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The gaon and tzaddik HaRav Zerach Braverman, zt'l:
Without Boundaries
by Yated Staff
For Part I of this series click here.
HaRav Zerach Braverman: a gaon for whom boundaries were nonexistent. He made no distinction between his family and the recipients of chesed who entered his home. There was no border between Torah, avoda, and gemilus chassodim. No differentiation was made between his own talmidim and others, his yeshiva and others, his city of Yerushalaim and the lowland settlements. He devoted himself equally to them all, with unlimited time and energy.
Part 2
This was originally published in 1993.
Emunah and Bitachon
The following story portrays the Rav's diligence in learning, charitable deeds, and faith in Hashem: Whenever R' Zerach ran out of money for his "guest house" (meaning his hachnosas orchim in his own home) he would borrow so that it could continue to function. When the date of repayment arrived and R' Zerach still had no money, he would fast and pour out his heart in prayer, begging that he not be forced to face the lender empty- handed and thereby cause a chillul Hashem.
Once, the date of repayment arrived and R' Zerach had no money. He fasted, davened with great emotion, and turned to his learning. The lender came to his home, and, not finding R' Zerach there, went to the beis medrash. There, he found the Rav immersed in learning. The lender returned repeatedly throughout the day, but couldn't bring himself to interrupt the Rav's studies.
When R' Zerach returned home that evening, someone gave him money to watch over, permitting him to use it for his own needs. The amount of money was identical to the sum he owed. Immediately afterwards, the lender came, and received the full sum of the loan.
HaRav Yisroel Dovid Braverman, son of HaRav Zerach
A Mitzvah In Which One Is Actively Engaged
Hachnosas orchim was only one of many mitzvos in which R' Zerach was actively engaged. When he heard one erev Yom Kippur that a talmid chochom needed money for medical expenses, he went out to solicit funds. When asked why he wasn't sitting down to the seuda hamafsekes, he responded:
"Matters of life and death take precedence over fasting on Yom Kippur. How much more so, then, do they supersede eating on erev Yom Kippur."
On chol hamoed Sukkos, he went from home to home collecting for someone else who was ill. When someone pointed out that he was losing the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah, he answered simply: "The sick and those who attend them are exempt from the obligation of sitting in the sukkah.
It is abundantly clear that R' Zerach was lacking neither Torah nor mitzvos. One might think that he deeply involved himself in the Shomrei Torah association so that he would have the opportunity to spread Torah among the masses, establish a Talmud Torah, and perhaps even a yeshiva. This, however, would be another false assumption. For R' Zerach was already the founder and head of a Talmud Torah and yeshiva.
An Additional Advantage
R' Zerach's yeshiva was not a run-of-the-mill place. Many of its talmidim were among the most gifted in Yerushalaim. These included R' Zelig Braverman, R' Mendel Wolpe, R' Chaim and R' Aharon Shiffman, and more.
Throughout the course of the entire week, from Sunday through Friday, they could be found in the beis medrash. They learned, ate and slept there. The small portion of bread which they brought from home was dried in the sun, so that it wouldn't become moldy and inedible. An additional advantage of dry bread was that it wasn't consumed quickly, and therefore lasted for a few days.
At first, they slept in the beis medrash. This, however, posed a problem. The benches were very narrow. The floor, on the other hand, would become flooded with rainwater which entered through the broken windows. Their wisdom stood them in good stead, and they came up with an original solution: They covered the floor with stones, so that when they lay down, they were elevated above the water and remained dry.
Map of Meah Shearim in 1927
An Additional Burden
We already know R' Zerach sufficiently well to realize that he couldn't reconcile himself to the appalling situation in which his talmidim found themselves. It wasn't long before he erected the Yeshiva Hagedolah Meah Shearim, the first yeshiva to be built outside the walls of the old city. He built a dormitory for young men, and set up a kitchen as well.
From that point, he shouldered an additional burden. Besides his guest house, chesed activities, and the shiurim he delivered regularly in his yeshiva, he took upon himself the support of the entire yeshiva.
Was this enough for him? You already know the answer. R' Zerach wasn't satisfied with helping only the students of his yeshiva and those who came knocking on his door. With almost every visit he made to the settlements, he returned with new talmidim. These youngsters were the sons of farmers. R' Zerach sat and taught them the very basics. They progressed from siddur to Chumash, from Chumash to Mishnah. He guided them step by step, with patience and great love, until they became talmidei chachomim.
Broad And All Encompassing
Everyone knew that R' Zerach's was the address to turn to. The gaon R' Yitzchok Zeev Yadler came to him one day: "I've found a pearl for you."
