Insights Parshas Shelach from Yeshiva Beis Moshe Chaim/Talmudic University

All Courtesy goes to Rabbi Zweig's Yeshiva

Parshas Shelach Sivan 5780 Based on the Torah of our Rosh HaYeshiva HaRav Yochanan Zweig Weekly Insights Printer Friendly Format  Click Here This week's Insights is dedicated in loving memory of Yisroal ben Aryeh Lieb, HaLevi, Stanley Schwartz. "May his Neshama have an Aliya!"    To Sponsor an Issue of Insights Click Here   Mob Mentality   These are the names of the men whom Moshe sent to spy out the land. And Moshe called Hoshea son of Nun "Yehoshua" (13:16). This week's parsha opens with the infamous incident of the twelve spies who were sent to explore Eretz Yisroel. The spies conspired to convey a very grim interpretation of what they observed during their forty day journey. This led to Bnei Yisroel questioning whether or not going into Eretz Yisroel was a good idea, which inexorably ended with Hashem's decreeing that Bnei Yisroel should wander the desert for forty years. This incident also led to the ninth day of Av being marked as a day of tragedy for all future generations. Only two of the original twelve spies refused to participate in the conspiracy of the others. Rashi cites the Gemara (Sotah 34b), which explains that Calev ben Yefunah traveled to Chevron to pray at the tombs of the patriarchs that he would not be ensnared in the plot of the others. Rava (ad loc) says that Moshe added a letter to Hoshea's name (a letter "yud" making his name Yehoshua, and creating Hashem's name with the first two letters) so that his name could be understood as meaning "Hashem should save you from the scheme of the spies." Why did Moshe only see fit to pray for Yehoshua? At the very least he could have also prayed for Calev, the other spy who didn't participate in the plot. This very same question seems to be bothering Targum Yonasan ben Uziel. The Targum comments on this very verse (13:16); "When Moshe saw his humility, he changed his name from Hoshea to Yehoshua." Yehoshua was a on a very high level and clearly was the greatest of all the heads of the tribes. He shadowed Moshe and was permitted to go on Mount Sinai where others were not. He also eventually succeeded Moshe Rabbeinu as leader of Bnei Yisroel, and as Rashi points out (Devarim 31:29), as long as Yehoshua was alive Moshe felt as if he himself was alive. Yet, Moshe saw Yehoshua's humility as a potential problem. Why? As we saw in last week's parsha (12:3), Moshe himself was the most humble person on the face of the earth! What was the problem with Yehoshua's humility? Moshe was concerned that Yehoshua's humility would prevent him from taking a stand against the other spies. The principal character trait of someone being modest and humble is the understanding that other people see things that he doesn't and that their perspective has some validity. Moshe was concerned that Yehoshua would be complicit with the other spies because his humility would prevent him from condemning them outright. Moshe himself had been vested with the responsibility of leading the Jewish people. Leadership requires making decisions that you feel are proper regardless of what others may think or say. Therefore, his responsibility to act in the best interest of Bnei Yisroel superseded his humility and it was thus not detrimental to his leadership ability. On the other hand, Yehoshua had not yet been chosen to be the leader of the Jewish people. Hence, his humility could possibly prevent him from taking a stand against them, so Moshe felt compelled to daven for Yehoshua.   Looking for more inspiration? Join one of Rabbi Zweig's live broadcast classes on RabbiZweig.com WYSIWYG Speak to Bnei Yisroel and say to them that they shall make themselves tzitzis on the corners of their garments...And they shall place upon the tzitzis of each corner a thread of turquoise. It shall then constitute tzitzis for you and shall see it and you shall remember all the commandments of Hashem... (15:38-39) This week's parsha ends with the instructions to make tzizis on our garments. This mitzvahis so precious and significant that all five verses have been incorporated as the final paragraph of the shema, which is said twice daily. Rashi (ad loc) says that the mitzvah of tzitzis reminds us of all the mitzvos in the Torah because the numerical value of the word tzitzis is 600 and there are 8 strings and 5 knots on every corner, equaling 613 - the number of mitzvos that Bnei Yisroel have to perform. Tosfos (Menachos 39a) points out, that in actuality, the Torah spells the word tzitzis without the second "yud." This renders the numerical value of the word tzitzis as 590 - not 600 as Rashi claims. Incredibly, Tosfos goes on to explain that the third instance of the word tzitzishas the letter "lamed" in front of it; if one divides the numerical value of 30 into the occurrences of the word tzitzis then we have an extra ten for each and we are back at Rashi's calculation of 600 as the