A talk with the Rabbonim HaGeonim: HaRav Mendel Weinbach,
rosh yeshiva Ohr Somayach and HaRav Nochum Diamant,
menahel ruchani of Yeshivas Nesivos Olom.
The month of Elul is the month of teshuvoh. "And
Hashem your G-d shall circumcise your heart and the heart of
your seed" (forming the Hebrew acronym of ELUL). One of the
kindnesses which Hashem did for his creations was to prepare
for them a way to rise up from the pit of their [evil] ways
and flee from the snare of their sins, to rescue their souls
from destruction and to turn away His wrath from them
(Beginning of Shaarei Teshuvoh). With the onset of the
days of teshuvoh, we talked with two figures who are
involved with teshuvoh throughout the year. We heard
about the atmosphere of the days of Teshuvoh in the midst of
baalei teshuvoh.
*
Q. What is the significance of chazoroh betshuvah? To
what does one return?
R' Weinbach: There is a maximal and a minimal
objective in the teshuvoh process. The maximum goal is
to transform the `returnee' into a full fledged ben
Torah, a talmid chochom. Thank G-d, we have a very
high rate of success in that area. The students begin by us,
remain to study for several years and then go on to
`mainstream' yeshivos. Many of them actually return to serve
as ramim by us.
The minimal target is to get the student to become a
committed shomer Torah umitzvos, an observant Jew who
has, at least, the tools with which to continue his studies
even if he does not remain within the tent of Torah. This is
also considered a successful accomplishment.
There are institutions in the U.S. which conduct lectures and
classes for beginners, who later come to us to continue their
studies. Major changes have taken place in the field since
the early years of the Teshuvoh movement. When we established
Yeshivas Ohr Somayach some thirty-four years ago, our student
body was made up of young people who came to tour Israel out
of curiosity and were `picked up' at the Wall or the Central
Bus Station etc.
Today, such things don't exist. We have established kiruv
centers on university campuses, in communities, in many
locations throughout the world and have trained hundreds of
avreichim in two-year kiruv courses to run
them. This had produced many blessed products.
*
R' Diamant: In previous generations, baalei
teshuvoh were few and far between, and they were nurtured
and cultivated by gedolei Yisroel. Dr. Nosson
Birnbaum, for example, was the protege of the Chofetz Chaim
and of HaRav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky. This was teshuvoh
of a different caliber, from very deep sources.
Today, repentance is wholesale because people have become
disillusioned with their empty, materialistic lives and are
seeking meaning and direction.
Many baalei teshuvoh find it difficult to maintain
their levels afterwards, especially those not in the yeshiva
environment. Some come to yeshivos out of curiosity, and not
from a deep conviction; nevertheless, in the end, they do
become sincere, committed bnei Torah.
Q. Everyone is aroused to some degree during Elul,
before Rosh Hashonoh, or during Aseres Yemei Teshuvoh. But
right after Tishrei, we return to the rat race of daily life.
Why don't these holy days have an impact on us and effect a
drastic change as with baalei teshuvoh?
R' Weinbach: The inner revolution by them is very
understandable. We are products of habit, of routine, of
mitzvas anoshim melumodoh. What impact can we say we
experience from a regular Shabbos meal? And yet, you have no
idea what a tremendous impression it can leave upon a budding
baal teshuvoh who experiences it for the first
time!
When an outsider sees the dynamics of a chareidi family, when
he is first exposed to the divrei Torah, the
zemiros at the table, it causes a revolutionary change
within him. By us, it is totally routine and commonplace. I
always say to them: I wish that in your merit we, too, become
true baalei teshuvoh!
*
R' Diamant: The work of Dr. Nosson Birnbaum quotes the
saying of Chazal that where baalei teshuvoh stand
— even perfect tzaddikim cannot stand. He asks
how this can be, and replies that the pure bliss, the joy and
satisfaction which a newcomer experiences in doing a mitzvah
is unparalleled by one who does it all the time.
Let me tell a personal story: I first learned how to really
pray when I arrived at Yeshivas Nesivos Olom. You see the
seriousness of the newcomers, their concern in doing things
right, how they connect to their prayer — and you
cannot help realize that this element is missing by us. When
they come to study by us, they make a 180 degree reversal and
become very serious.
