Bikkurim is the name of a new yearbook devoted to Torah. It is published in Jerusalem by the Diskin Orphan Home of Israel and features contributions by Roshei Yeshiva and students of the various Yeshivot which are associated with this institution.
The first volume appeared last year on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Moshe Joshua Judah Leib Diskin, who served as rabbi in various communities in Russia, including Kovno and Brisk. In 1877 he settled in Jerusalem where he played a very prominent role in Jewish communal life. He resided in the Holy City until his death.
The first volume opens with a moving essay by Rabbi Meir Wallach about Rabbi Diskin who was in Jerusalem and known as the “Brisker Rav” on account of his last position in Europe. The essay describes Rabbi Diskin’s greatness in Torah, the high esteem in which he was held in the Torah world, his fine human qualities, his help to the poor, the ailing and the aged, his devotion to the physical and spiritual welfare of children who had no homes — he founded an orphan home in the Holy City which now bears his name — his untiring efforts to strengthen Torah education and his uncompromising opposition to the establishment of modern schools (Shkoles).
The Malbim who spoke once in a private conversation about the special talents of some of the leading rabbinic personalities of his time, relates to Rabbi Wallach in his essay. A listener asked him to characterize the greatness of Rabbi Diskin. “I am an expert in evaluating gold and silver, but I am no authority on a crown jewel,” the Malbim replied.
A man in Jerusalem who lived in great poverty refused to take charity. When Rabbi Diskin heard about this he arranged that money be placed secretly under his door. The man surmised that the Brisker Rav must have had a hand in that contribution of money and henceforth he agreed to accept charity.
A man felt seriously ill. He was constantly coughing and spitting blood. On account of his growing weakness, he had to stop working. One day his milkman offered to supply him daily — free of charge- with fresh goat’s milk which would alleviate his illness. The man and his family were ever so grateful to the milkman. The milk deliveries stopped on the day Rabbi Diskin died. He had paid for them.
Wallach presents us with a description of Rabbi Diskin’s funeral. In front of the coffin marched hundreds of children, wards of the orphan home the rabbi had founded. They were all dressed alike, wearing gray coats. They were followed by the Talmud Torah pupils of Jerusalem, Sefardim and Ashkenazim with their teachers. At the Hurva synagogue of Rav Yehudah HeHasid spoke Rabbi Shmuel Salant and the Rav of Lublin (Rabbi Shneur Zalman Fradkin, author of responsa Torah Hesed). The procession left the Old City. In front of “Yad Avshalom,” rose Rabbi Chaim Yosef Sonnenfeld to eulogize his great master and teacher. He lifted his eyes and looking at the hundreds of orphans he shouted, “Orphans, cry”. The children burst into tears. They cried bitterly. Rabbi Chaim Yosef Sonnenfeld’s voice rose above the wailing and sobbing. “I didn’t mean only you,” he said turning to the orphans. “All of us have become Orphans.” The multitudes who attended the funeral stood in tears.
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750 pages of Bikkurim are filled with Divrei Torah. They commence with Hiddushim by Rabbi Diskin, published from manuscript and annotated by scholars associated with the Diskin Home. There follow shorter notes primarily on a number of Torah portions and on several Talmudic Tractates by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Rothstein, a well known rabbinic scholar, who was invited by the Hazon Ish in 1950 to head the Diskin Orphan Home, which he did with great dedication until his death, four years ago.
Yeshivot associated with the Diskin Orphan Home include a Hasidic Yeshiva called Or Yehoshua with an enrolment of 500 students; Yeshivat Maharil, whose students comprise about 100 young men, gradates from Lithuanian style Yeshivot; Amal HaTorah, a higher Yeshiva for excellent students from the Oriental communities and Beth Midrash Be’er Yitzhak for Baalei Teshuva. (Over 300 orphans and children from broken homes as well as children who arrived from Yemen, Iran and the former Soviet Union live in the Orphan Home. In addition 800 orphans of Jerusalem, who lived with their families or in dormitories of the schools they attend, receive all they need from the Orphan home including clothing, medical care and tutorial help. The various Yeshivot were originally founded to accommodate orphans and homeless children from all segments of the Jewish populations.)
The Yeshivot as well as the other institutes affiliated with Diskin have their own Roshei Yeshiva. Rabbi Nathan Rothstein is the Rosh Yeshiva par excellence of the entire network of schools.
Rabbi N. Rothstein, a son of the late Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Rothstein, contributed to Bikkurim, a treatise of more than 50 double column pages on Hodaei Baal Din (Admission of a Litigant).
Rabbi Nahum Rothstein is both an astounding rabbinic scholar as well as an interesting personality. I met him several years ago, when I visited the Diskin Orphan home. We spent several hours together. He is a prolific author. I left laden with books he had written. I look forward to meeting him again very soon.
Bikurim contains altogether more than 160 Torah articles.
The aforementioned Yeshivot are attended not only by young people from all parts of Israel, but also by students from countries in the Diaspora. The headings of the articles in Bikkurim list in addition to the names of the authors, their places of permanent residence. These include Antwerp, London, Williamsburg, N.Y., Boro Park, N.Y., Monsey and Spring Valley.
The Jewish Press, Friday, March 5, 1999