Part 2: Fundamental Lessons from the Griz and HaRav Shach
The first gathering sponsored by the new Merkaz Chinuch (see article Mercaz Chinuch Founding Ceremony at HaRav Eliashiv's Home) was held at the Zeirei Agudas Yisroel (ZAI) shul Divrei Shir in Bnei Brak at the end of Nisan, 5769. Speaking there in public, for the first time in the 25 years since he retired as a member of Knesset for ZAI was Rabbi Shlomo Lorincz, father of the founder of the Merkaz Chinuch and long-time confidant of gedolei Yisroel. His fascinating speech brings many tales and illustrates fundamental principles of chinuch.
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In Kovetz Igros (Part 2, Letter 59) Maran writes: "I was very impressed by your success in placing a young boy in a yeshiva, and I am dedicated to doing this with my entire heart and soul... send him to me again..." At the end of the letter he wrote: "And I repeat, send me the boy as soon as possible." (Emphasis added by R' Lorincz.) It was just one ordinary boy who was sent to a yeshiva, and Maran the Chazon Ish set aside everything else that he was doing and wanted to boy to come to him. In this short letter he makes this request twice, to ensure that he will be able to use his personal influence to make sure that the boy stays in the yeshiva.
We all know how much the Chazon Ish valued every minute. In this context I would mention that one time his family found the Chazon Ish lying on the floor next to his bed. They were shocked, thinking that he fell out of his bed, but Maran calmed them down and explained that as usual he learned until the end of his strength. Usually he stops learning a few seconds before he completely runs out of strength, to allow himself to reach the bed. Today, he had apparently miscalculated and he did not have enough strength left to reach the bed, so that he was forced to lie down on the floor, near his bed.
We see from this how carefully Maran weighed and measured every second of learning. Nonetheless, he was willing to interrupt his learning in order to influence the boy to go to yeshiva. It boggles the mind!
On one occasion I asked Maran the Griz, HaRav Yitzchok Zeev Soloveitchik zt"l: It was after I had tried to pass a law in the Knesset forbidding the raising of hogs in Eretz Yisroel. Most of the member of the Knesset, including the nonreligious ones, supported the proposal, agreeing that it was an insult to the State of Israel to raise pigs in it. But when it came time to vote, Ben Gurion ordered all members of the government to vote against the law, and it did not pass. The disappointment was very great, and in bitterness I went to Maran the Griz and I told him: "If they permit pigs, to which every Jew has a innate aversion, what hope do we have?"
Maran answered me: "Come, I will teach you a parsha in Chumash, just like I used to teach my son..." He opened Chumash Devorim and began to read from parshas Vayeilech, starting with posuk 16: "And Hashem said to Moshe. You are going to lie with your forefathers, and this people will rise and stray after the strange gods of the Land." And he explained (in Yiddish): "And stray after the strange gods of the Land — Do meint men nit, as men vet nit davennen Shacharis — This does not mean that they will [just]not daven Shacharis, but rather just what it seems to be saying, that they will worship avodoh zorah. And if that is not bad enough, the posuk continues, "Va'azovuni — that does not mean that they will not daven Minchah, but that they will not worship Me, even beshituf, with another god. And even this is not "enough." The posuk continues, "...and they will void My covenant — that does not mean that they will not daven Ma'ariv, but that they will not perform bris milah! Maran continued along these lines with the rest of the posuk, "Va'azevtim, viHistarti Ponai meihem."
"Nu," Maran looked up at me and said, "you will certainly agree with me that this is a much worse situation than what you have described to me. But let's continue, "Ve'atoh kisvu lochem es hashiroh hazos velamdoh es Bnei Yisroel — learning Torah is the antidote for all this decadence, even including avodoh zorah and abandoning bris milah. It will return the Jews to Hashem. All we have to worry about is velamdoh es Bnei Yisroel — teaching Bnei Yisroel. Learning Torah is the balm for every situation. Learn Torah and the enlightenment within it will return the learners to good. Education to Torah will save us.
"Therefore," he concluded, "your despair is not justified."
