HaRav Dov Yaffeh davening for the Rosh Yeshiva shlita
In all communities in Eretz Yisroel and abroad, in Torah halls, yeshivos and kollelim, botei medrash and central shul, prayers are being cried out in the hope of crashing the Heavenly Gates for the recovery of HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman. On Monday, morning and afternoon, when Maran underwent complex medical procedures which, thankfully, were successful, moving prayers were said in all Torah study halls and schools for his complete recovery.
In a special gathering which took place this past Sunday in the Lederman shul, attended by HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, HaRav Gershon Eidelstein made the following remarks:
Chazal said that teshuva, tefillah and tzedaka annul a harsh decree. A person can know in which area he is weak and where he must repent. Every personal strengthening is part of teshuva. Chizuk is the path of teshuva and its ultimate form is the study of Mussar. Even a few moments of study creates an arousal and a desire to draw closer to Hashem.
In addition, we must strengthen ourselves in prayer. Every request constitutes prayer and even a prayer in one's heart is consider as such. Chazal determined that generally thought is not the same as speech, however by heartfelt prayer in order to arouse Heavenly compassion — Hashem knows the thoughts of man. `My son, give your heart to Me.' Every prayer in one's heart is also considered prayer.
As for tzedaka, everyone has something to give, so long that it be directed for the merit and recovery of Rabbenu Aharon Yehuda Leib ben Gittel Feige, for a full recovery amongst all the cholei Yisroel.
*
Davening for HaRav Shteinman shlita
On Monday, HaRav Gershon opened his shiur klali in the Ponovezh yeshiva relating the story of the Taz who sat with his students in study, when a woman entered. She said that her son was critically ill and begged him to pray for his recovery. Said the Taz, "We are in the midst of study now and I cannot interrupt it to pray but may the merit of our study as a group be consecrated for his healing." And the child recovered.
We see here that the merit of Torah protects and helps when someone needs recovery. This is all the more true today, when we need refuah because the Torah scroll itself is suffering. We beg that Maran the Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon R' Aharon Leib Yehuda Shteinman be well. The whole world needs him; all of Klal Yisroel needs him and surely if we concentrate upon our request that the merit of Torah study taking place here and the merit of the Torah study of the public be for his recovery, surely this will effect it for Rabbenu Aharon Leib Yehuda ben Gittel Feige as a full recovery.
