Scores of roshei yeshiva, admorim and rabbonim, as well as
other spiritual leaders of chareidi Jewry in the United
States convened for a special emergency meeting held in the
Adas Yaakov Beis Medrash of the Admor of Novominsk. The
meeting was initiated by HaRav Elya Svei, rosh yeshiva of
the Philadelphia yeshiva, along with the Admor of
Novominsk.
Seated on the dais were HaRav Aharon Shechter, rosh yeshiva
of Rabbenu Chaim Berlin yeshiva; HaRav Yosef Rosenblum, rosh
yeshiva of Shaarei Yosher; HaRav Yisroel Perkovksy, rosh
yeshiva of Beis HaTalmud; HaRav Shmuel Birnbaum, rosh
yeshiva of Mir Yeshiva; HaRav Menachem Klein, ga'avad
of Ungvar and rosh yeshiva of Beis Shearim; the Admor of
Bluzhov; HaRav Chaim Epstein, rosh yeshiva of Zichron
Melech; HaRav Dovid Kwiat, menahel ruchani of Torah
Vodaas and rav of the Agudas Yisroel of Boro Park; HaRav
Zecharya Gelley, moro de'asra of the Washington
Heights Kehal Adas Yeshurun and head of the Rav Shamshon
Rafael Hirsch yeshiva; HaRav Dovid Feinstein, rosh yeshiva
of Mesivta Tifferes Yerushalayim; HaRav Lipa Margolis, rosh
yeshiva of Torah Temimoh; HaRav Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshiva
of Beis Medrash Govoha Lakewood; HaRav Eliyahu Fisher, rosh
kollel Gur; HaRav Abba Gurelick, rosh yeshivas Zichron Moshe
and others.
The gathering was opened by HaRav Avrohom Kliers, director
of the Keren Hashevi'is fund raising in the United States.
He presented statistics about the lists of thousands of
farmers in hundreds of settlements throughout the country
who are part of the Nationwide Center of Shmittah Observant
Farmers. The Center was founded by HaRav Binyomin
Mendelsohn, ga'avad of Kommemiyus, more than thirty
years ago. Today the Center numbers thousands of
shmittah observant farmers who have taken upon
themselves to observe shmittah kehilchoso with love
and joy and without any compromises.
The first speaker was HaRav Elya Svei who stressed that
strengthening the great efforts made this year in Eretz
Yisroel to influence as many Jews as possible to observe
shmittah kehilchoso and to endure any accompanying
difficulties is essentially the foundation of the
Yiddishkeit of our brethren, wherever they may be.
For this reason, he stressed, we must understand that
through our support we are not only strengthening these
particular thousands of farmers but, first and foremost, we
are strengthening ourselves as Jews.
HaRav Yosef Rosenblum, rosh yeshiva of Shaarei Yosher, said
that Diaspora Jewry must appreciate the great merit they
have by sharing the Divine gift of shemiras shmittah
kehilchoso through their support of thousands of farmers
through Keren Hashevi'is. Were it not for Keren Hashevi'is,
we would have no share in this most important mitzvah, whose
worth cannot be measured. HaRav Rosenblum called upon the
audience to learn from the mesirus nefesh of
tanoim such as Rabbi Akiva, who was moser
nefesh for the mitzvah of netilas yodayim --
which is a derabonon -- especially since some
maintain that today, shmittah is a mitzvah
deOraisa.
HaRav Chizkiyah Mishkovski from Eretz Yisroel brought a
special letter from HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman, sent
to HaRav Elya Svei and the Admor of Novominsk. Copies of the
letter were distributed to all participants.
In his letter, HaRav Steinman stressed the great obligation
of every Jew the world over to insure that the laws of
shmittah, a central foundation of Torah and one of
the foundations of trust in Hashem, not be forgotten. This
mitzvah, he said, when properly observed, is the, "diamond
in the crown of every Jew." Its observance brings about a
kiddush Hashem and its violation causes the reverse,
chas vesholom: the desecration of Hashem's Name.
HaRav Mishkovski spoke about the serious financial situation
in Eretz Yisroel, and said that since our enemies have
raised their heads, "the ship has been on the verge of
sinking." He noted that many families who have lost the
heads of their households are undergoing intolerable
suffering. "I asked HaRav Chaim Kanievsky what we must do
for those families, HaRav Mishkovski said. "`Now you ask?'
HaRav Kanievsky replied. `If we had acted for the sake of
Melech Malchei Hamelochim Hakodosh Boruch Hu, Who
asks us to keep shmittah kehilchoso, there is no
doubt that we would have been spared all this anguish.'"
HaRav Mishkovski then asked: "How much effort would each and
every one of us be willing to make in order to merit to be
blessed by the tzaddikim of the past? In respect to
shmittah, Hakodosh Boruch Hu Himself promises us: `I
will command my blessing.' Gedolei Yisroel of all
times -- past and present -- have said that this blessing
will also apply to all those who help in the observance of
shmittah. How, then, can we neglect it?"
Copies of the letter from HaRav Menachem Mendel Mendelsohn,
the rav of Kommemiyus who heads all activities of the
Nationwide Center for Shmittah Observant Farmers were
distributed. The letter had been sent to the honorary hosts
of the gathering, HaRav Eliyahu Svei and the Admor of
Novominsk. In his letter, HaRav Mendelsohn explains the
reasons that led gedolei Yisroel in past generations
to strengthen the mitzvah of shmittah, which, as
HaRav Mendelsohn says, "is proof of the eternity of the
Torah in every generation and under all circumstances. In
our generation have we merited to see the results of the
great efforts of the gedolim when hundreds of
settlements from Dan to Beersheva withstand daily the
nisoyon of letting their lands and vineyards lie
fallow in the shmittah year."
HaRav Mendelsohn calls out: "Those whose hearts feel
kedushas Eretz Yisroel, its perfection and its place
as a haven, will surely be included among those who feel the
pain of the generations and will share in efforts to remove
its disgrace and suffering of so many years. The observance
of shmittah is the most important means of ensuring
our existence in our sacred land, and it is this mitzvah
which renews our strength to hold onto the land: every seven
years."
The closing address was delivered by the Admor of Novominsk,
who said that the thousands of shmittah observing
farmers illustrate the meaning of the verse, "LaHashem
ho'oretz umelo'oh." "Chazal have said: `Sow your land
for six years, and let it lie fallow in the seventh, so that
you shall know that the Land is Mine.' The ma'amar of
Reb Zusha, brought in No'am Elimelech, is well known.
Reb Zusha says: "If we didn't ask `what shall we eat,' the
blessing would ensue without Hashem's having to command a
blessing, because Eretz Yisroel, by dint of the
characteristics imbedded in it by Hakodosh Boruch Hu,
would do that of itself. However since Hakodosh Boruch
Hu knew that the people would ask that question, He had
to command that blessing, and that is what is meant by, `If
you ask what shall we eat, I will command My blessing.'
"Since the question has already been asked and the answer
has already been given, every Jew is obligated to be a
partner in the mitzvah of shmittah and will also
surely have a share in the answer, `and I have commanded my
blessing.' This is especially true for the Jews abroad who
lack the opportunity to observe shmittah in their
fields and vineyards, but do have the opportunity when asked
what will be with our brothers in Eretz Yisroel: not only to
ask, but to respond with a generous hand and a willing soul
like loyal partners."
