fHE EWISH TISHREI 5734 I OCTOBER 1973

VOLUME IX, NUMBER 6

SIXTY FIVE CENTS

"For the Sake of Zion

I wjll Not K~!H;J_§jleritJ''

An urgent call

to American Jewry to

rally to the support

of the embattled

Yishuv in Israel

issnefl by the

Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah

(Council of Tornh Sal(es)

of Agudath Israel.

12 Tishrei, 5734

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THE JEWISH

OBSERVER

THE JEWISH OBSERVER is published monthly, except July and August, by the Agudath Israel of Amercia, 5 Beekman St., New York, N. Y. 10038. Second class postage :paid at New York, N. Y. Subscripllon: $6.50 per year; Two years, $11.00; Three years $15.00; outside of the United States $7.50 per year. Single copy sixty-five cents.

Printed in the U.S.A.

RABBI NISSON WoLPIN Editor

Editorial Board DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Chairman RABBI NATHAN BULMAN RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS JOSEPH FRIEDENSON RABBI YAAKOV JACOBS RABBI MOSHE SHERER

THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Kashrus of any product or service advertised in its pages.

OCT. 1973 Vo1.. IX, No. 6 ...,@!

in this issue ...

THE BEN-TORAH'S DILEMMA: THE PROBLEM OF

THE DIVJDED SELFS, Moshe Yechiel f'riecbnan 3

Quo VADIS, CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM? Nissan Wolpin 8

MY YEARS WITH REB ELCHONON, Chaim Shapiro 12

REPORT FROM ARGENTINA: WHERE THERE'S TORAH THERE'S

HoPE, Shmuel Arye Levene, as told 10 Nisson Wolpin 18

FooTsTEPs OF A GADoL; HoRAV YosEIF ELJYAHu HENKIN

;i:ii:i' v'"l~ i:i1, from a hespid by Rabbi Naftoli Zvi Y ehuda Riff, translated by Y onah Blumenfrucht 22

HoRAV B1NYOMIN ZE'Ev JACOBSON i1::i::i.1? P'il i::r.

an appreciation ........................................................ . 24

Two EssAYs BY HoRAV JACOBSON:

SHABBOS, AN IDEAL IN PRAYER AND TtIOUGHT 25

SHABBOS, AN EXPERIENCE IN SWEDEN ............... 25

BooK REvmw:

V'sHEE-NON-TOM, AND THOU SHALT TEACH THEM...... 27

SECOND LOOKS AT THE JEWISH SCENE:

THE MISSING YARMULKE AT YAD VESHEM 29

ANOTHER MIRACLE, Dorothy Weinberger .. 30

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR .............. .

As we go to press, war has broken out in Israel. Our hearts

are filled with concern and prayer. More in our next issue i1"'N .

31

Moshe Yechiel Friedman

The Ben-Torah's Dilemma:

The Problem of the Divided Selfs

The American yeshiva system has succeeded in producing a

highly developed personality. After the hen-Torah leaves the

confines of the yeshiva, however, he may face serious stress:

while his "private self" may still seem to have secure footing,

he often finds his "public self" without anchorage.

MAN MAY BE VIEWED as possessing two selfs: one that is private and another that is social In nature. The private self exists in a secluded world of its own. In this personal enclave man is alone with his secret dreains, his secret fears, with his very own image of himself. The language of this world is man's inner speech, and with this condensed, abbreviated form of self-communication his mind engages in a reflexive dialogue. In this small kingdom each man is a sovereign for no other mortal can enter these precincts without his acquiescence. And each of these worlds is unique; no two are identical. It is this quality of uniqueness which impels each man to strive for his individual self­fulfillment.

The social self is public; it is a collective sort of thing. It functions only as a member of a joint enter­prise, chiefly in the company of others. The social self thrives on closeness, togetherness if you will. .lt fulfills itself through those experiences which enable a person to transcend his private self and achieve new levels of consciousness through subordination to the group interest. In the group experience, the social self inter-

RABBI FRIEDIV[AN is Progran1 Supervisor of Torah Un1esorah's Counterforce prograrn and Associate Editor of th(' Jewish Pttrent 111agaz.ine.

The Jewish Obsr'tver / October,. 1973

acts, communicates, deals with the thoughts and feelings of others. Only when a person is a part of something larger than itself, the social self perceives, is it possible to be truly whole.

When the group setting is benign, the private self and the social self live in happy accord. The dreams of the private self move toward realization by virtue of the group experiences. The group is supportive: the individual belongs; he feels secure; his fears and ten­sions are allayed. Participation in the group is not at the expense of his private esteem; on the contrary, his feelings of worth are enhanced and ennobled through his sharing with others.

Group identification is the term that is used to indicate this sense of kinship with others. In childhood, the individual identifies first with the members of his immediate family. His identification widens as he learns to socialize with other children. Subsequently, his iden­tification proceeds to embrace ever-broadening groups, like the concentric ripples in a pond which spread from a central point. He becomes civic-minded, patriotic, even intcrnationalistic. In all of these dimensions, group identification signifies a progressive heightening of self-fulfillment through growth in social develop­ment.

3

Those Who Do Not Join THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS who cannot or will not fit into the accepted pattern of social growth. They do not make the identifications which help in the development of a healthy personality. The social self finds the en­vironment hostile rather than supportive. The private self is unable to find realization through group member­ship. Two alternatives lie before the individual who finds himself in this quandary. He may repress his social self and withdraw into the cocoon of his own private world. His contacts with the world outside himself will be determined by necessity only. Or he may become part of a social unit composed of individ­uals like himself, other persons who seek group identification compatible with their own values and beliefs. Drawn together by their common hostility to society at large, members of this atypical group may evince stronger feelings of kinship and belonging than those found in the accepted gronps.

In these times, for reasons not relevant to the argu­ment of this discussion, there is a tremendous surge in the numbers of persons, especially among the young, who experience this crisis between the two selfs. These are the alienated, the estranged, the uncommitted. A vast quantity of literature has been generated by this feature of contemporary society. It is the purpose of this writer to examine the problem of the divided self as it manifests itself in the world of Torah. It is a well­established phenomenon in Jewish history that the ills that beset the world are mirrored, through various transformations, in the life of our people. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to find that the social troubles of our own era reverberate even within the relatively cloistered compartments of Orthodox Jewry.

Genesis of the Divided Selfs IN .JEWISH LIFE, the incompatibility of the private and social selfs is a consequence of golus, exile from our homeland and dispersion among the nations of the world. To appreciate this proposition, one must first recognize the transcendental nature of the Jewish people. Kial Yisrael is more than a total aggregate of Jews taken individually or in groups: it is a metaphy­sical reality which possesses its own formal existence. Jewish collective life in its totality, at any point in his­tory, is the concretization of this entity at that given moment. If this concept seems abstruse, it is never­theless basic to a genuine understanding of the central problem of this discussion.

Before the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash, when all of Israel was still settled on its homeland, it was possible for a Jew to identify spiritually with Kial Yisroel through an ordered sequence of inter­mediate identifications. Each Jew was a member of a primary family group; of a patriarchal family group; of a shaivet (tribal unit); of the entire people of Israel. During the Shalash Regolim (three pilgrimage festivals)

when the entire country assembled in Jerusalem, group identification was not only understood as a spiritual fact; it was also experienced on all levels as a physical reality. In the context of this dualistic thought, it is natural to conceive of the relationship between Jewish society and the metaphysical Kial Yisroel as being analogous to the relationship that exists between body and soul.

The social unity of the people was of course rein­forced by the fact that the Jews occupied their own land. The political independence which they enjoyed was another factor that strengthened their group ties. Then came the Churbon (the destruction of the Temple), and the virtual disintegration of Jewish social life on a national scale. The process that began when the Assyrians drove off the ten shevotim came to a climax with the expulsion of the remaining population by the Babylonians. In all of its facets, group identifica­tion was seriously attenuated. Although every Jew still regarded himself as belonging to the eternal Kial Yisroel, he was still confronted with the reality of the physical world in which Israel was seriously fragmented and stripped of its national integrity.

The go/us that later followed the destruction of the Bayis Sheini (the Second Temple) persisted and inten­sified; dispersion following dispersion, banishment fol­lowing banishment, and dissimilarities between scattered Jewish communities became more pronounced. Not only were Jewish groups separated from one another by geographical, lingual, and political barriers, but also in such religious areas as halacha, minhagim, and nuscha'os. It became increasingly difficult, therefore, for a Jew to feel part of the social totality of the Jewish People. His group identification would end, in most instances, with the community into which he was born. Of course it was known that there were other Jewish communities, and contacts were maintained with them to some extent; in terms of experience, however, there was virtually no opportunity for a Jew to actually feel pait of the Jewish People in its entirety. On the other hand, although the breadth of group identification was highly localized, its intensity remained strong. Whether it was a town, a village, a shtetl, or a ghetto in which the Jew lived, his tics to the community were well formed. His world may have been greatly constricted, but in this world he belonged and was able to find fulfillment for the private and social selfs which he possessed.

It should be noted at this point that in Jewish life there is a form of group identification which may in a large measure be independent of the ways of a particular community. Our People boasts an impressive gallery of eminent individuals who, by virtue of their piety and learning, brought communities of devoted adherents into existence. The general religious life­styles originated by these outstanding personages and

The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

their particular modes of conduct were imitated in a manner which crossed community lines and ignored established patterns of group behavior. At times, such figure--0riented identification groups brought about a modest reconstruction of an autonomous Jewish society.

The American Split GROUP lDENTIFICATJON that had degenerated so pre­cipitously in Europe disintegrated much more so among the millions of Jews who migrated to the American shores. Family and community ties were severed. Landsmanschaften were organized along previously es­tablished community patterns, but in time they lost !heir vitality and withered away. The absence of a strongly organized religious establishment, due pri­marily to the democratic principles of freedom of religion and separation of church and state prevailing in this country, meant that religious affiliation as such could not serve as a rallying point for the formation of a closely knit group. To some degree the community was replaced by the congregation, particularly if the membership of the congregation was representative of a certain European town or county, but binding affilia­tion did not exist.

With the evanescence of the traditional communal and religious ties, Jewish immigrants began to ideP!ify with their new social environment. This tendency of the social self to seek fulfillment led to the rejection of religious observance, to acculturation, ultimately to, assimilation. In recent years a new dimension has entered into this progressive breakdown of Jewish iden­tification. While families cut their ties with the past in terms of daily practice, they still subscribed to the moral and spiritual ideals that are part of their heritage. They were able to maintain this loyalty because in the past the American ethos leaned heavily on Biblical sources. The current generation, however, spurns even these ethical principles. Not only do young people refuse to identify with the community, they even turn away from their parents. Thus the social self of today's youth generates all sorts of atypical associations to allow the private self to find gratification in a sympa­thetic group.

American Social Units: the Yeshiva Students / the Chassidim

TlIE FORMATION OF YESI-IIVOS in this country was an affirmative effort to counteract the complex of influences which caused American Jewry to become absorbed into the general population and suffer religious anonymity. While the restoration of Jewish communal life did not seem feasible at the beginning of the twentieth century, the yeshiva did attempt to re-establish identification with the eternity of Kial Yisroe/. Pupils in yeshivas represented a highly diverse population. Their parents were Chassidim and Misnagdim; Ga/itzianer and Lit­vakes; Russian-born and American-born. What united

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

all these children was their common descent from the People who received the Torah at Mount Sinai. For the young souls who attended these institutions, the yeshiva itself became a nucleus around which intense group identifications could be built. The emergence of the yeshiva as a quasi-community was also prompted by the fact that the American bachur, unlike his shtetl counterpart, could not count on sharing with his class­mates the day-to-day religious experiences, such as praying together weekdays or on Shabbos and Y om Tov in any community outside of the yeshiva. The ex­clusiveness of this relationship gave the yeshiva group greater autonomy and, consequently, firm integrity.

The golus phenomenon of the unfulfilled "public self" became even more aggravated in America - until the advent of the yeshiva system.

For the yeshiva student who continued his Torah studies to high school and beyond, his identification with the yeshiva community was likely to become in­tensified through the personality of the Rosh Hayeshiva who, by virtue of his stature, served as a magnetic force which unified the young bnei Torah who flocked around him. Out of this strong rebbi-talmid relationship there emerged a religiously self-contained community, follow­ing the style, the minhag, the nusach, and the p'sokim of the Rosh Hayeshiva. Included in the style of this group was the ideological orientation of the leader and his attitudes toward matters of contemporary concern.

The Chassidic community is another illustration of a religious group organized around a central figure. Moreover, in some instances the Chassidic circles have succeeded in restoring, in varying measures, the kehilla structure of bygone eras. The bnei Torah of a particular Chassidic denomination not only study at the same yeshiva but also tend to concentrate in the same resi­dential area, attending their own Ba;s Haknesses, and in other ways demonstrating their high degree of belongingness. Chassidie groups, too, have a distinct style, a definite ideological orientation, and specific m;nhagim, nuscha'os, and p'sok;m that they collectively follow.

Members of these two groups are fortunate in that they have been able to forge an intimate group affilia­tion despite the many environmental influences to the contrary. Members of these groups are able to resolve many of their day-to-day religious problems because the group as a whole already possesses decisions on these matters. This situation is true both for objective questions of Torah and hashkafah (personal philosophy) as it is for personal concerns of subjective nature. In case of doubt, furthermore, one always has the option

5

of coming with his trouble to the spiritual head of the group and finding peace of mind from the counsel he offers.

The lJnattacl1ed "Ben Torah" THE FOCUS OF THIS DISCOURSE, however, is the ben Torah who has not established any meaningful group identification, neither within the circle of the yeshiva which he attended nor in some Chassidic sect. The status of this ben Torah is pathetic for he is dreadfully alone. Even the Jew who lived in some outlying Euro­pean shtetl, where only a handful of his coreligionists resided, did not feel the social isolation which is the lot of the unaffiliated Orthodox Jew who seeks vitality in his religious social life. The associations he makes through his attendance at the Bais Haknesses or his membership in professional and social organizations are unable to compensate for the vacant feelings that result from the inability of his social self to find the proper climate for the adequate public expression of the private self.

Operating apart from a structured socia1 contcxL the isolated ben Torah is prone to follow a religious life style that is confused, <lisintegrated, shot through with conflict and contradiction. What is even more regretta­ble is that large number of these bnei Torah are not conscious of the disorganized pattern that characterizes their Jives, of the anomalies that result from an uncritical view of their own existence. They proceed from situation to situation, from decision to decision, without n1aking the effort to determine \vhether these separate actions fit into a coherent, consistent pattern.

So1ne Questions

It may be profitable to enumerate a few of the dilemmas that the lonely ben Torah must resolve for himself. Despite his unswerving loyalty to Klal Yisroel as a metaphysical entity, his lack of identification with any segment of the physical Jewish society means that he must, on his own, settle such questions as these: Should l follow the religious style of my parents, the yeshiva where I studied, or the Bais Haknesses l now attend? When l learn Torah, should l study prilnarily to achieve depth in understanding or to broaden the scope of my knowledge? Which meforshim on Chumash should I include? What about Chassidic sources and Co1nrnentaries? Is Zohar for n1e ... or Kabbalah? And what about Mussar? Tanach? Jewish history and philosophy? Secular studies? In halacha n1atters lvhon1 do I follow when there is a difference of oph1ion? Wlunn shall I consult when I am in doubt?

