Rav Avrohom Chaim Tanzer zt”l

ALL Credit goes to Matzav.com September 30, 20204:15 pm

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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rav Avrohom Chaim Tanzer zt”l.

Rabbi Tanzer served for over 55 years as rosh yeshivah of the Yeshiva College of South Africa, located in Johannesburg.

Born in 1935 and a native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Rabbi Tanzer later learned at Telshe Yeshivah in Cleveland, benefitting from the roshei yeshiva, Rav Elya Meir Bloch and Rav Mottel Katz,

After marrying his wife, Marcia, who hailed from Baltimore, Rabbi Tanzer learned in kollelat Telshe Yeshivah in Cleveland. Then, in 1963, he, at age 27, with his wife and their three young children, picked up and relocated to Johannesburg, thinking they’d remain for a couple of year at most. The Tanzers remained for over five decades, making a profound impact on the Orthodox community there.

The Tanzers arrived in South Africa at the height of the apartheid regime, three years after Sharpesville, when many white South Africans began to choose the opposite route, leading to a wave of emigration. This pivotal time in the political life of the country was accompanied by a Jewish renaissance in which rabbi Tanzer played a major role. Overriding their initial planned stay, they planted roots by remaining in the country for over 50 years. This allowed the Tanzers to ride the cusp of two unique experiences: a political emancipation from four and a half decades of apartheid and a Jewish reawakening after two generations of spiritual slumber.

Rabbi Tanzer’s commitment to the community stretched far beyond the institutions that he led, thus enabling him to have a far wider reach and influence. This forged him to the forefront of Johannesburg Jewry, guiding and shepherding people through a chaotic, destabilizing transformation that led to the creation of a “rainbow nation.” Despite his soft-spoken gentleness, he played a major role in transforming the Johannesburg Jewish community.

Today, the Yeshiva College campus, with its school and minyanim, is a powerhouse of Torah learning and living that has had an impact on the entire Johannesburg Jewish community and, by extension, South African Jewry and the Jewish people worldwide.

Rabbi Tanzer led a mosad that is comprised of over 1,000 students from elementary school through high school, along with a kollel, shiurim, and programs for women, as well as numerous minyanim throughout the week and Shabbos, thanks to Rabbi Tanzer’s influence and leadership.

“At its heart was the brilliance, warmth, kindness, and clarity of vision of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Tanzer,” South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein remarked.

Yehi zichro boruch.

 

The Key to National Security Other nations - even our allies - have been threatening us that we are in danger of political and international isolation. Should we really fear isolation?

By: Rabbi Lazer Brody All the Credit goes to him and https://www.breslev.co.il

Other nations - even our allies - have been threatening us that we are in danger of political and international isolation. According to Moses, isolation is not something to be afraid of. Indeed, for the Nation of Israel, it's even desirable. Moses declares in his final blessing of his people shortly before his departure from the physical world: And Israel shall dwell securely, alone (Devorim 33:28).   Every year, we read the above passage on Simchat Torah, the day following the termination of the Succoth holiday, when we complete the annual reading of the Torah and begin anew.   Let’s ask ourselves two basic questions: First, what’s the connection between the above-mentioned passage and Succoth? Second, what’s the eternal teaching of the above passage?   Succoth is concrete proof that the Nation of Israel is the nation of emuna and therefore above nature. The holy Zohar calls the Succa, “The shadow of emuna”; in other words, who one dwells in the Succa is literally enveloped in the Divine Presence, tzila d’mehemnuta, the shadow of emuna. Spiritually, there is no safer place on earth.   How seemingly odd…   Jewish law requires that the Succa be a temporary dwelling. The roof of a succa must be natural material that grows from the ground, such as river canes, tree branches, palm leaves and the like. The average Succa roof can’t support the weight of a cat. A strong rain is enough to chase a family out of the Succa. A good strong wind can send one’s Succa roof into orbit around the neighborhood.   That’s security?   It sure is.   The Succa is a place to learn and acquire emuna. We leave our permanent dwellings at a time when the weather starts getting cold. We learn that the only real security we have over our heads is not the roof of our permanent dwelling, but Hashem. For seven days a year, Hashem wants us to teach us how to completely entrust ourselves to His care, as King David says (Psalm 31:6), “I place my spirit in Your hands.”   The intrinsic message of the Succa is that with a Jew, the illogical is logical and the supernatural is natural. Hashem’s relationship to His chosen people is on a completely different level than His “way of the world” relationship with the nations.   Normally, one feels secure under a concrete roof. But with bunker busters and non-conventional weapons, reinforced concrete no longer gives a person a feeling of security. That’s the point of the Succa: under the palm-leaves or the river-reed roof – knowing that we are enveloped in the Divine Presence – we feel true security, for beneath a thatched roof in the Divine Presence is ever so much safer than under a concrete and steel roof in an environment devoid of holiness and therefore without the protection of the Divine Presence.   Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn’t it? Eyes devoid of emuna see the Succa as some type of Jewish play house. But, with eyes of emuna, we know that the Succa is the real deal; that’s why the pious almost never leave their Succa for an entire week. Who wants to leave the Divine Presence even for a moment?   During Succoth, the nations of the world look at us like we’re crazy, but that doesn’t deter the believer from happily erecting and dwelling in his Succa. That’s the answer to our first question, namely, what’s the connection between “And Israel shall dwell securely, alone” and Succoth? We, the nation of Israel, know that our national security doesn’t depend on armaments and fortifications. On the contrary – the only safe place in the world for a Jew is in a place where the Divine Presence hovers, and that’s the Succa! Symbolically, we alone dwell in the Succa; no other nation does. By dwelling alone, we live lives of emuna while protecting ourselves from both ideological and physical assimilation. The natural law that pertains to the nations of the world has nothing to do with the Nation of Emuna.   This brings us to our second question: what’s the eternal teaching of “And Israel shall dwell securely, alone”?   The subject of national security is one that never leaves the headlines of Israeli media. Especially in recent times, when no border can be termed “calm” and even countries who have no border with us such as Iran and Turkey threaten us, politicians are knocking themselves over to find solutions to national security. They haven’t been succeeding very well, as current affairs bear witness.   The moment our leaders recognize that for Israel, national security depends on two conditions: one, that we dwell alone – both physically and ideologically – within the Divine Presence and without outside influence. That means that our homes and our land must be places of holiness, and like the Succa, worthy of the Divine Presence. So with all due respect to democracy, the Land of Israel cannot stand public displays of debauchery in any shape or form, for this is national suicide.   Second, our national security depends on emuna. We must realize that as the chosen people, Hashem requires us to live our lives according to the spiritual rule of emuna, which supersedes any natural concept of security such as military advantage. So by learning emuna, we strengthen ourselves and our country. That’s the key to our national security. Chag Sameach!

