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HaRav Yisroel of Salant, zt'l — 25 Shevat 5785 — One Hundred and Forty-Two Years After His Passing
by Rabbi Shalom Meir
A picture of HaRav Yitzhak Salanter, zt'l, the son of HaRav Yisroel Salanter, zt'l. HaRav Dessler wrote on the back of a picture: I have a tradition from my father zt'l that his appearance was similar to his father, HaGaon Rav Yisroel Salanter, zt'l.
What Was Innovative About HaRav Yisroel Salanter's Approach?
This was originally published in 1993.
For Part I of this series click here.
For Part III of this series click here.
Part 2
What was new and unique about HaRav Yisroel Salanter's approach? Ethical works had been authored generations earlier. Men who had perfected themselves and feared Hashem existed in every era. What did R' Yisroel propound? Did he put more stress on mitzvos bein adam lechavero, or did he merely wish to place these mitzvos on an equal footing with mitzvos bein adam laMakom? What can we learn from his letters and from the stories of his conduct that abound?
Mesillas Yeshorim
Here we encounter a new principle, regarding the relationship between chochmah and mussar. R' Yisroel taught his talmidim about this relationship: A profound lecture which weaves together one hundred ostensibly unrelated sources can be constructed on the spot, in an instant.
But penetrating the depths of the soul, and attempting to stand against latent characteristics that are concealed within, is another matter entirely. For the latter it was necessary for R' Yisroel to employ all of his abilities for a full ten minutes, during which he remained silent before a crowd awaiting his words.
Indeed, one of R' Yisroel's mottoes states that, "it is easier to learn all of Shas than to break one midda."
He also taught: "I am capable of authoring a sefer like the Noda BiYehudah, which is entirely geonus and authentic Torah pilpul. However, I am incapable of writing even a single page of sefer Mesillas Yeshorim," which penetrates to the roots of character traits and discusses their method of rectification.
Once, R' Charif, the Rav of Slonim, went to visit R' Yisroel. He found the latter immersed in deep study. In fact, R' Yisroel's concentration was so complete that he was oblivious to R' Charif's arrival. When he lifted his head and became aware of his distinguished guest, the latter remarked, "I thought I would find you immersed in a deep sugya, attempting to understand a difficult Rambam. And here I find you immersed... in a mussar sefer, in Mesillas Yeshorim!"
R' Yisroel wasn't offended by the comment. He tilted the sefer so that the page was within his guest's range of vision, and said: "Please sit down. Perhaps you can enlighten me regarding a question I have on this sefer."
The Exact Terminology
R' Yisroel's son relates: "In 5608, he (R' Yisroel) gave a shiur in the R' Chaim Nachman Parness kloiz, on Maseches Chulin. Over the course of the year, he covered about fifteen daf. He didn't read Rashi or Tosafos, and every shiur required a comprehensive knowledge of the entire Shas, or at the very least, half of it. No one could question anything he said based on any commentary, be it that of a rishon or that of an acharon." (See pamphlet Tevunah, where he reminisces about his great father.)
R' Yisroel's geonus was respected and admired by all. His fame spread even beyond the borders of his own land. We know the esteem in which he was held by both Rabbi Akiva Eiger of Prussia and the Chidushei HaRim in Poland. This great gaon directed all of his energy, talents and genius to the establishment of the mussar movement. He strongly urged his talmidim to qualify for the rabbinate, so that they might influence their future congregations. He founded batei mussar in every city, and made people aware of the obligation to study in them.
There is an interesting story in connection with this. R' Yisroel's doctors advised him to engage in physical work, hoping that this would help quiet his stormy thoughts and thereby ease his headaches. For this purpose, he took up carpentry.
His talmid, R' Yosef Yoizel of Novorhodok, knew where the Rav learned carpentry. He wished to question the laborers who were fortunate enough to work with R' Yisroel about the latter's conduct and everyday conversation. Although the place was a good seven kilometers away, R' Yoizel walked the distance. Among other things, the workers related a remark made by R' Yisroel to the effect that it is incumbent upon every person to learn mussar.
After R' Yoizel returned home, a question occurred to him: How had R' Yisroel expressed himself? Had he said that every man needs to learn mussar, or had he stated that every man is obligated to learn mussar? He trekked the seven kilometer distance back to the laborers, in order to determine the exact terminology used by R' Yisroel when he had discussed the obligation to learn mussar.
Novardok Yeshiva in 1920
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He Walked Barefoot
What do we gain from mussar study? What is its goal? What was lacking in that generation which was saturated with Torah and yirah? The Haskalah movement had not yet come to the fore. Gedolei Torah officiated in the rabbinate and G-d fearing men served as maggidim who stirred the people to repentance. What did R' Yisroel seek to attain through mussar study?
It seems that the answer is inherent in R' Chaim Shmuelevitz's lecture, if we explain it simply. R' Chaim wished to emphasize conduct in the lunchroom. In other words, he wished to stress the responsibilities between man and his fellow. Indeed, most of the stories about R' Yisroel which have been preserved for four generations, deal with the care which must be exercised in this area of the Torah.
For instance, when he learned Torah late at night in the beis medrash where bnei yeshiva slept on benches, he removed his shoes and paced barefoot while immersed in thought, taking care to walk quietly so as not to awaken the sleeping bochurim.
Once, during his stay in Koenigsberg, his student, R' Yitzchok Maltzan, was late. R' Yisroel was concerned that his student would hesitate to knock on the door upon returning. He therefore strolled back and forth on the street until after midnight, so that he could greet R' Yitzchok upon his return. When he himself was delayed at a relative's wedding, he stayed at an inn overnight, as opposed to returning home, lest he awaken the family by knocking on the door.
