Part II
The first part of this essay describes the connection
that there is between all Jews and discusses the importance
of working to bring the light of Torah to those who are
unaware of it.
The Rambam writes describing Rebbi in his
introduction to his Commentary on Mishnayos: "He also
expanded the number of wise men and those searching wisdom.
He disseminated Torah in Yisroel, compiled the
halochos and the teachings of the Sages, and the
differences of opinion that we have accepted from the time
of Moshe Rabbenu until his time. He was also among those who
received [the tradition] . . . and after he culled all these
opinions and matters he started writing the Mishnah,
which includes the interpretation of all mitzvos written in
the Torah, those that are accepted traditions from Moshe
Rabbenu, o"h and those that are opinions reached
through logic about which no difference of opinion exists."
Nonetheless, we see that Rebbi himself went to the cities to
see whether he could bring someone closer to Torah, just
like R' Chiya used to do.
"Rebbi traveled to the place of R' Elazar bar Shimon. He
asked him: `Does that tzaddik have a son?' He
answered: `Yes, he does, and he is a sinner' " (Bava
Metzia 85a.) The gemora tells us that he
encouraged him to study Torah in various ways.
"Likewise, Rebbi traveled to the place of R' Tarfon. He
asked whether that tzaddik has a son. He answered:
`He had no son but his daughter has a son who is a sinner.'
" Also in that instance Rebbi persuaded him to do
teshuvah.
The gemora (see Rashi) asks: "Why did Rebbi need to
do so much, to ask about the children of others?" The
gemora answers: "Rav Yehudah says anyone who teaches
another person's son Torah merits to sit in the yeshiva of
Heaven, as is written, `If you return then will I bring you
back and you shall stand before Me' (Yirmiyahu
15:19). Someone who teaches the son of an am ho'oretz
even when Hashem effects a decree He annuls it for him, as
is written: `If you bring out the precious from the vile,
you shall be as My Mouth (ibid.).' "
This is simply amazing! The Rambam in his introduction to
Mishnayos praises Rebbe in a way he does not praise
others: "He was peerless in his generation and since then.
He was a person who possessed all the virtues and good
character traits until people living at his time called him
`Rabbenu HaKodosh.' He reached the peak of wisdom and
spiritual level until people said, `From the time of Moshe
until Rebbi we did not see Torah and greatness in one
place.' He was the summit of piety and modesty, someone that
rejected pleasures, as people also said, `When Rebbi died,
modesty and fear of sin became nonexistent.' He could speak
eloquently and was more knowledgeable than any person in
loshon hakodesh. He was wealthy and had the ability
to do much, as people said, `The person responsible for the
stall of Rebbi's horses was richer than the King of Persia.'
" Nonetheless, Rebbe found it proper to ask whether there is
a need to bring someone closer to Torah and did all he
could.
We must surely go in the way of Rebbi: be active in helping
those who have fallen by the way, or those who, Rachmono
litzlan, have never ascended to the way of the Torah.
The same reason that the gemora gives about why Rebbe
acted like that is relevant to us as well. "Rav Yehudah says
anyone who teaches another person's son Torah merits to sit
in the yeshiva of Heaven . . . . Someone who teaches the son
of an am ho'oretz, even when Hashem makes a decree He
annuls it for him."
The Maharsha explains (ibid.): "The zchus is
similar to his teaching another person's son Torah and
causing him to sit in a yeshiva, as is written here, and he,
too, merits to sit in the yeshiva of Heaven. The son of an
am ho'oretz is someone who, according to his
gezeiroh, should not know Torah, since a person gives
birth to someone similar to him. But if he studies with him
and annuls that boy's nature and gezeiroh he merits
that Hashem annuls His gezeiroh for him."
This is a wonderful segulah through which we can
annul gezeiros. Each person's acting like Rebbe and
being active in kiruv and teaching Torah to those who
without him would not study it can annul gezeiros.
When am Yisroel was in Egypt and suffered from
unbearable slavery, the Torah writes: "Moshe grew up and
went out to his brothers and saw their suffering"
(Shemos 2:11). Rashi writes, "He employed his eyes
and heart to be sorrowful about them." The Midrash
Rabba writes that he "saw their suffering" means he
would cry and say, "I have pity on them. May it be that I
should die for you." Moshe Rabbenu would help each one of
them and Hashem said to him: "You put aside your matters and
went to see how Yisroel suffers and acted like a brother to
them; I will leave the elyonim and tachtonim
and will talk with you, as is written, `Hashem saw that he
went away to see.' " Hashem saw that Moshe strayed from his
matters to see how his brothers suffered and therefore
called to him from within the burning bush.
The Alter of Kelm in Chochmah Umussar (I:99) writes
that we see from Moshe Rabbenu, who was full of sorrow for
bnei Yisroel, the virtue of "bearing the yoke of
another person," one of the forty-eight ways necessary to
acquire Torah wisdom. This level is when the sorrow of
another person bothers us as if it were our personal
suffering.
