"We might find it impossible to reach Lithuania or Poland.
The land is teeming with wild hordes of soldiers and bandits.
We don't want to risk our lives . . .," said young Chaya
Faiga Heiman to her husband.
"I think we should travel to the Chofetz Chaim and ask his
advice. He resides now in the nearby town of Simiatch," young
R' Shlomo Heiman replied. Chaya Faiga nodded eagerly.
The short distance to Simiatch was hazardous and the young
couple, traveling by wagon, covered themselves under a pile
of hay and reached their destination safely. Young R' Heiman
entered the Chofetz Chaim's abode, and told him about their
hesitations concerning their future plans. The tzaddik
looked intently at young R' Shlomo Heiman and commented, "It
seems to me that you came here just at the right moment. I
need your help! If you are willing, I advise you to join the
select group of students of the yeshiva in Smilovitz."
Young R' Heiman looked puzzled; the Chofetz Chaim explained,
"At the onset of World War I, towards the end of the year
5674, everyone was fleeing their hometown! Everyone was
talking about the destruction and havoc the war caused. Like
you, I wasn't sure what to do. I decided to make the goral
Hagra, the Vilna Gaon's lottery, in the hope that Hashem,
in His kindness, would show me the right way.
"The verse that came up in Sefer Bereishis was,
"Vayachatz es hamachaneh... vehoyoh hamachane hanish'or
lifleitoh . . . " In anticipation of his meeting with
Eisov, Yaakov Ovinu divided the camp in two so that in the
event of war, at least one half of his family would survive.
Similarly, I divided the yeshiva of Radin in two, leaving one
`camp' in Radin, headed by the two esteemed roshei
yeshiva, R' Moshe Landinski and R' Yoseph Leib Nandik. I
took the other half and escaped to Russia, an unknown
territory.
"We kept wandering from one place to another, and all along,
I followed this same strategy: I divided the yeshivos in two,
leaving fine talmidei chachomim with the existing
yeshiva, and escaping to the unknown with the remainder. Now
I wish to do the same, and you came just at the right moment
. . . "
The room was quiet. R' Heiman was overwhelmed and could not
utter a word.
The Chofetz Chaim continued, "It was not easy to establish
yeshivos in places where no Torah life existed, but with the
help of Hashem, we succeeded, and students came flocking from
near and far. However, we had to continue wandering, and as I
said, we left half of every yeshiva behind us in each place .
. . And, providentially, this is how Torah spread throughout
Russia . . ."
R' Shlomo Heiman was thoughtful for a while, but soon began
to feel elated. He saw in the words of the tzaddik an
appointment of a very high degree. Here, he had come asking
for advice, and suddenly he was assigned to be one of the
roshei yeshiva! He gladly accepted the position and
willingly joined forces with the eminent R' Elchonon
Wasserman. He prayed that he be worthy of the appointment,
hoping that his wife would also be happy to hear the news.
*
The Chofetz Chaim's suggestion was wonderful news for
Rebbetzin Chaya Faiga Heiman. The plan was for them to leave
Krimenchok, whose yeshiva, headed by R' Boruch Ber Leibowitz,
R' Shlomo Heiman's mentor, had been closed down. Many unhappy
and troublesome incidents took place in the town of
Krimenchok. Fear and starvation reigned throughout. Many of
its Torah scholars left the town, including the Rosh Yeshiva,
himself, R' Boruch Ber Leibowitz.
Following the Chofetz Chaim's advice would surely be the best
possible solution! And the prestige of working alongside R'
Elchonon was an unimaginable opportunity!
R' Shlomo Heiman and his wife lost no time and headed for
Smilovitch. For a while, things ran smoothly, until, one day,
R' Heiman announced to his wife, "We are leaving this place!"
The entire yeshiva headed for the nearest border, arriving in
Baranovitch, a Polish town close to the Russian border.
R' Elchonon Wasserman established a yeshiva in Baranovitch in
5681, with R' Shlomo Heiman serving as one of the
ra'mim. After five years in Baranowitz, they moved
again. This time he was appointed as Rosh Yeshiva of the
Rameiles Yeshiva in Vilna by R' Chaim Ozer Grodzensky. Both
R' Heiman and his wife were devoted to the talmidim
and would have been content to stay on indefinitely . . .
"We are heading for America!" said R' Heiman to his wife, one
day. "I was asked by R' Chaim Ozer Grodzensky to go there and
serve as a Rosh Yeshiva in New York, in Torah Vodaas." Chaya
Faiga, shrugged and smiled, and immediately began packing
their belongings . . .
R' Heiman looked on, expecting a more pronounced reaction
from her, but she looked at him and said simply, "I am glad
that R' Chaim Ozer Grodzensky found us suitable for the
position."
Ten years of devoted work in a place of budding Torah left a
deep mark on the many talmidim of Yeshivas Torah
Vodaas, until R' Heiman fell ill. He died at a young age,
having bequeathed to his many talmidim much of his knowledge
and depth in Torah and having guided them in their growth,
with the help of his devoted wife.
In his ten years as Rosh Yeshiva in America, R' Sholmo Heiman
left a deep mark on Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, as well as on the
American Jewish Torah-true community in general.