Netillas Yodaim
His concern for others was manifest at all times. One morning, he saw his talmid R' Naftali Silverberg arise upon awakening and head towards the room where guests were sleeping, in order to get water for netillas yodayim. He pointed out that netillas yodayim is a rabbinic ordinance, while stealing sleep from others is a Torah prohibition.
There are other stories concerning netillas yodayim. When he entered a shul on one of Vilna's side streets to daven Mincha, he only moistened the tips of his fingers in water, as opposed to washing them in the usual manner: He realized that this modest shul served a specific number of people who davened there on a steady basis. It was almost certain that the shamash prepared just enough water for the usual number of men. If one of them would be left without water to wash with, he might become angry at the shamash, and would perhaps even withhold his salary.
In Kovno, there was a private shul whose owner had died and left young orphans. In this shul, R' Yisroel didn't wash his hands at all: He saw that water splashed from the sink and dripped onto the wall, causing minor damage. And orphans aren't bnei mechiloh.
At The Servant Girl's Expense
Then, there was this incident: R' Yisroel was the guest of a respectable Jew, who greeted him joyfully and urged him to wash for the meal using plenty of water: Chazal have revealed that washing netillas yodayim with a generous quantity of water is a segulah for wealth.
A devoted servant girl worked in this house, and she didn't allow the washing container to empty out. R' Yisroel answered his host on the spot: "I don't wish to become rich at the expense of this poor orphan girl."
R' Yisroel's concern and attention for servants and cooks found expression on many occasions: In his haste to make kiddush on Friday night, so that they wouldn't have to wait to serve the food; in his teaching that when baking matzos, the greatest area of concern be that the widow who kneads the dough not have to work faster than she is able; and in his protest against those who arose early for selichos, and required their servant to awaken even earlier in order to prepare something hot for them to drink before going out into the frosty night.
The Shabbos Table
Once, R' Yisroel was invited to the Shabbos seuda of an affluent talmid. This talmid described the kashrus process in his home, the hiddurim that went into the preparation of the meal, and the proceedings during the meal itself: Zemiros were sung to lovely melodies, divrei Torah was heard on the parsha, and a session on the Shulchan Oruch was held regularly at the meal. Shabbos was thus transformed into a "semblance of the world-to-come."
R' Yisroel agreed to come to the meal, on the condition that it be shortened by two hours. Having no choice, the talmid accepted this unusual condition. The courses were served in rapid succession, and within an hour, mayim acharonim was brought in before bircas hamozone. The whole flavor of the exalted Shabbos table was lost. The offended talmid asked his rebbe what fault he had found with the way the meal was normally conducted. Instead of giving a direct answer, R' Yisroel asked him to call the cook, who was a widow.
He then apologized to her: "Please forgive me for tiring you out this evening. You were forced to serve quickly, course after course, without any break in between during which to relax."
"To the contrary!" responded the cook. "May the rebbe be blessed. If only you ate here every Friday night! I am exhausted from all of the Shabbos preparations, and normally have to remain awake late into the night, until the Shabbos meal ends. Tonight, thanks to you, the meal is already over, and I can go rest."
Then, R' Yisroel turned to his student and said, "It seems you have received the answer to your question. Your Shabbos table is wonderful—on the condition that it doesn't hurt others."
Kovno Beis Medrash in the 19th Century
Water On A Stormy Night
One might say that there is a dual lesson to be learned here. The first concerns the literal act of thinking about another and how to promote his good.
The following story illustrates this dimension of R' Yisroel's philosophy: While learning in the beis medrash in the middle of the night, he overheard a conversation. A young bochur who was sleeping in the women's section asked his friend to accompany him outside to the well; he was very thirsty, but was frightened to go out alone in the dark and frosty night. The second bochur wasn't thirsty, and the wild shrieking of the wind did little to inspire him to dash out into the darkness. The thirsty bochur entreated his friend once again, and even offered to pay him for his trouble, but the friend stood firm in his refusal.
The two were startled to hear footsteps on the staircase. R' Yisroel entered. Snow flakes were melting on his clothes, and in his hand was a cup of water for the bochur. He had gone out alone in the storm and drawn the water. Afterwards, he heatedly rebuked the stubborn bochur who refused to open his heart in the face of his friend's entreaties. That is not the way of Torah and her moral teachings!
The Banging Shutter
Another incident which demonstrates the above mentioned principle concerned the hekdesh in Kovno. The "hekdesh" was a well-known institution among Jewish congregations. It was a free hostel for the poor, open to all impoverished wanderers travelling from city to city begging for charity.
The upkeep of the Kovno hekdesh was financed by the congregation, whose treasury suffered from a constant lack of funds. The whitewash was peeling, the plaster was falling, and the building was on the verge of collapse, endangering all the poor who resided therein. R' Yisroel warned the congregation again and again to repair the building, but his entreaties fell on deaf ears. One morning, they found him sleeping with the poor in the unsafe hostel. He declared that he would continue to live there until repairs were made. Renovations began immediately...
This selfsame concern for others manifested itself in other ways as well: One frequently saw R' Yisroel with hammer in hand, fixing shutters that had become unhinged. He worried that they would bang in the stormy Russian night, disturbing the sleep of those who lived on the block.
This consideration was apparent in a new practice he instituted during his stay in the port city of Memel: He had them light the oven in the beis medrash while it was still dark out, long before Shacharis. This way, the wagon drivers who came from afar in the frosty night could warm their bones in the heated beis medrash.
His Last Minutes
All of these stories are examples of the first dimension of R' Yisroel's philosophy: thinking about another. This principle is so important that R' Yisroel devoted his last minutes, which are the most precious in a man's life, to a relaxed conversation with the youth who served him. He explained pleasantly and at length that there is no reason to fear the dead. Such fear is groundless and completely illogical. Therefore, the youth needn't be afraid...
To be continued.
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