It has been a difficult week for the Torah community with the
loss of three great rabbonim: HaRav Moshe Teitelbaum, HaRav
Moshe Halberstam, and HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira zichronom
livrochoh. Our remarks in this small space are not
intended to fulfill the obligation of hesped
tzaddikim. That must be done elsewhere — in this
issue and in subsequent issues. In this space we only write
about matters from which we can draw practical conclusions or
which apply to hilchos dei'os that are relevant to
many of our readers. In this issue we focus on HaRav Moshe
Shmuel Shapira zt"l.
The Rosh Yeshiva of Be'er Yaakov reached truly elevated
levels of closeness to Torah. He was outstanding in his
constant and permanent dedication to Torah learning, and
lived in an atmosphere in which there was nothing else but
the simchah of Torah.
He often said that wasting time is the worst sin, and he
often quoted the interpretation of Rabbenu Avrohom the son of
the Rambam, that Soroh's fear of Yishmoel was that he would
distract Yitzchok and then Yitzchok might not fully dedicate
himself to the pursuit of the shleimus that he could
achieve.
On the famous posuk, "Ki ner mitzvah veTorah ohr"
(Mishlei 6:23), he would explain that the mitzvah is like
a candle that overcomes the darkness, but if one looks away
he still sees the darkness and may fall. Torah, in contrast,
is light, and when it is present there is no darkness at
all.
This is how he lived. Seven years ago after he had a heart
attack, he requested one of the volumes of his published
Torah chiddushim as soon as he was able to ask. When
his family asked if it was really proper under the
circumstances for him to undertake the effort involved in
study, he answered that he was afraid that his hours were
already numbered and, since in recent days he had been having
second thoughts about something he had written in that
sefer, he wanted to go over it before it was too
late.
On the posuk, Zos haTorah Odom ki yomus bo'ohel . . .
(Bamidbar 19:14), R' Yonoson said, `One should never
refrain from divrei Torah, even at the time of death.'
(Shabbos 83b). In his sefer on Chumash,
Zohar Mishevo, HaRav Shapira explained that it is not
that Chazal mean to caution about the necessity of divrei
Torah in order to successfully pass over into the Next
World, but that the obligation of talmud Torah itself
does not allow any interruptions, even at the time of death.
That time also falls under the rule that Torah should not be
abandoned at any time whatsoever.
At the funeral of HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer, HaRav Aharon
Kotler said that the passing of tzaddikim is like a
thunderclap in that both were created "to straighten out
crookedness in our hearts." Both bid us to stop and think
outside of our normal thought paths.
When R' Yochonon was niftar the maspidim said:
It is a difficult day for Yisroel; a day as difficult as when
the sun set at midday.
However, the original application of the phrase "the sun set
at midday" was to the passing of Yoshiyohu Hamelech, who was
killed when he was relatively young and at the peak of his
powers. R' Yochonon, on the other hand, lived to the age of
120. How can his passing be compared to the sun setting at
midday?
HaRav Aharon Kotler explained that in general, the coming of
darkness as part of the normal cycle brings benefits. As the
Gra points out in his commentary on Chumash, it brings
a period of rest for the weary. Nonetheless, it was not said
to be tov, since it also brings loss.
However, when darkness comes in the middle of the day, during
the period when people are active, it brings no benefit
whatsoever, only loss.
It was in this sense that even the passing of R' Yochonon,
who had reached a ripe old age, was compared to the setting
of the sun at midday. Even though his generation had already
long benefited from his shining light, it still strongly felt
the beneficial effects of his influence and suffered their
loss.
During this last year when he has been weak and ailing,
maranan verabonon asked everyone to daven for HaRav
Moshe Shmuel Shapira zt"l. In discussing the matter,
HaRav Eliashiv shlita said of him, "He is unique in
our generation in his closeness to Torah and in his bein
odom lechavero."
This is what we have lost.
