Ever since the spiteful cutbacks in government support for
the economically weaker sections of society, including the
Torah-studying community systematically carried out by the
previous Likud-Shinui-Mizrachi government against Torah
institutions in general and kollelim in particular,
the financial hardship of kollel members who, with
mesirus nefesh, devote their life to Torah study has
been in the limelight.
Recently an outstanding undertaking, undoubtedly an essential
one, has commenced which has merited the enthusiastic support
of Maranan Gedolei Yisroel, headed by Maran HaRav Yosef
Sholom Eliashiv shlita. This momentous enterprise,
started after extensive planning, is the network of
kollelim called HaShutfim (The Partners).
It is well known that concern for the Torah World always
preoccupied Torah luminaries of past generations. The term
shutfim indeed accurately expresses the main idea
behind the agreement between Yissochor and Zevulun.
Nonetheless, it is worthwhile to point out another
implication: a partner is concerned and totally involved in
the success of the joint business venture. A partner goes
through restless nights, is constantly ill at ease, as long
as he is unsure whether their shared affairs are flourishing
and are sure to continue to do so.
Some eighty years ago when it was feared that the Torah World
in Europe would collapse, gedolei Torah, rabbonim and
communal activists, convened to come up with ideas about how
to improve the worrying spiritual situation. An account of
the analysis of the problems and resolutions proposed at that
meeting appears in a pamphlet called Eitz Chaim that
was published in Vilna in 5686/1926.
The following excerpt from the Chofetz Chaim's address at
that meeting, 6 Tammuz, 5684/July 8, 1924, is quoted in this
pamphlet: "It is common practice that when a business run by
partners is in a decline, all of the partners meet to discuss
and evaluate what are the underlying reasons for its collapse
and to consider ways to improve its performance.
"We all received the Torah together. We all said, `We will do
and we will hear' (Shemos 24:28), and since we have
noticed that Torah observance has currently declined we have
gathered together to find ways to improve the situation."
At that time Maran the Chofetz Chaim ztvk'l tried to
awaken Klal Yisroel to the need to recognize the
sublime value of Torah study. Unfortunately, it is clearly
evident that in modern times the concern to provide for those
studying Torah is exclusively considered a "problem of the
chareidi community," specifically even excluding other
religious communities. This has been apparent from the
National Religious Party's indifferent—to say the
least— attitude toward this issue for many years and
especially so in the last two years when they were the
religious "representative" in the government.
Furthermore, it is no secret that some NRP leaders openly
profess the "holy mission" of the enemies of the Torah, that
kollel students should be removed from their studies
and forced into the labor market. They claim that Judaism can
continue if we have Torah-observant Jews engaged in their
livelihood, without Jews devoting themselves to full-time
Torah study. They picture their perverted view as being the
"ideal model" for Judaism and in their "scholarly" opinion
what has happened to the Torah World in the Holy Land —
where major portions of the community engage in full-time
Torah study — is a distortion of how the Jewish People
should look.
It seems that also in the Chofetz Chaim's time some Jews did
not comprehend the vital need for others to labor over Torah
studies and thought it sufficient that Jews observe the
mitzvos. According to this superficial approach, the mitzvah
of talmud Torah is no more than one mitzvah that is
just like the other six hundred and thirteen. Consequently,
they concluded, it is not necessary to devote extraordinary
efforts and resources and to be moseir nefesh to
maintain dynamic Torah centers. Maran the Chofetz Chaim's
address at the rabbinical gathering in Bialystok, Poland (10
Kislev, 5685/Dec. 7, 1924) was aimed at refuting these
people's distorted outlook.
"Performing mitzvos is unquestionably important and holy, but
studying Torah itself is totally incomparable to other
mitzvos. Chazal (Yerushalmi Pei'ah 1:1) teach us: `All
of the mitzvos are not worth even one word of Torah study.' A
mitzvah can be compared to the light of a lamp but Torah
study is like the radiance of the sun, as is written, `A
mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is radiance' (Mishlei
6:23). When compared to the radiance from the sun even the
largest lamps are insignificant. When a person fulfills any
of Hashem's mitzvos his neshomoh is spiritually
elevated since he has materialized Hashem's command to us,
but nonetheless he has not refined himself.
"The case is different with regard to Torah study, whose
essence is knowledge and intellect. Torah knowledge itself
penetrates into the nefesh of the one studying it, and
becomes woven into his intellect and mind through his
absorbing its content and ideas. His neshomoh and
nefesh are transformed into something else altogether,
which is in addition to the elevation gained because of
performing the mitzvah of studying Torah."
The Chofetz Chaim continues to explain that without Torah
study it is not only that Judaism cannot persist. Also the
world cannot survive, as Yirmiyohu Hanovi (Yirmiyohu
33:25) teaches us, "If My bris is not [kept] night and
day, I would not have put up the laws of heaven and
earth."
"Without Torah study Judaism is not possible. Our enemies are
interested in stealing precisely this weapon from us since
they are aware that when the power of the Torah is removed
from us they can easily vanquish us. We therefore need to
strengthen ourselves so as not to let this weapon out of our
hands."
Additional contemplation of what our gedolei Torah
taught us that is directly relevant to the current attack on
Torah study, can be gained through reading what is written in
a pamphlet called Eitz Pri from the year 5641/1881. It
is enlightening to cite an incisive excerpt from that
pamphlet that was written one hundred and twenty-four years
ago.