The Alter explains that because of Moshe's actions and
feelings, he caused bnei Yisroel to become nearer to
their Father in Heaven and to bring them to Mt. Sinai where
they received the Torah, and eventually they would receive
Eretz Yisroel and build the Beis Hamikdash.
All this was because of his sensitivity to, "He saw them
suffering." In this zchus there was a Divine
awakening as the Torah writes, "Elokim saw bnei
Yisroel and Elokim knew (Shemos 2:25)."
Rashi explains, "He directed his heart to them and with his
eyes he did not overlook them." (What Rashi writes here fits
perfectly with what he writes about Moshe Rabbenu: "He
employed his eyes and heart to be sorrowful about them." As
a result of how Moshe Rabbenu related to bnei
Yisroel, HaKodosh Boruch Hu related to bnei
Yisroel in the same way).
This is a cardinal principle. Each of us wants Hashem's
help; to receive Divine encouragement to reach higher
levels. A person can merit this if he acts like Moshe
Rabbenu, who forsook all other matters, concerned himself
with the suffering of Yisroel. Moshe Rabbenu behaved like a
brother and paid close attention to them. This is surely
also applicable when someone is suffering spiritually and is
remote from studying and observing Torah since, "Someone who
causes another to sin is worse than if he killed him."
Through his concerning himself with them he is zoche
to Divine awakening, namely, that also HaKodosh Boruch
Hu pays close attention to him and does not overlook
him, and he will ascend in Torah and yiras
Shomayim.
Let us have pity on our brethren who are alienated from
Torah and mitzvos. Let us help them in all they need like
Moshe Rabbenu helped his brother Jews in Egypt. Through this
we will all be zoche that HaKodosh Boruch Hu
will also help us and give us all that we need.
It is fitting to cite here what the Chofetz
Chaim wrote more than eighty years ago about the great
decline of those in Eretz Yisroel who strayed from the Torah
and sinned revoltingly against Hashem and did not fulfill
His mitzvos. The Chofetz Chaim stresses the great obligation
we have to rebuke those who sin, to stop them from sinning,
and to show them the correct way.
The Chofetz Chaim writes (Michtevei HaChofetz Chaim
II:48): "We have declined tremendously in comparison to the
previous generation in Russia . . . How great it pains us
about our Jewish brethren who are persecuted because of
their religion. . . . How painful it is to hear that in our
Holy Land, settlements and groups exist that have strayed
from the way of Hashem, have lost their emunah and
faith has been severed from their mouths. There is
chillul Shabbos, people eat neveilos and
treifos and do not observe taharas
hamishpochoh. All of these fundamentals of religion have
become, chas vesholom, hefker. Due to our many sins
they commit these aveiros revoltingly. Also, secular
education increases daily. It is a pity that we see and hear
such things. If we, chas vesholom, disengage
ourselves from responsibility after seeing this terrible
occurrence, if we do not take care of this as soon as
possible, if we do not pay attention to what is happening
among us, who knows what will eventually happen. I therefore
call out to my brothers . . . We should stand together to
stop. . . "
In letter sixty-five the Chofetz Chaim writes: "The heads of
the community and other yirei Hashem in every city,
each one whose heart aches about the profaning of Hashem's
Name and is concerned about the continuation of the Jewish
Nation is obliged to do all he can for Hashem's honor. For
this purpose we have been born, as is written, `Everyone
that is called by My name, for I have created him for My
glory; I have formed him; yes, I have made him'
(Yeshaya 43:7). About such a time the Torah says, `It
is a time to act for Hashem' (Tehillim 119:126).
Every person, no matter what age; anyone who has the power
to do something for the honor of the King of the World.
Anyone who can extinguish some of the fire, to save what he
can from the treasury of the King of the World, which is His
religion and nefesh with its singular qualities, must
do so with what remains of his strength. We are required
according to halocho to rebuke them and separate them
from issur, to show them the correct way, to scream
bitterly about the great chillul Hashem in which
fundamental Torah laws have become abandoned and are
trampled upon. The Torah has warned us to return lost
objects: a person's ox and his donkey. If the Torah had so
much pity on a Jew's money, even on his donkey, surely we
are obliged to return the Israeli nefesh that has
strayed from the true path.
"Actually, in our times even the greatest sinners do not
mostly sin out of spite, chas vesholom, but have
strayed from the way because improper leaders have misled
them, and they are truly like lost lambs that do not know
how to return home. It is a great mitzvah to have pity on
them, to show them the correct road, as is written, `You
shall show them the way in which they must walk'
(Shemos 18:20). This is similar to someone who sees
another person drowning in a river or experiencing another
danger, in which it is a mitzvah to save him. We are
forbidden to be inactive, as is written, `You shall not
stand aside when mischief befalls your neighbor'
(Vayikro 19:16). It is evident that we should act the
same when we see someone who has become dreadfully sick and
because of his grief wants to eat things that will, chas
vesholom, cause his death. When that happens we
undoubtedly need to do all we can to prevent him from doing
so.
