This past week, the rabbonim and heads of the Lev Shomeia organization — chairman HaRav Eliav Miller; HaRav Eliyahu Eliezer Kellerman, Mashgiach in Yeshivas Ponovezh; HaRav Mordechai Fish, Mashgiach in Yeshiva leZeirim Ohr Elcchanan and Ateres Shlomo, and others — paid a visit to HaRav Dov Lando in his home in order to present him with central questions regarding the spiritual world of Torah students and their pivotal role in reinforcing the position of the Jewish people in the merit of Torah which protects and saves us.

They were privy to over an hour of spiritual renewal and reinforcement from the answers to questions brought up by the students and their parents regarding the daily contention with the challenges of these present times.

At first, HaRav Lando shlita stressed his desire that they convey to the yeshiva students that "accomplishments are fine and good, but that a student is not measured by these but rather by the extent of his dedication to his study. We must be engrossed in study to the utmost, without distractions and anxieties, without striving for excellence. Study must be a prime preoccupation, each according to his strength. This is what the Jewish People need for this is what constitutes a true Ben Torah."

Lev Shomeia: How must we relate to all the clamor and incitement of the street against Torah students?

Next Monday, a new householder will be entering the White House. This fact is accelerating the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to information coming from several sources, the impression created indicates that this time it is very serious and that there is a likely chance that an agreement will be signed between the two sides. And who knows? Perhaps it will even materialize before the words emerge from the printer's block.

In fact it was announced that an agreement had been reached. However Israel has so far not approved it, saying that Hamas is trying to make last minute changes.

Notwithstanding, we can still leave the option open that it might not happen. But we allow ourselves the leeway of being either optimistic or pessimistic, each according to his outlook regarding the deal. All of the factors involved come from different sources, which talk about the gradual release of all the hostages, while the price to be paid by Israel will be heavy, indeed.

This article was originally published in 1996.

His Torah Lives Forever

R' Matzliach was raised on the knees of the great sages of Tunis, and from them he imbibed his ability to toil in Torah, his perspicacity and his vast Torah knowledge.

As a youth, he studied with amazing diligence. Even then, the remarkable traits of perfection and precision were evident in him. He would spend his nights in the bais medrash, surrounded by sacred seforim over which he would pore until dawn. Then he would proceed to the local synagogue, and pray with the first minyan. Even then, he was careful to pray with the netz.

It was his adherence to so rigid a schedule which caused him, as a youth, to long for a watch — a costly item during those days. When he finally received one, he used it to his plan his day: a part for praying, a part for sleeping, a part for eating, and the majority of the time for Torah study.

By the age of sixteen, he had already written responsa, which in their style and length were like those of venerable scholars. One time, his mentor asked him to write an essay on the mitzvah of fulfilling a deceased person's last will and testament. Two weeks passed, and R' Matzliach still hadn't returned a reply. His mentor asked: "What is taking so long? The whole answer shouldn't occupy more than four or five pages." R' Matzliach then showed his rav a number of the pages he had written, and said that he still hadn't competed his answer.

In the end, he wrote about three hundred pages, saying: "I still have two hundred more to go."