Jn addition, the unaffiliated ben Torah is constantly faced with countless questions 1ess general, but per­haps with greater spiritual ramifications. How does he answer questions of life-style such as: Hott' and where shall I spend recreational tin1e and

6

vacations? What shall I read in my home, on my subway ride? What mode of dress and home-furnishing is appropriate? What kind of school shall I select for my children? Where shall I direct my tzedakah dollar? My discretionary time reserved for Klal work?

!iome Consequences

These and many other questions of similar nature must be answered for the ben Torah who wishes to lead an examined life which has metho<l and reason as underlying principles. Leading a solitary existence, he is unable to use group conduct as an indicator for his own behavior. In honesty to himself, therefore, he

The Chassid has his tightly knit group. Some bnei Torah maintain contact with their old yeshiva circle. The unattached hen-Torah must face personal problems of life style and philosophy without group guidance. Where should he turn?

must choose some alternative to a formless and unintc­grated mode of existence. Particular1y in the ideological sphere, no hen Torah who is true to himself can permit hin1selt' to continue in an unproductive course. Hashka­fah is not an acaden1ic study: it has practical conse­quences for the total life pattern of the individual. What happens ttihen a person studies a mussar sefer one day, a Chassidic work the next, a philosophical work 011 the follott>·ing day, then exa1nines a 111ork which sees hashkafah from the standpoint of halacha? ls it pos­sible to internalize, in a systematic fashion, these dis­tinctively different aproaches into one's religious temperament? More likely the response will be erratic, haphazard. Which hen Torah, once he is conscious of the irrationality of his behavior, can tolerate such an existence? Moreover, the absence of a calculated sys­tem of hashkafah may easily lead a person to thoughts and deeds that are in serious conflict with 1'orah precepts.

The mature hen ]"orah who has not made a conscious effort to systematize his life pattern and who falls first under one influence and then under another is not unlike the individual described by Rabbi Saadia Gaon in his preface to Sefer Ha-e1nunos Vedei'os. In his discussion of different types of persons who fail to achieve truth in their faith and ideology, Rabbi Saa di a concludes with a description of the person who inter­mittently changes from one system of beliefs to an­other. He is likened to a traveler who seeks to visit a city but does not know the \Vay. He goes in one direction) strays, retraces his steps. starts out in another direction, strays once more, again retraces his steps, and goes through the same process over and over again.

The Jewish Ohserl'er / October, 1973

To this person Rabbi Saadia applies the verse: "The toil of the fool wearies him for he does not know how to go to the city" ( Koheles 10: 14) .

Alternative Solutions to the Dile1nma Joining

ONCE A BEN TORAH has become acutely aware of the untenability of his position as an isolate with an un­structured religious life, what course lies open before him to rectify his situation? One possibility is that the recognition of the value of group identification may in itself serve as a sufficiently strong motivation to induce him to become a member in a group. This strategy may be accomplished through socialization with members of the group and the simulation of group behaviors, or it may be achieved by establishing the appropriate relationship with the spiritual head of the group. Per­haps the new relationship may seem strained and con­trived at first, but time should eventually remove the awkwardness of the first encounters. When the process of absorption into the group is completed, the new member will discover that a preponderate number of conflicts which bad confronted him earlier will be resolved through his adaptation to the group pattern.

But what about the "loner," the hen Torah who for reasons real or imagined, selfish or unselfish, genuine or hypocritical, is unable to discover the proper unit in which his social self can find adequate anchorage? He is incapable of adopting a group style either by affilia­tion with members of the group or by becoming an adherent to the group's guiding spirit. While perforce he engages in certain collective activities of a religious nature, his participation is mainly mechanical, governed by the halachic requirements that certain mitzvos be performed with a tzihhur. Otherwise, he is adrift, com­pletely dependent upon his own resources to steer himself toward some life port. What solutions are available to this perplexed individual?

Path of the Loner

The life of this hen Torah is hard indeed. With no guidance except from the lessons and experiences of his earlier Jife, with no assistance except from his own intellectual resources, he must thread his way through his precarious existence in a world that is steeped in evil and falsehood. He is compelled to pit his meager knowledge and wisdom against the massive assault on his senses, feelings, and thoughts that is launched against him each day, every minute of the day. In a multitude of shapes and forms the yeitzer hara (incli­nation toward evil) will seek to ensnare him in his toils, taking every advantage of his weaknesses both large and small. Good will appear as evil, and evil as good. And even if he survives this ceaseless strife he will not yet gain the total fulfillment that comes about through the harmonious fusion of the private and social selfs.

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

There is no salvation for the socially uncommitted hen Torah except a life of almost fanatical self­discipline and sense of purpose. Through unremitting effort, he must develop the skill of subjecting his own life pattern to constant and merciless evaluation, to explore the source and motivation of his conduct, to set for himself a rigorous schedule of Torah study that is designed according to a systematic and rational formula. His actions must be calculated, his decisions deliberate, his judgments carefully balanced. He must be a grand strategist, a master planner, an astute scholar, and a superb man. With undeviating single­mindedness and total dedication the ben Torah who has to "make it on his own" must strive with every bit of energy to draft the architectonics of his own life so that it encompasses a comprehensive program of Torah study, observance of mitzvos and halachos, and a coherent system of ideological principles which has live pertinence for today's world.

But what about the social self? Granted that the pro­gram outlined above will give the individual a meaning­ful life plan, how will it reduce his loneliness? How will the private self, locked in as it is with its own particular strivings which are so highly personal in nature, liar­monize with the social self which searches for com­munication for that which is larger than man himself? Indeed this is a difficult question to answer.

Circun1venting the Group

Let it be argued that the search for group identifica­tion is essentially a striving for immortality. In its true sense, the group must be viewed holistically: the group is not merely the sum total of the indiv;dual members of the group but is rather a corporate unit which possesses an identity of its own. As such, the life of the group outlasts the life of the members who constitute the group. Members come and go, but the group lives on. Group identification, therefore, can be interpreted as a process whereby the individual escapes the limitations of his own existence by participating in an entity which has an indefinite life span. When the private self realizes itself through the activity of the social self, the individual senses that he has achieved immortality.

For the hen Torah there is another pathway to im­mortality. By living a life indissolubly bound with Tor as Yisroel he transcends the here and now, the earthly shackles which bind him to the present. And through his identification with Taras Yisroel he also becomes identified with that other eternal reality known as Kial Yisroel. It is possible, therefore, that the road that ought not to have been taken, the long and tortuous odyssey which virtually signifies the failure of the individual to traverse the well-trod pathways formed by the collective wisdom of the ages, may yet lead the lonely but truth-seeking hen Torah to a haven of peace.

D

7

Nisson Wolpin

The Conservatives have invited women into the minyan count, in a

further break with Torah Law. Where is this deviationist group heading?

The Y oice Jrom "Ezrat Nashim" NOW THE CONSERVATIVES HAVE ANNOUNCED that they will accept women in a 1ninyan-count.

This innovation was declared with a bow of chivalry (or what others attribute to a general weakness in the spine) in the direction of the Ezrat N ashim, "an organ­ization of women banded together to press the rab­binate for change" (JTA, Sept. 19). This radical move has all the markings of social legislation-pres­sure from women's lib groups being what it is; noue­theless, the new edict was unfurled with the rhetorical flourishes of a religious declaration: detailed refer­ence were made to the halacha (Torah law), and specific mention was made of the authority of the mara de'atra ("leader of the locality") to apply this ruling to his congregation at his own discretion.

Some ears surely smarted at this admixture of the profane and the sacred, but it is nothing new in the annals of the Conservative Movement. Remember, it was they who pioneered in discarding the mechitzah (separating wall) between men and women in Jewish places of worship, while still conserving the basic prayer format. It was they who introduced the late Friday night service in hope of keeping Jewish families in the fold of traditional Judaism, while encouraging distant congregants to drive to shul on Shabbos. It was they who in 1958 granted Kohanim permission to marry converts or divorcees; established a "Beth Din" with the power to "annul marriages"; and totally "elim­inated" chalitzah-all in direct violation of expressed Torah Law-all on the basis of an unrelated passage in the Talmud that said "the Sages were especially conscientious about ordinances for the well-being of women."

Not differing essentially from Reform "legislate-it­yourself'' theology--circumventing Sinai when the fancy strikes-yet conserving sufficient trappings to retain a Jewish flavor (like a Kosher-style gefillte shell-fish), the Conservatives have been offering a con­venient twilight zone for Jews who find Jndaism a burden, but could not really live with themselves should they abandon it. The typical am ha' aretz, who often

8

means well but knows too little to possibly discern between essentials and incidentals, welcomes such fraudulent arrangements.

Who's Surprised and Who's Delighted IF ANYONE IS TO BE SURPRISED at this innovation, it would be the well-intentioned suburban Jew who once found refuge in a Conservative Temple--ablivious of its philosophy that denies Torah as G-d-given -because it seemed so much like the Orthodox shul he grew up in. But as women are being "called up" for aliyot, and their prcsonce becomes more noteworthy in the ritualistic scheme of things, his delusion of at­home-ness will be dispelled, and he might just come home again to the shtiebel, instead.

• Most probably the Women's Libbers from the Ezrat N ashim will not be around to savor their heady kiddush cup of victory, since it is unlikely that any of them were truly thirsting for a full religious experience as "a member of the minyan." For scores of genera­tions, a full range of religious inspiration and emotion was poured into the yellowed pages of Karban Mincha Siddurim by nashim tzidkanios (righteous women) without requiring the demolition of the ritual separa­tion between the sexes. The same panoply of experi­ences is still available to today's women. But those who insist on knocking down the barriers were not terribly interested, and will probably not be around to taste of them when the last of the barriers are eliminated. They will be off to new battlefields to wage new wars for equality-at-the-cost-of-femininity. (One shudders to think what's next to be challenged.)

• Those Conversative women who are gratified for finally "counting" are in for a disappointment. An Indianapolis Conservative Rabbi, Sidney Steinman, "was already introducting a new dimension: holding prayer services without a complement of ten people" (Jewish Post and Opinion, Sept. 21, '73) .... No sooner do women qualify for a minyan, but what the Conservatives tum around and say a minyan doesn't count.

• Some Orthodox groups have been working with the Reform and Conservatives in religious organizations,

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

with the sincere hope that they will in some measure be containing their colleagues' drift from Torah­Judaism. They are no doubt wondering to what ex­tent they have succeeded. . . .

In the "Wreckage" JN THE WRECKAGE (although the terms is used ill­advisedly, for in a different context the Rakh said: "A building without foundation cannot be demolished­it destroys itself ... ") one finds that several concepts and terminologies might have been disturbed from their rightful repose in the traditional hierarchy of values. ·Note is made of several.

The revered Reis Yoseif (Rabbi Yoseif Karo ':>"~l) 16th century codifier and author of the Shulchan A ruch, is "blamed" as being the originator of the mechitzah and the excluder of women from the minyan­count. In a JTA circulated press-release, Mrs. Henry Rappaport, president of the National Women's League of the United Synagogue, makes erudite references to Rabbi Karo:

"When a great scholar interpreted for his time in history four centuries ago, would it not be acceptable for great scholars of our own time and place to interpret for the needs of our time?" she asked .... "It is particularly appropriate to examine our procedures, which have been 'tiine­hallowed' only since the 16th century, not for the entirety of Jewish history."

And this "erudition" is being echoed in subsequent speeches and pronouncements.

The utter nonsense of this argument is obvious to any fourteen year-old yeshiva bachur. The Reis Y oseif did not originate anything; he only codified. And his every recorded word can be traced directly to Talmudic sources, which emanate from words spoken by G-d at Sinai. As for the gentlemen who are re-evaluating the decisions of "Rabbi Karo" (who was known to have ruach hakodesh), where are their scholarly retreats? In the halls of the Jewish Theological Seminary, no doubt ....

• Some Orthodox "spokesmen" seem envious of all the attention heaped on the Conservatives (front page of the New York Times, no less) and out of some fear that they might have lost the corner on the allegiance of Progressive Women to them, they were quick to confess that, indeed, all is not well with women's role in the traditional scheme of things:

A young wife of an Orthodox rabbi, who is not a member of Ezrat Na shim but in sympathy with its goals, told the JTA she supported the Conservative ruling and hoped that Orthodox Judaism would eventually move in that direction. Mrs. Blu Greenberg, wife of Rabbi Yitzchak Greenberg, contended that women did have a secondary role and that there was "nothing in­herent" in halacha mandating such a role.

The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

Mrs. Greenberg, who teaches religious studies at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, suggested that one barrier to needed changes was that pos­sibly a majority of Orthdox women accepted the arguments of male expounders of the tradition that women were in effect equal but separate. She declared that traditional Judaism would un­dergo a "tremendous enrichment" if women re­ceived "full equality" with men in Jewish Law."

(JTA, Sept. 19)

As long as our Anglo-Jewish papers are eager for sensational pronouncements, it would be futile to wish that Rebbetzin Greenberg limit her theological obser­vations to the Mt. St. Vincent campus. The JTA will be too ready to broadcast her every broadside against Orthodoxy's "mistreatment" of women, and she will no doubt accommodate them.

Yet such gross misinterpretations of things as they are, do point out that there is much that should be said on the topic .... At this time, it is worth remind­ing ourselves that the very chazal who relegated women to the other side of the mechitzah did so with deference, not disdain. It was they who cited every detail of the conduct of Chana, mother of the prophet Shmuel, in her prayer at Shilo to serve for us as the prototype of prayer at its ideal (Talmud Rerachos 31a). At best, any Jew-in solitude or in minyan, at the amud or on yonder side of the mechitzah-can only hope to mirror her tefillah.

What's in Store for the Conservatives? THE MORE TRADITIONAL-MINDED in the Conservative ranks are discouraged by the trend of events, for their old claim to being "a third branch of Judaism," some­where in between Torah-centric Judaism and a human­istic folk-religion, is being lost. And the general thrust seems to offer them no respite from the onslaught of reform. The Law Committee of the Rabbinical Assem­bly is now considering fourteen other categories of expansion of women's role, including:

• The right to initiate divorce proceedings • the right to serve as a rabbi and a cantor • permission to serve as a witness and sign documents • being counted to a mezuman • the right to serve as a mohel, shochet, and safer • extending the concept of pidyon haben to include firstborn girls • to re­place the passive role which woman plays in the marriage ceremony with one equal to that of her bridegroom.

The Conservatives, then seem to be in such full pursuit of the old upper-middle-class ideals of Lib­eralism that they are not even aware that its power of enchantment has faded with the 1960's. Social re­forms simply do not have the old magnetism of once­upon-a-time, and people are now searching for redemp­tion on a very personal level.

By contrast, the Reform Movement is responding

9

How Conservative Halacha is Legislated (in their own words)

from: WOMEN'S LEAGUE OUTLOOK-"How a good thing in itself, it has the inevitable effect Law Changes," by Rabbi Edward M. Gersh- of leaving many people in confusion as to just field, a Member of the Faculty of The Jew- what the "correct" Conservative practice is (if ish Theological Seminary and Consultant to there be such a thing) .... the Rabbinical Assembly's Committee on Major trends in general society have [thus] made Law and Standards. their impact on Jewish life. Cultural developments

In the Conservative Movement, the theory by which questions of Jewish Law are settled is as follows: The Rabbi of each Congregation decides all religious questions arising in that Congregation, acting as the mara de' atra, the "leader of the local­ity." He derive; this authority from the Congrega­tion itself ... by electing him to be their Rabbi, the congregants have indicated their readiness to be guided by him in all religious matters.

