Einei HaEda (The Eyes of the Community) is the name of the late Rabbi Symcha Elberg’s latest book, which appeared posthumously a short time ago. The Hebrew volume, carrying the subtitle “A Collection of essays about most prominent Hasidic leaders, Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbis of the Past Generations,” contains superb characterizations of nearly 70 rabbinic personalities, many of whom were famous throughout the Jewish world.
The author writes in his preface that he decided to assemble and publish these essays –most of which appeared soon after the death of the persons they describe – to acquaint young Torah students with the personalities of the rabbinic leaders of the past generation; he wanted young Torah students to learn, the true nature of a great rabbi, an erudite Rosh Yeshiva and a prominent Hasidic leader of the Jewish world of yesterday. This knowledge would deepen their understanding of our people’s heritage and strengthen their attachment and devotion ot the study of the Torah.
To forestall any questions as to why this or that famous rabbi has not been described in his book, the authors states in the preface that for the most part, he wrote only about Gedolim, he knew personally vey well and thus was able to appreciate fully their greatness. A look at the headings of the various chapters of the book brings to one’s eyes the glowing names of world famous rabbinical and Hasidic leaders, such as R. Avraham Mordecai Alter of Gur, R. Yisrael Alter of Gur, R. Yehezkel Abramsky, R. Shelomo Zalman Auerbach, R. Moshe Feinstein, R. Yosef Kahaneman., R. Meir Shapiro, R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Lubavitch, R. Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, R. Yitzchak Ze’ev Soloveitchik., R. Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar, R. Isser Yehuda Unterman, R. Dov Berish Weidenfeld, R. Menahem Zemba, and many many others.
Rabbi Elberg knew all these personally. In his youth he was close to Poland’s leading rabbis. During his temporary stay in Lithuania in the World War II years, he made the acquaintance of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski and Rabbi Abraham Duber Cahana-Shapiro, the rabbi of Kovno. After his arrival in the U.S. he came to know the Gedolei Torah who lived in this country. During his frequent travels to Israel, he called on the Torah authorities of the Holy land. He also visited other countries. He spent many hours with the late Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg in Montreux, Switzerland.
There were , indeed, few people among us who knew the Torah world of the last two generations as well as Rabbi Elbeg. May I digress here for a moment to relate one of the many instances in which I benefitted from his thorough acquaintance with the rabbinic world.
More than 30 years ago I wrote an article about the bacteriologist Waldemar (Mordecahi Wolf) Haffkine in the New York Hebrew periodical HaDoar. Haffkine had developed vaccines against cholera and the bubonic plague saving the lives of many millions of people.
Haffkine was a strictly observant Jew. he wrote in praise of traditional Judaism and was greatly devoted to his people. He died in 1930 at age 70 in Lausanne, Switzerland. In his last will he stipulated that the income of securities he had desposited in a Swiss bank be used to support Yeshivot in Eastern Europe.
A short time after his death, a meeting of Polish and Lithuanian rabbis and Roshei Yeshiva took place in Vilna. A the opening of the gathering all who were present said Kaddish for Haffkine who had no family.
Until this day Haffkine is venerated in India where he was active for many years inoculating the population with his vaccines during epidemics. In 1925 the plague research laboratory which he had established in Bombay was renamed the Haffkine Institute in his honor. The institute which has developed into one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical research centers, had an entire year -long celebration– from August 10th, 1973, until August 1974- in honor of its platinum jubilee. Special event s were held on January 10, 1974 because it was on that date in 1897 that Haffkine, in order to test his anti-plague vaccine, inoculated himself with a very potent dose, at the risk of his own life. Together with my wife Anna Rachel and our youngest son, Chaggai, I attended in 1974, the inauguration of the jubilee year in Bombay at which India’s Minister of Health and Family Planning spoke. The India Postal Service subsequently issued a stamp in memory of Haffkine.
In my article I mentioned two rabbis who had told me that they had seen Haffkine. The late bibliographer Rabbi Chayim Lieberman, who was the secretary of the late Rebbe of Lubavtich, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson saw Haffkine when the latter came to see the Rebbe in what was then Leningrad, in 1926. Rabbi Elberg was a youngster studying at the Yeshiva Emek Halacha in Warsaw, when several years before his death Haffkine came to the Polish capital on a visit to Emek Halaka, the Mesivta and the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva.
“I remember the excitement that seized the Yeshiva students in anticipation of the visit of the great professor,” Rabbi Elberg told me.