Rabbeinu the Kehillas Yaakov writes in his sefer Bircas Peretz: "In past times when all the homes of Yisroel were founded on keeping the Torah, it was necessary to send children to yeshivas so that they would advance themselves in learning Torah. But even someone who did not go to a yeshiva, certainly remained a Jew who keeps Torah and mitzvos,... In contrast to today, when the whole environment is poisoned with kefirah, anyone who does not learn in a yeshiva is in a dangerous situation, at risk of not remaining with any remnant of Yahadus. Therefore in our time the yeshiva has a double task: aside from the basic learning Torah, it must save the boy from the dangers of the street. There is no way to ensure that one's son will be a Jew if he does not spend his entire youth and adolescence within the walls of a yeshiva."
I want to tell a story that happened with Maran HaRav E.M.M. Shach ztvk"l. One time a group of Agudas Yisroel leaders from chutz la'aretz were invited to his house for a consultation. At the appointed time, all the dignitaries arrived and they waited to enter his room. Suddenly a Jew came with his young son, and asked if he could go in for a minute to get a brochoh. He went in, but did not come out for a full hour. [When he did,] the guests from chutz la'aretz complained to him very strongly, but he explained that when he asked for a brochoh for success in learning, Maran asked the boy if he liked to learn, and the boy answered truthfully, that he does not like to learn. To Maran's question as to why he has no joy from learning, the son answered that he does not understand... Maran sat down with him and learned with him for a long time, explaining to him carefully and thoroughly, until he finally asked him if he understands now. The boy burst into tears and said that this was the first time he understood... Maran ztvk"l explained to the assembled activists that when he saw the boy's situation he understood that it was pikuach nefesh, and that supersedes everything... I am not adding any commentary. I am just telling the story as it happened. I would just say that Maran was extremely careful not to offend anyone, and if he made such important people wait for a full hour, just in order to give that boy joy in his learning, that says it all. He saw enjoying learning as a matter of pikuach nefesh that overrides everything.
I will tell another story about Maran HaRav Shach ztvk"l. One of the Bais Yaakov Seminaries had decided to expel a girl, daughter of Russian immigrants, since she used to ask heretical questions in the middle of class. My wife o"h, who was very dedicated to the welfare of Russian immigrants, had arranged for this girl to attend that seminary, and she looked out for her even afterwards. She contacted the principal of the seminary and said to him, "How can we take such a great responsibility upon ourselves?" and she proposed that the question be submitted to HaRav Shach. Her suggestion was accepted, and they went to HaRav Shach to describe the situation to him. His reaction was, "Narishkeiten! [Foolishness.] All she needs is a little attention. Give it to her and everything will be fine."
That is what was done and it worked and in the end she married a ben Torah and established a wonderful home.
By the way, I am reminded of something that happened with the Mashgiach, HaRav Yeruchom, the mashgiach of the Mir Yeshiva in Lithuania. One of the bochurim in the Mir was outstanding for his hasmodoh. One day the Mashgiach noticed that his learning was different. Something seemed to be disturbing him. (The Mashgiach would constantly monitor every bochur in the yeshiva, and he knew the spiritual situation of each of them at every minute.) Rabbenu approached that boy and asked him what was bothering him. The boy replied that his sister had gotten engaged, and his father had promised the normal amount of support for the couple. But now his father had lost the money set aside for this purpose, and the groom wanted to cancel the wedding. And he concluded, "How can I be engrossed in my learning when such a terrible thing is happening in my home?
Rabbenu asked him, "How much was promised to the couple?"
"Five hundred dollars," the bochur answered. That was a huge sum in those days.
Three days later Rabbenu presented the bochur with the indicated sum and said, "Hachnosas Kallah is an extremely important mitzvah, but what really worried me and pushed me to raise so much money was to be sure that you can sit and learn in peace."
The purpose of the Merkaz Hachinuch is to save those students who are dropping out of the standard educational framework, and to bring them back to the regular educational framework — and even more so to ensure that they do not drop out in the first place. The Merkaz will work together with Binas HaLeiv. The success of Binas HaLeiv in producing more than 100 expert educators, together with the long experience of Zeirei Agudas Yisroel in the field of education, will ensure future success based on past experience. May the prophecy of Michah be fulfill through is: "Veheshiv lev ovos al bonim, veleiv bonim al avosom."
As of Wednesday night this week, more than 125 people had read the first part of this article, but only three had written to us with nice things to say about it. Since email costs nothing and takes very little time, may we assume that the rest of the readers did not say anything since they had nothing nice to say? That is what we will assume if we do not get more of a response to this final part.
Part 1
