Dei'ah Vedibur - Information &
      Insight
  

A Window into the Chareidi World

17 Teves 5778 - January 4, 2018 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

OBSERVATIONS

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

POPULAR EDITORIALS

HOMEPAGE

 

Produced and housed by
chareidi.org
chareidi.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS
Gatherings in Memory of Maran HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, zt"l

Gatherings and hespedim continued around the world within the Torah commounity over the loss of HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, zt"l, who passed away on 24 Kislev at the age of 104. We published a summary of his life on parshas Mikeitz. This week we present some selected excerpts of the many speeches given by the Torah leaders of our generation, giving us some appreciation and perspective about the great loss that we suffered.

Thousands participated in the central eulogy rally which Agudath Israel organized in the U.S. on Sunday night 13 Teves, December 31. Rosh Agudas Yisroel, the Admor of Novominsk, dwelled on the tremendous loss to the entire generation. "Whoever stood in the proximity of the daled amos of Rabbenu, felt the holiness and experienced great trepidation and awe. Rabbenu concealed himself throughout his life up until twenty years ago, when his greatness was revealed to the world. The Ponovezher Rov used to refer to him as `my nistor'.

"When Rabbenu visited America fifteen years ago in a chizuk tour of the world, I had the privilege of hosting him for one night. He was awake at midnight, still receiving the public. I locked the house afterwards. I arose at 3:45 to see if everything was in order and saw that he was studying Masechest Nedorim with a chavrusa."

In his hesped at the American Agudah, HaRav Avrohom Schorr, rov of Beis Medrash Nezer Gedalyahu, focused on the insight that "the explicit purpose in Rabbenu's life was to be a chariot for the Shechina, as reflected in the well-known story with HaRav Erlanger of Switzerland.

"Rabbenu told me fifteen years ago when he was in the home of the Novominsker Rov that the reason why America does not produce great Torah leaders is because they eat meat every day, implying that Americans are inclined to submit to their base desires. One must learn from Rabbenu, who abstained from worldly pleasures, and even towards the end of his life, when his grandson once brought him a plain unflavored yoghurt upon doctor's orders, he refused to taste it, since he had never `indulged' in it up till then.

"I find it difficult to say, but will state it nonetheless, that the Kotker abstemiousness in our days could be found at Rechov Chazon Ish 5, Bnei Brak."

*

In the hespedim organized by the Tzilo shel Heichal network of kollelim in the Old City under the leadership of HaRav Chizkiyahu Nebenzahl, attended by hundreds of avreichim, eulogies were delivered by the president of the kollelim and Chief Rabbi of the Old City, HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl, who dwelled on the enormous difference between Moshe Rabbenu and Pharaoh, in their reaction to hearing the word of Hashem. Moshe Rabbenu said, "Who am I?", while Pharaoh said, "Who is Hashem?"

Truly there is no greater figure than Moshe and no greater sinner than Pharaoh and we cannot compare ourselves to either, but every person must examine himself from certain aspects as to which "Who?" he identifies with: is it "Who am I?" or, G-d forbid, "Who is Hashem?"

Maran was wholly identified with "Who am I." There was no room or reality for the I - ego self. He was totally an entity of Torah without taking anything whatsoever from this mundane world. When the "I" is nonexistent, all that remains is the honor of Heaven. No room is left for this world - only a total dedication to the will of Hashem.

*

In a hesped gathering which took place in the beis medrash of the Admor of Dzikov - Vizhnitz, the Admor painfully said, "Don't you realize that a great prince has fallen this day amidst our people? Klall Yisrael has lost a great minister, a sovereign who illuminated the world through his Torah and sanctity. In addition, he also exemplified and transmitted the righteousness of Hashem and His statutes with Yisrael. He appeared to us all as one who did not take pleasure from this world by as much as a hair's breadth.

"Klall Yisrael, who accompanied him in the thousands to his final resting place, proved that we revere in the depths of our souls one who symbolizes a genuine adherence to Hashem and His holy Torah, and conducts himself in the utmost of simplicity and humility, like those in previous generations. His ways were those of true purity, without a smattering of flattery or falsehood, nor did he attribute any credit to himself for it."

*

There was a special assembly of all seminary girls in Bnei Brak, held in the Armonont Chen wedding hall and other halls in the area. It was attended by leading educators and rabbonim who put the recent events in perspective.

HaRav David Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Cheveron and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, quoted the pasuk in Shmuel, "Honor has been exiled from Israel." The commentaries there say that the honor that was exiled lay in the seizing of the Aron Hashem by the Pelishtim and the untimely death of Eli and his sons on the same day. Both of these are really one thing. Torah leaders are tantamount to the Aron Hashem for they bear the Oral Tradition and the task of transmitting it to their generation. Their lives are spiritual and sanctified, lives of toil in Torah and nullification of materialism. HaRav Cohen also stressed that the most important value by Maran was that of good character traits.

*

HaRav Yaakov Hillel, Rosh Yeshivas Ahavas Shalom, focused on the absolute truth which all saw by Maran, who shattered the bubble of outward appearances and unnecessary conveniences, and taught us that Torah alone is the all-embracing truth, even though it appears simplistic and obscured, and by its light alone shall we proceed to the end of all generations.

The assembly in Bnei Brak was concluded with the message by the famous Maggid, HaRav Shlomo Levenstein, describing the greatness and humbleness of a talmid chacham, and of the path of Torah which we learned from Maran. He told about his extreme caution to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, and of his conjuring up the World to Come before him at all times. He also stressed the portion of the righteous Rebbetzin in his Torah study, and said that in establishing a Torah home, one must know exactly where to invest one's efforts and what to set aside.

These hespedim were viewed in a closed circuit set up to seminaries throughout Bnei Brak and beyond it.

 

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.