numerical value of tzitzis. This Tosfos seems almost surreal; Tosfos doesn't usually give us far fetched explanations that sound like something made up by a school child. What does Tosfos mean? Remarkably, for something that is repeated twice every day of our lives, most of us fail to see that the simple translation of these verses do not seem to make sense: "they shall make themselves tzitzis on the corners of their garments...And they shall place upon the tzitzis of each corner a thread of turquoise. It shall then constitute tzitzis." What does the Torah mean they shall make tzitzis on the corners of their garments, then add a turquoise thread on the corner, and only then it shall constitute tzitzis? We already made it tzitzis in the first part of the verse! What does the Torah mean that after we add the techeles then it shall be tzitzis? Rashi (15:38) says that the word tzitzis has two meanings; the first meaning is tassels. By adding threads to the corner we now have tassels on each corner. The second explanation of tzitzis is to peer; as tzitzis are something to look at, as the possuk says; "and you shall look at it" (15:39). Rashi is giving us an incredible clue on how these pesukim are to be read: You should put tzitzis on each corner of your garment. Now you have tassels on each corner known as tzitzis. But that isn't enough. When you add the blue thread you are changing the essence of the tzitzis from merely tassels on a garment to something that you gaze at. As the Talmud (Menachos 43b) teaches, "The color blue is similar to the sea, which is like the clear blue sky, which is the color of the God's heavenly throne." In other words, gazing at the techeles reminds us of Hashem and, presumably, our obligation to keep all His mitzvos. Adding the techeles changes the very essence of the tzitzis. This is what Tosfos is telling us. The third occurrence of the the word tzitzis, which follows adding the techeles to each corner, refers to the change of the very essence of the tzitzisfrom tassels to something to gaze at to remind us of all the mitzvos. That's why the "lamed" that precedes it is divided with the other two to give each one a value of 600. Coupled with each one's 8 strings at 5 knots gives us 613 which, as the possuk so clearly states; "you will see them and be reminded of all the mitzvos of Hashem." Did You Know... In this week's parsha, the meraglim scout Eretz Yisroel, return with some huge fruit, and give a terribly slanderous report of the terrors that awaited Bnei Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel. Exactly how big were the fruit that they brought back? The Gemara (Sotah 34a) and the Me'em Lo'ez (Shlach 1 13:23) cite Sefer Yehoshua (4:2), that men had to carry a stone that weighed 40 se'ah each (even though those weren't the same men, they're assuming all men could lift that). The Me'em Lo'ez (Shlach 1, 13:23) explains that since a se'ah is about 17 pounds, each of the meraglim was able to lift about 680 pounds. In any case, the fact that one man was strong enough to carry this tremendous burden shows the great strength the Jews of time possessed (Tosofos Chadashim, pe'eh 6:6). In the Gemara (Sotah 34a) it explains that we can calculate how heavy the cluster of grapes were since we know eight people carried it. Additionally, we have a rule that a person can lift three times more than he can lift by himself when he's carrying it with other people. Therefore, the Me'em Lo'ez (ibid) explains that each person was able to carry over 2,000 pounds, which makes that one cluster a grand total of over 16,000 pounds, or 8 tons. To understand the enormity of this, the average car weighs around a measly 4,000 pounds. The Me'em Lo'ez continues and explains that this is why the place they cut them was called "the river of the cluster." The amount of wine that came from these grapes literally made a river. Besides the eight people who carried these grapes, one person carried a pomegranate and another a fig. Yehoshua and Calev refused to carry anything as they realized it would be used to slander Eretz Yisroel. When the giants saw them picking fruit, Talmai (one of the giants) roared at them, making them fall down unconscious out of terror. The giants woke them up gently and told them not to be afraid, as the "God of the Jews owns everything." The giants let them leave in peace, and were rewarded with long life until the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash. The Me'em Lo'ez cites another opinion, which says that the spies didn't want to take the fruit back, but Calev drew his sword and threatened to kill them if they didn't bring back the fruit to show how blessedly luxuriant they were (Tanchuma, Yalkut Shemoni). This Week's String of Reminders Parsha Breaks are short Divrei Torah (generally 5-7 minutes long) given by the Rosh HaYeshiva between Mincha and Maariv at one of the Yeshiva's daily minyanim.  These links can easily be downloaded on your smartphone.