(Continued next week)
The Jewish Press, Friday, Nov. 8, 1996 p. 26
Rabbi Symcha Elberg says in his book that he didn’t include biographical details such as places of birth and death in the essays about prominent rabbis. His main aim was to depict the rabbis’ personalities, their greatness in Torah and their piety.
The essays do acquaint us with the fundamental characteristics of the persons described. They tell us in what areas they excelled and what they meant to their generation.
In order to illustrate Rabbi Elberg’s style and manner of portrayal, we will permit ourselves to quote — in an abbreviated and simplified form– several paragraphs of one of his three essays about Rabbi Aaron Kotler Z””L.
“Rabbi Aaron Kotler singlehandedly revolutionized the spiritual life of American Jewry. Alone, he ignited the fire and fanned the flames of that revolution and poured oil on its wheels. Alone, he defined its sacred aims. Alone, he fought all the battles until he succeeded in establishing an independent autonomous Torah world. What was the central idea which he sought to impress upon American Jews? What was the slogan — every revolution is in need of one– with which he wanted to get even Torah true Jews off the beaten path and make them embark on new ways? Rabbi Aaron preached and spread the idea of spurning Takhlis.”
“In materialistic America, where utilitarianism rules supreme, where even Jewish life is permeated with pragmatism, Reb Aaron proclaimed the concept of building an idealistic Torah world where there is no pursuit of Takhlis, no looking forward to material gains. Only such a world, in Rabbi Aaron’s vision could guarantee the continued existence of a historic Judaism. Reb Aaron’s vision did not remain a dream, a figment of the imagination. It was realized, finding its concrete expression in the fabulous Torah community of Lakewood.”
In the last two paragraphs of his wonderful essay about Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky, the long time Rosh Yeshiva of Torah VoDaath, Rabbi Elberg writes about the very large number of students Reb Yaakov produced. “Not every Rosh Yeshiva is thus blessed,” he observes. “Reb Yaakov was privileged to have many students because he regarded each student as if he were his son. He was like a true father to his students and they, in return, loved and revered him as if he were their father and always looked for opportunities to be of service to him. ‘A servant in some respects, ranks above a disciple. ‘ A disciple might forget, a servant never forgets what he is told,’ says the Sifrei”
Rabbi Elberg concludes: Reb Yaakov had the zekhut of fulfilling the command of the sages. “Raise many disciples.”
Rabbi Elberg calls Rabbi Meir Yehiel Halstuk of Ostrowice (OStrowze) – a Gaon and man of exceptional piety who fasted more than 40 years — an “angel in the guise of man” and the “living Sefer Torah of the Jews of Poland.”
There are a number of essays in the volume which feature biographical data and interesting personal details. Such are the articles about Rabbi Elberg’s teachers, Rabbi Menahem Ziemba and Rabbi Nosson Spiegelglass, about Rabbi Mordecai Kalino and others. Rabbi Elberg was one of the few who had a very intimate knowledge of the lives of these men and he deserves our gratitude for having written about them.
Rabbi Mordecai Kalino was a disciple of Rabbi Avraham Bornstein of Sochaczew. Widowed while still very young, he never remarried and sought solace in the study of the Torah. Very poor and ailing, he studied in complete seclusion for more than 20 years. For a long time even prominent Torah scholars were not aware of his greatness in Torah. He was a Gaon Nistar (a hidden Gaon). Hearing of Rabbi Kalino’s suffering, Rabbi Nosson Spiegelglass, who was a very rich man, invited him to his home. When Rabbi Mordecai Kalino came there, Reb Nosson didn’t let him leave. He gave him a room in his house as well as Sefarim, and told him to continue studying. He would take care of all his need and not to worry. Rabbi Spiegelglass also sought medical help for Rabbi Kalino and paid him a salary with which Reb Mordecahi supported his son. When Rabbi Nosson went to a summer resort, he took Reb Mordecai along.
For almost 10 years, Rabbi Mordecai lived in Rabbi Nosson’s home until they died at the hands of the Germans.
For several years, Rabbi Mordecai Kalino exchanged letters with Rabbi Yosef Rosen, the Rogachover. When their voluminous correspondence– nearly 300 letters– was published under the title Mikhtevei Torah, it created a sensation in the Torah world.
In his inspiring essay, Rabbi Elberg analyzes Rabbi Mordecai Kalino’s method of study and presents us with a vivid picture of his personality.
(Conclusion next week)
The Jewish Press, Friday, November 15, 1996
The two longest chapters in the book Einei HaEda are devoted to Rabbi Nosson Spiegelglass, in whose Yeshiva Rabbi Elberg studied and with whom he was very close.