This was the kind of pearl R' Zerach dealt in: A widow had apprenticed her son to a carpenter, so that he would learn a trade and simultaneously contribute to the financial situation at home. R' Zerach quickly extricated the pearl.
He convinced the widow to entrust her son to him. He cared for the youth and taught him. When the young man reached marriageable age, R' Zerach married him off to the daughter of a talmid chochom, and helped him to set up house. This young man became a talmid chachamim and disseminator of Torah in Yerushalaim
— Rav Michel Zlotnik, zt'l.
In his memoirs, R' Ben Tzion Yadler, zt'l, writes: "R' Zerach's holy activities were broad and all-encompassing, to the point where he even took youngsters from virulently anti-religious kibbutzim and transformed them into complete tzadikim. I personally know one of his talmidim, who was raised on a secular kibbutz and was steeped in forty-nine levels of tumah, r"l. Now, not a day passes that he doesn't go to the mikveh."
The Grave of HaRav Zerach Reuven Braverman
R' Zerach's Minyan
R' Zerach guided his talmidim in yiras Hashem and tefillah, as well as in Torah. One of his most well-known practices was to daven ma'ariv at the Kosel with his students after seuda shelishis. There, he would sing zemiros with them, afterwards acting as shaliach tsibur for ma'ariv.
It is well known that minyanim are constantly being held at the Kosel. However, "R' Zerach's minyan" was famous. In those days, a popular saying went, "Oh, that we should merit to daven on the Yomim Noraim the way R' Zerach davens ma'ariv at the Kosel on Motzei Shabbos."
On Yom Kippur, R' Zerach and his talmidim went to the Kosel to daven Ne'ilah. Afterwards, they said Avinu Malkeinu sentence by sentence. This lengthy service didn't detract from the fervor with which ma'ariv of Motzei Yom Kippur was recited.
Similarly, Kiddush Levana was said with great enthusiasm despite the late hour. Those who lived in Yerushalaim said this blessing after eating and reciting Bircas Hamozone, while R' Zerach and his students were still immersed in intense prayer, oblivious to their prolonged fast...
Between Yishtabach And Yotzer
The minyan at the Kosel left its mark on all who participated in it. R' Zerach also had a special vosikin minyan for shacharis. It's commonly known that those who daven vosikin pace themselves so as to reach Shemoneh Esrei with sunrise. This is in keeping with the posuk, "Those who seek your face see you with the sun."
In order to reach Shemoneh Esrei by sunrise, the minyan had to begin davening earlier. How much time does it take to get to the Amidah? Twenty minutes? Half an hour?
In R' Zerach's minyan, davening began immediately from the time it is permissible to don a tallis: about an hour before sunrise. On Shabbos, when the davening is longer, they began even earlier, donning their talleisim between the bracha of Yishtabach and yotzer. They davened with great fervor and enthusiasm, pouring out their souls. Once, a stranger chanced upon the minyan. When he heard them davening, he became agitated and asked, "What terrible tragedy has occurred, to cause you to cry out so in prayer?"
He Makes Peace
We can thus add avodas halev, (a term connoting tefillah) to the range of activities in which R' Zerach engaged. In addition to his dissemination of Torah, charitable activities, and the yoke of supporting an entire yeshiva, R' Zerach worked for the needs of the overall community.
For example, he knew that there was no mikveh in Yavniel. As a result, someone drowned in the Kinneret. R' Zerach arose and collected funds to finance a mikveh. For this purpose, he sold all of his possessions, completely emptying out his home. Soon after, the mikveh in Petach Tikva broke. His wife, the Rebbetzin, sold all her jewelry in order to pay for the repairs.
R' Zerach constantly strived to make peace both in the public and private realm. A delegation of Admorim from Poland, headed by the Imrei Emes, zt'l, once visited Eretz Yisroel seeking to make peace between orthodox factions. They appointed R' Zerach as one of the chachmei Yerushalaim who would work towards achieving this.
His activities in the area of shalom bayis are well-known. It once happened that he was given the honor of being sandek. On the way, he heard of a family quarrel that had broken out. R' Zerach gave up the honor of sandekaus without hesitation in order to make peace between the two parties.
R' Zerach was totally occupied with Torah, avoda, and gemilus chassodim, the three pillars upon which the world stands. He toiled without cease to achieve his goals. For how could he rest, while hundreds of families living on settlements were being sentenced to spiritual extinction, as their children were forced to attend secular schools? R' Zerach cried out in warning, arousing the people. He founded the Shomrei Torah association, whose goal was to establish Talmudei Torah on all the settlements. He called the meetings, made proposals and implemented decisions, making them a reality.
