Kelm — Mir — Chevron — Kaminetz
Maran HaRav Eliyohu Dessler ztvk'l writes about the
world of Kelm that is no more, in a letter to his son. He
describes in detail the Beis Talmud Torah of Kelm:
"I remember the olden days and how Simchas Torah was
celebrated in the yeshiva. The rabbonim would exit the gate
and go out into the street, dancing their way through the
city. They danced with all their might with exuberant
enthusiasm and joy, singing full throatedly. "Ashreinu
— How fortunate are we and how goodly is our lot . . .
"
We learn that when one reminisces about the special
atmosphere in yeshiva, especially on Simchas Torah, these
memories become firmly engraved in a person's memory, even
more than other events. And this can be said of that
recollection of R' Eliyohu Dessler of Simchas Torah.
There is also a description of Simchas Torah in Yeshivas Mir
in the work, Odom Biykor, depicting HaRav Shlomo Wolbe
zt'l's special rejoicing, and the heartfelt talk which
the Mashgiach zt'l R' Yeruchom Levovitz, would deliver
after the hakofos. One year, on motzei Simchas
Torah, he fervently exclaimed, "Who knows what, indeed,
is dearer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu: our Yom Kippur or our
Simchas Torah?"
The hakofos in Yeshivas Mir were extraordinary. The
students formed three concentric circles extending through
the length and breadth of the entire heichal, in whose
center danced the Rov of Mir, HaRav Avrohom Kamai zt'l,
Hy'd; the rosh yeshiva, HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel
zt'l, and the Mashgiach, HaRav Yeruchom. You could see
students weeping as they danced from the sheer overflow of
emotion.
In 5696, the last year in the life of the Mashgiach, he spoke
on the poem-prayer, "I rejoice and exult on Simchas Torah."
He dwelled on the part that speaks in praise of the Torah and
of Israel, and then burst out singing, "Ashreichem
Yisroel," with all the students joining in. The elite
students were so overcome that they wept amidst their
dancing, as did R' Yeruchom weep. We shall quote the gist of
his words:
"Today is Simchas Torah," he said, "and the fundamental theme
of this festival is, `How difficult is My parting with you.'
The underlying idea is Hashem's great love towards us. And
now that we are taking leave of Him, we seek yet one more
kiss, one more embrace from Him. Great is our joy over the
atonement and forgiveness which He granted us during the
Yomim Noraim, and all the love which He showered upon us
during the Festival of Succos. We pray that we merit the same
in the coming year, to stand at such a momentous occasion as
well, to receive the showering of abundant blessing upon us,
that we continue to be one united body, to praise and thank
Him. We thank Him for having merited this sublime inner joy
here and now, a joy which stems from the power of mussar.
Having merited this, let us be grateful: Ashreichem
Yisroel, fortunate are we in our portion.
"May Hashem grant us to meet again here next year with the
same open faces, none ashamed of the other. And if we merit
this, let us again declare, Ashreichem Yisroel!"
*
We wished to know if the gladness felt in the yeshiva of
yore, the mussar yeshivos, was carried over to the
yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel and why don't we see today that
extraordinary exultation. We turned to HaRav Sheinker who had
been privileged to bask in the special aura of Simchas Torah
in Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim, and asked him how the
joy was expressed there forty-five years ago.
R' Sheinker opens his words with a clarification: This will
not be a personal or family description, but facts as he saw
and experienced them. "I will not exaggerate, and will even
fall short of conveying the impact of that occasion."
He began with a story he heard from HaRav Lapin zt'l.
When the founder of the institution, HaRav Itzele Blazer
ztvk'l lived in the Straus compound in Yerushalayim,
he would especially exert himself to express his joy on
Simchas Torah. His wife once asked him why he expended so
much physical energy, which was perhaps beyond his
strength.
"Perhaps you should go and pray in a different shul,"
she suggested.
He replied, "In the selfsame place where I wept on Rosh
Hashonoh and on Yom Kippur — there will I dance on
Simchas Torah!"
The celebration in those days was much more pronounced and
intense because a ben Torah was much more connected to
the Torah and to mussar. Those students hardly saw
their own homes, and felt their love and joy with Torah
overflowing its bounds on this holy day.