If the Rabbi wishes advice, he may turn to Commfttee on Jewish Law and Standards of Rabbinical Asstmbly ....

the the

Wh·en widely contro•1ersial issue is raised, such as how I or whether I to observe the Second Day of Festivals, or the calling of women to the Torah for Al1yot, or whether the use of a car is permitted on the Sabbath, the Law Committee members generally are divided, with two-or more-points of view. . . . To protect the legitimacy of the dissenting minority, the differing views have been recognized as equally acceptable alternatives ..

Although variety in religious expression may be

to the prodding of its youth for a more meaningful religious experience, and as a result, seems to be snatching from the Conservatives all the options for "conserving." These stirrings in Reform Jewry to re­capture some of the authenticity of Judaism are very much in evidence. Last spring Rabbi David Polish, President of the Central Conference on American Rab­bis urged the restoration of a "Code of Religious Guidance" for Reform Jewry in a recent issue of Reform Judaism, the organ of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations:

10

"We have experimented with a Reform Juda­ism which consisted primarily of theological spec­ulation at one stage and social action at another, and we found neither of them satisfying. We discovered that ethical conduct divorced from the Jewish imperative, which is also part of the mitzvah system, is good citizenship but not neces­sarily Jewish commitment. ... A mitzvah system also restores our sense of being part of the con­tinuity of Jewish history. It is remarkable how

ha•1e affected methods of Jewish education, and the nature of the Synagogue Service. Social changes are reflected in new problems in matrimonial and family laws, and in such matters as the participa­tion of women in Synagogue life. Shifting house patterns have created new views on travel on Shabbat ....

Strange as it may seem, the Rabbis themselves c.ire often pioneers in innovation . ... In some matters, Congregations have more or less gone their own way and in the cours·e of time the Rabbis have accepted the fait accompli. As hap­pens in general society, some leaders achieve prominence by noting toward which way the peo­ple are moving, and then rushing out in front of them to "lead" them ....

Ultimately, the community as a whole, the klal Yisrael, decides what it wants to do, what rules it will observe, what practices it wants to retain, and what innovations it will accept . ...

The Rabbis guide, educate, persuade and preach; the Law Committee debates, writes, votes; but the people decide. 0

many of our observances and symbols from the Shabbat and festivals to putting on tefilin, re­minded our people, through the ages, of the Exodus from Egypt, the central event in our history- ... aside from the relevance to us of the tefilin."

This Reform recognition of the centrality of mitzvos to Judaism has been extended to justify Zionistie en­deavors, as well as countless other Reform-sanctioned Jewish pursuits. Quoting Rabbi Polish further:

"There would be no Israel were it not for the mitzvah of the 'redemption of the land.' There would be no UJA if it were not for the mitzvah of the 'ransoming of the captives.' There would be no Jewish learning without the mitzvah of 'teach them diligently to your children.'

"Once we remove the aura of the mitzvah from these values, we run the danger of not only re­ducing them to impersonal business-like opera­tions but of robbing them of their urgency."

(REFORM JUDAISM)

The Jewish Observer / ()ctober, 1971"

The Reform even recognized Shabbos as being more than a day of contemplation:

The Central Conference of American Rabbis has just published a "Sabbath Manual," aimed at restoring the Sabbath to its traditionally central role of Jewish observance ....

In explaining the Manual, Rabbi Gunther W. Plaut of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, said it was based on the following:

• "The Sabbath has been and must remain the center of Jewish existence.

• "Sabbath observance is not identical with synagogue attendance. It is a function of per­sonal . . . living.

• "The Sabbath starts at home and last 24 hours.

• "(This program) is revolutionary .... by introducing discipline, in the form of 'mitzvot' into the Jives of Reform Jews .... "

(quoted in the Pittsburgh JEWISH CHRONICLE)

Lest this sound almost like Orthodoxy, Rabbi Polish was quick to explain (in his Reforn1 Judais1n article cited above) :

"Now a great segment of Reform Judaism has come full circle. I do not mean that it has re­turned to Orthodoxy, but rather that it sees the need to restore a central premise in our 1ives­th at Judaism is a way of deeds, mitzvot, holy acts, not of faith alone."

Which leaves matters very close to where Conser­vatism once was.

From Shadowing to Merging THIS IS NOT SIMPLY an editorial observation of JO. It has been noted in other periodicals, by non-Orthodox Jews as well. (Reform) Rabbi Merle E. Singer of Philadelphia commented recently:

"Today, if you enter the morning chapel serv­ice at the Hebrew Union College, you might be greeted by a student Reform rabbi wrapped in the large tallis of tradition davening the Shachris service. There he stands at a small lecturn re­moved from the bimah and placed in the midst of the congregation. The book is the Union Prayer Book of the Reform movement, yet the service is davened as our fathers have done for ages .... "

Rabbi Singer did not see this as a return to Orthodoxy or a desertion of Reform principles.

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The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

ll

... Rather, in his view, Reform and Conserva­tism were seen as converging and "a cross fertil­ization that a few years ago was unheard of is now common experience."

(Philadelphia JEWISH EXPONENT)

The cross-fertilization of ideas has resulted in some outright mergers:

What happens when a Reform temple amalga­mates with a Conservative synagogue? This has been a more common phenomenon of late. . .. "Why support two synagogues?" is a frequently asked question .... Jt may be too early to evalu­ate the results of such a shiduch, but some tenta­tive observations can be made. There seems to be little or no conflict concerning religious prac­tices or worship modes among those involved in these "mixed marriages."

(REFORM JUDAISM)

so THE CONSERVATIVES have invited the ladies to ac­tively join in their services. The Orthodox are not surprised; they see those who have long ago aban­doned the Oral Law simply acting out the ramifications of their root-less convictions. Their references to hala­cha and "Rabbi Karo" fool no one.

The Reform Jews are tiring of "going to church" on Shabbos, and are experiencing a drive to come home to a more authentic Judaism. At the moment, the two renegade movements seem to be occupying quite a bit of common ground. Some might bet on out-and-out merger as an inevitability. Others, seeing the Conservatives' downhill plunge away from authentic Judaism are wondering if perhaps the original Re­formers might not pass the Conservatives on their own trek back home. D

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12

Chaim Shapiro

My Years

With

Reb Elchonon i1J1J.) p>iY 1JT

a talmid

recalls his years

in Baranovitch

Like a lofty mountain, Reb Elchonon towered over his talmidim-physically, mentally and spiritually. When scaling a mountain, one begins at the bottom, working his way to the peak; but what is the "starting" point of a study of Reb Elchonon and where is the peak? To paraphrase the lyrics of a Braslaver nigun, HHow high are the trees! How little are we children! How can we ever reach ... ?"

I long ago decided that the task was too much for me. But then I met one of his surviving sons, Reh Simcha (Rosh Yeshiva of Mesifta Ohr Elchonon, in Los Angeles), and he insisted that I put my recollections to paper.

Master of "Pshat"

Elchonon was probably the only Rosh Ye­shiva who "said a Blatt Gemora" daily. That is, he taught a class the meaning of the page before them. He concentrated on simple pshat--explanation of the written word. We would record his remarks on the margins of the Ge1nura, thus bringing into existence his classical "Korvetz He'aros," the "Collection of Remarks."

In his younger days, he had been known as a genius in pilpul: he would engage in dazzling comparisons between far flung sources, differentiating and then re­conciling. In fact, when he was first introduced to Reb Meir Atlas (later the Rav of Shavl) as a candidate for his daughter's hand, Rabbi Atlas discussed various Torah topics with him, and later remarked, "That bochur'l (lad) is another Reh Akiva Eiger!" However, that "bochur'l" subsequently met a leading Rosh Ye­shiva who advised him, "This is not the way. One must concentrate on pshat!" It was no easy task for Reb Elchonon to tame down his racing mind. But once he had accepted the advice, he disciplined him­self until he eventually became recognized as a "Gaon in pshat.'" In fact his commentary published on the

Hagad'tos (narrative and allegorical parts of the Tal­mud) is named "Hagad'tos Al Derech Hapshat." This self-discipline was the most striking-perhaps central­facet of his personality.

We knew that he practiced Shivisi, '1ll? 'i 'l1'111l 1'~l1 ("I always envisioned G-d before me"). For that reason, he absolutely never laughed or smiled. Or perhaps it was in mourning over the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh: "Then (at is rebuilding) your mouths will be filled with laughter," but not until then. The only exceptions were when a mitzvah called for rejoicing, such as at a wedding; also, when he would quote the Chofetz Chaim, his face would relax into a slight smile. As part of this severe self-discipline, he would never slip a hand into his pockets. During the

CHAIM SHAPIRO, who resides in Baltimore, is a regular contribu~ tor to these pages. His articles regarding European life between the Wars never fail to delight his readers.

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

most biting cold of winter, his hands-red and frozen -would be gripping his coat buttons.

Reb Elchonon and His Colleagues

0 ne can not speak about Reb Elchonon without mentioning Reb David Rappaport, the other Rosh Yeshiva in Baranovitch, * or Reb Yisroel Yaakov Lub­chanski, the Mashgiach. * * Rabbi Leib Baron (currently of Montreal) was a disciple of all three and he com­mented: "Reb Yisroel Yaakov was a chochom, a pik­each and a goan (wise, clever and ingenius), and he used all three aspects of his personality to conceal his tzidkus (saintliness). Yet, all three would fail him when he was in Reb Elchonon's presence, for he would stand before him as a servant before his master."

I personally recall an outdoor discussion between the two Roshei Yeshiva on a sunny winter afternoon. When the two parted, each expressed admiration and deference for the other in a manner that could have served as a model for British Royalty, with all its pon1p and protocol, in the proprieties of taking leave.

When Reb Aharon Kotler':>"~! celebrated the Chanu­kas Habayis (dedication) of his Yeshiva in Kletsk, he invited a great many leading Torah personalities to the simcha. A rekida (dance) followed the ceremonies. As the gedolim danced to "Vetaher Libeinu," the crowd suddenly became aware of a man rolling on the ground. The people were shocked. How did a drunk ever enter such a gathering? Then the Rav of Slonim, Horav Fain, who was a tall man and towered over the entire crowd, called out: "Why, don't you see? That's Reb Yisroel Yaakov literally fulfilling: 'You shall cling to the dust of the feet of talmidei clwchomim' (Avos I: 11) ." Another keen-eyed bystander remarked: "Amazing how, in the whirl of so many feet and shoes, he manages to roll mostly before Reb Elchonon."

"One of the Bachurim

When the Mashgiach, Reb Yisroel Yaakov, would deliver a mussar shmues (lecture on ethics), Reb Elchonon would join the listeners, choosing a seat near the rear entr.illce in the middle of the second bench, "like one of the bachurim."

He would invariably go to Radin for Rosh Hashanah and Y om Kippur to be near his Rebbi, the Chafetz Chaim, as if to say to us, "Children, I too have a Rebbi. I, too, need to recharge my batteries." Indeed, he would cling to the Chafetz Chaim much as Ye­hoshua clinged to Moshe Rabbeinu. For many years, he followed him about, asking his advice on countless matters, absorbing his every word. . . . Following one of the Chafetz Chaim's Rosh Hashanah mussar

* J.O. Jan., '73. ** J.O. June, '70.

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

shmuessen, Reb Sholem Eishishker remarked to Reb Elcho non, "He said the same thing last year."

"Not quite," replied Reb Elchonon. "This year he included eight additional words."

"For It ls Our Life"

R eb Elchonon had always avoided the rabbinate, even rejecting an invitation to serve as Chief Rabbi of Moscow, for he would never depart from the Yeshiva. When his father-in-law, Reb Meir Atlas, passed away, the city of Shavl, where he had been Rav, invited Reb Elchonon to succeed him at the post. The Rebbetzin was anxious that he accept this offer; she had struggled long enough with the "bare minimum" he would permit the Yeshiva to pay him, attempting to meet the needs of their household of little children at the poverty level.

When he persisted in refusing she decided to take her case to the Chafetz Chaim, for she knew that her beloved husband would never reject the Chafetz Chaim's decision. She packed her valise and summoned a taxi (horse and buggy) to take her to the railroad station for the trip to Radin. As she walked to the door, valise in hand, she turned to say goodbye to her husband, and saw him in a corner, crying. What if the Chafetz Chaim should agree with her? She paid the taxi its fare and unpacked her luggage without ever saying another word on the topic. (The city of Shavl then invited Reb Archik Baksht to leave Lomza and serve as their Rav. J.O., Oct. '72.)

Reb Elchonon's pride in the yeshiva was surely jutsified. Before Reb Meir Shapiro opened his famed yeshiva, Chachmei Lublin, he personally surveyed the Litvishe (Lithuanian) yeshivas. He arrived at the Ye­shiva Ohel Torah in Baranovitch during Mincha, and a thunderous "On1ein ye hay shn1ay rabo" emanating from 500 mouths greeted him. He stood in the doorway for a while, stunned. Then he embraced and kissed Reb Elchonon stating, "This is G-d's Army!" Reb Elchonon nodded in agreement with deep pride.

Chassidic Endorsement

At a Knessia Gedola of Agudath Israel, the Gerer Rebbe met Reb Elchonon, and he was obviously very impressed by him. Soon after that, a Chassid asked the Rebbe if he should send his son to Baranovitch to study; to which the Rebbe replied, "To Reb Elchonon? What's the question!"

The Yeshiva was soon flooded with Chassidic boys, and every semester their number increased. To satisfy their thirst for Chassidus, they would sneak out to the tisch of the Slonimer Rebbe. Eventually, the Mash­giach Reb Yisroel Yaakov would penetrate their hearts and minds with his Novaradoker Mussar, developing within them a synthesis of Chassidus and Mussar. The

13

nearest thing to such a blend was Braslaver Chassidus, and as a result, more and more bachurim could be sighted with Luzatto's Mesilas Yesharim (a Mussar classic) and the Braslaver's Lekutei MeHaran under the same arm.

The Fatiguing Regimen

Elchonon's energy and stamina were awe­inspiring. In addition to his daily class, he would deliver a weekly shiyur of broader scope-thus his "Kovetz Shiyurim." Projecting his own wide-ranging zeal on the Yeshiva curriculum, he would insist that the Yeshiva always complete whichever Mesechte (Talmudic volu1ne) it was studying, dedicating an entire year to the one Mesechte, while other yeshivas would rarely reach beyond the first few perokim (chapters), and then begin another tractate. We would sometimes begin the term with the second half, later returning to the beginning.

He would travel to participate in a great variety of conferences: Agudath Israel, Agudas Hornbonim, Vaad Haycshivos ... Reb Chaim Ozer Grodzenski. would call him to Vilna ... the Chafetz Chaim would summon him to Radin, dispatching him on any number of missions. Above all, the financial burden of his Y cshiva rested on his own shoulders with no adminis­trative assistance what'\oever. He would never engage a meshulach (professional fund-raiser) for the Yeshiva, for he considered the Yeshiva funds mamon-hekdesh (sanctuary funds), permitting no commissions to he skimmed off. As a result, income was tneager and the faculty had to be content with salaries of a bare minimum.

