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NEWS
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Remarks Delivered by HaRav Yosef Efrati in the Name of
HaRav Eliashiv, shlita To begin with I would like the merit of bringing to this important conference the specific blessing of Maran HaGaon Rav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, shlita: "Participants, representatives old and new, may you merit sanctifying the Name of Heaven in all your deeds, and act for the sake of Torah and its scholars, for the sake of the collective and the individual, without any interferences." KeYehuda ve'od likro I would like to add a few words, brothers and fellows. The foundation of this important conference we have endeavored to hold must be seen the way our rabbonim view it. I can tell you, and there are dependable witnesses here, that during the course of the day I tried several times not to come to the conference for technical reasons, but every time Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita, told me, "I'm not telling you to go if it's hard for you, but it's very important. Degel HaTorah has to be strengthened." What is the meaning of the words, "Degel HaTorah has to be strengthened?" It's really very simple. The original Agudas Yisroel is Degel HaTorah. As Maran the Rosh Yeshiva zt"l repeated in one letter after another, "We and our children are Agudas Yisroel." What was the foundation of Agudas Yisroel? Like the slogan that was published in Kattowicz: to solve the questions of the day in the spirit of Torah and mitzvos. And what is the whole foundation of Degel HaTorah? The whole foundation of Degel HaTorah is to follow the light of gedolei Yisroel and to cope with the questions that arise. What is politics for others, a combination of all of the bad middos -- for us it is representatives who are also shluchei derabonon and the mouthpieces of Amcho Beis Yisroel. Furthermore Tshuvas HaRashbo explains Rebbe's act at length, saying it was imperative, as the gemora says in Avodoh Zora when it was decreed that Klal Yisroel would participate in a sacrifice on the day of their holiday and Rabbeinu HaKodosh, in negotiations that today might be called politics, year after year arrived at an agreement with the Romans about what would not be done that year, until eventually the whole matter was cancelled. The Rashbo learns that the incident with Rebbe, when asked by the people of his city how to act with transgressors he said one must follow the model of Rebbe's path, and seek to ensure that part of the decree is removed year after year. The foundation is that to decide how it is permitted to deal with the decrees of Rome one needs Rebbe and one also needs him to know how to compromise with transgressors. If Reuven makes the compromise it is politics. If the compromise comes from the daas Torah of gedolei Yisroel than this is a mitzvah. And it seems to me that when remarks are made at such an important conference of Degel HaTorah representatives from everywhere, particularly at such a time when the nisyonos [are great], both from within our camp and without. It seems that what yesterday we thought was the height of nisyonos today is the [least] of the nisyonos, particularly since we have blasphemers on the outside who did not exist in the past, the type who would like to write on the bull's horn, chas vesholom, that they have no part in Elokei Yisroel. The means of conducting the struggle under such circumstances are very difficult with serious questions of what is permitted and what is forbidden. It would be worthwhile to repeat one foundation in the Chazon Ish's famous letter as we are poised on the eve of his yahrtzeit. The Chazon Ish writes about the proposal to divide the Torah into different parts. Teachings on issur veheter are one part. Teachings on daily life are a second part. Some said that it was proper to be subservient to the teachings of chachmei hador in the first part but to leave the second part to the freedom of choice. That, he wrote, is the old approach of the apostates in the decline of German Jewry, who brought down Am Yisroel. To come and say, "I heed gedolei Yisroel in this part, and in the second part I have understanding, I am a public representative, I know what should be done,' [is not unprecedented], says the Chazon Ish. You are not the first to make this division, rather others have preceded you." To come out of this conference strengthened, we really do have to go back to basics: Degel HaTorah is the true continuation of Agudas Yisroel, the continuation of Kattowicz and this continuation is on one condition: that we continue to act in the guiding light of our rabbonim.
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Remarks Delivered by HaRav Yitzchok Levenstein in the name
of HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlita I am not a man of words or a man to give mussar. I would simply like to bring to you the blessings of mori verabi, the Rosh Yeshiva shlita. This evening the representatives will go out from here. With what will we leave for the outlying cities? With a mission. Representatives from every part of the country are sitting here, who in the last weeks have arrived constantly to ask and consult with the Rosh Yeshiva and along with him maranan verabonon led by Maran HaRav Eliashiv, on every type of matter--who to elect, who to support. This is Degel HaTorah. As you go out to the outlying cities, literally to the dark mountains, to gather in the scattered [souls]--another child [enrolled] in a talmud Torah, another ben Torah, another yeshiva, another Bais Yaakov. As mentioned earlier, all with siyata deShmaya. When Rav Yisroel Salant passed away, the Maggid of Kelm went from town to town saying that the elders of the last generation are those who will judge R' Yisroel Above. What did Rav Yisroel devote his life to? To honesty in business dealings. And he brought a parable of a cobbler, saying if one day he does not sew the shoes properly the poor person will get sick from the water that comes into his shoes and Heaven will make a claim against the cobbler for not mending his shoes properly. The same applies in ruchniyus. Spiritual directors, roshei yeshivos, city leaders, heads of kehillos will be called to task for the responsibility they have. Each of you will go forth from here with the authority vested in you. Not power [are you] assuming, but servitude, to help every individual in ruchniyus, and no less in gashmiyus. And thus I hereby pass on a blessing to the outgoing watch and the incoming watch. We had a mayor for six years and recently for months gedolei Yisroel sat and thought about what was to be done. Finally the Rosh Yeshiva went up to Jerusalem to Rabbenu Maran HaRav Eliashiv. After about half an hour they stepped out, and later, during the drive to Bnei Brak, HaRav Karelitz responded to the decision with serenity and inner strength as if to say, "I am hereby ready and willing to abide by the words of chachomim and for the sake of peace I am going to relinquish all. From this point onward I will accept everything without objection. With head held high I have done everything as you have commanded." Everybody asks how he succeeded for six years. The siyata deShmaya of peace, listening to every individual, not fearing anyone, with all parts of the Shulchan Oruch, including the "fifth part" of the Shulchan Oruch he received in the home of his father, HaRav Nissim Karelitz shlita. If we want success in the next five years, we must respect one another. Se'u yedeichem kodesh and we will all merit the arrival of Goel Tzedek, led by maranan verabonon shlita, may their days and years be lengthened.
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