A Quote from Rav Meliech Biderman Shlita on Yom Kippur

 Time is a creation. This is the reason time has limitations, such as before and after. There is one day a year that is above time: Yom Kippur. On this day, we don’t eat or drink; we become like malachim, heavenly beings, beyond the boundaries of the physical world.

Insight Parshas Ha'azinu from Yeshiva Beis Moshe Chaim/Talmudic University

 From Finite to Infinite

   

The deeds of the Mighty One are perfect, for all His ways are just. He is a faithful God, never unfair; righteous and moral is He (32:4).

 

This week's parsha discusses Hashem's attribute of justice and His ultimate system of reward and punishment. Rashi (ad loc) quoting the Sifri (307) explains; "Hashem is faithful to pay the righteous for their righteousness in the World to Come. Even though He postpones their reward, in the end He makes His words trustworthy." Rashi continues, "And for the wicked as well, He pays the reward for their righteousness in this world." Meaning, Hashem is trustworthy to pay everyone what they are owed for their good deeds; the righteous receive it in the World to Come and the wicked receive their full payment in this world.

This is difficult to understand. The Gemara (Kiddushin 39b) quotes Rava as saying, "The reward (for fulfilling mitzvos) is not given in this world." The reason for this is based on the understanding that man's ultimate purpose in this world is to earn a relationship with Hashem, which is the ultimate good that Hashem intended to bestow on mankind. Man can create a relationship with Hashem by doing mitzvos, thereby enabling himself to connect to the infinite.

But we live in a finite world with a finite existence. Any reward earned for an infinite act by definition cannot be paid in this finite world because it would be woefully inadequate. This is similar to trying to pay your mortgage with Monopoly money. For this reason, the true reward for mitzvos is only available in the World to Come.

Imagine for a moment that a person who knows nothing about precious stones goes to a jeweler to buy a diamond. The jeweler sizes him up immediately and realizes that if he gives this customer a big sparkly cubic zirconia "diamond" he will be just as happy, never knowing the difference. Does this mean that the jeweler can deceive this customer? Of course not. Just because the customer would be satisfied doesn't entitle the jeweler to cheat him by taking full price for a diamond but only delivering a cubic zirconia.

Similarly, how can Hashem, who is the ultimate judge and creator of the ultimate system of justice, cheat wicked people by giving them a finite reward for an infinite act? It seems grossly unjust. To answer that Hashem rewards individuals based on what they perceive as valuable seems as wrong as the jeweler delivering a cubic zirconia instead of a real diamond.

What's the difference between a person who is a millionaire and one who isn't? Ultimately, it may be only one penny; if a person has $999,999.99 he simply isn't a millionaire. Likewise, Rambam teaches us that the difference between a wicked person and a righteous one may be that one single mitzvah or aveirah that puts one over the edge.

We see from here that more often than not a label isn't the complete picture of what something is. Most designations are generally an amalgamation of different forces. One of the great kindnesses of Hashem is that a person who has slightly more mitzvos than aveirosis considered a "tzaddik." Whereas a 51% score on a test in school is a failing grade, Hashem nevertheless still credits this effort as having "passed." This "tzaddik" designation means that Hashem, in His boundless mercy, considers good deeds eternal acts if they simply outnumber a person's aveiros.

