An exceptionally large crowd comprising hundreds of
Yidden from all segments of the Manchester Kehilla
crowded into the Machzikei Hadass Shul to attend a
hesped in honor of HaRav E. M. Shach zt"l. The
event was graced by the presence of numerous rabbonim,
mechanchim and roshei yeshiva and facilities were in
place to enable the overflow crowd to listen from the
adjoining hall.
The proceedings were opened by the moro de'asra HaRav
Schneebalg. He dwelt on the great loss to Klal Yisroel
of such an outstanding marbitz Torah who was steeped in
Torah and yiras Shomayim for over nine decades. HaRav
Schneebalg emphasized that since HaRav Shach zt"l was
recognized as a godol in previous generations, the drop
in spiritual standards does not allow us to fully comprehend
his gadlus. After his petiroh we need extra
chizuk and guidance to protect us from the declining
moral standards and prevalent yetzer hora of modern
society which Rav Shach zt"l fought so strongly
against.
The next speaker was Rabbi B. Rakov, the Gateshead Rov. He
mentioned that the petiroh of a godol is referred
to as "Bo hashemesh betzohoroyim" because even at a
most advanced age, the avodas hakodesh of
tzaddikim is still at its peak and their loss is still
keenly felt. He described how HaRav Shach zt"l became
the final link in a chain of gedolim who guided Klal
Yisroel with pure daas Torah stretching back to Reb
Chaim Ozer, the Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov, zichronom
librocho. He echoed the sentiments of Rav Schneebalg
concerning the pitfalls of modern society and issued a strong
warning against giving mobile phones to children, which is
known to cause a churban in their ruchniyus.
The final speaker was Rabbi Yisroel Rakov, ram
biYeshivas Shaarei Torah. He spoke as a talmid of
Ponevezh Yeshiva and was thus able to share some of his
personal experiences of the ahavas haTorah, anivus, and
pikchus of the great Niftar. He gave accounts of
people who received advice from HaRav Shach zt"l which
seemed strange at the time, but with the passage of time, it
proved to be based on great foresight.
He spoke about HaRav Shach's yegias haTorah even when
guiding Klal Yisroel on major issues and how his advice
to askonim and public dignitaries was often given
literally in the middle of a sugyas gemora.
The massive crowd dispersed after a two-hour long
hesped, having gained some small insight into the all
encompassing greatness of the niftar in all facets of
Yiddishkeit. Whilst none of the speakers claimed to
have done justice to the gadlus of HaRav Shach,
zt"l, they were able to invest the listeners with a
striving for chizuk in Torah and yiras Shomayim
which is the only true way to compensate for the
histalkus of a godol baTorah.
