On Tuesday night the evening of 28 Iyar there was a special gathering in Sanhedria Murchevet, Jerusalem, in memory of Rebbetzin Rochel Frishman o"h. We bring our understanding of the remarks of HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman and HaRav Aviezer Piltz that are of broad interest.
HaRav A Y L Shteinman
We are close to Shavuos. In the Torah there are bein odom laMokom and bein odom lechavero. The posuk says, "Israel encamped opposite the Mountain." Chazal tell us that they were united as in no other encampment, as one man with one heart. This is a very high level of bein odom lechavero. The Chofetz Chaim says there were five million people — and they were all united as one man with one heart. If this were not the case, they would not be worthy of Matan Torah. Such a high level of bein odom lechavero is a prerequisite for Matan Torah.
Sefiras HaOmer in the desert was for them to fix their middos so that they could achieve the level of "one man with one heart."
We must make efforts to reach the madreigoh of one man with one heart.
Kayin and Hevel brought korbonos. They both understood it on their own. Even though Kayin did not bring the best, nonetheless he understood on his own that he had to bring a korbon. That shows that he was on a high level with regard to bein odom laMokom. But Kayin descended to a level of murder indicating that he was lacking in bein odom lechavero. Middos are mostly in bein odom lechavero. Jealousy, hatred, etc. are all bein odom lechavero. But without this basis one cannot reach Matan Torah.
HaRav Aviezer Piltz
A father and mother had to bring their son for an operation. In the hospital, the son cries for his parents but they have no permission to come in to the operating theater. They hover outside hoping to catch a clue as to whether the operation has succeeded. This is the situation of Klal Yisroel in the later stages of the golus. They have no direct information but hope to snatch a shred of knowledge. Hinei ze omeid achar kosleinu.
The wall divides, but there are windows. Sometimes everything is hidden behind the wall. But in some generations the windows are open and there is Klal Yisroel in its glory. And there are periods in between.
In the last century there were big and serious troubles. In those generations there were the "isms" that swept away millions. Jews were uprooted from their ancestral homes. The trials climaxed in the Holocaust when people were strewn as worthless dust upon the ground. It was dark. Some stopped davening when they saw the rav humiliated. Leaders rose who had no shred of Torah. A non-religious government was set up in the Holy Land. Thousands and millions were forcibly separated from their religious roots.
The secular leaders talked openly about just having to wait for the passing of the older generation. They believed it was only a matter of time, and not much time. But cracks in the wall began to appear. Chadorim bloomed in every community. A young generation grew up to be avreichim, learning with unlimited sacrifice. Some asked, "Who gave birth to these?" They could not understand where this had come from. Homes built on Torah and yirah were everywhere. An unforeseeable light of HaKodosh Boruch Hu shone. No one saw it coming. The secular leadership began to talk with jealousy about the success of the Torah community. The situation had been so bad that it was after yi'ush — and suddenly it all sprouted anew.
We gather today for chizuk, but an alien spirit enters into the botei medrash. It does not come in by force, but we are witness to it and the heart cries out: Why do we want to imitate the chiloni society?
The tzitzis are still worn outside, but the spirit is different. We must struggle over issues of tznius even though there is no more force or external social pressure. The hechsherim flourish. Hotels compete for the strictest hechsher. But the spirit of some of the places is far from mehadrin.
My people, remember what Bolok the king of Moav advised. This is what I think we must hear today. Remember the madrichim who tried to keep the immigrants at all costs from avodas Hashem. Remember what it was like to be under the chiloni rule that once said that if you do not send your son to the secular school you will be out of work.
A cry must come out from all hearts. The younger people do not know what things were like 50 years ago. If one put his tzitzis out he was ridiculed. If one married a ben Torah it was no great honor.
Now some people adopt fashion touches that may not be forbidden but they reek of the spirit of golus.
There is an opportunity. A Bat Kol cries out, Mi Lashem Eilai? We do not need to imitate the goyim. We have no need to adopt the symbols of the chiloni. If one feels that he is chosen from among all people, why should he want to look or dress or sing like the nations of the world?
Review and understand who determines whether there will be peace or war, or whether the economy will succeed or not: it is none other than the talmid who sits in his corner and toils in Torah.
Ben Torah, remember who you are. "Bereishis," because of Yisroel who is called reishis. After passing through the world, man goes out naked as he came unless he properly understood the purpose of man in the world and acted accordingly. The lomeid Torah strives to understand a difficult Rambam and he thereby builds the Jewish people and builds the land.
We have no prophet today. But tragedies like this one that happen to those special people are like a small prophecy. HaKodosh Boruch Hu says, "Who looks at a ben Torah? Who looks at a tziusdik woman?" When they are struck by tragedy we see what Hashem wants.
The headlines do not reveal this secret: that the real leaders of Klal Yisroel are the talmidei chachomim. We must forget all the havlei olom. For some the Torah is like second or third most important thing in their lives. If they have nothing better to do they learn, but the slightest distraction causes them to close the sefer until they have dealt with the other issue.
Man is pushed to the limit — tosheiv at dakka — and then vatomer, there is a little nevua: Shuvu no. We must return.
