, assumed leadership of the yeshiva after his
father's petiroh and tried to fulfill his father's
testament that it move into a large, spacious building of its
own. With the help of Rabbi Reuven Saron, negotiations were
entered into with the owners of the present building on
Rechov Rashi and with another of the yeshiva's foremost
supporters, Rabbi Pinchas Hoffman. The deal was eventually
settled and the building was bought for the yeshiva.
When the supporter returned to Eretz Yisroel several months
later he paid a visit to HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
zt'l, another of HaRav Chaim Leib's sons, who worked
to strengthen the yeshiva all his life and served as its
president for many years. He was stunned to hear the
following from Reb Shlomo Zalman:
"My brother Reb Refoel passed away exactly thirty days after
the building was purchased. Those thirty days were among the
happiest of his life. For years he had been deeply worried
that he might pass away before managing to fulfill his
promise to our father to build a home for the yeshiva. With
the contract signed and the purchase completed his promise to
our father zt'l was fulfilled and he `returned in
peace to Father's house' (see Bereishis 28:21)."
Within the Yeshiva's Walls
Right from the start the yeshiva was planned with broad
vision. When first opened it comprised a Talmud Torah, a
yeshiva ketanoh, a yeshiva gedolah and a
kollel for married students.
The condition for joining the yeshiva for mekubalim
was extensive knowledge of the revealed Torah. Only those who
had already "ingested their fill (milei kereiso)" of
Shas and poskim, and were solidly grounded in
Torah and yiras Shomayim were admitted. To this day,
alongside the shiurim in kabboloh, the yeshiva
offers daily shiurim in Shas, poskim, Halochoh
and aggodoh that are attended by scores of talmidei
chachomim and laymen.
The yeshiva is still the main address for Ashkenazim who wish
to study kabboloh. Half the day must be spent learning
revealed Torah and, as a matter of principle, all students
are strictly forbidden to make any use whatsoever of
"practical kabboloh" or any related techniques.
Shaar HaShomayim took the lead in making the public aware of
the Arizal's yahrtzeit on 5 Av and of the custom of
visiting his burial place then, and also of the
tikkunim carried out once a week during the annual
Shovovim period (between Teves and Adar).
The word Shovovim is made up of the first letters of
the parshos of that period: Shemos, Voeiro, Bo,
Beshalach, Yisro, Mishpotim. In a leap year, the weeks of
Terumoh and Tetzaveh are added, and it is then
called Shovovim Tat. Today, one can encounter well
known roshei yeshiva attending the special Thursday
tefillas minchahs that are held in the yeshiva during
the Shovovim weeks, among the large crowd that always
comes.
Various other tikkunim and pidyonos are still
held in the yeshiva, such as tikkun almonoh and
others, but these are conducted quietly and without
publicity. The yeshiva has also published many
kabboloh works.
Talmidim tell the story of one of the yeshiva's
scholars who started to pray wearing tefillin prepared
according to the halachic requirements of the author of
Shimusha Rabboh. He found that while wearing the
tefillin he was unable to concentrate his thoughts in
the way that he had learned. He could not understand what had
happened until he had the tefillin checked and
discovered that they were posul!
At the Helm
The first roshei hayeshiva were the founders, HaRav Chaim
Yehuda Leib Auerbach, author of Chacham Lev and HaRav
Shimon Tzvi Horowitz, author of Shem Mishimon and
Kol Mevaser. Over the years, many other great Torah
scholars taught in the yeshiva. Rav Chaim Leib's son, Rav
Eliezer Auerbach zt'l led the yeshiva for many years
and after his petiroh, his brother Rav Refoel Dovid
zt'l took over. Members of the family continue leading
the yeshiva to this day.
Heading the yeshiva at present are HaRav Fishel Eisenbach,
HaRav Yaakov Meir Shechter and HaRav Gamliel Rabinowitz.
Since HaRav Shlomo Zalman's petiroh, his son HaRav
Shmuel, rosh yeshivas Maalos Hatorah, has served as the
yeshiva's president. He asked a nephew of Reb Shlomo Zalman
who is a son-in-law of Rav Refoel Dovid Auerbach, Rav
Yechezkel Schlaff of London, to shoulder the burden of the
yeshiva's material and spiritual upkeep.
Many avreichim spend many hours of the day learning
revealed Torah in Shaar HaShomayim and the yeshiva has
produced a number of talmidei chachomim of stature, as
well as Torah disseminators and rabbonim.