Q. Does one really feel the dread of the upcoming Days
of Judgment sharper in a baal teshuvoh yeshiva?
R' Weinbach: There is, to be sure, a stronger emphasis
on the study of mussar during Elul, but in my opinion,
the biggest impact is during the actual services of Rosh
Hashonoh and Yom Kippur. Let me tell you this from a personal
angle.
We have a custom by us at Ohr Somayach which was instituted
by HaRav Nachman Bulman zt'l and which I continue: On
Yom Kippur eve right after Kol Nidrei, I get up and
recite aloud the special bircas habonim, the blessing
over sons (which is brought in Chayei Odom). These are
our sons . . . There are some baalei teshuvoh who have
later told me that this was their turning point in life, the
point of their commitment.
The davening is very yeshivish and it makes a
tremendous impression upon the participants. Our students
live the spiritual experience of the month of Tishrei and it
is deeply etched into their very fiber.
R' Diamant: The significance of the month of Elul by
baalei teshuvoh is: Effort! Some students make a
special effort to refrain from idle talk between the
sedorim. There is a tremendous sense of expectancy and
anticipation before Rosh Hashonoh. It is amazing to see the
actual prayers of the Yomim Noraim. Whoever wants to
feel an added geshmack in prayer should come to
Nesivos Olom. Allow me to illustrate:
Maran HaRav Elya Lopian ztzvk'l, in the name of HaRav
Itzele Blazer ztzvk'l, provided an explanation of
mitzvas anoshim melumodoh, doing things by rote and
routine. The example he gave: Ne'iloh on Yom
Kippur!
I was taken aback. But I began to contemplate.
By us, there is a kinetic atmosphere at Kol Nidrei
which in truth is no more than the dissolution of vows. Yet
we weep profusely because our grandparents wept, and they
wept because they truly felt the impact of this holy day.
In the morning, we are tired already at shacharis, but
by musaf we rouse ourselves to our full strength.
Comes minchah, we are again weak and weary, only to
rally in force for ne'ilah, out of sheer habit,
because this is what we saw by our parents and
grandparents.
This is not the true arousal, an internal awakening which
should be forthcoming. Take a baal teshuvoh, however.
None of his praying is rote, routine, automatic. When you see
a baal teshuvoh who has no one in his memory to
imitate — weeping at ne'ilah, know that these
tears are emanating from a place deep, deep inside him. These
are genuine tears of repentance and arousal.
Q. Our mussar sages wrote that the more a
person is aware of the severity of his sins, the greater the
distance he must cover in order for his repentance to be
effective. Is this true?
R' Weinbach: There are some students who approach
teshuvoh with such seriousness that they take upon
themselves extreme practices of `frumkeit.' We guide
them to concentrate more upon their Torah study and not to
leap right away to the mountain peak. We have a tradition
from our teachers that one begins with Torah and then with
tefilloh, even though baalei teshuvoh tend to
grasp on to the prayer aspect with intensity and
seriousness.
R' Diamant: Our students are very concerned whether
there can be atonement for their sins. Interestingly, they
are mainly perturbed about the three cardinal sins and/or the
eating pork. They have this feeling that these sins are
unpardonable.
I received a specific directive from Maran HaRav Yaakov
Yisroel Kanievsky ztzvk'l that they must immediately
begin with remorse for the past and a commitment for the
future; this is sufficient at that point. But this does not
satisfy or soothe them. I explain to them that just as there
is atonement for loshon hora, so is there expiation
for the more serious, stringent infractions.
Q. Do they ask questions like: For what must one do
teshuvoh first?
R' Weinbach: We stress the matter that they must
become bnei Torah. They must learn how to learn. From
the aspect of Torah perspective, there are two things.
First: To learn. A Jew must learn Torah. Second: They must
hone their sensitivity of a Torah outlook, of daas
Torah. They must absorb and cultivate a deep awe for
Chazal and their teachings and know that these are holy and
inviolate! These are valid to this very day and age. They
must integrate the fact of total obedience to our present day
sages. This they see by us, as well. They come to realize
that we are guided by the gedolim of today.