"We, too, see people who because of their grief and immense
preoccupation in the vanities of life have forgotten
Hashem's Torah and the importance of fulfilling His mitzvos
and have transgressed something that severs their souls from
the Land of the Living. It is surely forbidden for us to be
lethargic and not to prompt them to fulfill Hashem's will so
that Divine anger will not, chas vesholom, descend on
them, since although HaKodosh Boruch Hu does not
punish immediately, punishment eventually arrives either in
olom hazeh or olom haboh."
The Chofetz Chaim also wrote a letter to certain eminent
rabbonim: "I heard the news that the heads of our holy
nation are gathering together for the honor of Hashem to
consider ways to increase Torah among the young boys, many
of whom, due to our numerous sins, have been delivered into
the hands of alien elements who educate them as non-Jewish
children. How important and sacred is this matter that is
relevant for all of the Jewish Nation. How fortunate you are
to have the merit to act in this holy matter that is the
foundation of our Torah and our nation. Believe me that if I
could, I would fly on the wings of eagles to save Jewish
children from foreign elements so they will not be caught in
the net of heresy. I would very much want to be counted
amongst you in your work to increase Hashem's honor and His
Torah in the world, but my present health prevents me from
participating in this great mitzvah. I ask Hashem that He
strengthen you to finish this mitzvah perfectly and may
Hashem be with you in all matters."
In his Ma'amar Chinuch HaBonim (53) the Chofetz Chaim
writes, "It is known to all that the foundation of the
nation, the Torah, and religion, is education for our
children, to teach Hashem's Torah and to educate them to do
mitzvos so they will continue doing mitzvos their whole
life. Due to our many sins, in recent years the
yetzer has toiled with all its strength to make Torah
forgotten from Yisroel and has incited many of Yisroel not
to send their children to kosher and chareidi schools where
they study Chumash and Tanach according to the
way of the Torah and our tradition, the ancient way of our
fathers. They are exchanging the kosher cheder for
secular schools of different sorts that are full of heresy
vis-a-vis the foundations of Torah and faith, Rachmono
litzlan.. Without Torah and mitzvos they will eventually
deny also Hashem, and we cannot be sure they will not
assimilate, Rachmono litzlan. Due to our numerous
sins, we have seen the bitter experience in many countries
abroad where children have forgotten the Torah and have
completely intermingled among the nations, and the name of
Yisroel is not evident on them.
"Each person who is truly G-d fearing and bothered by the
suffering of Jews should therefore not remain silent at such
a time. He must strengthen with all his might the founding
of kosher chadorim for our children. This is a pillar
of Judaism. Everything is dependent upon it. He must awaken
all our brothers who are loyal to Hashem and His Torah not,
chas vesholom, to deliver their children to [the
avodoh zora] Molech, which are the secular
schools."
It is proper to cite the appeal of maranan verabonon
HaRav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky, zt"l, the Steipler
Rov, HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt"l, the rosh yeshiva
of Yeshivas Mir, and ylct'a HaRav Elazar Menachem Man
Shach, shlita, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponevezh,
who spoke of our obligation to awaken "our brethren who have
gone astray" that want to study the foundations of Judaism
and come nearer to the Torah lifestyle.
"We attest to the encouraging situation that awakens hope to
see many of our brethren do teshuvah, throw away
respectable positions and go study in yeshivos.
"In meetings with our strayed brethren, tinokos
shenishbu, children akin to those who had been
imprisoned by non-Jews, who were educated in heretic
education, we hear reflections of teshuvah. They ask
to study the foundations of Judaism and to come nearer to a
Torah lifestyle. These Jews are found in our neighborhood,
in every city and every place, from every community, and we
can awaken their spirit. This is especially so during the
days of rachamim and rotzon, when each Jewish
heart awakens to come nearer to Hashem.
"Woe to us from the Day of Judgment. Woe to us from the Day
of Rebuke if we stand aside and do not go out to our
brothers to awaken them to do teshuvah. When the
sinners will be charged with their sins they will blame the
heads of the community and the yirei Hashem in every
city, since anyone who can protest about how the people in
his city are acting and does not protest is blamed with the
sin of the people in his city, as is written in maseches
Shabbos.
"It is, therefore, a great obligation for all those who
observe the Torah and mitzvos and who are concerned about
Hashem's honor to strengthen what needs repair in Jewry, and
especially to teach those who have gone astray from the
Torah and to bring Jews closer to the bosom of Judaism.
Organizations headed by rabbonim throughout all Jewish
communities should see to it that each person devotes at
least one evening during this period to visit nearby areas,
to call on a few families who have drawn away from the Torah
lifestyle, to hold friendly conversations motivated by pure
love, and to explain to them the foundations of
emunah and the principal mitzvos. Each person should
do this to the best of his understanding and awaken them to
do teshuvah. Hashem will surely help us to
disseminate Torah, and be sealed for good life, for a year
of redemption and yeshu'oh."
HaRav Moshe Man is the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas
Be'er Yitzchok.