There are several shiurim in the department for the
study of the concealed Torah, arranged according to level.
The first shiur is introductory, with the study of
Oztros Chaim. In the second shiur, Eitz Chaim
is studied in depth. In the third shiur, kavonos of
the Rashash are studied.
In 5684 (1924), the yeshiva published a booklet in which its
leaders set out its aims as follows. "First, the study of the
revealed Torah, as it is studied in all the holy yeshivos,
[including] Shas in depth and poskim. Second,
the study of kabboloh, mussar and inquiry. [This is]
the only place in the world where the Torah of
kabboloh is studied in an orderly manner, progressing
from simple teachings to more difficult ones, taught by
talmidei chachomim who are qualified for the task.
"A person doesn't always find the path that he ought to be
taking. For the want of a mentor he might stray onto tortuous
sidetracks. Or, he might go right inside without enough
advance preparation and lose his bearings due to the
powerful, intoxicating aromas of PaRDeS [the acronym
of the initial letters of the four levels of Torah
interpretation: pshat (simple meaning), remez
(allusion), drush (expounding) and sod (secret
teachings)]. This [danger] led to [the imposition] of
protective measures and limitations, and to [people's]
keeping away from the approaches to the wisdom of the
Kabboloh.
"The yeshiva's intention is not to provide its students with
a simple, superficial understanding of the works of
kabboloh, to afford a mere glimpse, wherein lies the
danger of stumbling — as Chazal put it, "He glimpsed
and was injured." Only extensive inquiry and in-depth study
of all the kabboloh works ensures full, rounded
knowledge. This is what Yeshivas Shaar HaShomayim and its
branches aim to provide."
Looking through several of the promotional publications
issued by Yeshivas Shaar HaShomayim for the Study of Revealed
and Concealed Torah, one gets an impression of what it was
like to learn in this unique yeshiva, which was fully
operational before yeshivos were patterned as they are today.
Many aspects of how the yeshiva was run were a function of
the circumstances at the time and do not necessarily have any
practical application in our times. It is interesting to
follow the way in which things developed until they
crystallized into the form that we have them today.
In their prospectus, the yeshiva's founders provide the
following description of some of the different "courses" the
yeshiva offered.
"The yeshiva for bochurim — This department will
accept gifted and inspired youngsters aged fifteen and
sixteen who have completed their studies in Talmud Torah
and who want to become halachic authorities for Klal
Yisroel. Distinguished rabbonim and scholars of
Yerushalayim will deliver shiurim in gemora and
commentaries and in the poskim. Upon completion of
their course of studies, the talmidim will receive a
certificate attesting to their competence to render rulings
from the yeshiva's teachers who themselves are rabbonim who
occupy positions in Yerushalayim.
"Rabbinical lawyers — In addition to the Torah
and ethical authority that our botei din wield in the
Diaspora, the beis din tzedek in the Holy Land is
invested with the legal authority of the [mandatory
Palestine, pre-1948] state, by decree of the king, may his
glory be exalted. The members of the beis din issue
rulings on all matters pertaining to inheritances, wills,
marriage and divorce, alimony and the like. There is
therefore a great need for rabbinical lawyers who can act as
advocates in the botei din. The yeshiva has therefore
opened a special department whose purpose is to teach and
train advocates in Talmudic law. Capable youngsters who are
gifted with clarity of speech and with sound logic, who are
honest and of fine character, will be accepted. The
shiurim will be on Shulchan Oruch, Choshen
Mishpat and Even Haezer.
"The Department for the Study of Kodshim and Taharos
— These two orders [of mishnah] are almost
totally neglected by most scholars, to the point where laymen
suspect that these parts of Torah may simply be superfluous.
The laws that Chazal term "fundamental halochos" (Ovos
3:18) have almost disappeared from the vista of the holy
Torah's splendor and wholeness. The arrangers of the Talmud
saw fit to assign so much space to the orders of
Kodshim and Taharos, even though they already
lacked practical relevance in their day. This department will
accept talmidei chachomim who are Cohanim and
whose occupation is Torah, who wish to attain knowledge of
Torah in its entirety.
"The Department for the Study of Kiddush Hachodesh and the
Principles of Fixing the Calendar — The Jewish
People are considered "a wise and understanding people"
(Devorim 4:6) on account of their expertise in this
area. The Rambam devoted an entire chapter to it in his
Mishneh Torah. This department will accept talmidei
chachomim from among the yeshiva's scholars who wish to
learn the laws governing the fixing of the calendar and
sanctifying the new moon from the Talmud and the Rambam, in
an orderly and methodical way.