Black Jews feel ‘alienated’ by Orthodox whites after anti-Semitic attacks

By Doree Lewak

January 11, 2020 | 3:08pm | Updated

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Bushwick resident, Yitz Jordan, is raising money to open a Jewish Community Center for Jews of color in Brooklyn next month.Annie Wermiel/NY Post

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When Raphael Fulcher heard about the Dec. 28 Hanukkah machete attack, in which five Orthodox Jewish men were allegedly stabbed by a black assailant — at a rabbi’s home just five blocks away from Fulcher’s Monsey home — he was shocked. And, as a black Orthodox Jew, he also braced himself for blowback.

Now, even just walking into his local kosher bagel shop, neighbors with whom Fulcher has so much in common are rattled by his presence.

“My brothers are afraid of me — that shouldn’t be. It’s a fear on a whole other level,” he told The Post. “You see it. You feel the tension.”

Last week at a Walmart, an Orthodox man accidentally bumped into the 32-year-old, whose parents converted to Judaism before he was born. “He had fear in his eyes — he was terrified of what I might do,” said Fulcher, whose winter hat and coat concealed his yarmulke and tzitzit, the knotted fringes worn as a sign of religious observance.

‘My brothers are afraid of me — that shouldn’t be. It’s a fear on a whole other level.’

 - Raphael Fulcher

With the recent spike in hate crimes in New York City — anti-Semitic ones were up 60 percent in 2019, according to the NYPD — Jews are on edge. And after a deadly December attack in Jersey City, in which a black couple shot up a kosher market, and several recent local assaults against Hasidic and Orthodox Jews allegedly perpetrated by African Americans, it’s a particularly stressful time for Jews of color navigating dual identities and, some say, experiencing discrimination within their own religious communities.

According to a research paper on population released last year by Stanford professors,“ Jews of color represent at least 12-15 percent of American Jews.”

“Black Jewish friends are sad they can’t mourn with fellow Jews without being [verbally] attacked by [them],” said black rabbi Shais Rishon, 37, who spoke at the Jewish unity rally in the city last weekend. “It’s frustrating when you’re trying to process a trauma in the Jewish community, and you’re being inundated with racial tirades — in some cases, personal.

“I feel like I have to defend both communities,” added Rishon, who is also known as MaNishtana. “Being outwardly Jewish doesn’t make us bulletproof. Some of us can’t even get into a synagogue we haven’t [visited] before.”

His website bio reads: “100% Black. 100% Jewish. 0% safe.”

Yitz Jordan is raising money to open a Jewish Community Center for Jews of color in Brooklyn next month. The Bushwick resident, who is 42 and officially converted 20 years ago, said he knows of other black Jews who are considering leaving the community due to feelings of detachment and discrimination.

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Raphael Fulcher, 32, is a black Orthodox Jew living in Monsey, New York.Richard Harbus

“It’s sad,” he told The Post, adding that people feel “alienated and ‘othered,’ [with their] concerns not validated.”

Now, some religious leaders say, it’s up to the white Jewish community to take a supportive stand.

“Not only should a Jew of color not have to feel defensive, the Jewish community should make them feel proud,” said Levi Welton, who is white and an Orthodox rabbi at the Lincoln Park Jewish Center in Yonkers. “Someone who cares about Torah not only should make someone feel accepted, but [know] you are the people, not just part of the people, with everything you bring to the table.”

Tania Lazarre, who is black and in the process of formally converting from being a non-Jew to Judaism, said the suspicion is “frustrating.”

After moving from Paris to the Upper West Side last year, the 24-year-old began visiting an area shul. Last week, the rabbi wanted to talk to her.

‘I usually do my prayers in public on the subway, but I won’t do it anymore. I’m afraid someone will attack me.’

 - Tania Lazarre

“This never happened before,” she told The Post. “He said, ‘I just want to know what your intentions are, what you enjoy about the community.’”

She believes it is related to a heightened sense fear in the community.

“I never had to prove myself before,” said Lazarre of her Jewish faith. “It’s very hard now, when you go to shul [and] fear that people think you don’t have good intentions.”

Still, she said of the rabbi’s cautious curiosity: “I totally understand.”

Lazarre added that, when it comes to hate crimes, she is just as fearful as any other Jewish person.

“I usually do my prayers in public on the subway, but I won’t do it anymore. I’m afraid someone will attack me,” she said. “If it’s a crazy person, they don’t care if you’re black or [white], as long as you’re Jewish.”

ALL Credit goes to The NYPOST

Anatomy of a Ban: Rav Shach’s Plaint on the Sha’arei Talmud Torah

The year was 1981,  Rabbi Professor Leo Levi was an accomplished scientist in the area of physics. More specifically he had published and lectured in the field of applied-optics. 

Rabbi Levi, was also a musmach of Rav Hutner and a former member of the kolel Gur Aryeh at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin. He also was a student and musmach of Rabbi Joseph Breuer ztl, of the historic Frankfurt community replanted in Washington Heights. 

Rabbi Levi combined his talents at a time when English language Jewish publication was proliferating.

He  had already published several works shedding light on the Torah’s view on issues of the day. The first as a student in the kolel. Vistas from Mt. Moriah. This book touches on social sciences and the ideas behind socialism.

The second book on the difficult calculations of the times of day pertaining to Torah laws called “Jewish Chrononomy”. The third book “Challenge”,  a collection of essays on science from a variety of practitioners is hardly readable by the layman – so I found it- and it deals with the “challenge” of scientific advancement where it contradicts the simple meaning of the Torah. There was also a book on the Torah’s view of marriage and a commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi Shevi’ith and Terumah. See here for the beautiful relationship the author had with Rabbi Carmell and Professor Domb z’l.

