A modest dedication ceremony for the Mercaz Limudei Eretz
Yisroel, under the auspices of the Beis Medrash LeHalocho
BeHityashvut HeChakla'it, drew Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom
Eliashiv and HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, as well as the Beis
Medrash's roshei kollelim, rabbonim, Knesset members,
city heads and public figures to the construction site at the
entrance to the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem.
Preceding the arrival of HaRav Auerbach, Rav Eliakim Shlanger
read aloud a letter of support from HaRav Moshe Shmuel
Shapira, rosh yeshivas Be'er Yaakov; Rav Simchoh
Edelstein, rosh kollel Meor Yitzchok, read a letter
from HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz; and Rav Tzvi Weisfish
read a letter from HaRav Shmuel Auerbach. When he was
finished reading, Rav Weisfish added, "Rav Yosef Efrati
wanted to do this discretely, but I told him this should be
done prominently to show we are not surrendering to the
scheming to restrict bnei Torah and we intend to
continue increasing Toras Hashem in Am
Yisroel."
The crowd was overcome with a sense of kedushoh upon
the arrival of HaRav Eliashiv at the construction site and
all stood up to receive him, singing "Yomim al yemei
melech tosif." HaRav Eliashiv has been guiding the path
of the Beis Medrash LeHalocho BeHityashvut HeChakla'it
through his halachic rulings and by giving practical advice.
His presence, unusual at such events, demonstrated the
importance he attaches to advanced scholarship in the area of
Toras Eretz Yisroel.
Afterwards Rav Yitzchok Levenstein read a letter by HaRav
Aharon Leib Shteinman which read, in part, "And it is an
honor to serve under Maran Sar HaTorah, shlita, and
all aspects will be subject to his rulings and directives.
May [the Beis Medrash] continue to work in this direction and
increase the number of avreichim engaged in these
halochos."
"Last night at 1:30 when the Rosh Yeshiva sat down to write
the letter," Rav Levenstein added, "the question of whether
there was a need to write a letter for a cornerstone-laying
was raised. Then mention was made of the fact that the Rosh
Yeshiva took the trouble to devote numerous hours of his
valuable time to promote agriculture during the
shmittah year. And if R' Yosef Efrati has worked all
these years on this important matter of ensuring there are no
problems regarding orloh and tevel, then
certainly a letter should be written."
Later, he also said, the Rosh Yeshiva added that he was
sending the letter because, "HaGaon Rav Yosef Efrati,
shlita, is like a son to Maran Sar HaTorah,
shlita."
The central address was given by the head of the beis
medrash, Rav Yosef Yekutiel Efrati. He began with a
survey of the difficulties over the course of the 22 years
preceding the dedication, particularly during this time of
plots against the Torah world. He cited the Ramban on
parshas Bamidbar, which explains that Shevet Levi was
the smallest in number because they were not enslaved in
Egypt and therefore "veka'asher ya'anu oso kein yirbeh
vechein yifrotz" did not apply to them. If this is the
case with physical enslavement, it certainly pertains as well
when there are decrees against the Torah, and clearly the
tents of Torah must be expanded and increased.
Rav Efrati went on to relate how in Sanhedrin the
Yerushalmi recounts how Dovid Hamelech wanted to dig
the foundations for the Beis Hamikdosh and reached a
deep layer where he came across a pottery shard. Said the
shard, `Don't touch me, for I am here in order to prevent the
waters of the depths from flooding the world.' But Dovid
thought that to build the Beis Hamikdosh it was
permitted to move it and even to use it for construction. But
when one handles the shard that protected Klal Yisroel
from the floodwaters below since the time of Matan Torah,
it can inundate the entire world. This applies even more when
certain figures seek to uproot the Torah world, which
provides the merit for our existence. They fail to understand
that only because of these `shards' is Am Yisroel able to
exist here in Eretz Hakodesh.
As the source for the cornerstone-laying ceremony, Rav Efrati
cited Acharonim who, based on the Radak, write that the Altar
was named after Shaul because he laid the first stone for it.
The same is written of Zerubovel, that he built the Beis
Hamikdosh upon returning from Golus. Though he did not
actually build it himself, since he started building it was
named after him.
"Therefore when Maran places the first stone it will serve as
the foundation for the founding of a great building, exalted
and uplifted. And may Hashem help it come to be that soon
Maran, shlita, will also have the merit of fixing the
mezuza on the beis medrash."
Rav Efrati concluded with a tefilloh and
brochoh for donor Rav Rafael Harari, saying that just
as he merited participating in the laying of the cornerstone,
may he also merit, together with everyone else, completing
this Beis Mikdosh me'at. He also thanked all those who
assisted over the years, making special note of Mayor Rabbi
Uri Lupoliansky, who played an important part in securing
building permits.
Afterwards, Rabbi Lupoliansky read the founders' scroll,
which was then signed by HaRav Eliashiv, HaRav Shmuel
Auerbach, Rav Rafael Harari, rabbonim and public figures
participating in the event. In conclusion HaRav Eliashiv
stepped forward to cement the first foundation stone for the
Beis Medrash building and then HaRav Auerbach began laying
the foundations, along with other prominent rabbonim.
A seudas mitzvoh was then held at the home of Rav Ron
Nachman Sharon, chairman of the Beis Medrash board of
directors. The main speaker was Rav Avraham Yitzchak Barzel,
one of the roshei yeshivos at Yeshivas Mir-Brachfeld.
"In the six orders of the Mishnah," he said, "the
first order is Zera'im, which is about emunoh.
A seed is placed in the ground, it decomposes, and only
through emunoh and tefilloh to HaKodosh
Boruch Hu to make it grow, does it grow. This is also
true when a fortress for the study of Zera'im is
built; it is a cornerstone for a fortress and strengthened
emunoh in Am Yisroel. And HaRav Efrati has had the
merit of building a network of kollelim across the
country to increase emunoh within Klal Yisroel,
and this is the true song [of praise], particularly
during this period. He who merits building Torah in Am
Yisroel during these times receives an unlimited reward."
Later he applauded the donor, Rav Rafael Harari, for helping
to carry the load of the Torah world.
The seudah ended with a talk by the host, Rav Sharon,
who has stood by the Beis Medrash through the years, ever
since he was among its avreichim. He enthusiastically
described how a novice farmer is asked not to make use of the
crops for four years, and then must separate terumos
umaaseros and in the seventh year is commanded to let the
land lie fallow. "It would seem impossible to sustain
[agriculture] under such conditions, yet we see that in fact
those who walk this narrow bridge merit endless blessing and
abundance, just as the Torah promises in parshas
Bechukosai. And HaRav Efrati had the merit to disseminate
and set up Torah tents that deal with these halochos, which
are directly responsible both for the success of tillers of
the land in their labors and the increase in the number of
farmers regularly joining the circle of shomrei
mitzvos."
The impressive event ended on a note of enthusiasm and
kedushoh over the building of another place of Torah
in Eretz Yisroel specializing in the study of halochos
pertaining to Eretz Yisroel. The Beis Medrash has the honor
of leading the holy task of clarifying and illuminating these
halochos and implementing them in every corner of Eretz
Hakodesh.