In his absence, his son Reb Naftoli would say the blatt and the weekly shiyur. He had a regal bearing­tall and handsome, like his father-a student of the Yeshiva of Mir. Even during his bachelor days, he would wear an old suit and a ragged coat, for a budget based on bare minimums did not permit new clothing.

There were times when the exhausting effects of Reb Elchonon's ten-fold load would become apparent to us. His blatt would generally last some two hours. He would occasionally ask our forgiveness, and rest his head on his arm for five or ten minutes. One year there were ninety boys in the class, yet during his nap one could hear a fly flap its wings in the air.

T The Spartan Conditions

he Yeshiva was forever in debt. Reb Elchonon once remarked: "We have three machers (literally. producers) in the Yeshiva, Reb David (author of several volumes of Talmudic commentary) macht seforim, Reb Yisroel Yaakov macht ba'alei teshuvah (repenters), und lch mach choivos (debts)."

14

The austerity conditions affected our diet. The menu of our morning and evening meals consisted of bread ... period. We ate this repast in our rented rooms-the Yeshiva had no dormitories. The mid-day meal was served in the Yeshiva dining hall at 2 p.m. The main course was invariably cholent, seven days a week. (In my case, it had meant cholent seven days a week for three years.) A small piece of meat was strung out across the plate as a feeble attempt at creating an illusion of bounty. Sometimes the eye was fooled.

The Mashgiah,

Reb

Yisroel Y aakov

Lubchanski

Yet, we learned so much with such great hasmada (diligence). There were six of us in two adjoining rooms. Three of us would extend our night study schedule until 1 or 2 past midnight. Walking home, we could hear the voices of the ba' alei mussar wailing from the nearby Jewish cemetery: "1~?1y~ in~in ;i~ ... What is man's obligation in this world? Ai, Ai, Ai . ... " We could distinguish the voices of Braslaver Chassidim who would also devote nocturnal hours in the cemetery to hisbododus (solitary contemplation), for they would call out with their peculiar Braslaver intonation: m '' .11'~ inm;n '~"1 n~ cix l'M ,cii;;i .,, "For such is the entire man: no one dies with even half of his desires in his grasp."

Back in our rooms, we would awaken the other three* to go to their studies while we went to sleep. And of course, one had to be at morning davening on time, or he would have to face Reb Yisroel Yaakov. Some students would keep a weekly mishmar, staying up to study the entire Thursday night, but Reh El­chonon frowned on the practice. Leibel Horodoker. who used to study with his son Reb N aftoli, once asked him, "How did your father ever become such a giant if he did not spend his nights studying?" The following day Reb Naftoli brought back his father's reply: "Be­for I learned a mishmar, I ate a whole chicken." He must have felt pangs of guilt for the meager portions we received.

Yoel Linczewski, Eliyahu Shapiro, Zelig Weishord, all presently of New York.

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

Smart Shopping in Baranovitch

Sholem Dretziner was a ta/mid (disciple) of the Chafetz Chaim. He owned a large haberdashery in Baranovitch and actual1y practiced shrniras halashon (guarding his tongue against slander and excessive talk) while running his store, co1nmunicating 1nore with his hands than with his mouth. Reb Sholem reported to us how the Chafetz Chaim once told Reb Elchonon that he believed in learning Shas (the entire Talmud) in sequence, for if not, one may unwittingly skip parts and never realize it. "For instance," the Chafetz Chaim had pointed out, "one may pass over a small Mesechte like Nazir, and never be the wiser."

"Upon hearing this," Reb Sholcm tells, "Reb El­chonon wiped away a tear, for he suddenly realized that the Chafetz Chaim had singled out the one Mesechte he had never learned-Nazir."

Reb Sholem would sell his merchandise at discounts to bnei Torah. So J used to purchase my clothing necessities there. J was once in his store \vhen suddenly, 'Reh Elchonon entered. 1 t was crowded with customers, both Jews and non-Jews, and everyone stepped aside out of respect. Reb Sholem dropped everything, for he realized that every delay would involve bitul Torah­loss of time from Torah study.

Reb Elchonon hoped to purchase a scarf. (He was a widower and took care of his own needs.) "Reb Sholem. give me the right price," Reb Elchonon insisted. Nor­mally, when a customer asked for the right price he meant a cheaper one. But this customer \Vas afraid of a discount.

Reb Sholem pointed to the price on the box: "Rebbi. l won't charge Jess, but I certainly can't charge you more."

Keeping Shabbos in Baranovitch

Every Friday, Reb Elchonon and Reb Yisroel Ya­akov would each select a different business section of Baranovitch to re1nind the people to close their stores in time to bentch licht for Shabbos, in accordance with the Chafetz Chaim's words in Mishna Brurah. * People would notice them from a distance and would show their respect by closing shop even before they would draw near. One barber refused to close the doors of his shop even after Reb Elchonon asked him to. Three times Reb Elchonon quoted the Torah's warning: "Mechale'leha-Thosc who violate the Shabbos will surely be put to death!" Yet he did not budge .... The very next week, the barber died.

Then there was a German Jew who set up business

"Jn large co1nn1u11ities where it is in1possihfe to announce (the advent of the Shabbos) it is 1nost fitting for people to rolunteer to go out in the streets of the city to re1ni11d the people regarding closing shop and liRhting candles." •li';iil 1YIL':l Cl 1"Yi ,:J il"O :il1 i11ii:i ilJIL'~

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

in Baranovitch. Mistaking Baranovitch for Berlin, he became the first Jew to open a store on Shabbos. It seemed unbelievable. Spontaneously, Shabbos morning after davening, Jews from all the shuls, Chassidim from the bais hamidrash of the Slonimer Rebbe (who lived in Baranovitch), and the Yeshiva in full force, with Reb Elchonon and Reb Yisroe] Yaakov in the lead, marched to the store.

Jn semi-Fascist Poland, any kind of demonstration was forbidden. The policeman on the beat had never faced such a crowd before. He alarmed the commander, who arrived with police reinforcements. f-Ic ordered the demonstrators to disperse and arrested the two leaders, Reb Elchonon and Reb Yisroel Yaakov. Be­fore the police made their arrest, hov.-·cver, the two managed to step inside the store. Reb Flch01wn said, "Gut Shabbos," while Reb Yisrocl Yaakov warned, "If you \von't close 1nit gutten (under pressure of kindness), you'll close mil baizen (under unpleasant pressure)."

Needless to say, when the police chief discovered the identity of the leaders whom his officers had arrested, he felt Jikc a fool. He realized that the den1onstration had not been organized but was spontaneous, and he released them immediately.

As for the store keeper, he went bankrupt within a month and was forced to leave town.

Upon the Advice of the Rosh Yeshiva

Simple people as well as great talmidei chachominl would consider Reb Elchonon's advice as a com111and. He once proposed a marriage match between the children of two of his closest friends. Then the dreadful word "tuberculosis" surfaced. TB was a widespread killer in Europe. Having neither treatment nor medi­cinal cure, it was everyone's nightmare, pnrticularly where a marriage was concerned, for TB is highly infectious. The two parties decided to proceed with the wedding in spite of the shadow of TB, "for if Reb Elchonon is the shadchan, nothing can go wrong." ... The couple live now in America blessed with nine children and a growing number of grandchildren.

On His Travels

I heard the following episodes from his travels abroad: Rabbi Samson" of Baltimore told me. "When Reb Elchonon visited Baltimore on behalf of his Ye­shiva, we tried to arrange for him to speak in a certain shul. He was told that Shabbos Mevorchim is always reserved for the Rabbi and thus that Shabbos was not available. Said Reb Elchonon, 'Perhaps we should ask the Rabbi to donate his speech for the Yeshiva.'"

··· Former Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, currently in Jerusalem.

15

Reh Elchonon on Jewish Hatzalah (excerpts) The Obligation

"Thou shalt not be indifferent to the blood of they fellow Jew" (Vayikra 19:16). It certainly follows that when the entire Jew­ish people is in grave danger, it is the sacrefl duty of each and every one of us to bend every possible effort towards saving his brethren.

The Approach: Diagnosis In medicine, diagnosis is half the cure.

So also, in our approach to finding a solution to untold miseries being }Jrought upon the great majority of world Jewry which have not had their liking since the destruction of the Temple. But to seek natural causes for this phenomenon would he futile. All the events of conte1nporary Jewish history are heyo11d the laws of tl1e natural course of l1uman history. Our only recourse is to turn to spiritual sources.

The Need for Aro1'sal Whe11ever, in the course of Je~'is]1 history,

the Jew loses consciousness of his l1eritage and mission in life, it beco111es necessary tl1at l1is e11emies rouse Jtim an(l restore hin1 lo tl1e possession of ]1is faculties. The greater the intensity of the Jew's letl1argy, the greater the magnitude of l1is ene1nies ancl tl1e sever ..

He was asked by an American matron if she could accept money for the various charities she engaged in from people who are not Shabbos observers. He replied: "Every Jew, while working to earn a living, subcon­sciously devotes part of his energies and his earnings to charity. This thought, however, is absent when he works on Shabbos, for we have a rule in the Talmud: i? N71 Ntl1n C1N ]'N No man sins for someone else's benefit! Thus the money you collect from a Shabbos violator is the money he earned during the week. He never gives the money he earned on Shabbos to charity."

During a visit to America in 1939, he used every opportunity to speak at youth gatherings. Following a speech to an overflow crowd in the famed Clymer Street Shu] of Williams burgh (Brooklyn) he met with a group of six leaders of the Pirchei Agudath Israel. From these encounters, a number of Kial-workers emerged, including the unforgettable Reb Elimelech "Mike" Tress, i,"~T. On another occasion he was asked for his impressions of America. Those who posed the question anticipated a zealous condemnation of a G-d­less society. He surprised them, saying, "American

16

ity of the methods they employ in awaken­ing the Jew ••••

Those Who Lead Astray A great many of us are misguided by those

wearing the mantel of leadership, and sin through sheer ignorance, while many others declare arrogantly to G-d, "Away! We will have nothing of Thee and Thy ways!" This latter group organizes schools for the dis .. semination of the denial of Torah. It is this class that is referred to in the verse in De· vorim: "And G .. d sa"\v this and lie was angry because of tl1e provocations of His sons and daughters." They are the true cause of all that besets us today.

Without Faith But how did this phenomenal denial of

faitl1 ever come about among a people that has always been identified with faith in G-d? TI1e ans'\\-·er is in the Torah: "Tal<.e heed to yourselves, hut your heart he deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods a11d worship them" (Dcvorim XI, 16). Upon this verse Bashi comments, ''No sooner does a 1nan turn aside from Toral1 then l1e e1n ..

braces idolatry." }"'or man is inl1erently in .. clined toward evil instincts and Torah is our only safeguard against them. When a Jew

youth has the greatest potential of any I have met. They are sincere in their search for truth, and once they are taught the Torah view, they develop into the finest bnei Torah."

* * * On September I, 1939 the Germans bombed War­

saw, and suddenly people's worst fears became an im­mediate threat. Reb Elchonon packed his bags to return to his beloved Yeshiva. He was begged to stay in America, for returning to Baranovitch was suicide. Nonetheless, he set sail for Europe. How could he abandon his boys?

First, the Russians-and Then ...

ater in 1939, the Russians entered Baranovitch as a result of the infamous Hitler-Stalin pact dividing Poland. Reb Elchonon escaped with the Yeshiva to Vilna. Since he possessed a passport, he was selected to journey back to America to attempt to gain visas for the Yeshiva students. Joined by his sons Reb Naftali and Reb Leib and their wives (they had married in the meantime) he reluctantly left. On their way to the

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

based on a message to the Young Israel Movement in 1939 strays from the Torah his faith gradually weakens until he fully denies faith. Today, the urge toward idolatry has been replaced by the urge toward a denial of faith. And as the sainted Chofetz Chaim was wont to say: "Where there is no Torah, there can he no faith in G-d, and without faith in G-d the world loses its basis for existence." There is no power ]Jy which man can check t1te beast within him except that of Yiras Shamayim-awe-inspired faith.

The Prime Cau.se: Torah Neglect It is impossible to reach faith except

through the study of Torah. And since the Torah is forsalcen ]Jy a great portion of our people, faith is also weakened accordingly. In the fi11al analysis, t]1e reason for our pres­ent unparalleled plight must be attributed lo the aha11donment of the study of Torah; as Jeremiah stated: "Wherefore is the land destroyed?" And tlie l,ord answers: "Be­cau,se they have forsak-en my Torah."

The ResponsilJle One.< We can readily understa11d, then, tl1at whow

ever work.s in the ca11se of spreading and propagating Torah pro1notes tl1e salvation of Israel. And of l1im who stands from afar it is writte11: "Thou shalt not l)e indifferent to the blood of thy fellow Jew." Those who are

airport-they were planning to fly to Sweden and then to America-the horse and buggy overturned and Reb Leib broke his leg. Reb Elehonon interpreted this as an omen that the trip was ill-conceived. and he re­mained in Lithuania. Unfortunately, he was not with the remnants of the Yeshiva in Semilishev when the Soviets arrested them and deported them to Siberia. As a result, he fell into German hands when they ocenpied Lithnania. He and his sons were machine­gunned to death at the 9th Fort in Kovno, where the entire Jewry of Kovno is buried.

His Own Epitaph

When the Chofetz Chaim had passed away. Reb Elehonon spoke of him as being an imposing person­ality whose neshama qualities normally would have placed him in an earlier generation, much as others before him. snch as Rav Hai Gaon and the Vilna Gaon,

The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

engaged in spreading a denial of Torah in Israel must he considered fully responsible for the Jewish blood being shed in our day.

Start With the Young A renaissance of Torah must start with

the small child for youth is the foundation of a nation, particularly in these days, when parents are influenced by their children, rather than children by their parents. It is essential that we organize elementary schools to instruct the young in the study of Chu­masli and tl1e commentary of Rashi which hrilliantly links the Written Law with the Oral Law of the Talmud.

The Teachers TI1e prime prerequisite is that the teachers

in these Rel1ools he G-d fearing and tl1at they practice and live that which they preach. I was present when the saintly Chofetz Chaim ruled that it is ]Jetter .for a child to receive n.o Jewisl1 educatio11 'vhatsoever than to he ta1tght lly faithless and impious teaehers.

And tlte Elders As regards adult educatio11, the Rn1nlla1n

and all other authorities ruled that every Jew, young or o1fl, poor or rich, shall deYote a portion of each day to the study of Torah. This is a funda1nental principle upon wl1ich all hinges. D

possessed a greatness only associated with much earlier times. They all lived when they did to signal the end of an era, for just as a plaeemark extends beyond the confines of its covers, so does a gadol who closes an era exceed all around him. In this way, those who follow him are all the more dwarfed by his over­whelming shadow, and are inspired all the more to raise their sights.