Then came Sharei Talmud Torah. This should have been an uneventful addition to the shelves of those who enjoy “likut” seforim, or the type of book that collects all the information on one particular topic. These books are often compiled by the scholarly type – those who are meticulously able to filter through the sources and compile them orderly. This was a Hebrew language sefer about the mitzvah of studying Torah.

Someone placed a box of this sefer in the famous lobby of the Ponevez Yeshiva, the “Sharei Asher” plaza. (I call it a plaza because while it is the lobby of the Yeshiva it is at the same time an open rotunda atop a hill overlooking the whole of Ramat Gan and the shores of Herzilia- a truly magnificent structure.)

Anyhow, the box of seforim stood out there for sale, where new seforim vie for the attention of the Yeshiva students. A copy of the sefer was shown to Rav Shach, the head of the Yeshiva and the recognized leader of the Torah community.

Now this sefer, which carried an approbation from Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzki ztl, was mostly innocuous. Informative. 

But the sefer wasn’t written with “kiddie gloves' '. It tackled several subjects that created controversy. Namely, the use of long-winded reasoning for the sake of argument ( or improving argumentary skills), the study of secular disciplines, Torah im Derech Eretz, and the pursuit of a career. 

Some may find it surprising that Rav Shach did not oppose the inclusion of Torah im Derech Eretz per se. (Elsewhere in his letters he praises the publishing of Rav Hirsch’s responsa by Rabbi Klugmann, and heaps praise upon Rav Hirsch ztl.) Rather he takes issue over  two places in which a scientific approach might have expressed itself in a cool, detached nuance- where a sefer would have spoken from a place of severe humility. 

The first instances appear in the chapters dealing with the “chiyuv”- the obligation- to study Torah. There you will learn that “Contemplate in them day and night”, is a blessing and not a command. You will learn that Rabi Yishmael, who called for everyone to embrace Torah from within a rationally structured livelihood is chief, and why Rabi Shimon bar Yochai was defeated in his call to learn only Torah- because it does not encompass all of life under the Torah (quoting Sefas Emes), and how receiving support for the study of Torah was frowned upon in many instances throughout the generations by great Torah scholars (long after the Rambam).  

Rav Shach countered that presenting these views to Yeshivah students “who the sefer is mainly directed at” – could weaken their resolve to study diligently! 

The second instance is in the chapter dealing with the use of long-winded reasoning for the sake of argument ( pilpul sheker). On this issue, ironically, the famous and pious ethicist Rabbi Israel Lipkin of Salant ztl takes the lenient view, or the more accepting approach. He allows for it as it expands the mind and the tools of argumentation. The author of Sharei Talmud Torah did not find any other opinion to support this view. To this he wrote, ” velo matzasi lo chaver” – “I have not found anyone who agrees with him (a friend)”. 

This expression by itself is in use among the writers of seforim, but, I have found, in a certain context it can be seen as dismissive. Some 20 years ago the popular Torah-journal “Yeshurun” included an article by the head of Agudas Yisroel, the Novaminsker Rebbe, (a former Rosh Yeshiva in the Breuers Kehilla,) Rav Yakov Perlow Shlita. In discussing different views on the ideal of every Torah scholar, “Torah Lishma”, or Torah for its own sake, he mentions the seminal work of the Lithuanian Torah  great Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, “Nefesh HaChaim”. After presenting the book’s unique, but widely accepted presentation he qualifies the view as a “chidush”, a novelae. The use and likely unintentional marginalization of the view was protested in a letter from the Brooklyn rabbi of European origin, Rav Yosef Katzenstien shlita. He later printed the chain of correspondence over this issue as a small book, “Lmaan Achai”.

But the issue of engaging in pilpul is seen by Rav Shach as a piece of a larger puzzle. The puzzle was the fight to keep Torah mastery among the Jewish nation. Rav Shach gently alludes to the idea of pilpul as part of the movement of the Yeshivah World, which has fully accepted the concept of Torah Lishma as laid out in the Nefesh Hachaim. The fight and the struggle for the knowledge of Torah. In this battle to understand the Torah, the scholar is not even supposed to be cognizant that he is engaged in a mitzvah- lest he be distracted. (Rav Shach was clearly taking issue with Rabbi Levi bringing alternate interpretations of Torah Lishma.)

In this battle, the Yeshiva student needs to leave everything behind and embrace Torah and its sweet song. The Yeshiva student in leaving everything behind needs to leave behind the call to a profession. He needs to abandon the “Toras imecha”, the soft teaching that the Torah exists in the greater scheme of the world so that everything in the world, every pursuit and every discipline of knowledge, is but a handmaid to the Torah. He even needs to leave behind the rules that decide the discipline of the Torah, no matter how many Geonim of previous generations espoused these ideas. He needs to delve into the Torah for the sake of the Torah itself. He needs to abandon the carefully written compilation of Rabbi Leo Levi. In fact he needs to put it in the genizah! 