People have conflicting forces within their psyche. Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah 9:1) explains that wicked people are motivated by lust for physical pleasures, while righteous ones are motivated to act for the sake of heaven. While the vast majority of mitzvos can be physically and/or emotionally satisfying, we must never lose sight of the fact that the reason we do them is because Hashem requires it and doing those mitzvos draws us nearer to Him.

The reason that wicked people are paid for their righteous acts in this finite world is because their motivation for doing mitzvos isn't to be drawn nearer to Hashem; this is evidenced by the fact that the majority of their acts are aveiros. Thus, even when they do mitzvos they are not infinite acts, as their motivation isn't a relationship with Hashem but rather they are driven by personal desires. They may deserve reward because they acted properly, but when the majority of their actions are avairos they do not deserve an infinite reward. Hashem therefore pays them in this world - a finite reward for a finite action.

A Quote from Rav Meliech Biderman Shlita on Rosh Hashana

 Rebbe Moshe of Kobrin zt'l asks, we say in the Rosh Hashanah Shemonei Esrei, קדוש שמך ונורא אתה” ,You are holy and Your name is awesome." So how can we ask You for our material, gashmiyos, needs? It doesn’t seem proper to ask for such things from the great King. However, מבעלדיך אלו״ה ואין ,there is no G-d other than You. Where should I turn to get my needs, if not from You? Therefore I must ask You for my material needs, too."

A spiritual treat: Shabbos with Rabbi Wachsman

 

HAS a piece of music ever brought you to laughter?

Not me. This doesn’t happen, at least in my experience.

Yet, music can bring a person to tears.

So can a moving sermon, story, or piece of writing.

Congregation Ahavas Torah in Monsey, New York, is place where one is moved to laughter, or to tears.

Or to deep thought.

Absent an overwhelming, Carlebach-type davening with its scripted tunes, the mark of Ahavas Torah in Monsey is spontaneity, a joyous outreaching to G-d.

Sometimes one is transported with an entire tune, other times with the merest musical phrase. Always, standing in front is Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman.

Sometimes he is the conductor, sometimes the conducted. But always, the rabbi, and indispensable.

His music is, yes, music. Some of the tunes in his shul I have heard nowhere else. He is a profound composer of melodies to familiar prayers, such as the introduction to the Grace after Meals (shir ha-ma’alos, the 126th psalm).

Even more, his “music” is the seamless tapestry of Jewish thought that he spins right in front of your eyes, in the merest of minutes.

Some rabbinic preachers cite authorities left and right to show that they can. Some cite sources in a stilted sense, either missing the feel of the source or mismatching it with another. I have heard more than my share of preachers whose textual sources don’t really fit together, or don’t really say what the preacher says they say.

With Rabbi Wachsman, the sources blend and assume new shades and textures with the greatest of ease and profundity, like a diamond rotating in the sun, sending out new shafts of light, each integral to the origin point.

With Rabbi Wachsman, an idea from the Elder of Slobodka, a comment of the Rizhiner Rebbe, a midrash, a Rashi, a technical point in Jewish law — the one flows into and illuminates the next, and is illuminated by the next, all coming together to convey a cogent and significant idea.  

I HAD the privilege of listening to Rabbi Wachsman four times last Shabbos. He first entered my consciousness a few years ago in the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey. The occasion was the massively attended conclusion of the seven-and-a-half-year cycle of the daily page of Talmud study, the “siyyum ha-Shas.” Rabbi Wachsman electrified the audience with his talk.

I made a mental note.

Little did I know that Dr. Seymour and Lynn Kushnir, the parents of the young man who would become one of our sons-in-law, were members of his synagogue in Monsey, New York.

And so, when I found myself in his shul I learned — as he is in his thought, so he is in his person.

He dresses like a chasid, yet was trained in the bastion of the opposite side of the spectrum, the Lakewood yeshiva. He is equally at home with the chasidic masters (this week it was the Rizhiner Rebbe), the musar masters (this week it was the Elder of Slobodka, mentor of Lakewood’s founder) and the wide range of halachic masters.

Perhaps of equal note is his congregation. The members are by turns good listeners, questioners, and inquirers, not to mention capable of being moved — and of moving others, via their davening.

I was a visitor. I really don’t know the scene and cannot evaluate various other information that flowed into my ears, such as: Rabbi Wachsman knows a lot of science; Rabbi Wachsman plays musical instruments and has written skits for summer camps; Rabbi Wachsman has memorized large tracts of Talmudic literature; Rabbi Wachsman has founded a yeshiva that, in short order, is on a great growth spurt.

I know only one thing. Although I do not have the opportunity to get to Monsey, New York very often, I can I look forward to a spiritual treat: Shabbos at Congregation Ahavas Torah.

All Credit goes to Rabbi Hillel Goldberg