In many ways, one can view Reb Elchonon in a similar vein. Very much an extension of his rebbe, the Chafetz Chaim, he, too, seemed larger than his contemporaries. And with his passing, the era of great European Roshei Hayeshiva came to a close. []

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17

REPORT FROM ARGENTINA:

Where There's ,_forah There's Hope Shmuel Arye LeJJene, as told to Nisson Wolpin

Rabbi Shmuel Aryeh Levene, founder and head of the Kole! in Buenos Aires, recently visited New York where he spoke about his venture-revitalizing Yiddishkeit in South America, primarily in his native Argentina, by raising the level of Torah scholarship.

THOUSAND OF MILES separate us from you, and except for our national politics. we probably do not occupy a very significant part of your thoughts. But New York City and Los Angeles are the only cities in the world that have larger Jewish populations than Buenos Aires. There are 400,000 Jews in the Argentine capital, and another 100,000 scattered throughout the countryside.

The Kehilla-the official community organ o[ Buenos Aires Jewry-has imposing buildings housing scores of Jewish institutions, such as the Peretz, Sho­lom Aleichem, and Chaim Weitzman Schools. But the Jewish community has been suffering from a terrible poverty. I do not refer exclusively to the economic plight, which is a direct outgrowth of recurrent politi­cal instability. More than that, there has until now also been a poverty of ambition and aspiration, and a general sinking of the level of religious observance. But people are deeply dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, and now that the Kole/ is taking shape, a radical upswing is in the offering.

The Yishuv is Not Very Old THE .JEWISH YISHUV in Argentina is not very old. It began just before the turn of the century when the Barons Rothschild and de Hirsch had been promoting agricultural settlements-primarily among Sephardim -and some religious colonists had established a Kiryat Moshe in the Entreryos region. But the main influx of Jews came after the United States had closed its doors to immigration in 1928. Unfortunately, much of the religious commitment of these i1nmigrants was Jost in the transatJantic crossing.

The post-World War II immigrants were firmer in their convictions. Between the religious citizentry and the secular nationalists. Zionists, Bundists, and Soci~.d­ists, Jewish life seemed to he active at all levels-at least to their satisfaction .... When I think back to the Argentina of twenty years ago, before I left for

18

the Ponevezher Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, I rcn1ember the shuls packed with Jews-as many as seventeen, eight­een minyunin1 un a Shabbos ... youngsters deeply interested in party affairs, devoted to the State of Israel.

That has all changed. When I returned for a visit three years ago, the lethargy was almost tangible. The same shuls had scant two, three 1ninyanini. Parents had seen older children off to college and never "re­turn home." They were now uneasy about the younger children who were attending the secular Jewish all­day schools-Bialik, Peretz, Sholom Aleichem. et al. These schools represent the ideologies of Mapai, Mapam, and the General Zionists, respectively. for the community groupings correspond to the Israeli political parties. Their educational goals and demands arc so minimal that even the children mock them.

The Yiddish language, which figures so prominently in some of these schoo1s, means much less to the children than it did to their parents. The Ashkenazi immigrant was disdainful of the native Argentinian and his Spanish. Yiddish was his cultural tool and a vital link between himself and his fellow Jews, and he had hoped to pass it on to his children as a decisive iden­tifying feature. The younger generation, however, is Spanish oriented, and Yiddish as a cultural entity is fading into extinction. Of the two Yiddish newspapers, Die Yiddishe Zeitung (which did not publish on Shab­bos) closed down recently, and Die Presse is ailing. So the parents fear: Where will our old concept of education lead? What can be done to remedy the situation?

A Genuine Concern THEIR CONCERN IS REAL. Many of them also have a thirst for Yiddishkeit that is genuine. When we con­vened a full-day Yorn Limud HaTorah at a country site some forty miles from the city, several hundred

The Jewish Observer/ October, 1973

people from all types of backgrounds came. The pro­gram included intensive Talmudic lectures as well as talks on mussar (ethical conduct) and basic emunah (belief). The response? "When will you be scheduling one again? Please let us knowt"

We at the Kole/ are bombarded with requests to give regular shiyurim (Torah lectures) in different parts of town, but we are still too few in number to respond to a11 invitations. So111eday, very soon, we hope to be able to respond to every such request.

To be sure, Buenos Aires does have several rab­bonim of stature who lead their congregations with exemplary responsibility. Foremost is Rabbi Yoseif Oppenheimer, who has been heading the independent sub-Kehilla Achduth Yisroel in an outlying area of the capital for the past twenty years. (Achduth Yisroel is totally independent of the central Buenos Aires Kehilla, except for its burial society.) Rabbi Oppen­heimer is virtually the only Argentine rabbi qualified to supervise the writing of gittin (religious divorces). Under his tutelage are two younger men, who also serve the Kehilla as dayanim (religious judges): Rab­bis Shlo1no hen Chamu and Nechen1ya Bcrn1an. l"hcse men arc battling for Jewish continuity. Other aspects of this "battle" are the education of the young, and it is with this that we have primarily concerned our­selves.

Reb Yaakov lssur-The Foundation Setter

"WE" ARE BASICALLY THOSE PEOPLE who arc associ­ated with the Agudah Kehilla. If any single person can be pinpointed as our progenitor, it would be Reb Yaakov lssur Maze!. ""n He had been a talmid of the sainted Chofetz Chaim. He had been well estab­Jished as a notary, a prestigious position in Argentina, but all his efforts to set up a T orah-chinuch operation het\vccn the World Wars only met with frustration. Reb Yaakov Issur consulted with the Chafetz Chaim, who advised him: "If you cannot accomplish for Torah where you are, then move someplace else."

He did-to Antwerp, Belgium, where he set up the famous Yeshiva Yesode Hatorah in nearby Heide. His formula for success there prepared him for a similar effort in Argentina when he would return later on the last ship from Belgium in J 940: Since boys in their early teens would generally go to work after finishing elementary school, he would approach them: "Wouldn't you rather continue your Torah studies for the same pay you're making at your job?" Of course, the answer was "yes." And Reh Yaakov Jssur would pay an equivalent salary-out of his own pocket -as long as the bais medrash bachur or his family needed this monetary incentive.

The Y aakov Issur formula built up Heide until the destruction of World War II, and it worked in Buenos Aires after he returned here. He organized an Agudath Israel, which in turn sponsored a Chofetz

The Jewish Ohsf.'/'\'l'r / Octobe1·, 1973

The Ko/el Building in Buenos Aires

Chaim Elementary School for boys, a Bais Yaakov for girls, and Heicha] Hatorah on a more advanced level. The Keh ilia at that time refused to fund these schools, since it considered the Agudah anti-Zionist, and not worthy of support. Reb Y aakov Issur did his best to cover the budgets of these institutions on his own, but he was not fully successful. In fact, when he died in 1960, the schools were deep in debt. He was personally penniless, his grave unmarked by a stone for two years.

One of his fondest hopes hnd almost been realized in 1957, when Reb Zaidel Semyatitsky consented to serve as Rosh Yeshiva in Buenos Aires. Reb Zaidel was a widely respected ta/mid chochom with a charis­matic personality, and his arrival had a tremendous impact on the community. Tragically, he passed away two weeks after his arrival in ,A..rgintina. Plans to expand Torah scholarship upward were then laid to rest for a while.

A N e1v Expansion

: aNcE TlIAT TIME, a new leadership has emerged, Jieaded by Dr. Rafael Kugyelsky-a practicing dentist in Buenos Aires. The schools have expanded: A camp was purchased in Kastilares, where the children spend

19

the four mouths of summer vacation. The Kehilla has come to accept the Agudah educational system, and covers 40% of its expenses. But-and this is the crux of the Argentine dilemma-since my own days in Buenos Aires, the country has been suffering a steady brain drain. The older bais-medrash boy generally goes to the United States or to Israel to continue his studies as I did. The girls also go to Israel for seminary training. And as a rule they do not return. There is thus a tremendous shortage of qualified rabbis and competent teachers. The only redeeming factor is the fact that Argentina is a major source of meat for Israel, and the wives of the shochtim (ritual slaugh­terers) serve as teachers in the girls' schools.

Agenda for Revitalization THE AGENDA CALLS FOR INTENSIFICATION, expansion, innovation-and most important-importation of peo­ple with commitment to Torah who will work with us. But to understand the pressing needs of the hour, more details regarding the current status are in place.

Six hundred children are enrolled in our schools­those with Agudah affiliation. They come to us for Shacharis (morning prayers), then go to the public schools for their general education until 1 P .M. They return for their Torah studies from 2 to 8 P.M. On school holidays, which are frequent in Argentina, they spend the entire day, from morning to night, in Ye­shiva. We must set up our own all-day schools, with secular studies in the afternoon to eliminate this frag­menting of the day.

The Mizrachi-sponsored Talpiot is an all-day school, but the emphasis there is on Hebrew language ( 8 hours per week), with only two to four hours (at high school level) for Gemora. That is not a program geared to produce talmidei chachomim.

The Sephardic community is also undergoing a re­vitalization. The Chacham Yitzchak Shecheva has an evening bais hamidrash. Its enrollment has leaped from fifty to close to three hundred students in one year. Yehuda Saalveen-a graduate of the famed Porat Yosef

Yeshiva in Israel-has a Bais Midrash Succat David, where young fellows who work by day spend three hours every evening in Talmudic study, plus another three hours every Shabbos.

I cannot stress how apparent it has become to the youth and their parents alike that they are living in a spiritual vacuum, and no nationalism or Israeli­political affiliation can fill it. Only Torah knowledge and a Torah commitment can. This will not happen by virtue of the stark realization or the wish alone. We need more talmidei chachomim (Torah scholars) to serve as teachers, lecturers-more important, yet­as role models-and most important, simply to pro­vide the zechus (merit) of Torah for our vast com­munity.

Upon the insistence of the Ponovezher Rosh Ye­shiva, Horav Eliezer Menachem Schach, I have re­turned to my native land with the mission of estab­lishing a Kole! here. A handful of young men have come with me, and it is n1y intention to bring back as many Argentine bais medrash students as we can, to revitalize our con1munity. Eventually, we hope that it wiH no longer be necessary for our graduates to leave to further their Torah studies, and the com­n1unity wiH develop a spiritual reservoir of its own.

A 1'inie for Decision IT rs ALL so LOGICAL. Yet three years ago the predic­tion voiced here by an American Agudah representa­tive that Buenos Aires would one day boast a Kole/ provoked laughter. It seemed so far away then-hut not today.

There are problems. The rocketting inflation-90% in one year-imposes towering financial obstacles in our way. But the time is ripe. Sa1csmen who tour the countryside continue to tell me of Jewish families that are at loss for the future of the Yiddishkeit of their children. We could open up a dormitory for pre-teen youngsters and fill it in months-and by right we should, if we only had the funds.

True, we lack the glamour of Iron Curtain coun-

Sun1n1er in Kastilares: Fun, gan1es, and lveeks of Torah study and li1dng.

20 The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

tries, where religious practice is forbidden, but onr people here are also interred-they are prisoners of a secular culture. True, we do not represent the added spiritual dimension that Israeli causes possess, but we are a community of half-a-million neshomos, and this of itself is of inestimable worth.

People say this is Argentina Jewry's final hour. I cannot agree. That could be the case if we don't act. But we are acting and I would say that n"'n~~ we are on the threshold of Argentina's finest hour. D

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The Je1vish Observer I October, 1973

.

An Invitation

Agudath Israel members can

spend three exciting days

at the

5lst National Convention

of

Agudath Israel of America

Thursday afternoon throngh Sunday

November 22 • 25

(Thanksgiving weekend}

at the

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A Nalional Convention of Agndath Israel of Aincrica is a co1orfn1, exciting gathering, at "lvhic]1 the fore1nost rabhinic and lay 1eaders of 'Torah Jewry face up to the conte1nporary chal1cngcs of K1al ) 7 isroc], and the expanding role of Agudath Israel as the ''Action Center"

for independent Orthodox Je,vry.

• Spend three days of spiritual inspira~ tion in the company of the Torah elite.

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21

In the Footsteps of a Gadol - Horav Y oseif Eliyahu Henkin ilJ1J.~ p>i~ 1JT

outstanding tzaddik and authority

on halacha of our time

based on a "hespid" by Horav Aiaftoli Zvi Yehuda Riff Nu'D";Tl.'

For forty successive years, I had an extremely inti­mate relationship with Rav Henkin ""~T. I knew him well. And he was-as we all knew-a man of singular greatness.

He not only shielded the true measure of his gadlus from the public, but he managed to "hide himself" from his immediate famiJy and closest acquaintances, as well. Throughout our entire relationship, I never imagined that this frail human being recited ''Tikun Chatzos" in mourning for the Bais Han1ikdosh, every midnight. In fact, I did not become aware of this fact until after I had known him for many years and then only by chance. Night after night he would sit in his house lamenting over the desecration of the Torah and the dispersion ';,f Kial Yisroel sharing the Shechina's grief. But this was only one of the myriad acts of tzidkus he concealed from us all.

Rav Henkin carried on his shoulders the plight of literally tens of thousands of families throughout the world-their daily well-being was his daily personal concern-yet he never revealed to a soul who these families were except on the occasion of a government audit.

Rav Henkin never turned anyone away without a suitable sum of money. In those few instances when

RABBI RIFF is president of Ezras Torah and Rabbi of Canu/en, New Jersey. He delivered this hesped in Jeru.\aleni. It sub­sequently appeared in HA.MODIA, the Agttdath Israel daily puh* /ished in Jerusaleni.

22

the recipient felt that what he received was not suffi­cient, he did not react as others might: by telling the beneficiary that his case was not the only one, that there are hundreds of others just as needy. Rather, Rav Henkin would send the man or woman away with tears, explaining that he understood how great the need was, only wishing there were additional funds to do more.

Rabbi Emanuel Gettinger of the Young Israel of Upper Manhattan recalled: A wizened old man approached me in Tsfas. "Are you from Amer­ica?" he asked. "/ have a father there."

A father? 1'he man appeared to be over eighty himself! "Yes, a father who takes care of me. His na1ne is Horav Eliyahu Henkin."

His weekly salary as the director Ezras Torah was $50-a paltry sum, by any standard. At one of our meetings, a reso]ution was raised to increase Rav Hen­kin's salary. He immediately rose from his chair and declared: "Must I leave Ezras Torah?"

The less his personal benefit from Ezras Torah, the greater the aid for talnzidei chacho1nbn in distress.

He was a boki beshas (thoroughly knowledgable in the entire Talmud)-both Bavli (Babylonian) and Y erushalmi, as well as the four tracts of the Shulchan Aruch. Once, in my presence, he received an urgent phone call from Eretz Yisroel and he resolved the problem, which apparently defied easy solution to those

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

who called him, relating to marriage Jaws, without reference to a single sefer.

Rav Henkin could never be found sitting at home without a sefer in his hand-often a volume of Shul­chan Aruch, or the Responsa of the Chasam Sofer.

On several occasions I noticed Rav Henkin refer to a mysterious small notebook. He once revealed to me that in this notebook he kept a log of those minutes during the day that he did not utilize for Ezras Torah. He was not involved with his own personal business during those minutes, but when someone can1e to his office at Ezras Torah to discuss divrei Torah or if he received a telephone call, as he often would, from anywhere in the world requesting his opinion on a particular problem or sh6alo, he immediately looked at the time and noted in his record how many 1ninutes he had borrowed from Ezras Torah. He would then know how many minutes to "make up" on behalf of Ezras-Torah-related work.