My point is: Leo Levi created the most beautiful presentation of the many faces of Talmud Torah and the beauty of the Torah’s place among all of G-d’s holy creation. It is the mighty Torah itself! Soft as the mother’s teaching, authoritative as the father’s guiding command, always proper and always wise. Yet the one who wishes to enter its essence, will need to abandon all of this, if necessary, to isolate his thought and approach the thought of the Torah. 

In his approbation to the Shaarei Talmud Torah, which he refused to remove, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzki ztl praises the author for presenting the sources “without drawing  conclusions” since it is such a sensitive issue (Torah study) and “its parameters change according to the times.” 

This is truly a praiseworthy detachment. But in the view of Rav Shach, the detachment (necessary to write a scholarly rendition of the sources) is itself arriving at a conclusion. Bringing an array of sources, some of which need to be mitigated according to the structure of our society and the times- without properly mitigating them- is itself a danger. To Rav Shach who was waging a battle for the survival of the Yeshivos, it was akin to abetting the enemy in a time of war.

One who has entered the Yeshiva and tasted from the sweet waters of the Torah and absorbed the hashkafah of the Beis Hamedrash will do well, at a point where it is time for him to absorb the whole of the Torah and its place among the milieu of humanity to see the variety of forms and opinions that have guided and explained the important mitzvah of Talmud Torah. 

He should read this book.

Morenu Roseheim writes (in his, “Hirsch’s View on Culture”), that Torah im Derech Eretz aside, in Frankfurt, if there was a student who wished to become a rabbi or a scholar, he was sent east. Even the rigid Frankfurt kehilla acquiesced to the nature of study needed to become a master of the depth of the Torah. 

(The sefer was released in English in the late 1980s translated by Professor Levi’s brother Raphael z’l in Washington Heights, as well as later editions by Feldheim Publishers who agreed to reprint it after receiving a new aprobation from Rav Shmuel Kamenetzki shlita, stating that the concerns of the gedolim who shunned it have been adressed in the new volume. PRofessor LEvi z’l passed away just one month ago. He accepted the shunning of his sefer respectfully but lobbied to have it reprinted. He was extermely careful not to speak or hear lashon hora and held the Torah leaders in the highest esteem. I was a young Yeshiva student and received the book by a member of our Kehilla,)

All Credit Goes To breuers2gether.com

Rabbi Asher Zelig Rubenstein zt’l: A Life of Greatness and Emunah

I write these words with tears rolling down my cheeks having just heard the shocking news of my Rebbe’s sudden petirah. I think about my dear Rebbe whom I was zocheh to learn from for the past 13 years. I knew him as a rebbe, a father figure and a close advisor who always shared his wisdom and guidance based on Torah true values. His faith was rock solid and his passion for truth was contagious. The Yeshiva he built was a family and he and his Rebbetzin ybl”t were the loving parents who cared for our every need. He was Rosh Yeshiva of Toras Simcha in Yerushalayim and was proud of his thousands of Talmidim who lived in Eretz Yisrael, America, England and across the globe. He was a unique blend of Talmid Chocham, leader, baal mussar, mivakesh emes, worldly and a true baal eitza. Every fiber of his body was committed and in line with ratzon Hashem.

One of the first things that comes to mind is how he truly enjoyed life. He spent his time singing the praises of Hashem and giving thanks. He was a powerful educator who lived by example. His words were filled with warmth, care, understanding and a passion for truth.  If something had to be said he was unashamed to speak up. Although he once told me that by nature he was shy, his speeches were eloquent and powerful, and reverberated in the hearts of those present for a lifetime. The fact that he overcame his natural shyness was because he knew that emes had to be shared with power and eloquence. It is hard to believe that such a vibrant, powerful and outspoken advocate for truth had a shy bone in his body. We saw him as booming, authoritative and a man of great dignity and respect who carried the Torah and his talmidim on his large shoulders.

Indeed, the first conversation I ever had with him was to ask about coming to his yeshiva. I called him from America after being deeply moved by a tape I had heard from him. He asked me why I wanted to attend his yeshiva. I mentioned my interest in going to Eretz Yisrael. He explained, “I’m looking for students who want to grow in Torah and yiras shamayim. If someone is coming to Eretz Yisrael to waste their time and their parent’s money then my yeshiva is not for them. I am looking for students who want to grow and who want to seek truth. We are very normal here, we are a warm and loving family, but we are also very clear about our goal. Does this sound like something of interest to you?” I was impressed by his candid message and how willing he was to be open and honest. I was sold and I found out that his yeshiva was exactly as he described it- a place of serious growth with a warm and beautiful family atmosphere.

