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The assembly took place in Bnei Brak on Thursday evening of Chanukah, attracting a huge crowd which filled the new beis medrash of the Beis Arye kehilla, headed by the Rov of the Ramat Dovid neighborhood, HaRav Sariel Rosenberg, also Gaaved of the Bnei Brak Beis Din.
Even before the designated time, the beis medrash was already filled to overflowing from wall to wall with Bnei Torah who came to participate in this momentous event. Hundreds of additional places were provided in adjoining rooms and passageways to accommodate the huge crowds but even this was not enough so that video screens were set up in the adjoining courtyards outside which were also filled to capacity.
HaRav Rosenberg opened the assembly with a brief message about the significance of the days of Chanukah and the messages to be learned therefrom throughout the teachings of Chazal and poskim. He followed this by posing scholarly questions regarding the laws of Chanukah, citing the words of the Me'iri about the blessings of She'oso Nissim and Shehechiyonu regarding those who do not have candles to light or even an opportunity to see the lights. The gathering became alive with an electric give-and-take on the subjects, and other intricate halachic questions which ensued.
HaRav David Cohen spoke at length about the essence of the Hellenist battle against the Torah students in those times and up till the present ones, explaining that the underpinning of their viewpoint and knowledge was based on the rule of Nature in the world. The Greeks sought to disconnect Jewry from the Divine power and from their attachment to the soul by severing them from the holy neshamah and separating them from the Torah, since the soul endows a person with the strength to overcome the wiles of the material body.
He delineated exactly what the youth of their age needs in the manner of fortification, saying, "Our contention lies on two fronts, that of the physical world and all that is profane, since that is the attraction of Greece, and also the lure of the dreadful technological ills which can so easily lead a person to a dark and dismal end."
Not every anti-Semite goes around with a sign declaring the fact, but when someone acts against Jews without any reason, it generally states that very truth. That is, unless he is wearing the uniform of a police officer!
When a gang of minority people (Arabs) assaults an innocent 47-year-old Jew, beats him to a bloody pulp in a dark woods, leaving him wounded and bleeding, this is undoubtedly an anti-Semitic crime. But this is not what a Haifa court thought when it ruled that this was not a terrorist act as is defined by law, because it was perpetrated at night, in a deserted place and without any outward signs of signs of terror. How are such symbols defined? Only the court knows.
But those violent rioters were sentenced a mere fifty months in jail, despite the fact that their victim was brought to a hospital in severe condition, remaining there for many long days, suffering from critical wounds from the beating exacted on him only because of his bad luck of passing by that ill-fated spot where evil people were looking for a victim to attack for no reason whatsoever.
Part I
Two Controversies
Frankfurt-am-Main. A city renowned for its prominent Jewish community, among the most prestigious of German Jewry. Its Jewish inhabitants resided peacefully and quietly during a period of relative tranquility for German Jews. Its Rabbinic leaders were gedolei Torah whose awesome reputations have preceded them.
We have inherited their legacy in the form of seforim and chiddushei Torah which are studied to this day.
On various occasions, Frankfurt became a scene of contention. This occurred during the time of theav beis din HaRav Yaakov Yehoshua Falk, author of the P'nei Yehoshua, and later on, during the time of the av beis din HaRav Avraham Abish Lisa, author of Birchas Avraham on Shas. The P'nei Yehoshua sided with HaRav Emden in the famous dispute between HaRav Yonoson Eybeshitz, av beis din of Altoona, and HaRav Yaakov Emden, the Ya'avetz. This was in 5510 that Frankfurt became embroiled in a great machlokes.
Not long after, in 5526, the fires of controversy raged once again. This time, the blaze went forth from Frankfurt. The matter at hand: a get that was arranged in Cleves.
The city of Cleves is situated in Northwest Germany in the Rheinland, bordering Holland. It is an industrial center and thoroughfare between the two countries. Although commercial ties with Germany were weak, this was not the case with Holland and England, areas to which many Jews from Cleves emigrated at the time.
In 5523, HaRav Yisroel Lipschitz, (son of R' Eliezer Lipschitz) was appointed Rav of the Cleves kehilloh, which was composed of three small settlements. He had served previously as the Rav of Diez. R' Lipschitz, who was the grandfather of the Tiferes Yisroel on the Mishnah, printed one sefer by the name Ohr Yisroel. This sefer consists of responsa which, for the most part, deal with issues of marriage — a sign of his expertise in such matters.
A full thirty-seven responsa in thissefer concern the case of a get that was arranged for a young German couple, which has become known as "the get from Cleves."
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Opinion & Comment
"From prison he went forth to rule" (Koheles 4:14). Rashi explains that Koheles is referring to Yosef, who emerged from prison to rule over all of Egypt.
This event surely has a phenomenal message to teach. Royal rule, as we probably envision it, requires special grooming and training. One does not necessarily acquire this preparation in an educational institution. Rather, it is absorbed naturally by the environment surrounding the royal family. But to emerge from behind bars and to rule over an entire nation?
