The Torah world, and chareidi Jewry in general, find themselves under the poignant impression made by the emergency gathering which took place this past Friday afternoon in Bnei Brak. Participating in it were over a hundred roshei yeshiva of Eretz Yisroel, disseminators of Torah and Mussar, answering to the urgent call of our gedolei Yisroel, headed by HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, to rally to the aid of the critical and decisive battle for all that is sacred to us, and for the sake of kvod Shomayim, which is at stake in the imminent elections.
The Vishnitz auditorium in Bnei Brak was filled to the rafters, a rare sight to behold: peopled by the one-hundred-and-thirty roshei yeshiva and spiritual leaders, the veritable soul and sustainers of the Jewish people who are in the central row of the Torah forefront, gathered there from all over the country to cohere against the storms of the current period. No wonder, since the rumor had it that the Rosh Yeshiva would deliver a decisive message.
He is no longer young, yet valiantly bears the burden of the entire Jewish world upon his shoulders. Short of stature but gigantic in spiritual proportion, the Rosh Yeshiva still plods tirelessly from place to place, devouring distances in order to spread Torah, establish new Torah institutions of purity, reach out to those still distant and reinforce the house of Torah. HaRav Shteinman came with all of his long years of energetic activity and continual drawing closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu to grace the gathering.
The message of HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman shlita:
Morai verabbosai: Everyone knows that when a person is weak, he needs medical assistance. If he is very weak, he needs a larger dose of medical treatment. The strongest treatment that our people have is Kiddush Hashem, and conversely, the biggest misfortune is that of chillul Hashem. Going to the polls is an opportunity to sanctify Hashem's Name whereby a Jew declares that he strives for the opposite of chillul Hashem. And if he ignores this call of duty, it is tantamount to chillul Hashem.
May Hashem aid us so that everyone internalize the fact that this is a time of trouble for Klal Yisroel. May we merit sanctifying Hashem's Name and may Hashem help us that even this time, when we are faced with such heavy plights and are fully aware that we need great heavenly compassion which can be aroused through our Kiddush Hashem, that everyone who goes to vote and declares that he desires that the public body follow the ways of the Torah, is thereby truly sanctifying Hashem's Name. May Hashem help us that in this merit, we will truly fulfill this aim, and that His glory spread throughout the world as a whole and amongst the Jewish people in particular.