Greatness

Rav Asher always said, “Do you know what the most foul word is? It is: Mediocre! You must live a life of greatness, stay far away from mediocrity.” He would often tell this to the Chosson and Kallah at their wedding as he blessed them at the end and left a parting message. He would tell the Chosson, “treat your Kallah well” and to the Kallah, “encourage your Chosson to learn and fill the home with Torah.” If you wanted an example of this ideal you simply had to visit his home and watch him and the Rebbetzin interact.

He always encouraged us to visit gedolim and to get their brachos. When we took a yeshiva trip to Bnei Brak to get berachos Rav Asher spoke with excitement and awe about the berachos we received. He was only slightly younger than many of the rabbanim whom we visited but he shared with us how great they were in Torah and how being in their presence inspired him to grow.

Emes at All Costs

Rav Asher was a man who stood for absolute truth at all costs. He was first to share with you that he was brought up as a modern American boy who thought of rabbis as sitting in an ivory tower and unattached from reality. When he first came to Ponovitz Yeshiva at age 15 he was placed in Rav Shach’s shiur and was blown away by the vastness and greatness of Torah. He developed a close connection with the Ponovitzer Rav, Rav Yosef Kahanaman, and a deep relationship with the mashgiach Rav Chatzkel Levenstein. He saw how wrong his perceptions had been and how in tune and attached to reality the gedolim are.

During his second year in Eretz Yisrael his parents asked him to come home as he has agreed to learn for only one year and his brother was having his Bar Mitzvah in Far Rockaway. Knowing that this trip would signify the end of his learning but feeling that he needed to respect his parent’s feelings he decided to seek the Ponovitzer Rav’s advice as his daas Torah. Rabbi Kahanaman told him in no uncertain terms that he is to stay learning in the yeshiva at all costs and he could not leave for his brother’s bar mitzvah. Rav Asher accepted this psak and was able to really grow in learning without interruption. Even at a young age he appreciated the guidance and daas Torah of the Torah world’s leaders. He became an advocate for Talmidim who needed help requesting more time to learn from their parents.

I would often bump into yeshiva students and kollel avraichim who would smile when I told them I was a talmid of Rav Asher Zelig. They would say, “it was because of one shmooz that I heard from him that I decided to learn another year,” “Your Rebbe is a powerful speaker and he really influenced my decision to learn Torah.” It was hard to even keep track of what Rebbe was up to, he spent most of his day at Toras Simcha learning and davening with us, he gave shiurim throughout Eretz Yisrael at many yeshivos and in his home, he ran a kollel in Ashdod and he learned with many students in person and over the phone. Yet, despite his schedule he always had time for us. Whenever I needed to talk with him he made himself available. When I would call him he would greet me warmly and if he was unavailable he would call me back, usually within that same day.

Rav Asher told me that when he was a young man he was at a large crossroad and didn’t know what to do. He wrote a letter to his close Rebbe, Rav Chatzkal Levenstein explaining his dilemma. The response is printed in Ohr Yechezkal but out of humility Rav Asher only told me the part about how he should come back to Eretz Yisrael, a place of truth but omitted the flattering words that his rebbe wrote about him. Rav Chatzkal wrote: “I understand your dilemma and I know you well, you have tremendous potential in learning and teaching Torah and have had much success in your learning and influencing others. Come back from America to Eretz Yisrael and you will grow in kedusha and greatness, this is a place of truth where words of truth are best heard. Rav Asher was moved by the response and after deciding that he would follow his rebbe’s directive whole-heartedly and moving to Eretz Yisrael he wrote a letter to Rav Moshe Feinstein stating that, “I have made up my mind to move to Eretz Yisrael, can I now keep one day of Yom Tov there.” Rav Moshe’s famous opinion on the matter was printed as a response to Rav Asher’s question, the question which came because of Rav Asher’s conviction to follow his Rebbe’s advice. That was his way, he was a real shomeya, he listened and he took emes to heart.

Rav Chatzkal’s last message to Rav Asher before his passing was that he should use his speaking talents and share the emes that he learned in Ponovitz with his talmidim. This directive pushed Rav Asher to accept a position where he would be able to help others and share powerful words of truth.

Kindness

Rav Asher had the ability to make every talmid feel special. We all remember his huge smile, great hugs and pats on the back when you said something that he appreciated. He was profoundly encouraging and loved to hear about his student’s success. At the same time, he would share in student’s trails and challenges and would give words of comfort and encouragement in hard times and during personal challenges. He was always looking out for ways to help his students.

When I left the yeshiva, thirty-five boxes of seforim that belonged to me had to be shipped to America. My brother then joined the yeshiva and took on the task of transporting them to the drop off spot. My brother had trouble finding a cab willing to take the large boxed. Rav Asher found out about the issue when he left the yeshiva front door and saw all the boxes piled and waiting to be moved. He immediately told my brother that he would bring his van and help out. My brother refused and actually called me frantically to call the Rosh Yeshiva and ask him not to exert himself. When I called Rav Asher he would not hear it, “you are a talmid and I have a way to help you. When my son needs help transporting something I am there to help him.” And so it was.