When Rav Henkin was a boy of 15, he traveled to the city of Slutzk hoping to be accepted into the Ye­shiva Gedola of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer ':>''n (One of the maspidim noted that he left for Slutzk when he was only fourteen, but he was detained on the way for a year. During that year of delay he reviewed the en­tire Mesechte Eruvin forty times!) Upon meeting him for the first time Rav J sser Zalman asked him why he had come all the way to Slutzk. The youngster replied that he wanted to attend the Yeshiva. To the other talmidim standing there this seemed absurd. They were young men already accomplished in their learning, talniidei chachomim in their own right, and here was a mere boy of 15 seeking to join their ranks\

Rav Isser Zalman continued: "TeH me, 1ny son, what have you learned?"

"Mesechtos Shabbos and Eruvin." Astonished that a young boy had learned these diffi­

cult tractates, he asked: "Are you prepared for an examination?"

"Yes," the youngster replied, whereupon Rav Isser Zalman questioned the boy on the entire breadth of the two 111esechtos. He answered all challenges with ease, exhibiting an extraordinary knowledge and understand­ing of every Rashi and Tosefos. Rav Isser Zalman was flabbergasted: "This child knows these mesechtos better than I do!" Rav Henkin was immediately ad­mitted to the Slutzker Yeshiva.

His superior acumen notwithstanding, Rav Henkin possessed great humility as a talmid and this char­acteristic remained with him his entire life. Although his knowledge of Torah spanned all basic Talmudic literature as well as the responsa of the latter day sages (Acharonim), Rav Henkin always preferred to remain in obscurity.

He was an exceptionally good-hearted and pleasant

The Jevf'ish Observer I October, 1973

person, loved by young and old. Yet, when the occa­sion called for it, Rav Henkin asserted his authority. He once became aware of a dispute. Rav Henkin intervened, reprimanding both parties with sharp words. The mere sight of Rav Henkin stepping out of character to intercede immediately put an end to the conflict.

I remember well the hesped given by Rav Henkin for the Chazon lsh 'i"lr, wherein he resolved a seeming contradiction between a statement in the Midrash and a passage in Mesechte Rosh Hashana. The Gemora compares the passing of tzaddikim to the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh, while the Midrash Eicho (Lam­entations) declares that the death of the righteous is an even greater calamity. Rav Henkin explained that the Gemora in Rosh Hashana alludes to the death of Gedalia ben Achikam whose authority and dominion was accepted by the entire nation-his death was com­parable to the destruction of the Mikdash.

The Midrash, on the other hand, refers to the pass­ing of a tzaddik whose leadership is not openly mani­fest, whose authority has not been generally proclaimed by the congregation. This tzaddik prefers to remain obscure, closeted with his seforin1; yet his influence clearly and unmistakably permeates all rabbinical as­semblages and lay gatherings. Although he does not personally appear, his convictions and standards are articulated through the expressions of those he has touched, moving heaven and earth in the process. The loss of such a tzaddik is an even greater tragedy than the loss of our Holiest of Holies ....

His words apply equally to himself: He never sat at the dais at conventions or meetings; he never voiced his opinion in public; nor did he even express the worry or apprehension he harbored deep in his heart over the plight of tens of thousands of families through­out the Diaspora. And yet, it was Rav Henkin who, from a distance, was the prime mover in many under­takings (such as the establishment of the vast Ezras Torah apartment complex for needy talmidei cha-chon1:1n in Eretz Yisroel).

"All my years I thought that Rav Henkin would lead our generation to greet Moshiach," said Horav Yaakov Kaminetzky. "Now, who will lead us?"

This past summer, before I left for Eretz Yisroel, I went to take leave of Rav Henkin. He asked me when 1 would return to America because there was so much work to he done. Our parting was marked by tears flowing down Rav Henkin's cheeks over the misfor­tune of the families he carried in his heart.

Just as he was an advocate for one and all on this world, may he continue to be a meilitz yosher for all of Kial Yisroel from his place in Gan Eden. D

Translation by YONAH BLUMENFRUCHT

23

24

Horav Binyomin Ze'ev Jacobson i1J1J.., p>-r~ 1JT

The name BINYOMIN ZE'EV JACOBSON carries with it certain connotations:

-a life completely centered on Torah ... -total selfless dedication to alleviating the

sufferings of Kial Yisroel ... -and despite and throughout all this, a serenity

and radiant gaiety which demonstrate how faith and bitachon carry those who possess these at­tributes through and over all sufferings.

Binyomin Ze'ev Jacobson was born in Ham­bnrg in 5654. Starting his life as a business-man, he was graduaJly drawn to such an extent into Jewish public life, that "Askonus" became his full-time occupation .... At 18, he helped in the preparations for the Kattowitz Conference, where the foundations were laid of the Agudah Israel Movement. Ever after, the Agudah was his spirit­ual home-the manifestation of the Torah in corporate Jewish life. He took an active part in every Knessia Gedolah to follow .... His main activity lay in the Keren Hatorah, the organization responsible for the world-wide educational work of the Agudah, including day schools, Talmud Torahs, the Beth Jacob movement, and support of the Yeshivos. . . . At the same time, he was himself a T almid Chochom of stature, so that the Gaon Reb Baruch Ber Leibowitz of Kamenitz, who was very sparing with titles, called Rabbi Jacobson tl011£J~i1 J1N:li1 ::l1i1 ''l.V::J.l i'i' in a letter to him.

In 1937 he was elected Rabbi of the Machzike Hadass in Copenhagen, Denmark. . . . Miracu­lously escaping with his family to Sweden during the war, he threw himself with great energy into hatzalah (rescuing Jewish lives) and organizing :Jewish education in the refugee camps in Sweden . . . . With his wife, Rabbi Jacobson founded the famous boarding school for girls in Lidingo (Swe­den) ... In 1949, Rabbi Jacobson emigrated from Sweden to Eretz Yisroel, where he took an active part in the local and World Agudah and wrote most of his published works. . . . His modest flat in Jerusalem became a beehive of activity.

His 1•in~~ nii~, published partly in Frankfurt and partly in Stockholm, contains essays on various Talmudical sugyos and Hashkafah.

Rabbi Jacobson (rt.) during a visit to the United States following FVorld War II. To his right is O"n?:i' R£1bbi Ochs of Toronto. Behind I~abbi Ochs is R' Elinie!ech Tress ?"1.

Rabbi Jacobson rece1v1ng a testimonial at a dinner in Tel Aviv marking 60 years of the Agudath Israel World Movement.

;i~'nv p ,,~, is an extension of this earlier work.

Of special historical interest is his great auto­biographical work, pini~':> 'Y"T ll!llll. More than a biography, it is the history of a large and vital part of Torah-true Jewry of the last two generations.

n"::i:tJn

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

Shabbos, An Ideal In Prayer And Thought from Rabbi Jacobson's i1JJ.,\? ll. >1J."T

WHEN THE JEW awakens in the morning, he is quick to utter the prayer 'lN nii~; aud, soon after, he pronounces the brachah praising Hashem for command­ing us "to engage in Torah study."

Through Torah study, we mortals hear the Voice from above. In tefillah we project our voice from the depths. For through the means of Torah, G-d addresses himself to man, while through the means of tefil/ah man addresses himself to G-d.

To fully evaluate the great treasures of the Shabbos, not only do we consult the Torah, we may also examine our tefillah which, after all, is a repository of our response to Hashem for having bestowed the gift of the Shabbos upon us. The Tur (Drach Chaim, 292) comments on the fact that three· different tefillos were composed for the Shabbos, while one alone serves all three times of prayer on the festivals. Every week, he tells us, we celebrate three different aspects of Shabbos: Shabbos Bereishis-the historical Shabbos of Creation; Shabbos Matan Torah-the one marking the giving of the Law, which is of eternal application; and the Messianic Shabbos of the Millenimn.

"Attah Kidashtah-You sanctified," which we recite Friday night, describes the sanctity with which Ha­shem imbued the Sabbath Day at the time of Creation.

The morning prayer, "Yismach Moshe-Rejoice, 0 Moses," expresses the response of Moshe Rabbeinu after having secured from Pharaoh the Seventh Day as a day of rest for the enslaved Jews, prior to the Exodus and their receiving of the Law.

The Minchah prayer of Shabbos afternoon, "Attah

Echod-You are One,'' bespeaks the unity and singu­larity of the Jews, the Shabbos and their Creator.

I would suggest that this same triple theme is ex­pressed in the three required seudos (feasts) of the Shabbos Day. We infer the requirement of eating these meals from the three times that "hayom-this day," is written in the passage: "And Moshe said, 'Eat it (the manna) this day, because this day is Shabbos; on this day you will not find it in the fields' " (Shemos 16). These three correspond to the three eras in the Jewish continuum, also expressed as '"this day." The Creation: "On this day that Hashem created the heaven and the earth"; the giving of the Law: "On this day you have become a people"; and the redemption of the Future: "Before the advent of the great and mighty day of G-d."

Not in vain is the Shabbos called an eternal covenant, for with every Shabbos one can experience glories passed, determine guidelines for the present, and catch a taste of the redemption of the future. On every Shabbos, one can hear anew the voice of the Creator of the world ... of the loyal guardian devoted to His people, whose watchful eye was never removed from our ancestors in Egypt ... of the eternal redeemer of Once and the Future.

So we must yearn for the weekly Shabbos as well as for the Shabbos of the Future, as those of lofty spirit once did: "Come let us go out to greet the Shabbos Queen, Bo'e challoh, bo'e challoh, Welcome 0 bride."

If G-d is our King, and the Shabbos is our Queen, shall we not celebrate as royal children? D

A Shabbos Experience in Sweden from Rabbi Jacobson's J7l01JJ., >)1"T NVN

THE HEBREW MONTH of Av has always been a time of great suffering and loss for our People, its character forebodingly described in the Torah readings of Shab­bos Chazon. Yet, we also find words of comfort and encouragement in the Parsha and Haftora of that Shab­bos. One experience I had on a Shabbos Chazan illus­trates the dual nature of that month as well as the Jew's sublime capacity for eternal self-renewal.

In Sweden there was a large D .P. camp for women refugees, most of whom were Jewish. A number of the Jewish refugees insisted on eating only Kosher food as soon as they reached safety in Sweden, and this greatly

The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

impressed the Swedes. They soon agreed to our request to re-open the camp at Helshin-the camp at Helshin had earlier housed the Jewish escapees from German­occupied Denmark-specifically for Kashrus-observing refugees. (The cooperation and helpfulness of the Swedes contrasted with the attitude of the Jewish bureacrats, led by the infamous Ehrenpreis, towards the religious needs of the returnees.)

During the week of Shabbos Chazan, one hundred­forty-eight orphaned girls plus one mother with her young daughter arrived at Helshin.

I arrived at Helshin from Stockholm on the Thurs-

25

day of that week to spend the first Shabbos with the refugees. As I stood watching, a thin, shriveled girl stepped down from one of the buses. She looked around with wonder: "1'rees, trees, trees--and no barbed wire!" Then, with her eyes streaming tears but her voice strong, she pronounced the brachah: "Shehecheyanu-Blessed are You 0 G.ct ... for keeping us alive, sustaining us. and bringing us to this day!" How could this youngster have retained the memory of the brachah of thanks­giving during six years of captivity and mind-numbing torture?-] wondered .... Her tears were soon joined by mine.

As I SAID, it was Shabbos Chazan. Everyone there wished desperately to become wrapped up in the spirit

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of the holy Shabbos, yet the atmosphere seemed more akin to the Tisha b'Av that lay ahead; some thirty young widows kindled the Shabbos candles-a miracle of sorts, under the circumstances, but a most depressing sight, at the same time. Then Kiddush, the washing of hands, the brachah on the challos, the meal that was prepared so painstakingly and amid such great difficul­ties-and yet. ...

But before long, the director of the D.P. camp and I realized that we dared not allow ourselves sink into the despair that seemed to have enveloped our "guests." After all, it was Shabbos. So I pulled myself together and took the initiative, and began to speak to the girls. I greeted them with the traditional Friday night "father's blessing." And then I tried to tell them how their matryred parents would be feeling, seeing them redeemed from their suffering at last, sitting at a Shabbos table under the loving care of friends who had hopes and dreams for them, and even planned to take the place of their departed parents-as far as such a thing is possible.

And so the room was slowly relieved of the tension that had gripped it, and the mood became more relaxed and Shabbos-like. Later, after bentching, I was told that three young sisters began to sing zemiros. They later confessed that if they had been asked earlier if they still remembered anything from home, they would have shrugged off the thought. But suddenly, at that Shabbos table, after all the years of emptiness. the zen1iros came back to them intact.

The next day, on that Shabbos Chazon in Sweden, more than twenty years ago, I spoke about the Parshu (the week's Torah portion) and the Haftora, as well as some dinim (religious laws) of Tisha b'Av, to these Polish girls-many who later became students and beloved protegees of my dear wife.

Even in the week of Tisha B'Av, Shabbos has its full potency. D

Translation by MIRIAM MARGOSHES

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The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

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apart from Chumash and Talmud; Rabbi Akiva Eger appears next to the Apter Rebbe, Vilna Gaon next to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. The Kuzari, the Zahar, the Mesi/as Yesharim all are quoted in various places. Of particular interest are the many stories of outstand­ing personalities of our time that the author quotes al pi hashemu'ah (from word-of-mouth transmission) or from personal experience.

Rabbi Schwartz has succeeded in presenting this material in simple and readable form, true to his pur­pose to provide inspiration for student who open this volume, to furnish teachers with appropriate material for class use, and to give parents suitable ideas and stories for the Shabbos table. Sometimes this endeavor has led to an oversimplification of ideas (for instance on pp. 113-4, which are sure to set off lively arguments) and to the spelling out of moral lessons that could per­haps have been pointed out with a lighter touch. Yet, this may well be the price that was to be paid if a work is to serve such a wide range of needs, and it is well worth paying.

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But there can be no doubt that this will not stand in the way of this book becoming a widely-used educa­tional tool. The variety and impressiveness of the ma­terial and the fact that it is presented in language that can be understood and appreciated by those unin­formed and uninterested in Torah make it a most valuable tool in communicating basic Torah ideas and ideals to those who stand most in need of being reached by us. D

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Y ad V eshem: The Missing Yarmulke When UN Secretary General

Kurt Waldheim visited Israel on his recent peace mission, journalists were rather hard pressed for news­worthy incidents or insights. Mr. Waldheim, a tight-lipped individual, gave them little of either-until he visited the Yad Veshem Memorial for the Six Million. Upon entering, he was offered the customary yar­mulke twice, which he finally ac­cepted, and then pocketed. He was reminded that it was meant to be a head covering. Waldheim ac­knowledged but did not respond.

The following day, Dr. Wald­heim confessed to the error of his ways, and donned a yarmulke be­fore entering a shul in Kibbutz Aye­let Hashachar. But it was too late. The newspapers had their story and they made the most of it.

"Dr. Kurt Waldheim Thurs­day became the first visitor ever to refuse to cover his head while attending the customary religious ceremony in the Ohel Yizkor Hall of Remembrance at Y ad Veshem.

"His refusal flustered and em~ barrasscd his hosts ....

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The Jewish Observer I October, 1973

cap which all bare-headed visi­tors don without question. He declined to take it and walked on inside."

