B'chasdei Hashem, over the past almost 20 years, Beis Mevakesh Lev has produced over 13,300 audio shiurim and over 31,000 written posts, unmatched by any one-person website - all completely free of charge. There are no paywalls or anything else. Now we are turning to you for help so we can continue - any amount will help. Even 99 cents! Thank you to my sweetest and most beloved friends!!!:-)!!
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Moshe Goldberg, the grandson of the "Illui" from Meitchet, told me: 'My grandfather lost his writings on a trip from Europe. He held the suitcase with great care, so the thieves thought there was a financial treasure there and snatched it from his hand. My mother told me that when the train was moving, they saw pages and pages of his chiddushim flying in the air, and there was nothing they could do. [Apparently, after the thieves discovered that there was no financial treasure there, they threw them away in disappointment]. My grandfather died at the age of 50 from a mild gum infection, when there were no antibiotics yet, something that would be easily solved today. The widow devoted herself to publishing what was left of his writings, she asked his students scattered around the world for summaries of his shiurim that they had summarized for themselves. There were mistakes in the students' summaries. She gave the copying work to her three daughters, who did not understand the content of the material, so there were also mistakes in these copies. My father devoted himself to publishing and correcting the mistakes, and being a Torah scholar, he also edited and added his own explanations.'
The "Illui" was one of the great students of Rav Chaim of Brisk, along with the geniuses, the sons of Rav Chaim and Rav Yerucham Asher Warhaftig. They differed in their worldviews. Unlike the GRIZ, the son of Rabbi Chaim, for example, the Illui's view was Zionist, and he also taught at Rabbi Reines' high school yeshiva in Lida. Later he served as a Rosh Yeshiva in "Yeshiva University" in New York. The Illui's widow wrote an introduction to the book, in which she told about the history of his life. The grandson Moshe Goldberg told me: 'In the following editions, my father had to omit the introduction at the request of the person who bought the rights, after he saw that the book was being boycotted in certain yeshivas.'
I remember seeing the book in one of the large Lithuanian yeshivas, with the introduction pages torn out. Again, pages flew, even if for other reasons...
Dr. Zerah Warhaftig writes in his book "Fifty Years and a Year" that he remembers from his youth the Illui staying in their house for a long time before his trip to the United States, and talking in study with his father every day for many hours. His father, the author of "Divrei Yerucham" and more, one of the geniuses of his generation, was later a close friend of the Chazon Ish and gave shiurim in his kollel, and was an enthusiastic supporter of Zionism. Rav YB Soloveitchik, the grandson of Rav Chaim, head of Yeshiva University and a member of the Mizrachi movement, in his article "מה דודך מדוד" about his uncle the GRIZ, who is known for his strong opposition to Zionism, writes that those who see his uncle as one of the greatest of the generation are mistaken, since he was several levels above all the greats of his generation... The differences in worldview between them did not at all overshadow his objectivity.
A Torah Scholar Lives Here…
Once, during a conversation about the place of lighting candles in our days, my teacher, the GRZN Goldberg, of blessed memory, asked me why I light Chanukah candles at the entrance to the building, "Are you from Yerushalayim, that you follow the custom of Yerushalmiyim?" he asked. I didn't know if it was criticism, even if it was gentle as usual, or if it was curiosity. I replied to him that I did not find the explanation that distinguishes between a courtyard of the days of the Gemara and a courtyard of our days anywhere in the books of the Chazon Ish regarding Chanukah, but only regarding Eruvin, etc., and that there is a distinction, and that one of his great students told me that he does not remember this chiddush of the Chazon Ish in relation to Chanukkah. I added that from the words of the Rema on the permission to light inside - they were said to Jews living in fear in exile.
And here I was happy to hear recently from Rabbi Natanel Berkowitz, a student of the GRZN, the following story: 'Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht, the head of the first Hesder Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavneh, was very close to the Rabbi of Brisk, the GRIZ Halevi Soloveitchik. Once he accompanied the GRIZ on an evening walk in the streets of Jerusalem on one of the days of Chanukah. Next to one of the houses, the Brisker Rov looked at the Chanukah candles that were standing there, and said: "A Torah scholar lives here." This was the home of my teacher Rabbi Zalman Nechemia.' And indeed, his family members told me that even in the apartment where he lived for most of his life, he used to light Chanukah candles at the entrance to the building.
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And speaking of fear of the Gentiles, the GRZN once told me: 'I never understood how it is possible that there are Jews who usually act according to the Rema, and do not dance in Kiddush Levana? After all, the Rema wrote that it is customary to dance.' I was in a community abroad, we did Kiddush Levana in the street, and I wanted to dance with them, but I saw that the president of the community was very worried and only wanted to finish and go inside. I said to myself: Here is another reason why it is worth living in Israel: Kiddush Levana properly, lighting Hanukkah candles properly. And in these days - also the mitzvah of mezuzah properly...
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A Tel Aviv Belzer Hasid told me that Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman, the author of "Ayeles HaShachar," once asked Rabbi Mordechai Auerbach, may he live a long life, a Tel Aviv resident and head of a kollel there for many years, how it is possible to educate children to Torah and mitzvos in Tel Aviv today. Rabbi Mordechai replied: 'The influence of the worst Torah home in Tel Aviv is better than the influence of the best street in Bnei Brak...' ■