On the morning of my wedding day I called Rav Asher who was being mesader to arrange last minute details. He then asked me, “Yosef, I know that you are prompt and want everything to run on time, what time do you want me to arrive by?” I was blown away by his thoughtfulness. He pressed me to respond honestly. When I told him my time he replied, “I will be there, and because of the rain I will even leave 30 minutes earlier!” He was sensitive to my needs and cared deeply to help me stay calm on that special day. After the chupa he wished us a hearty mazel tov and then made sure to wish both my parents and my wife’s parents “mazel tov and much nachas.” He was beaming with joy.

Simcha and Avodas Hashem

Watching Rebbe recite birchas hamazon was a famous and clear expression of his closeness and connection with Hashem. Many people used to watch him in awe and they would even ask him why he recited each word so slowly and with so much emotion. He always replied, “birchas hamazon is the time that we give credit to the zan es haolam, The Sustainer of the World and we beg Him for parnassah as well. That is what I am doing, I am giving thanks and asking for His support. It is a great zechus to stand before Him.”

Seeing him on Yom Kippur was like watching an angel. He would always talk about how on Yom Kippur we are so close to Hashem and every time that we say the name of Hashem we should pause for a moment to feel ourselves in front of him. It was very powerful. I really feel that his once a year message to us on Yom Kippur was the way he personally lived and acted the entire year. When you watched him say “Baruch ata Hashem,” you felt drawn into the holiness and closeness to Hashem. On Shavuos night Rebbe used to be honored with reciting Akdamos. At that late hour many people are falling off their feet from the learning, but he recited it with lightning and gusto, if you were dosing off during that challenging shachris you were awoken by his song.

Watching him make Kiddush Friday night was powerful. He would give a short message to those present that Shabbos is a time to strengthen our emunah in Hashem. His simcha on Yom Yov was palpable. He loved his family and children and he loved his students and their families. I merited to spend many succos meals with him and his family and his joy radiated from his face. The first year after I got married my wife and I spent Succos in Yerushalayim and ate by the Rubensteins. Rav Asher made sure to give a very warm and thoughtful introduction about me and our connection before asking me to say a Dvar Torah. Him and his family made my wife feel right at home. Rav Asher loved to sing. He would ask all his guests if they wanted to share a vort or a niggun. If they declined then he would provide one.

He was practical and down to earth. He once told me that many people accuse rabbis for being ignorant of the world around them. “I wish that I did not know about the horrible things that go on outside of the walls of the beis midrash, but I need to understand what I and my talmidim face so that I can give useful advice.” He was understanding of family needs and encouraged Talmidim to live within their means. His motto was that we don’t need to live fancy but we certainly can buy quality items that will be respectful for our home and will last.

Emunah Peshutah

Rav Asher’s emunah was powerful. He lived a simple life never seeking fame or honor. He knew his rule as a leader in the yeshiva and he was not afraid to speak up when emes had to be shared. He practiced everything that he preached. Almost every single talk that I ever heard from him contained two things 1- the idea of emunah and 2- a mention of Rav Chatzkal (or occasionally another rebbe of his such as Rav Benzion Bruk, Rav Avraham Yafin or others.)

I never saw him flustered by anything. I once asked him how he stays so calm despite any challenges such as health or financial. He told  me that Hashem is the all capable, the One who is Mativ and the one who takes care of us, where is there room for worry?

When he first moved to Eretz Yisrael the financial situation was dire. He told me that the Rebbetzin and him learned Chovos HaLevavos Shaar HaBitachon and learned to put their faith in Hashem. Chovos HaLevavos was one of his favorite seforim and he often recommended Shaar HaBitachon to his students. Another Sefer that he told everyone to learn is Nefesh HaChaim Shaar Deled (only). He said it had a profound impact on him and helped him understand the greatness of Torah.

Whenever I would talk with him after he offered his advice he would say “daven to the Kadosh Baruch Hu, because only he can help you.” Rebbe’s Shemoneh Esrei instilled emunah in us as we saw how much he enjoyed speaking with Hashem as a servant before his master. His emunah was palpable.

Derech HaLimud

Having spent almost three years in Rav Asher’s Gemara shiur and having learnt with him for a number of months in preparation from the shiur I can say that his Derech HaLimud had a profound impact on my learning style. When I first joined the shiur I was taken aback by the conversation style, the Rosh Yeshiva opened the shiur by stating that we are all chavrusos and would have a discussion. I thought he was joking as I was expecting a lecture. But we would read the Gemara, Rashi and Tosfos and bring up all the issues together, then we would bring in the Rishonim to better understand how they arrived at their conclusions. Rav Asher was not afraid to allow others to speak and he felt that it brought out the pshat in a powerful way. Any time anyone said a good explanation he would make sure to give credit to them. Any time we made an incorrect suggestion, he would respectfully and carefully show us where our logic or assessment does not align with the Gemara or Rishonim.