(Jerusalem Post, Sept. 4, '73) The entire episode seemed rather

ridiculous; except that the govern­ment representatives and hosts hap­pened to have been gentlemen who studiously avoided covering their own bare (Jewish) heads during religious ceremonies other times and at other places. Yet, they faulted their non-Jewish Austrian visitor. And their unspoken out­rage was expressed and amplified in Yediot Achronot, Ma'ariv and other strongly anti-religious news­papers. A tempest in the kipot. un­worthy of further comment.

But there was more to think about. Perhaps, symbolically, at least, the visitor should have felt the lack of a yarmulke. Was not the fuel of hatred that propelled the archetypical anti-semite of Biblical times, Amaleik, identified as "lo yorei Elokim"-tota1 Jack of fear of G-d? If Mr. Waldheim wished to express remorse for his nation's crimes against humanity, it might indeed have been fitting for him to contemplate the yarmulke. (The word is a contraction of yorei me'Eloka, fearful of G-d.) Repent-

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"apology." The hosts might also perform rites of self-examination and contrition.

Yad Veshem commemorates martyrs who breathed their every breath as Jews, to the very end, as well as the memories of martyrs who may have only died as Jews­an act that also endows them with the status of kedoshim. These sa­cred memories are meant to be honored by the inclusion of Y ad Veshem among the obligatory stops on the standard tour of Israel: Let

us no! forget. And let all our cur­rent friends also rem.ember how erstwhile friends once averted their eyes. Let them fix their gaze well today . ... So tourists from Omaha and dignitaries from Vienna all spend moments of contemplation at Yad Veshem.

How, then, do these sentiments, and the cantorial "Kel Molei Ra­chanzim" that punctuates the tour, sit with the wreath-laying ceremony that has become de rigeur on the Y ad Veshem tour?

Another Miracle (Footnote to an article: The May 1972 edition of THE JEWISH OBSER­

VER featured an article that stirred 1nuch comment, "Jewish Religious Tradition and Jewish Social Ser­vices," by DR.AND MRS. PAUL WEIN­

BERGER. At that time, they were on the faculty of the University of San Diego, in California. Shortly after-1vard they went to Eretz Yisroel to spend a sabbatical leave.

The following letter from DORO­

THY WEINBERGER speaks for itself.)

Who would believe that the simple act of washing hands could lead to miracles? One who believes.

At the home of a friend for a morning visit \Vith two toddlers in tow; one mine, the other a working friend's \vith a sick sitter. We were enjoying the hectic confusion. Her child was in the yard and all were playing happily for the moment, so she offered me son1e lox. I \Vent to wash my hands, which she no longer did, as a rule. That pressed on my mind as I removed my rings and washed. (I thought later that I must have been punished for this thought.) While eating the sand­wich, a sudden tumult erupted and I was forced to rush home with sleepy youngsters. Home was a block away, a short stroller ride.

Later, a phone call told me I'd left my rings, and she'd bring them

30

over on her way somewhere. Much Jater I returned from my groccry­shopping to find people excitedly walking about, searching in front of the houses: my two sons, my hus­band, my friend, her three children. They were looking for my rings. She had sent them with her 7 year old son in an envelope. The en­velope was open, and nothing was there, my husband told me quietly.

I asked her how she could have possibly sent them with him! She said excitedly. He is a responsible child.

I walked into the house and busied myself with my baby and the groceries. Angry words would not have helped. The rings were never recovered; but something much more precious was. And that is the miracle.

Weeks passed and an eminent rabbi was visiting his daughter, my friend, who had been blessed with her fifth child, a son. He was here for the hris. It must have been his presence that set me thinking as to why my rings were lost. It must have some meaning that I should try to search out . ... Rings are as­sociated with marriage . ... I de­cided to check my ketubah. We had been married by a Conservative rabbi, and we were going to Israel. That seemed double reason to

"Then two United Nations officers brought ... (Dr. Wald­heim) a wreath of red and white carnation which he laid before the Ner Tamid."

(Jerusalem Post) These bouquets have no roots in

Jewish values and customs. Memo­ries of kedoshim are not honored by gestures of Christian or pagan antecedent. Perhaps the protocol officers owe themselves a bit of self­searching in regard to this "mean­ingful" ceremony. D

check: The ketubah was invalid. The "rabbi'" had signed for the witness in Hebrew; and one of the witnesses, the best man, was Jewish through his father only.

Authorities were consulted, and it was agreed we should have a new ketubah written and witnessed. A dear friend-a rabbi-and a Rosh Yeshiva of great stature and kindli­ness came to my husband's office, since my husband had felt too pressured for time to go to them. And so we were married. And we went to Israel.

We breathed its air among the people of the yeshivot. We learned and struggled to learn their more peaccfu], unco1nprom1s1ng ways. We lived among uniquely warm and generous people, who shared them­selves. We learned to know each other and appreciate the family and respect life.

The sabbatical year ended and we prepared to return with a heavy heart and a dread of what it would mean for the chiklren. And sud­denly - tickets bought and bags almost packed-my husband passed away peacefully. And he was buried in holy ground among holy people.

They say he was a righteous man and so meritted remaining here on sacred soil. He completed his work. We had our daughter in Israel. And just before leaving HaShem kept him here. G-d willing, we stay here too. D

DOROTHY WEINBERGER

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

Letters to the Editor

~~up Off Your Bench"

To the Editor: Congratulations on your Tammuz

edition, focusing on our obligation to help the alienated Jew. At long last the mantle of responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of all of us.

So we won't each achieve that 10090 goal in learning, in absolute personal adherence to minutiae. But we will have gained the love of G-d and man for giving up to bring others into the fellowship of e1nunin1.

Every one of us has some re­sponsibility for our fellow Jews­so do something about it! Get up off your bench for periods from time to time and show the Ribono Shel Olam and mankind that you care for fellow Jews.

Please don't let go-repeat the message, renew the challenge, re­mind the sitters-1111~'1 c';:iini i,1;1w1

m~1'm in~ 1':> 1ll1'1 "So that the estranged will hear

us and heed us and join in acknowl­edging G-d our King."

SAM ABRAMSON

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Ral>bi Rel sky replies:

(Rabbi Belsky's "Our Alienated Brethren ... What Can a Ye­shiva Bochur Do?" was featured in the issue referred to in the above letter.) Mr. Abra1nson's warn1 response

is most encouraging to those en­gaged in "reaching-out," but he seems to have misinterpreted priori­ties of various goals and the chosen sequence of means to be employed.

The concern for his fellow Jews

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

that Mr. Abramson finds so admi­rable is a 1nitzvah among many, and it too has minutiae - as do the others. No aspect of any of these should ever be neglected, no matter how noble the calling.

The bench-sitters, who try Mr. Abramson's patience, must be hon­ored rather than denigrated. Those so engaged are involved in liln1od (to learn), a prerequisite to lelamed (to teach others). And even the lelamed must be done (as our ar­ticle stressed) with n1inimum dis­turbance to lilmod.

Please try to understand our goals in terms of sharing our benches with others, or perhaps manufacturing portable benches. rather than abandoning them-even for the briefest period of time.

YISROEL BELSKY

On the Opportunities for Reaching Out

To the Editor: I would like to comment on

several points relevant to articles in the Tammuz issue of the Observer.

Zeirei's JEP is an excellent idea. There are, in addition, much less complicated ways of involving bnei Yeshiva in kiruv rechokhn. For example: I have seen many boys and girls from small communities leave for yeshivas in New York. Cleveland, Denver ... and return home for yam tov careful1y n1ain­taining a separatist attitude towards those who so need their attention. These yeshiva students - in their own shu1s and communities-could con1mand such respect (translate: k'vod haTorah) if they would merely extend an arm to the less fortunate, spiritually speaking, if they would participate in shul functions (if not

in \fo1ation of their own principles). This would go a long way toward getting more youngsters to yeshivas and at least creating a bond between those who do and those who do not go.

Not presuming to be able to add to Horav Moshe Feinstein's brilliant "Call to Action," I would just note that reading M'zakeh HoRabim (Rabbi Yoseif Hurvitz of Nvaradok ':>"lT) might give additional incen­tive to those who are yet spectators and not participants. We have found here in Phoenix that our (initially) non-observant Shabbos guests have much to give our Shab­bos tisch . . . eyes that glow like Shabbos licht when seeing Kiddush for the first time. I would dare say that having guests can be as un­forgettnhle as being one ..

I sincerely believe that the bnei Torah n1ust become today's leaders and, realizing the challenge, must take the attitude (paraphrasing a recent commercial) "if we don't do it, it won't get done.''

RABBI BINYOMJN FIHD

Phoenix, Arizona

rfhe Main Adversary: Not t11e Conservatives, But Lack of Exposure

To the Editor: Although one frequently finds

criticism of Reform and Conserva­tive ideologies in The Jewish Ob­server, I sometimes wonder if we are not giving them too much kavod by considering them as ad­versaries. To paraphrase Stalin's fomous remark during World War II: How many divisions do these denominations have? Is there to be found in the whole of North Amer­ica one congregation of me1nbers who sincerely believe in and prac­tice Conservative Judaism accord­ing to their interpretation of halacha? Can they staff their grow­ing nun1ber of Solomon Shechter schools with young n1en and women raised in their moven1ent willing to be 111oser nefesh to spread Con­servative Judaism? l{c)\v 111any of

31

their youth group members go on for higher Jewish study or remain observant, even in their interpre~

tation of the term? From our his­tory we know that earlier schis­matic groups practiced what they preached and had large numbers of true followers. Can the same be

~~,~ii =Ii Iii? for i"'?t!'li

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or call WOrth 4-1620

Join hundreds of Chaverim in the U.S.A., Israel and other parts of the world v•ho now enjoy an EXTRA SP!R•

ITUAL DIMENSION in Jewish living by

Learning a halacha or a mishna every day

Be kove'a ittim laTorah

You will gain respect and love from your family, and you will become an

inspiration to your friends.

Ask for your free lu'ach from

CHARLES M. BATT, Ch.airman i\r!JsnNA AND HA1.ACHA YoJ\.UT

lTnited States Office 16 Tobey Road

B1001nfield, Conn. 06002

said for any non-orthodox group today?

The group within Judaism repre­sented by The Jewish Observer is the fastest growing and most in­ternally strong movement within Jewry. Numerous young men and women have been won over to Torah by the sincerity and love for their fellow Jew and for Torah ex­hibited by the mechanchim and yonth workers who are products of the Yeshiva world.

In my own community of Van­couver, fully half of the members of the N.C.S.Y. chapter are chil­dren of members of the Conserva­tive synagogue. Of the twenty young men and women who have gone off to Torah institutions from Vancouver in the last three years, only three came from observant homes. Young people who have been exposed to Yiddishkeit and who have a desire for a spiritual element in their lives know that Torah is where it's at.

Our major obstacle is not that anyone is being misled by the Con­servative or Reform movement, it is simply that most Jews have never been exposed to Torah. I therefore greet the announcement of the Agudist project to reach out to non­observant Jews. I hope that this initial experience with such people will prove how much potential

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32

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there is to be tapped and how mnch of a change can be brought on the current scene once the bnei Torah are confident of their own capacity to succeed. The J.E.P. may well signal a milestone in the develop­ment of the Yeshiva world as the significant force on the American scene.

RABBI ELCHONON 0BERSTEIN

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Correction Re: Source of Evil

To the Editor:

On reading your article, "The Holocaust ... " (Sept. '73) in which you describe the approach of our Gedolim to this tragedy, I came upon an error in the last paragraph; a very basic error which I feel re­quires correction.

You wrote: "The time for Divine retribution comes: G-d devises ways to provoke men to violate the Torah so that the ensuing punishment is understood to be deserved." This is meant to be a translation of the words of the Rambam, quoted by the Tosefos Yam Tov. at the end of the tractate Brachos: 1m1T' c;:>J;i?1 c;i~ yion? ny;i x:,;v:i,, x:'tv '1:> ;iiin;i io;i? c;x 'J:? rn:rn

."DOtv~: !VlY'1 en''> The correct translation of this: "SIT­

UATIONS WILL ARISE that will pro­voke men to violate the Torah so that the ensuing punishment is understood to be deserved." Man causes all evil in this world, and it is his doing that creates these frighten­situations.

This is a basic to our belief. We must understand that everything that emanates directly from G-d is for the good of man. It is His will that we follow the Torah. If, G-d forbid, He would provoke us to evil we would not be able to exist in this chaotic world. It is only with G-d's help and guidance that we are still alive today.

R. C. FRANKFURTER

New York City

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

BEGINNING OF THIRD DECADE: A LANDMARK YEAR FOR CHINUCH ATZMAI

With the opening of the 1973-74 school year one week earlier than cus­tomarily, Chinuch Atzmai Torah Schools for Israel marks the beginning of its third decade in the field of quality Torah education in Israel. Harav Shraga Gros­bard, Director General of Chinuch Atz­mai comn1ented on the successful exten­sion last year of the school calendar to include the entire n1onth of July, adding that these extensions gave the approxi­mately 40,000 children in the Chinuch Atzmai network the opportunity for expanded use of the educational facilities Chinuch Atzmai maintains.

Harav Shmuel Weinberg, Deputy Director General, reported to the Roshei Yeshiva who serve as the Board of Governors of Chinuch Atzmai on the successful opening of two new schools for the fall term along with l 0 new kindergartens and numerous day-care centers, which are notable themselves for the role they play in expanding the base of Chinuch Atzmai, thereby as­suring the future growth of the school network.

Most noteworthy is the fact that both of the new schools have been opened in recently developed areas, one in Kiryat Arba, the newly developed Jewish Settlement in the West Bank town of Chevron, site of the Tomb of the Patri­archs, and the other in the equally rccznt development of Sanhedria Hamnrchevet, which adjoins Ramat Eshkol at the north­eastern sector of Jerusalem. The ever­growing nature of these sites assures a speedy growth for these newly estab­lished schools.

Harav Groshard reported that the primary innovation to take place with the opening of this school year is the

extension of the school day in 15 of the larger Chinuch Atzmai boys schools to include evening sessions ending at 9:00 P.M. This wi11 allow boys from various backgrounds and domestic situa­tions to avail themselves of a full schedule of activities within the con­trolled educational atmosphere of their school. Although the nonnal school day ends in Israel at 1 :00 P.M. these students have for years enjoyed the opportunity to study Torah through the extended school day program of the Chinuch Atzmai. The additional time now being introduced will allow them to use the school facilities for homework and sports activities with the added benefit of free nutritional dinners and additional 'forah learning in the evening. This program is most itnportant, according to Harav Grosbard, because of the negative atmos­phere many of the children must contend with when they spend so much time free roaming the streets.

Jn addition to the expansion of pro­grams of education on the elementary level a new concentration of courses for Pedagogical Training have been opened in Jerusalem for aspiring teachers, in conjunction with the Beit Ulpanah Teachers Training Co1Jeges Chinuch Atz­mai maintains in Chazon Yechezkel.