Bringing these goals to fruition was no simple matter. In order to set up a Talmud Torah, it was necessary to travel to the settlement and organize the residents. They had to be encouraged and persuaded to stand up against the overseers. Afterwards, a room had to be rented, which in itself was against the coercive regulations. The final step was to bring teachers from Yerushalaim and arrange for their salaries. In this manner, Talmudei Torah were established in Ekron, Rishon Letzion, Rechovot, and Yaffo.
"When Hairs Grow On My Palms"
Many hurdles had to be overcome before it was possible to set up a Talmud Torah. To relate merely one example: On one settlement, they attempted to rent a room. The overseers, however, interfered. They therefore decided to build, but were unable to acquire a plot of land for this purpose: all of the land was designated for farming, and couldn't be used for building purposes.
In order to obtain a building permit, they had to travel to the capital city of Istanbul. The bureaucratic red tape was endless. One of the settlement's leaders scoffed at R' Zerach, "When hair grows on my palms, you'll erect a building here for a Talmud Torah."
Although hairs never grew on his palms, R' Zerach succeeded in building his Talmud Torah: After much effort, he discovered a plot of land owned by an Arab. The Arab had a building permit, which extended to the adjacent plot of land. R' Zerach erected the Talmud Torah on that plot. The aforementioned scoffer showed up at the chanukas habayis, and even donated a substantial sum to the Talmud Torah, which covered the building costs.
Bread And A Cluster Of Grapes
A similar incident occurred in Petach Tikva. The Talmud Torah was begun at the residents' initiative. Rav Mordechai Diskin hired three teachers from Yerushalaim. These three instructors were assigned a total of nine classes. Although not ideal, this was the situation. The three teachers and their classes occupied a single apartment, until one of the overseers intruded and threw them all out.
R' Mordechai Diskin travelled to Yerushalaim. Together with R' Zerach Braverman, he solicited funds from bnei yeshiva and kollelim. They succeeded in collecting four thousand francs. This was an enormous sum, considering the fact that the city was destitute! He then returned to Petach Tikva, accompanied by R' Zerach. R' Diskin relates:
"When R' Zerach and I were visiting the settlement, I inquired from the residents as to where he was staying, but no one knew. Apparently, everyone assumed that someone else was taking care of him. The riddle was solved when I entered the settlement's beit knesset about an hour after ma'ariv. I found R' Zerach sitting in a dark corner, where he could remain unnoticed. He was eating his dinner, which consisted of bread and a cluster of grapes. I couldn't reconcile myself to this: R' Zerach intended to remain on the settlement for a number of days, and I couldn't imagine how he would manage under such conditions.
"The Rav, however, refused to stay with any of the residents. "First," he remarked, "I don't know if I can rely on their kashrus. Second, chazal tell us that when a talmid chochom derives benefit from someone's possessions, that person's respect for him is lessened. This being the case, my words wouldn't have the desired influence, and I would be unsuccessful in my mission."
Things Began To Progress
As soon as R' Zerach arrived in Petach Tikva, things began to progress. One of the residents donated six dunam of land, and R' Zerach raised twelve thousand franc. He then drew up a contract with the builder. Milestones were reached in quick succession.
The Lomza Yeshiva moved to Petach Tikva, and a lot was purchased in the city's center. Funds were obtained and a building was erected for the yeshiva. Later on, a house was built for the Chofetz Chaim, who had expressed a desire to move to Eretz Yisroel. And Petach Tikva was only one out of an array of settlements! There was Yavniel, Rechovot, Rishon Letzion, and Zichron Yaakov.
Alone In The Wilderness
And there was Ekron. There, too, a building was erected for a Talmud Torah. The members of the Shomrei Torah Association travelled from Yerushalaim to participate in the chanukas habayis and rejoice in the fruits of their labor. They went by carriage, and became lost on the way. The driver was confused. He tied the reigns, climbed down from the carriage, and went to scout out the area in the hopes of finding a nearby habitation. The travellers remained alone in the heart of the wilderness, as darkness fell.
The twelve travellers remained alone in the almost palpable darkness, amidst the eerie howls of wild dessert creatures. While awaiting the driver's return, they decided to daven ma'ariv. With low spirits and heavy hearts, they didn't have it in them to daven at length, with their usual fervor.
But R' Zerach, the group's leader, went to the "amud." He began to daven ma'ariv in his usual way, with overflowing enthusiasm and ardor, word by word. The fact that they were lost in the wilderness didn't trouble him in the least. Ma'ariv in the wilderness was said with the same concentration and fervor as ma'ariv at the Kosel on Motzei Shabbos.
Once again, his followers realized that for R' Zerach, there were no boundaries. Not between Torah, avoda, and gemilus chassodim. Not between Yerushalaim and the settlements. For R' Zerach, time and place, atmosphere and event, were limitless and unbounded.
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