In this informative pamphlet is an essay unusual in its
forcefulness of thought called, "Strengthening Those Studying
Our Holy Torah," written by Maran R' Yitzchok Elchonon
Spector of Kovna ztvk'l. In the beginning of this
essay R' Yitzchok Elchonon clarifies the explanation of
Chazal (Bovo Metzia 85b) on the posuk, "For
what reason was the land lost" Yirmiyahu 9:11). Our
Sages write that even when Jews transgress the most severe
aveiros such as incest, idolatry and bloodshed only
the nefesh that has sinned perishes but the whole Land
is not punished because HaKodosh Boruch Hu waived
punishment for these sins. After the Mabul Hashem took
an oath to neither curse the land anymore nor to destroy the
world if these aveiros are transgressed. Only for the
sin of abandoning the Torah did Hashem not waive this
punishment. Abandoning the Torah causes the Torah to be
despised and the land will actually be destroyed because of
such a terrible sin.
"This is because at the end of the Creation HaKodosh
Boruch Hu stipulated that if, chas vesholom,
Yisroel despise the Torah, they will be destroyed. The
Medrash Eichoh therefore writes that if one sees
uprooted cities one should realize that the reason for that
happening is their inhabitants' not supporting Torah
scholars. For other sins, the sinner alone is punished and
not the Land. Cities were uprooted from their place and
destroyed at the churban because their inhabitants
despised the Torah and did not provide for the needs of those
studying the Torah."
How fitting it would be if what R' Yitzchok Elchonon wrote is
heard by those unreceptive elements who compromise on so many
aspects of religious life and who are only concerned with
"settlement of the land" and "Eretz Yisroel
Hasheleimah" and the like. The only causes for which
these National Religious Jews are prepared to wage war are an
attempt to evacuate settlements, or matters of security and
politics.
They should rather listen well and pay attention to what
Chazal are teaching us: The Jewish way is not to fight in
order not to lose some land; rather one should contemplate
the reason why the land is lost. Chazal tell us that
"uprooted cities" came about because the inhabitants did not
support Torah scholars and despised the Torah, Rachmono
litzlan.
Here HaRav Yitzchok Elchonon cites a saying of Chazal from a
medrash that perfectly fits our current situation.
"The lamenter says, `Alas, the gold is dimmed. The fine gold
is changed. Sacred stones are spilled about at the head of
every street" (Eichah 4:1). The Medrash writes,
`When chaveirim would leave [the beis medrash]
for their livelihood it was said about them, "Sacred stones
are scattered at the head of every street." This means that
those studying Torah lacked ample livelihood and about this
the Megillas Eichah writes, `Sacred stones are
scattered.'"
One must constantly review what HaRav Yitzchok Elchonon is
emphasizing to us. We must internalize this enlightening
message and perceive its full significance. When a Jew sits
on the earth on Tisha B'Av and laments when reading the
pesukim of Eichah, saying, "Sacred stones are
spilled about at the head of every street," he should know
what he is crying about. It is about Torah scholars who do
not have sufficient livelihood to exist.
*
And here HaRav Yitzhak Elchonon draws our attention to yet
another point.
It is a matter of general knowledge that when representatives
of Torah institutions ask for contributions many times people
answer that they cannot help because they themselves have
financial difficulties. Their monthly balance is in bad
shape, their profits have decreased, and some may be on the
verge of bankruptcy or are barely managing to make ends meet.
Of course, the result is a sharp decline in contributions for
lomdei Torah. Unfortunately no one pays attention to
why our, or their, economic situation has become like this in
the first place.
The Av Beis Din of Kovna presents us with the reason
why we have less parnossoh than in the past, and he
bases his answer on the abovementioned posuk in
Eichah and how the Medrash explains it. "Alas,
the gold is dimmed. The fine gold is changed. Sacred stones
are spilled about at the head of every street." After Chazal
explain to us the meaning of the end of the posuk,
HaRav Yitzchok Elchonon helps us understand its beginning.
"This is what is meant by `Alas, the gold is dimmed' —
the gold has lost its brilliance, `the fine gold is changed'
— it has completely changed, the world has become
destroyed and the rich have lost their financial means. This
is all because of the sin of `sacred stones are spilled'
— our not providing for those studying Torah, forcing
them to seek livelihood `at the head of every street.' Since
the well-to- do Jews are not fulfilling their duty of
guaranteeing the parnossoh of every Jew, a duty
stemming from Mt. Sinai when bnei Yisroel accepted the
Torah, they have lost their wealth.
"The gemora (Shabbos 119a) writes that the rich Jews
in Bovel are zocheh to affluence only because they
honor the Torah. We therefore can infer the opposite as well:
If someone does not honor the Torah he loses his wealth.
About this is written (Iyov 36:21), `For this is what
you have chosen over poverty,' and poverty is worse than all
the suffering in the world, Rachmono litzlan."
We hope that the public at large will realize its solemn
obligation to take a part in providing for Torah institutions
and talmidei chachomim. We must remember that Maran
the Chofetz Chaim explains that we are all partners in
helping the Torah persist, and in this way we will be
zocheh, with Hashem's help, to nullify the schemes of
those wanting to uproot the Torah.
