Today is Rabbeinu's yahrtzeit - so a few words lichvodo. I started listening to his shiurim about 30 plus years ago and I have learned a LOT! There was and is nobody alive like him [of who I am aware] who can give shiurim like his. He is sorely missed by so many.
1] I said "lichvodo" so a word about Kavod [not Covid]. It was one of his favorite topics. He was a person who was כולו אומר כבוד. He radiated an incredible amount of dignity. [I think I am envious of that trait b/c I don't think that people get that from me and that is a huuuuuge chisaron in me. I would be embarrassed if he would read the blog - like the previous two posts.... He would probably think that I am a letz and there are few middos worse than that. I have to work on it...]. He spoke time and time again [from the Hakdama of the Baal Hamaor to Brachos] about the dignity of man and that his Neshama is called "Kavod" [as in למען יזמרך כבוד]. We are a generation that is so filled with everything that is the opposite of Kavod. The way people speak, the Nivul Peh that is everywhere both in the spoken word and in print, the discourse on social media, the notion of "Facebook" - posting pictures so that the whole world can see etc. etc. All of this is the polar opposite of Kavod.
On the other hand - he DESPISED Kavod. He could not take it when he was given Kavod. He once cried out that only Hashem is the Melech Hakavod and how can we take Kavod for ourselves.
2] He had a unique, piercing perspective of current events and was able to give incredible shiurim relating to what is going on in the world without ever lowering the discussion and actually talking directly about what is happening. But if you understood - you knew what he was relating to and what his opinion was.
3] He might not have had the most Talmidim in the world but I can't think of anybody who had so many high quality talmidim. Among others, Rav Dovid Cohen Shlita the RY of Chevron and Rav Shmuel Yaakov Borenstein ztz"l - both massive Gedolei Yisroel, considered themselves his talmidim.
Today there are numerous people who are very popular but it is a lot of fluff with very little substance. Rav Moshe was only substance with zero fluff. Today - charisma is what sells a lot more than true gadlus. Rav Moshe was true gadlus in all parts of Torah.
4] He just about NEVER EVER said a word about himself. Not about himself and not about his family and not about his talmidim. He lost a very young daughter which caused him unspeakable pain but I never heard him once mention it in all of the years. Remarkable. It was not about him. He was just a conduit to transmit Torah. So he was בטל ומבוטל to the message he was conveying. He was such an incredible Gavra Raba and at the same time nullified himself. See how much people talk about themselves. The amount that they do says a LOT about them.
5] Never did a shiur [in machshava] go by without him making it li-myse at the end. All of the ideas aren't worth anything if they do not translate into an improvement of our behavior.
6] He gave a shiur in Kodshim in a certain Hesder yeshiva for a period of time [it was a huuuge shlep to get there. He took buses]. From what I understand - the shiur died out for lack of interest. Amazing. A [future] Gadol Bi-Yisrael can give the most incredibly profound shiurim and people just aren't interested. This is not the first such instance in history. I have watched a Gadol Bi-Ysrael give shiurim offered to the public where 3 and a half sleepy men showed up.... Lesson: Take advantage of Gedolei Torah if you can!!!
7] He was a huge davener. When his daughter was sick, someone observed him in the hospital when he davened shmoneh esrei for an hour and a half. He gave countless shiurim on Tefillah and how it is the essence of who we are. For years, he would get up reaaaallllyy early and daven vasikin at the Kotel. We could all use chizzuk in Tefillah.
8] I sometimes hear people speaking Torah and I am embarrassed. When Torah is given over in a superficial way it is a Chilul Hashem and Chilul HaTorah. I am also very embarrassed at how religious Jews act at times. Listening to Rav Moshe's profound Torah given over in such a dignified manner and his regal personality made me PROUD to be a Torah Jew. He was a walking Kiddush Hashem.
9] He never spoke down to his audience. He didn't water down the ideas or engage in rhetorical tricks to get people interested [he said that תורת הנאום is תורת הבלוף]. He presented undistilled Torah and expected his listeners to elevate themselves to understand what he was saying.
10] He gave incredible shiurim on the topic of Asara Bi-teves. It was a subject that really burned inside of him.
He was niftar on Asara Bi-teves.
זכותי יגן עלינו ועל כל ישראל אמן!!!!