By adherents of mussar, in general, Simchas Torah took
on a very uplifted, exceptional tone. The author of
Seridei Eish reminisces about Simchas Torah by R'
Yisroel Salanter in his work, Lifrokim, and states
that it was unforgettable. The same can be said about Simchas
Torah in Volozhin and in Mir. They say that it overflowed its
bounds.
R' Yisroel's chief disciples and mussar disseminators,
R' Itzele, R' Naftoli, R' Simcha Zissel of Kelm and R'
Yeruchom carried over this tradition of exuberance in their
separate yeshivos. The Alter of Slobodka also exhibited a
high level of simchah that overflowed its
boundaries.
There is, of course, the well-known story that took place in
5686 (1926) when his son R' Moshe zt'l passed away,
but he overcame his grief, suppressed his natural inclination
to weep and climbed up on a bench on Simchas Torah and began
singing in a full voice, "Boruch Elokeinu . . . "
It was the Alter who instituted the tradition of hakofos
sheniyos in Yeshivas Chevron on the night after Simchas
Torah [which is motzei Shemini Atzeres-Simchas Torah
in Eretz Yisroel, but is the second day of Yom Tov
— Simchas Torah —outside of Eretz Yisroel].
I heard the story from HaRav Kopshitz zt'l. It was
Simchas Torah of 5687. The Alter instructed the yeshiva
gabbai to honor all of the students with a
hakofoh — all except one. The Alter knew that
all the students had exerted themselves throughout the
previous year and achieved great strides in their studies.
All except that one student who remained stationary, at the
same level, and who, therefore, did not deserve the honor of
a hakofoh.
Towards the end of the day the boys drank so much that they
became inebriated, including the one who had been excluded.
He came to the Alter and began expressing lofty, spiritual
thoughts, as is the manner of uninhibited drunks. The Alter
felt that he truly did not know him well enough and regretted
the fact that he had not honored him with a hakofoh
earlier that day. He then decided to hold another round of
hakofos after havdoloh so as to honor him with
one, and have him rejoice with the Torah, at least after
Simchas Torah. And ever since then, the custom of hakofos
shniyos has become entrenched in Yeshivas Chevron.
What was so special about the expression of joy in Yeshivas
Chevron?
Simchas Torah in the halls of Yeshivas Chevron was a
revelation of friendship on the part of the yeshiva
bochur with his studies, a covenant of love with the page
of the gemora, a battering down of all the barriers
that sought to separate one from the captivating truth of the
Divine Torah. It was a fusion, an amalgamation of the lions
of the yeshiva society, a united shouldering of the yoke by
the holy flock — to do Hashem's will, to serve Him.
The closed circles of the toilers in Torah were the chief
merrymakers — R' Shlomo Bloch, R' Shmuel Hillel
Sheinker, R' Moshe Minkowitz — who, despite their
advanced age, would dance and rejoice in uplifted exultation.
Also included were R' Yisroel Sheinker (his son), R' Sholom
Schwadron, and R' Hirsh Palei.
The Ponovezher Rov ztvk'l once spent Succos in Pension
Reich in Yerushalayim, and asked one of the people who
visited him: "Have you been yet to Yeshivas Chevron? Did you
see R' Shmuel Hillel dance?"
The young students used to come to the yeshiva on Hoshanoh
Rabbah to take leave of the succah. The rosh yeshiva,
R' Yechezkel Sarna zt'l, would give a talk (as he also
did on Simchas Torah) on the subject of Lema'ancho
Elokeinu asei — velo lonu. One time, R' Yisroel
Sheinker interrupted him with a shout, "Noch a bissel
`lema'ancho' — A bit more of `For Your sake.'
The electricity of the upcoming joy of Simchas Torah could
already be felt in the air. Immediately after ma'ariv,
when they began the hakofos with Se'u she'orim
rosheichem, you could see R' Hirsh Palei in the center.
The atmosphere was suddenly transformed into one of sublime
joy, internal ecstasy that burgeoned from the power of
mussar. The kibbudim were assigned by R' Chaim
Adler, who later became the shochet in Herzliya. In
the midst of the rejoicing, R' Yisroel Sheinker approached
him and lifted him upon his shoulders and marched thus all
around the beis medrash with him. The atmosphere was
exalted, kinetic.