These expansionary innovations along with the tremendous effects of inflation in Israel have swelled the current budget of Chinuch Atzmai to a record breaking 38 million Pounds. With the hope that the Chinuch Atzn1ai can count on the widespread support of Jews throughout 1he world, the administration in Jerusa­lem has assumed the responsibilities of meeting these high budgetary needs in the face of great deficits. D

AGUDATH ISRAEL CONTINUES EFFORTS TO HALT "REVERSE DISCRIMINATION"

A major effort to stop "reverse dis~ crimination" fron1 which Jewish teachers in particular suffer because of discrimi· natory practices arising from U.S. gov­ernment "affirmative action programs.'' has been intensified by a coaliti0n of five major Jewish defense agencies that in­cludes Agudath Israel. At a meeting of these organizations in Washington with HEW Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and his key staff members, the coalition pointed out that "numerical goals" es· tablished to help minorities in A1nerican colleges were, in practice, being con-

The Jewish Observer / October, 1973

vetted into "quotas which discri111inatc against Jewish teachers."

The organizations, which include the American Jewish Comn1ittee, the Anti­Defamation League. American Jewish Congress and the Jewish War Veterans, with Agudath Israel serving as the sole Orthodox representative, documented their statement with thirty-six new examples that "the situation is worse today than it was a year and a half ago" when the same organizations met with the then-Secretary of HEW Elliot Richardson.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Act of October 23, 1962,

Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code) I. Date of Filing: October I, 1973 2. Title of Publication: The Jewish Observer 3. Frequency of hsue: Monthly, except July and August. 4. Location of Known Office of Publication: 5 Beekman !:>treat, New York, N. Y. IOU3B 5. Location of the Headquarters or eGneral Busi· ness Onice of the Publishers {Not t"rinters): 5 Beekman ~treet, New York, N. Y. IU038 6. Names and Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Cditor: Publisher-Agudath Israel of America; Chr. Cditorial Board-Ur. Ernst L. Bo­denheimer, 5 Beekman Street, N.Y.C.; Managing l::ditor-Rabbi Nlsson Wolpin, 5 Beekman Street, N.Y.C. 10038 7. Owner: (lf owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediate­ly thereunder the names and addresses of stock­holders ownlng or holding I percent or more of total amount of stock. It not owned by a cor­poration, the names and addresses of the indi­vidual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each indi­vidual must be given.) Agudath Israel of Amer­ica, 5 Beekman Street, New York, N. Y. 10038 8. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and other Security Holders Owning or Holding I Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or other Securities: None 9. For Completion by Nonprofit Organizations Authorized to Main as Special Rates (Section 132,122, Postal Manual) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this orqanization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes [x] Have not changed during preceding 12 months 10. This item must be completed for all publica­tions except those which do not carry advertising other than the publisher's own and which are­named in sections !32,231, 132,232, and 132,233, Posh! Manual. (Sections 4355a, 4355b, and 4356 of Title 39, United States Code) A. Total No. Copies Printed {Net Press Run): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 11,000. Actual Number of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date, 11,000. 8. Paid Circulation I Sales through dealers and carriers, street ven­dors and counter sales: average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 5,028; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 4,252; 2, Mail subscriptions: average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 4,872; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 5,648. C. Tota! during preceding 12 months, 9,900; actual no. of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 9,900. D. I. Free distribution (includ­ing samples) by mail, carrier or other means: average no. copies each issue durin9 preceding 12 months, 850; actual number of copies of single issue nearest to filing date, 850. D. 2. Copies distributed to news agents, but not sold: average number of copies during preceding 12 months, O; actual number of copies of single issue nearest to filing date, O. E. Tota! Distribution (Sum of C and D): average no. copies each issue during precedinq 12 months, 10,750: actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, !0,750. F. Office use, left-over, un­accounted, spoiled after printinq: average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 250; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filinq date, 250. G. Total {Sum of E and F-should equal net press run shown in A): average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 11.000; actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, I !,000.

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

Rabbi Moshe Sherer, E:ii:ecutive President Agudath Israel of America

Secretary \\'einberger, both at the meeting and in a subsequent exchange of correspondence with Agudath Israel, expressed his personal opposition to the use of "numbers" in detern1ining employ-­ment e1igibi1ity. D

"FEDERATIONS AND YESHIVOs·• A MAJOR THEME AT

AGUDATH ISRAEL CONVENTION

A plan to forcefully bring home to the Je",rish Federations throughout the United States their "responsibility to help fund Yeshiva education" ·will he presented at the 51st national convention of Agudath Israel of America, which will be held over Thanksgiving weekend, November 22-25 in Atlantic City, NJ. Over 3,000 Orthodox activists will par­ticipate in this national conclave, an1ong them the foren1ost scholars and Torah authorities in American Jewry.

A spokesman for Agudath Israel pointed out that the convention partici­pants, many of whom are leaders in Je\vish education, will come to grips with "the new priority role which Jewish Federations must play in funding Yeshiva education, especially since the secular Jewish establishment was responsible for smashing all immediate possibilities of obtaining financial help from governn1ent sources." I1e stated that "the mood on this suhject of the Agudath Israel rab­binic and Jay leadership has reached an explosive st<!ge, since 1hey feel that n10st Fede rat.ion officials, especial! y in New York, are paying lip service to Torah education while hundreds of thous<inds of Jewish children are drowring in as­similation hecaus~ r<'f their neglect."

'fhe convention \vi!l also deliberate on the broad range of don1estic and inter­national policies and activilies of Agu­da~h Israel of America, which is con­sidered by many to be the "Action (',enter"of independent Orthodox Jewry in this country.

AGUDATH ISRAEL CALLS UPON ORTHODOX GROUPS TO QUIT

SYNAGOGlJE COLTNCII,

The deci~ion of the Jewish Conserva­tive n1oven1ent to allow women to be counted in the minyan, "should be the final straw to move Orthodox groups out of the Synagogue CouP.cil of A1nerica. because it demo11str<1tes the failure of the contention that such inter~denomina­tional affiliation contains the non-Ortho­dox fron1 further deviations fro1n Halacha." "rhi~ challenge was n1ade by Rabbi Moshe Sherer, executive president of Agudalh Israel of America. who called upon the Rabbinical Council of Ainerica and the {Jnion of Orthodox Jewi~h Con­vvith the Conservative movement by publicly withdrawing from the Synu-

34

SPIRITUAL RESCUE OF RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS

INTENSIFIED AS TORAH AUTHORITIES ISSUE CALL

Following a proclamation by the Moet­zes Gedolei Hatorah of Eretz Israel, appealing for universal support for the activities of the world wide rescue agency for the spiritual absorption of the Rus­sian immigrants, the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund has undertaken a crash program to intensify its activities. The proclamation of the rabbinic tribunal of foremost 'forah authorities in Israel \\.'ho are close to the situation lauded the monumental rescue \vork of the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund which has helped large numbers of Georgian and Bukharan immigrants retain their re­ligious identity. The proclamation reud in part: "These energetic activities of thf! Con11nittee are already wefl known to all. Jn the past two years the Russian !Jn1nif!rant Rescue Fund has pt.>rfonncd great accon1pli.\·h111ents in its vigorour atten1pts to spiritually rescue and ahsorb in accordance with the Torah k1rge 111tn1-

bers of our o!in1 brothers and sisters fron1 the Soviet (/nion."

• Jn its intensified program, the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund ceremoniously inaugurated a new vocational school in Nezareth-Elit. Equipped with modern electronic educational tools. the school will combine a sophisticated technologi­cal program with a Torah education.

• In another major operation of the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund, I 6 gatherings were held for the Russian imw migrants on the eve of the Yon1im No­raim. Prominent speakers educated the immigrants as to the meaning of the High Holy Days and the festive Yorn Tovin1 •,1,1hich follo\v. A large nuinber of Torah students. educators and Rabbis Jed these assemblies in the areas where the olim are concentrated.

• Two new &ynagogues were inaugu~

rated in Chedera and Nazereth-Elit for Bukharan and Georgian immigrants, respectively.

• Meanwhile the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund continues to conduct a major ca1npaign to distribute thousands of furniture iterns and used clothing donated by the public in respo::se to an <ippeal in the press. 0

gogue Council of America, which alleges to be the central religious body for all

RUSSIAN IMMIGRANT RESCUE FUND OPENS 9th SYNAGOGUE

FOR RUSSIAN "OUM" JN ISRAEL

Last week the 9th synagogue for Rus­sian olim in Tsracl was opened by the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund, at an impressive dedication in Ra'anana. The new synagogue will be utilized for im­migrants from Georgia and Bukhara. Families from Ra'anana and surrounding districts took part in the festivities, which were attended by the local Rab­bonim, religious leaders and a delega­tion from the United States, which brought over a number of Sifrei Torah for the use of the i1nmigrant communi­ties. A sti1· was caused by the arrival of a group of Bukharan Rabbonim and Chachamim who came from Nathanya to join the festivities.

Rabbi Sh!omo Welitz, Rav of Ra'­anana; Rabbi Yitzchok Jakobovitz, Rav of Herzlia; and Rabbi Yisroel Leiter of New York, a men1ber of the executive board of the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund, were among the speakers.

Chairman of the Israel con11nittee of the Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund, Mr. ~1yer Dovid Lewensteir.. was greeted by loud and prolonged applause by the immigrant families when he rose to

speak, as he has become a legendary figure an1ong these circles for his dedi­cation to this work. He spoke of the tragedy of sections of the immigrant communities falling by the wayside be­cause of the lack of necessary religious requirements.

One of the leaders of the local B•Jk­haran community, Mr. Moshiach Yitcha­kub, issued an emotional appeal to the religious community to assist them in solving their problems. "We did not come to Israel to get rich, he declared. "\Ve lacked nothing in Tashkent, Bukhara. We came up to the Holy Land only so that we and our children can remain true Je\VS in the spirit of Torah. In Rus~ia we suffered prison for our heliefs, but ,.,,e were not frightened by threats and im­prisonn1ent. We have onl;i one request now-help us fulfill our wish.''

The A1nerican office of 1he Russian Immigrant Rescue Fund. of ,.,·hich Iv1r. Sander Kolitch is chairman, is located at 5 Beekman Street, New York, N. Y. 10038. D

of Judaism in the U.S.A. gregations to sever a!J religious ties

The Jewish Ohse1Ter / October, 1973

1200 Russian Immigrant Children JOIN THE 40,000 CHILDREN IN THE

250 CHINUCH ATZMAI TORAH SCHOOLS AND KINDERGARTENS IN ISRAEL

In wishing you a Happy New Year

The Gedolei Yisroel Call On You Today!

HAGAON REB YECHESKEL ABRAM.SKY N"~''JIV'

THE GERER REBBE N"O''il.17

HAGAON HEB MOSHE FEINSTEIN N"0'71V

! nNTil il1lnil >11 i nN tJ>p> 1\!/N 1111 • CHINUCH ATZMAI has established 3 nc w schools, in Hebron, Kiryat Arba and in the

new northeastern snllur]J of J ert1sale1n. • CHINUCH ATZMAI has opened 10 new kindergartens. • CHINUCH ATZMAI has estahlished 15 Y eshivot Erev in centrally located schools - to

insure a full day of learning, providing lunch and dinner for the student hodv. • CHINUCH ATZMAI's planned budget for the coming school year is 38,000,000 IL.

Join This Historic Effort Now. WHAT YOU CAN DO!

BUILD $100.00 -·- Build a SCHOOL complex in the

frontier con1nn1nitie.-; or great nrhan cen­ters.

S25,000 - Establish a Kl"iDEHGAHTEN-ilay care center for prc-~chool chilflren.

$18.00 ·-·-- I~quip a t'ichool 'vith cotnph~te KT·r. CHEN and DINING HOOM facilities.

$5,(lOO --- Name a CLASSROOM for wnwonc dear.

$1,800 ---- Furnish a CLASSl{()OM in one of the ne\\r ...-chool (·on1plt>xc:-..

TORAH SCHOOLS FOR ISRAEL -CHINUCH ATZMAI 156 Fifth Avenue

New York, N. Y. 10010

NJAINTAIN $1,000 --- NASSJ LAYON. Join the PRESl·

])]~N1'S' t:l.UB Ly subsidizing one day'~ lcurning in Chinnch Atz1nai.

$360 -- Provide MILK OR A CLASS of chil­(lren for an entire year.

$180 -- SPONSOR A CHILD with all hi• cdu­cationa I nccdi'.'i, lt1nch, anc1 1nilk.

$JOO -- Join the roster of MEMBEHSHIP of (~hinuch A tzinai.

S54 - Huy a f'i('t. of (;~~1"f0Jl_A.JIS for an entirt~ (~LASS o[ 1~orah School children.

Clip and Mail Today ntu·n niin:i '1:l1 nN C'i'' iWN 11i:i TORAH SCHOOLS FOR ISRAEL -

CUINUCH ATZMAI 156 Fifth .Avenue, New York City 10010

Gcn1le1ncn: I herchy Jllctlp;c the sum o[ S .................... as 1ny contribution.

D Ainount enclosed 0 Kindly nutil stalcn1ent

NAME.._ ____ _

A!HlRESS .. ---­

CITY._. ----- __________ STATE._ ____ _ ...... ZIP Contributions Are Tax Exen1pt

BK-E0-60-46 ·---------~-------

ASCALON, Israel-The Jews of what is now Soviet Georgia managed to hold on to their religion under Persians, Arabs, czars and Com­munists, Whether they can continue to do so in the first modern Jewish state is an open question ....

The Georgians also arrived with a strong religious tradition. They

And We Say: It must not be so!

came with Torah scrolls and their own rabbis ....

Secular forces in Israel are having an opposite impact on ... aspects of Georgian religious life ... .

"In Georgia we were observant the way we should be," said the dockworker. "There was Jerusalem. Not here." (September 30, 1973)

Jerusalem is in Israel, not the USSR, but it is our responsibility to help our Russian brethren find it there.

THE MAJOR ORTHODOX AGENCY FOR THE REHABILITATION OF RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS IN ISRAEL - IS DOING THE FOLLOWING:

• 2 children's homes • 1 vocational school • 9 synagogues, renovated

and furnished • Grants to Mosdos caring

for Russian immigrants • Additional classrooms

built to existing schools • Kindergartens and day

nurseries

• New educational center in Dimona

• Yeshiva for Bucharan youths

• Ulpanim and Youth Clubs • Special grants to immi­

grant rabbis and religious leaders

• Shiurei Ezer, supplement­ary teaching

• Provisions of Sifrei Torah, Tefilin and Mezuzos

• Loans to needy immigrants

• Special school transport

• Summer camps

• Advisory centers

• A special team of social field workers

BUT YOUR HELP IS DESPERATELY NEEDED!

When the doors of Russia first opened, there was an outpour of concern. Now the funds are

coming in more slowly, although the Russian "olim" continue to come, and the work to save

them for a Torah-way of life goes on.

Mail Your Generous Contribution Today - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1

I RUSSIAN IMMIGRANT RESCUE FUND I I {Gemi/as Chesed Fund for Russian Jews) I 5 Beekman Street / New York City I 0038

I Enclosed please find my donation of $.. . . .to this I I historic undertaking to spiritually save our Russian brothers ! I in Israel. I

j Name.... I

! Address... . ......... : 1

1 City ........................ State ......................... Zip .... - ........ I

I __ ~ ___ :.o.~r~u~n~ a~ ~x ie~u~b~ _____ I

SANDER KOLITCH, Chairman DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER MOSHE BRAUNSTEIN

Treasurers