Heightened excitement was felt this past Monday by the yeshiva students of Nesivos Chochmah in Bayit veGan, Jerusalem, headed by HaRav Doniel Wolfson and HaRav Neuwirth with the visit of Rosh Yeshivas Slobodka, HaRav Dov Lando, to inaugurate the Elul semester. After an opening shiur beiyun attended by several hundreds of students in the subject being learned in Maseches Kesuvos, he delivered a strong message of chizuk on the proper comportment and stature of a yeshiva student.
Among other things, he said that the yeshiva heads strive to uplift and exalt their students who, in turn, must do their utmost to persevere with their studies diligently. "But at the same time, one must remember the words of the beraissa in Yoma on the posuk, `And you shall love Hashem your G-d - that you see to it that Hashem's Name become beloved through you.'
"You are behooved to study, review and tend to Torah scholars. Your dealings with your fellow man should be pleasant and serene so that people say of you, `Blessed is the father who taught you Torah; blessed is the teacher who taught you Torah; woe unto those who did not study Torah. Look at Ploni who studied Torah: regard his pleasant and proper ways. Upon such a person is it said, `And He says to me: You are my servant, Yisrael in whom I take pride.'
"But woe unto one who does study and review and attends Torah scholars but does not deal with integrity and does not speak calmly with others - what do people say of him? Woe onto the one who studied Torah; woe unto his father who taught him Torah, woe unto his teacher who taught him Torah. Just look at that one who studied Torah but whose ways are unacceptable and repulsive.'
"The Riff interprets this passage in a very extreme manner, showing to what a disastrous extent of chillul Hashem such behavior can reach."
With these incisive words, he declared, "See how cautious one must be in one's distinguished deportment. One must be very careful not to act in a strange manner but to conduct oneself in such a way that people say: Look at that person who studied Torah; see how commendable his ways are!"
He concluded his words with a blessing for a "Kesiva vechasima tovah" to all yeshiva students. "May we be privileged to sanctify Hashem's Name and not, G-d forbid, the opposite."