In his eulogy on R' Efraim Garbuz zt'l, R' Sholom
Schwadron related that the latter had written in his personal
notes of a resolution to create a chiddush for every
single hakofoh.
The joy that permeated the hall on Simchas Torah was
different from any joy felt through the year; it was exalted.
HaRav Yitzchok Blazer, while in Kovno, would make the rounds
of the homes to make merry, and he did so in Yerushalayim as
well. They would visit the roshei yeshiva, the gedolei
Yisroel and distinguished, influential baalebatim
as well, and celebrate with them, respectively.
Towards the end of the festival, the yeshiva students, headed
by R' Moshe Shimon Weintraub zt'l, would pay their
respects to R' Yitzchok Zev (the Brisker Rov) and dance
around from room to room. Maran waited for the Chevroners to
come and dance for he knew these were elite figures, the
choicest, who rejoiced in the truest, most essential
manner.
A minyan of the most outstanding students took place
in the home of Rebbetzin Kulitz (mother of the late Rabbi
Kulitz zt"l). This was also a source of great
celebration which included a kiddush after prayers.
In the Heichal HaTalmud in Tel Aviv, spirits also ran high,
under the leadership of R' Chaim Zev Finkel zt'l who
was by nature an exuberant person whose ecstasy overflowed on
Simchas Torah. They would make the rounds of the local
baalebatim in uplifted spirits.
I recall Petach Tikva of my childhood, 5709, during the war,
spending Simchas Torah in Kollel Toras Eretz Yisroel. This
was populated by the founders who were the disciples of the
Alter of Slobodka, including R' Mendel Sheinin. The latter
used to disappear in the middle of the hakofos to
visit R' Berel Yanover (Zochovsky), who was paralyzed, in
order to infuse him with the day's joyous mood.
The sense of exultation was also felt by the Chazon Ish
ztvk'l, as well as by the Ponovezher Rosh Yeshiva, R'
Aharon Cohen zt'l. The latter once bought the Atoh
Horeiso for a huge sum. R' Ezra Barzel and R' Aharon
Shakovitsky would lead the singing of lively marches. Each
hakofoh had its traditional set of mesamchim,
those who led the singing and dancing, both at night and on
the following morning.
The younger students contributed as well, to be sure; these
included R' Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, R' Avrohom Tucker, R'
Chaim Sarna and many others, but it is absolutely clear,
declares R' Sheinker, that the joy stemmed from the inside,
as was taught by the Alter of Slobodka: even though we were
commanded to contain our joy and be humble and modest, still,
one can say that there is modesty even in the way one cavorts
with joy to gladden a chosson-kallah and one must
incorporate that with the expression of one's inner
exuberance.
Simchas Torah in Kaminetz
HaRav Boruch Ber stands by the bimah, his eyes shut,
tears gathering in their corners. Around him huddle five
hundred bnei Torah, enthralled, swept up in their
master's singing. He depicts in rhyme his early days in
Volozhin, the parting from his father's house, the first
meeting with R' Chaim, the loving, encouraging words of the
Netziv, spoken to him in person. Also, the first night, the
snows, and the sanctified silence that reigned in the
yeshiva.
R' Boruch Ber's face is aflame; his whole being is on fire
with the spiritual heat of Volozhin recaptured.
One Simchas Torah in Kaminetz, someone made a comment that
HaRav Chaim of Brisk ztvk'l, the master-teacher of R'
Boruch Ber, was very far removed from the world of music. R'
Boruch Ber turned white as a sheet and began shivering with
fear. After a long period of attempting to contain his
overwrought emotions, he finally was able to reply calmly. He
said, "A person is a creation containing both qualities and
faults; this is a necessary part of his makeup. The Rebbe,
for example, is wholly composed of superior attributes. The
one and only drawback he has is that he has no understanding
of music. I, on the other hand, am full of faults and
blemishes and the only advantage I can boast of is an
appreciation for and skill in music."
"Fortunate are you, Yisroel, that Hashem chose you, and
bequeathed the Torah to you in the desert as a gift. The
Torah is a tree of life, life for everyone, for You are the
Source of all life."
