HaRav Eliezer Ginsburg
The great aveidah of the Rosh Yeshiva is a fulfillment of what the Pasuk tells us, U’lechol ha-yad hachazakah u’lechol hamora hagadol asher asah Moshe… Rashi tells us that this refers to the Luchos, as Moshe Rabbeinu received the Torah in the Luchos that were in his hands. {The Luchos contained the Aseres HaDibros that contain a remez to all of Torah.}
In our context, we must remember that the name of the Rosh Yeshiva zt”l was Rav Aharon Moshe Schechter zt”l, the two names hinting to the two hands of the Rosh Yeshiva zt”l. AHARON: This name hints to the Rosh Yeshiva’s being very careful to guard the chashivus, importance of a Ben Adam and even more so the chashivus of every Ben Torah and Talmid Chochom. The Chiddush, novelty of the Rosh Yeshiva was not just his acharayus, responsibility to teach Torah to Klal Yisroel. It was additionally his unbelievable patience to give away so much of his time to ensure that so many talmidim would understand his approach to Torah and the overall hanhagah demanded of a Ben Torah. The Rosh Yeshiva was able to uplift a bochur’s understanding of the greatness of a gadol b’Torah who transmits Torah to the next generation, and to fully be mevateil oneself to the Mosrei HaTorah.
He himself vividly portrayed this in the way he was mevateil daas to his great rebbe – Rosh Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin - Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l. There were times when questions of hashkafa and Daas Torah posed to him were not answered until he put much time and deliberation into them. He explained that he was thinking of how his rebbe Rav Hutner would have answered the same question. In addition, the Rosh Yeshiva made sure that the tzurah of a Talmid Chochom should be one of beauty and majesty, that is deserving of one that is totally immersed in Limud HaTorah.
Sadly, there is a terrible lack of Kavod HaTorah inherent in the usage of technology. The cell phone should never be the Levush of a Ben Torah! The Rosh Yeshiva was so makpid that a cell phone should not be used in the Beis Medrash, that he extended his takanah even to the hallway or other parts of the building the Beis Medrash is located in. U’Belechtecha Baderech is only accomplished with pure thoughts of Torah and connection with the Borei Olam, not by walking in the street while talking on a cell phone. The Rosh Yeshiva was makpid that talmidim not have their shirts sticking out of their pants, for he felt this is also a lack of Kavod HaTorah. He insisted that every aspect of a Ben Torah should be dignified, including his dress and the way he talks. He would correct people when he felt their language was lacking respect. Besides the sur mairah of what not to do (in terms of Kavod HaTorah) the Rosh Yeshiva also had a matzav of Kum Vaasei of what to do to increase Kavod HaTorah. If the Rosh Yeshiva saw a Talmid Chochom that was on the madreigah that he deserved to wear a “frock”, (a long black jacket), he would tell him so, even if this Talmid Chochom was not even part of Yeshivas Rav Chaim Berlin. {This was done to increase Kavod HaTorah in general, not just for his own Yeshiva or Kollel.}
When the gzeria to draft b’nei Torah was started in Eretz Yisroel, the Rosh HaYeshiva zt”l led the fight here in America to block this terrible decree. His daas Torah was that no one was in a yeshiva, under any circumstance, should be taken into the Israeli army. He felt that every ben Torah in yeshiva is a benefit for Klal Yisroel and brings nachas ruach to the Borei Olam. The Rosh Yeshiva also was mekayem the Mishnah in Masechta Avos, Hevay mekabeil es kol haadam beseiver panim yafos. His wonderful smile lit up the room and radiated the Schechinah. It captivated young and old alike and it brought many closer to Torah. I was zoche to be a talmid in the Rosh Yeshiva’s shiur for two years, learning Masechtos Chulin and Baba Kama. His hearas panim when giving the shiurim uplifted us to learn with yegiah and ameilus, just like we saw by the Rosh Yeshiva zt”l.
MOSHE: With the Rosh Yeshiva we all saw the greatness of putting unbelievable “rikuz,” focus and concentration on the Torah one is learning and answering any questions presented in learning. The Rosh Yeshiva taught us the importance of not just learning Torah with shitchiyus, superficiality. He himself was a living example of ameilus and yegiyah in havonas haTorah. The Rosh Yeshiva also represented what it means to devote oneself to one’s rebbeim. The Rosh Yeshiva was known for his gevaldige bitul to the Baal Pachad Yitzchok zt”l, and to ensuring that the Rosh Yeshiva’s mesorah would continue on to so many talmidim. On the Rosh Yeshiva we can say that he was Lo mash maiohalah shel Maran HaPachad Yitzchok.
I would also like to share a personal story that happened with myself and lhbc”l the Rosh Yeshiva zt”l. Many years ago I was mechubad to be a Mesadeir Kiddushin at a chasunah. As I was writing the tenoim, I saw that the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Aharon Schechter zt”l walked in. I stood up quickly and asked the Rosh Yeshiva, zt”l to be Mesadeir Kiddushin in my place. He vehemently refused, then said that under no circumstance would he take the Sidur Kiddushin. He then explained that the Mesadeir Kiddushin is the shaliach of the Chasan, who made you Mesadeir Kiddushin, not me. To this very day, I feel that his real reason was to be mechabed me as the new rav in Agudas Yisroel Zichron Shmuel. Whatever the reason, I learned a great lesson - to give up one’s own kavod for the sake of being mechazek another ben Torah. There are undoubtedly so many other things to learn from the Rosh Yeshiva, but I hope that this should be a haschalah learning from all his great ways.
Yehi Zichro Baruch.