Rabbi Spiegelglass’ father was a rich man, as was his father-in-law. The latter wanted him to engage part time in business but Rabbi Nosson was unwilling to leave the Beth HaMidrash, even if only for a few hours a day.
Rabbi Nosson — who in his youth had already attained fame as a great Torah scholar — invested his dowry in real estate. Years later, these investments brought him a large income. However, despite his great wealth, Rabbi Nosson was constantly in debt for he gave much of his money to the poor. Before the holidays, he would hire a carriage and for several hours visit needy families, providing them with the means to properly celebrate the festivals.
In order to carry on with his widespread charitable activities– many of his large donations were given anonymously — he was forced to borrow money at high interest.
Once his father, Reb Yehezkel, complained to the Rebbe of Ostrowze about his son’s debts. The Rebbe smiled and said, “I am jealous of your son on account of his debts. With such debts, one can pay off bigger debts.”
Entrusting his father with the administration of his properties, Rabbi Nosson dedicated himself completely to the study of the Torah.
Rabbi Elberg relates that once on a Simchat Torah, he and other students of Rabbi Nosson visited their teacher at his home. They couldn’t see Rabbi Nosson who had locked himself in his room and was deeply engrossed in his study. Towards evening he emerged from his study, his face shining. “How is it possible to celebrate Simchat Torah without studying Torah?” he remarked. Especially today, when people don’t study because they are preoccupied with Simchat Yom Tov. Heaven expects us to occupy ourselves with Torah. Oh. what a pleasure it is to study Torah on Simhat Torah.”
When Rabbi Nosson married off a daughter, he came to the Huppa only after all the guests had assembled He wouldn’t come earlier because he didn’t want to waste precious time waiting for others.
Rabbi Elberg describes Rabbi Spiegelglass’ Yeshiva, his Shiurim and his paternal care for the students.
In explaining Rabbi Spiegelgass’ approach to Talmudic interpretations, Rabbi Elberg discusses the three methods of stuty which at the time, were the most popular in Lithuanian and in Poland– those of Rabbi Hayyim of Brisk, Rabbi Avraham Bernstein of Sochachzew and of the Ostrowtzer.
Rabbi Elberg tells us of a visit to Warsaw made by Rabbi Elhanan Wasserman and of the Sabbath he spent at the home of Rabbi Spiegelglass. The latter was fasting on that Sabbath because of a disturbing dream He didn’t reveal this to Rabbi Elhanan, and just asked him to start eating the Sabbath dinner without waitinfgfor him. Rabbi Elhanan refused to do so. He waited and waited until Rabbi Nosson’s students told him the reason for their master’s absence from the table.
Rabbi Elhanan was greatly impressed with Rabbi Nosson’s personality. The two became great friends. Before Rabbi Elhanan left the Polish capital, he said that it was worthwhile coming to Warsaw to see the holiness of the Sabbath rest on the face of Rabbi Nosson.
Rabbi Elberg relates that whenever he met Rabbi Elhanan Wasserman during his stay in Lithuania, the latter would ask him what news he had received from Rabbi Spiegelglass and exclaim: “What a Jew, what a Jew…. truly a living Sefer Torah.”
(Rabbi Elberg’s description of Rabbi Wasserman’s Sabbath visit with Rabbi Speiegelglass had been included by Aaron Surasky in his excellent biography of Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, an English edition of which was published by Artscroll.)
Rabbi Spiegelglass’ entire family was killed by the Germans.
Rabbi Elberg writes that Rabbi Nosson sought all his life to avoid the limelight, but such modesty was not allowed him. Only after his death did he achieve the anonymity he couldn’t attain during his life. He is not mentioned at all in the books written about the destruction of Jewish Warsaw! Rabbi Elberg hopes that his essay would acquaint many with the life and personality of this extraordinary man.
In this and in the preceding articles we have endeavored to convey to the reader something of the rich contents of Rabbi Elberg’s Einei HaEda. In conclusion we want to mention the names of several more personalities who are represented in Rabbi Elberg’s large portrait gallery of Rabbinical leaders: Rabbi Yehiel Mikhel Charlop, Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, Rabbi Abraham Mordechai Hershberg, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, Rabbi Avraham Jofen, Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz, the Agudist leader Rabbi Itzchak Meir Levin, Rabbi Eliezer Silver, Rabbi David Singer, Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin and Rabbi Betzalel Zolty.
The Jewish Press Friday, November 22, 1996