The transition from slavery to freedom is, in itself, a major change, but from slavery to royalty? Exercising power over other people requires certain personality traits which are, necessarily, suppressed when one is imprisoned and robbed of one's basic freedom. Self esteem, self reliance and independence of spirit are all crushed. How then, can one be transformed from a subservient creature to a dominant one, all in one day? Can a slave be metamorphosed into a king?
This question is not straightforward; it begs itself.
In our era, royalty and ruling are coupled with strong-arm power, raw might, or, in more modern terms, political success. These concepts do not say it all. Rulership is the power of imposing absolute obedience and discipline. And this originates from within. Through self discipline.
Opinion & Comment
More insights and thoughts on various aspects of chinuch from a veteran Torah educator.
Close Supervision
It is not just a matter of added benefit for an educator and a mashgiach to supervise their charges carefully, to love each talmid sincerely, to pay attention to danger signals and to diagnose weaknesses far in advance. Someone who lacks the qualities to do all these things is totally unsuited to these professions.
The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 2:2) writes that when Moshe Rabbenu was the shepherd of his father-in-law's sheep in the desert, one lamb ran away. Moshe chased after it until it reached a field, found a spring of water, and started drinking. Moshe Rabbenu said: "I did not know you were running because you were thirsty. Now you are [surely] tired."
He put the sheep on his shoulder and carried it back. HaKodosh Boruch Hu said: "Since you have the pity needed to lead other people's sheep, so will you lead My sheep, Yisroel."
The Strikkover Rebbe zt'l delves into the meaning of this Midrash. Moshe Rabbenu apparently acted incorrectly when he ran after the lamb. How could he leave the whole flock of sheep and chase after one single lamb? Was that a responsible thing to do?
The Rebbe answers that this was exactly Moshe Rabbenu's Heavenly test. Did Moshe Rabbenu realize that a flock comprises individual lambs? There are many spiritual shepherds who consider their flock as a group or as a class lumped together; they consider a yeshiva as a monolith. They are not sufficiently and actively aware that the class consists of many talmidim, each one a whole world unto himself.
HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt'l, the son of Maran HaRav Yitzchok Zeev Soloveitchik zt'l, the famed Brisker Rav, told me that he once went to the Mirrer Yeshiva for the month of Elul. He went up to the room of HaRav Yeruchom HaLevi Levovitz zt'l, the yeshiva's mashgiach, a room located above the beis midrash. From its window one could see some five hundred boys studying fervently. The Mashgiach said to him: "Do you see the yeshiva talmidim? To me they are five hundred individuals."
At the wedding of a talmid of Yeshivas Mir with the granddaughter of HaRav Eliezer Shulevitz, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Lomza, the yeshiva students danced enthusiastically as usual and the simcha was tremendous. HaRav Shulevitz said to HaRav Yeruchom Levovitz: "You are a mechuton in the simcha. Chazal write that talmidim are like one's sons."
The Mashgiach grasped his prematurely white beard and said solemnly, "That is truly so. One can surely say about me that `talmidim are like one's sons.' Each talmid is another white hair."
IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Part II - FICTION
Summary of the First Part: They called him Leibel'e Leibidiker. Happy with his lot but sad, especially because he could not find a mate for his only daughter. One day just before Pesach, at the height of the cleaning, he slightly damaged the rented car of a tourist who, it turned out, did not know what shehakol meant, did not know what gezel was and most certainly did not know what it meant to be a Jew. Just about six months later, he found out that Hakodosh Boruch Hu makes matches -- and how, as you will see in this surprising conclusion.
A few minutes after he had digested the good tidings, the Rosh Yeshiva turned to Reb Leibel'e and said: "I beg of you, it's such a great simcha, that I want to celebrate it here in my Sukkah. After all, I'm also a side in the shidduch. Please, I have enough room for all the guests who wish to come to wish you a mazel tov. And who won't come? The whole yeshiva will come."
"Nu. So be it. I agree, but on one condition."
"What is that?"
On condition that the Rosh Yeshiva lets me bring a picture which is very dear to me, and which is hanging on the eastern wall of our Sukkah.
"To remove a Sukkah decoration on chol hamoed? It's muktzeh."
"The picture isn't muktzeh. I made certain of that in advance. Erev Sukkos I stipulated that I wouldn't part with it all bein hashemoshos for the entire eight days, as the Shulchan Oruch rules."
"Nu, nu. If so, I accept the condition."
Leibel'e rushed home, but before leaving he turned again to the Rosh Yeshiva: "Excuse me, I also wanted to ask if the Rosh Yeshiva will let me bring the fish I cooked specially in honor of the simcha. The bochurim love my fish."
"There's no need Leibel'e. No need. The bochurim will be happy tonight even without fish," the Rosh Yeshiva tried.
"But the fish will be happy with the bochurim."
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