Rav Asher told me that when he came to Ponovitz on the first day his friends and him just sat in Rav Shach’s shuir and took notes silently as he talked. After ten minutes of this Rav Shach slammed his Gemara closed and stopped talking. “What is going on here? You are just copying down what I am saying like it’s Torah min HaShamayim. I will not allow this. If you want to learn you have to speak up and add to the discussion, that is how we will all grow together.” This was Rav Asher’s approach which he learned well from his rebbe.

Dating and Marriage Advice

Rav Asher found himself dealing with many talmidim who were dating. He began to deliver a vaad for them to help them. This turned into a tape series which has been widely distributed. His advice is powerful and practical. He was involved and personally made many shidduchim for his students. He felt very strongly that a boy and girl who agreed to meet once should always have a second date (unless one of them adamantly refused). He felt that it was always best to give it a second chance and I know of tens of people who are only married today because of his advice.

Rav Asher has great nachas to see his talmidim married. He would call in students when he thought they were ready to date and encourage them to prepare themselves for marriage. He had many tapes that shared valuable advice about relationships and understanding the other gender. He once told me that it is extremely important to marry a great spouse, “Do you think that I would have become anything if not for my wife?!” I saw the tears in his eyes.

He had many great insights into human nature and he spoke about the importance of respecting your spouse’s needs and desires. Watching him interact with his wife was a powerful lesson in shalom bayis and respect.

I was once at his house for Shabbos lunch and there was a guest who was there with me who was trying to rush the pace of the meal. Rav Asher asked him if he wanted to bench so that he could leave but the person said he would wait. When he grew more inpatient Rav Asher whispered something in his ear and the man stopped his antics. I was sitting one seat over and I heard it: “My dear wife spent hours preparing this delicious Shabbos meal, please let me say a Dvar Torah which she enjoys and let the guests eat so that my wife will know that her hard work is appreciated.” At every single meal that I attended he was always the first one to compliment his wife’s great cooking and to thank her.

Humility

He was a man of truth and always spoke about other rabbanim and what he would learn from them. He told me that whenever he saw Rav Asher Arieli shlit”a he was moved to increase his own hasmadah in learning. Rav Tzvi Meyer was a talmid of Rav Asher at Itri. Rav Asher told me, “that man is a fireball of Yiras Shamayim and I sit by his feet to hear his beautiful and powerful divrei torah.” Many times I asked him how he was zocheh to have 11 children who are all Bnei Torah. He would tell me, “ask my wife it is to her credit.” My wife actually asked the Rebbetzin, she said that her and the Rosh Yeshiva never davened to have nachas from their children, they davened that Hashem should have nachas from their children, and this way they too would enjoy nachas. The home of the Rosh Yeshiva was filled with Torah and Yiras Shamayim. It was a place of great simcha and hasraas HaShechina in a powerful and palpable way. I have the fondest memories of Purim with the Rosh HaYeshiva and every other Yom Tov. Rebbe pushed us to learn and to grow each day and he led us by example.

Conclusion

Rav Asher once told me that he was a witness at a wedding where Rav Beinish Finkel was misader kiddushin. Rav Beinish turned to the two witnesses and said, “do teshuva for any sins that you have to make sure that you are not pasul to be a witness” Rav Asher commented to me that he was so frightened he started to say vidoy to himself. He took things to heart and was deeply moved in situations where others would have simply let the inspiration get lost.

Indeed, the relationship that my brother and I developed with our beloved Rebbe became a family relationship as well. My parents and siblings all knew Rebbe and were zocheh to host him just two months ago when he came in for Shabbos for my brother’s wedding. My mother’s first words when she spoke to me tonight were a bitter cry, “Who will be your Rebbe now?” A question that needs to be answered for thousands of us who merited to know Rav Asher and to call him Rebbe. We must carry on his life’s mission, we must take his passing to heart and commit not to ever forget the truth that he stood for.

I think back to September 11, 2001 when the world was in turmoil and we at the yeshiva did not know how to react. Rav Asher called for an immediate assembly at the end of seder and told us that whatever Hashem does in this world is a message for us to take to heart and to learn from. Our job is to keep up the learning and growth and not to forget why we are here. Rav Asher always taught us to take stock of our lives and to live according to the truth that we know in our hearts.

Many of my close friends from yeshiva have been calling me since hearing the news and asking me what to do. I think that the most powerful response is to remember Rebbe’s love of Hashem, of Torah, of life and instill this into our everyday life. This will be the greatest aliya for his neshama. This was the greatness that he embodied.

Yhi zicro baruch. All Credit goes to the Author and The YWN Website