"The Study of Kabboloh — Talmidei
chachomim who are trained and very solidly grounded in
all areas of the revealed Torah, and who have passed all the
tests that prove their suitability [for this study] from a
spiritual standpoint, will be accepted. These shiurim
will be given daily by the greatest experts in Kabboloh,
in the seforim of the Ari and his talmid
Rav Chaim Vital zy'a. There are several levels in the
yeshiva and those who have passed the first level will ascend
to succeeding levels. Those who are capable, will become
mentors and will convey their learning to others. Others are
involved in editing the many manuscripts that the yeshiva
publishes in the field of Kabboloh. Mechavnim is the
term for those who have been successfully tested by the elder
scholars of Kabboloh and know how to focus their
thoughts on Yichud Hashem and on the thoughts brought
in the kabboloh literature."
HaRav Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach zt'l was descended
from a family of Admorim which traced its ancestry back to
the author of the Toldos Yaakov Yosef, a talmid
of the Baal Shem Tov. When his father, the Admor of
Tschernowitz-Chmielnick passed away, Reb Chaim Leib was asked
to succeed him. However, he preferred to stay on as rosh
yeshiva of Shaar HaShomayim, which he had built with his own
efforts, leaving the position of Admor unfilled. He once
commented that whereas he was unsure exactly how much
remained of the original, authentic chassidus, Torah
remains forever in its pristine purity and is superior to all
else.
His love of Torah extended to its every single aspect, both
revealed and concealed. In addition, he was further drawn to
the concealed Torah by HaRav Akiva Sofer zt'l, one of
Yerushalayim's kabboloh scholars. He would conduct
Tikkun Chatzos nightly and then learn Torah until
daybreak. He wore a garment of sackcloth underneath his
clothing and despite his joyful outward demeanor his heart
was heavy over the Shechinah's exile and downtrodden
honor.
He was once approached by a distressed Yid who was
very worried because his picture had mistakenly appeared on a
notice posted by the National Lottery, giving the impression
that he had won a substantial prize. The poor man was deeply
ashamed, especially since he knew that it wasn't true.
Reb Chaim Leib told him, "Don't worry. As a rosh yeshiva of
scholars of kabboloh I know that whenever an
unpleasant rumor circulates about someone, that alone is
enough to exonerate him and the Heavenly decree ends there.
You can calm down. You've undergone enough. You will never
again become wealthy."
When Reb Chaim Leib traveled to America to raise funds for
his yeshiva, he sanctified Heaven's Name wherever he went. He
was even presented with a key to New York City by the mayor.
The visit was given wide coverage in the local press because
of the huge gatherings that took place. Reb Chaim Leib
aroused the crowds with his impassioned delivery, urging them
to strengthen their observance and portraying the state of
the generation and the impending redemption. In his
enthusiasm he forgot that his visit had had another purpose
— to raise funds for his yeshiva.
When, just before the return trip, his escorts asked him what
would become of the yeshiva's upkeep and maintenance, he
replied, in the presence of hundreds of people, "This is the
meaning of our request, `May the Merciful One sustain us with
honor' (Bircas Hamozone). We don't require money for
our upkeep. The tremendous honor that you accord us
everywhere is enough."
At one time, when the yeshiva was late in distributing the
stipends to the scholars who learned there, a rumor began
circulating that Reb Chaim Leib was the owner of several
orchards, yet the stipends were being held up. The rumor
gained currency, to the point where Reb Chaim Leib was
summoned to beis din to account for himself. In front
of the beis din his wife Rebbetzin Tzviah told the
dayanim, "It's true. We have orchards but they're
young and aren't yet yielding any fruit. They have names
too," she continued. "One is called Shlomo Zalman, the next
one is Eliezer, then there's Berel and the fourth is Dovid .
. ."
Reb Chaim Leib made his last trip three years before his
petiroh, but it had to be curtailed because of his
weak heart. During his last years he was sickly and
ailing.
At the end of Av 5714 (1954) he suffered a severe heart
attack and was very ill indeed for a month. Although only
semiconscious he reviewed divrei Torah by heart and
also made some startling statements about neshomos and
other topics. He returned his soul heavenward on the twenty-
eighth of Elul 5714 (1954). T.N.T.B.H
| |||
| All material
on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted. |
||||