Ohr Somayach conducts mussar talks in all of the
departments, and each student is taught mussar
according to his particular level. Some even reach the
level of studying Derech Hashem by the Ramchal.
I would like to note an interesting fact. It is important to
stress to those students, coming from an altogether secular
background, how important it is for us, as human beings, to
be menschen. This is what the Torah repeatedly tells
us, but this should be taken in the Torahdik
context.
They imagine that the Torah is only concerned with the
performance of its commandments in a general way; they fail
to grasp the fact that the Torah is a code of life; it is a
road map showing one how to conduct himself throughout his
day, and that this is an integral part of being a shomer
Torah umitzvos.
To be sure, there is nothing like the actual study of Torah,
of a blat gemora, which they never before tasted in
their life. Its sweetness actually grips them, `grabs' them.
Similarly, when they `break their heads' in trying to
understand the simple explanation of a passage in
gemora, they acquire a special admiration and
appreciation of the rishonim and acharonim
sages, and of their own roshei yeshiva who are deeply
immersed in that study. We try to make the Torah palatable,
to endear them to the Torah. It is the very illumination
within the Torah which does the rest and makes true baalei
teshuvoh of them.
R' Diamant: The Ibn Ezra explains the verse, "Return,
Yisroel, unto Hashem your G-d, for you have stumbled in your
sin," as follows: Slowly, slowly, up until Hashem. One
mustn't leap beyond his powers. When a person comes from a
long journey, he is very thirsty, and wishes to drink a huge
amount at one time. If he were to do so, he would die
instantly. I fight with all my might to keep them at their
beginning steps, to make them retain their external
appearance for the meanwhile, before making drastic changes.
The direction comes later.
I can say that after 25 years of Yeshivas Nesivos Olom,
during which some 12,000 students have come and gone, we have
had only three backslides, no more!
The Torah purifies, distills, cleanses them. We connect them
to Torah until they verily feel "Taste and see how good is
Hashem!" Each one according to his level and capacity. We do
not have an ironclad overall direction in this matter but
treat each one according to his plane. In study, as well.
Some are inclined to bekius, others to halochoh
. . . Each one according to his origin, level, and spiritual
capacity. It depends on a great many factors.
R' Weinbach: We initially require from all those who
come to Ohr Somayach, at the first stage, to wear a
kippah and not to desecrate Shabbos in public. A
newcomer must be willing to respect the character of his host
environment. It generally does not take very long for a
student who begins to keep Shabbos, pray, and sit in on
classes, to become observant. It is a natural outgrowth. They
have many role models from the yeshiva staff.
An additional important aspect to stress in the matter of
chazoroh beteshuvoh is that when you try to draw a
youth closer to Yiddishkeit, you necessarily become his
spiritual father and more. Many of them come from broken
homes and even if not, coming to us, they are severing
themselves from their parents to some degree so that their
teacher becomes a surrogate father, spiritually and
materially. He must guide that student and steer him
throughout his problems in life. When they reach the stage of
shidduchim, their teacher must be there to guide him
in making the right decisions and assume responsibility to a
great degree.
R' Diamant: It is very important to convey the message
to the general public, via Yated Ne'eman, that while
there may be an undeniable number of baalei teshuvoh
whose commitment is the product of a momentary awakening and
who are not altogether transformed, still there are
outstanding institutions like Nesivos Olom, Ohr Somayach and
many more whose students are genuine talmidei
chachomim of real stature and caliber, exemplary
products. And yet, sadly, the community of yeshiva graduates
regards them as second-class people of our community. Their
children are not always accepted into chadorim and
yeshivos, and their daughters are similarly not accepted into
seminaries. And the FFBs are not willing to accept them into
their families for marriage purposes
"To be sure, each baal teshuvoh must be sized up for
what he is and we cannot dare make any broad generalizations
in this area," declares R' Diamant with deep pain. "Many of
those baalei teshuvoh do great credit to our
community, and would that we could establish Torah homes as
fine as theirs!"
"Ovinu Malkeinu, return us to You in ideal repentance
before You."
"May they accept upon themselves the yoke of Your kingship,
and may they exalt You in congregation, and may the distant
ones hear and come, and crown You with the crown of
Kingship."
