Greetings, rosh yeshivas Mordechai HaTzaddik. I would like
to ask you about the rumors regarding Yeshivas Mordechai
HaTzaddik . . .
Sorry to interrupt you, but I'm in a hurry. I have to get to
one of the branches of the yeshiva.
Fine. I'll try to keep it short. Maybe you can start by
telling us a bit about Ovos Ubonim, the tremendous project
that runs year-round. How did it get started?
The idea for Ovos Ubonim took shape ten years ago in
Gateshead, England thanks to a Jew by the name of Yechiel
Cohen. Once his father HaRav Yisroel of Jerusalem came for a
visit and saw a sight he never dreamed he would see in our
generation. He decided that the idea must be brought to Eretz
Yisroel and five years ago the first branch was opened in the
home of the Ansbacher family of Bayit Vegan.
Within two weeks' time the group was forced to relocate to
the local Beis Haknesses HaGra. The project then began to
spread like wildfire, first in Har Nof, then Ramot, Ezras
Torah and beyond, until all of Eretz Yisroel was like a
bonfire of Torah! And the flames of the bonfire sent warmth
and light to the whole world!.
I can see you're quite excited about it. Tell me, when was
Yeshivas Mordechai HaTzaddik founded?
2474 years ago.
No, really.
Absolutely! Twenty-two thousand children gathered to learn
with Mordechai HaYehudi in Shushan in the year 3288 forming
the first branch of Yeshivas Mordechai HaTzaddik.
But wasn't this the first and the last branch of the
yeshiva?
Chas vesholom! As Purim 5759 was approaching I wanted
to try to renew the yeshiva in Jerusalem's Ezras Torah
neighborhood. I was convinced there was no reason why the
yeshiva should not succeed on Purim Day itself. I knew of
places where it had been a smashing success, at the
initiative and with the encouragement of HaGaon Rav
Mattisyahu Solomon, now the mashgiach of Lakewood
Yeshiva in New Jersey.
What was the initial reaction to the idea?
Boys to sit and learn on Purim instead of playing? If that
really happened it would be a Purim miracle in its own right.
But at midday on Purim hundreds of fathers and sons learned
for a whole hour!
How did you reach every town and village?
With a lot of siyata deShmaya. It spread from one
place to the next until it became a badge of honor for a
beis knesses to have Ovos Ubonim operating there. Ovos
Ubonim does not belong to any one organization; it belongs to
everyone! It can be found among every group of Jews from
every type of background, from Eilat in the south up to
Keshet in the Golan Heights, from Meah Shearim to Gush
Katif!
What is the Yeshiva's operating budget for Purim
5762?
More than $145,000!
How do you raise such huge sums of money?
It's not easy. Some donors contribute enthusiastically and
persuade others to take part as well. Some contributors heard
about tremendous yeshuos that previous contributors
experienced soon after Purim last year and two years ago
accounts were even published in the chareidi press. But in
any case, it's not a simple matter.
You don't have one major contributor to sponsor the
project?
No. Last year we had a budget of $98,000, which came from
320,000 different contributors!
Why don't commercial companies show an interest in
sponsoring the project?
The project advisor, HaRav Aryeh Finkel, told us not to sell
the zechus to commercial enterprises, but to reserve
it for Jews who want to make a donation. We were given
clear instructions not to accept money for Ovos Ubonim from
any political or governmental organizations, to keep it pure
through the generosity of individuals.
You don't think such enormous sums would be better used if
they were used to support the needy?
HaRav Aryeh said, "You can't imagine how many sick people
this will heal, how many car accidents this learning will
prevent, how many people will remain healthy, how many people
will find shidduchim and parnossoh because of
it. It's better to prevent misfortune than to wait for it to
strike."
In 5761, just a few days after Purim, a 130-lb. bomb was
found in the streets of Meah Shearim, and through chasdei
Hashem it was safely defused before it exploded. One of
the leaders of the generation told one of his close
supporters, "My heart tells me that the zechus of
talmud Torah of tinokos shel beis rabban on
Purim Day protected the local residents from harm."
Wow!! What an amazing story...Do you feel the prizes you
hand out are appropriate for just one hour of study?
The Rabbinical Council of Yeshivas Mordechai HaTzaddik
determined that one hour of learning every Shabbos and
particularly on Purim Day is worth more than any
prize.
Just a moment. We are supposed to learn leshmoh, not for
the sake of prizes, right?
First of all, the fathers do not receive prizes. And as far
as the sons are concerned, Rav Aryeh Finkel said, `Someone
who has an understanding of chinuch does not ask that
question.' (See Iggeres HaGra and the Introduction to
the Rambam) In one beis medrash they added a minute of
learning without prizes before the dancing begins.
Thank you very much. It sounds really fabulous. Thank you
for giving us some of your time.
Thank you, and happy Purim.
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Medical Miracle
"When my daughter was two years old she ran out into the
street and was hit by a truck," a voice said over the phone
to one of the national directors of Ovos Ubonim. The caller
was an avreich explaining why he wanted to open a new
branch. "An ambulance brought her unconscious to the hospital
where she was diagnosed with a skull fracture and a ruptured
liver. The head of the Intensive Care Unit informed me that
she was in very serious condition. I immediately began to
consider what kind of kabboloh I could undertake and
thought that it would be worthwhile to organize a chapter of
Ovos Ubonim among the group of chassidim I belong
to.
"All around me were strong lights and bright colors, but I
saw only black. Have you ever been to the end of the world?
I've been there--it's at the ICU. That's where the world
ends! I closed my eyes and said, `Ribono Shel Olom! If
little Rivkaleh gets out of this place healthy and well, I
hereby volunteer myself for Ovos Ubonim.'
"About two weeks later the doctor told me that a medical
miracle had taken place. The doctor marveled over the case
saying, `It wasn't us who saved her--it came from Above.' And
that doctor was quite arrogant. Whenever I called him
`Doctor' rather than `Professor' he would correct me. It
seems that the zechus of Torah learning overcame the
truck wheels. Today little Rivkaleh is home, sweet as
ever."
And thus another branch of Ovos Ubonim was opened.
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