Volume 18 Number 56
Produced: Wed Feb 22 17:54:05 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Kidnapping ended
[Irwin Dunietz]
levayo of Rav Auerbach zt'l
[Moishe Halibard]
Patriarchal names
[Mike Gerver]
R. Auerbach TZ"L and crockpots
[Louis Rayman]
Rav Schwab & Rav Auerbach
[Eli Turkel]
The death of Tzaddikim
[Micha Berger]
The Miracle of Brigadier General Kish's son
[Harold Gellis]
Vayekel
[Dov Ettner]
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From: hobond!<Irwin.Dunietz@...> (Irwin Dunietz)
Date: 22 Feb 95 09:39:00 -0500
Subject: Kidnapping ended
Just want to inform you that I learned through a friend that Jean-Claude
Kahn, President of the Jewish Center in El Salvador, was released on
ransom.
Thanks to those of you who sent the faxes.
Merryll
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From: <halibard@...> (Moishe Halibard)
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 11:22:57 +0200 (WET)
Subject: levayo of Rav Auerbach zt'l
I attended the levayo here on Monday of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. It
started at his home, in Shaarei Chessed, Jerusalem, at 11:30 am. The
crowds, estimated by police at 300,000 were among the largest ever to
gather in the city, and of course, the tiny, narrow streets of Shaarei
Chessed could hardly contain them. We stood, squashed tighter than
sardines, along all the roads of the area, and all the nearby ones,
too. The roofs of all the buildings along the route were also lined with
huge crowds. The levayo started with a series of hespedim by his many
sons, most of them famous Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva in their own
right. Although there were loudspeakers rigged up all around, I followed
little of what was said, as it was all in Yiddish, and frequently
interrupted by extensive crying. The huge crowd stood in dignified
silence in the blazing sunshine for over an hour as the hespedim were
said. Then the coffin was taken out of his house, and amid terrible
squashing, along Ussishkin, Betzallel, and finally Ben Zvi, the large duel
carrigeway which runs from Shaarei Chessed to the main motorway to Tel
Aviv. It was only when I finally got onto Ben Zvi that I could
appreciate the size of the crowd, as there were several positions where
one caught a panoramic view of the road, jam packed with tens of
thousands of people. Although at a distance it looked predominantly
'black', this must be because hats tower over kippot, for on the ground
one could see that the entire crooss-section of Yahadut was present -
Ashkenaz, Sepharad, Chassidic, Mitnagdim, Mercaz HaRav etc. In many ways
this was the most fitting tribute of all, for if there was any Gadol who
fought not to become a faction leader, it was Rav Shlomo Zalman, and the
make-up of the mourners testified to that. One only has to regret that
it takes a loss of this magnitude to unite us. He was buried at Har
Menuchot. Zechuto Yagen Aleinu.
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From: <GERVER@...> (Mike Gerver)
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 3:00:03 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Patriarchal names
Sam Gamoran asks in v18n18 why no one at the time of the gemara was
named Avraham, although somewhat later Avraham became a common name. I
had noticed this too, and wondered about it. Perhaps it is nothing more
than changing fashions in names. Since the name Avraham seems to have
reappeared first in Arabic countries (e.g. Avraham Ibn Ezra), maybe it
was used initially in imitation of the Arabic name Ibrahim, who Moslem
Arabs, at least, consider to be their ancestor through Ishmael.
This reminds me of an incident that occurred a few years ago. A
friend of mine at work, a non-observant but culturally identifying Jew,
came in raving about a great book he had just read, a historical novel
by Marek Halter, and said I would love it, and just had to read it. (I
think it was called "The Children of Abraham", or maybe that was the
title of the sequel.) I started reading it. The main character was a Jew
named Avraham who lived at the time of the second churban. Immediately I
found it hard to take the novel seriously, since I knew that Jews did
not use the name Avraham at that time. But I kept reading. Then I came
across a scene where the hero is fleeing from Jerusalem on the night
that the Romans set fire to the Beit Hamikdosh. Fortunately there is a
new moon that night, so he can escape without being seen by the
Romans. I might be able to tolerate an anachronistic name, but having
the plot turn on there being a new moon on Tisha B'Av? I couldn't go on
reading. When I told my friend all this the next day, he said I was
being too fussy.
Mike Gerver, <gerver@...>
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From: <lou@...> (Louis Rayman)
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 95 12:43:58 EDT
Subject: R. Auerbach TZ"L and crockpots
I (and I'm sure most of Klal Yisrael) were saddened to hear of the death
of R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ZT"L on Sunday Adar-I 19.
I was also very confused by various rumors flying around on the preceding
Shabbos about a psak from R. Auerbach about crockpots on shabbos. Does
anybody have any RELIABLE information?
Lou Rayman _ |_
Client Site: <lou@...> 212/898-7131 .| |
Main Office: <louis.rayman@...> | /
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From: <turkel@...> (Eli Turkel)
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 16:03:54 -0500
Subject: Rav Schwab & Rav Auerbach
We have lost 2 Torah giants in the recent past which is always a
sign of concern for the community. I would like to pass along some
stories i have heard to help appreciate these and other gedolim. The
stories about Rav Schwab I heard from Rabbi Feitman.
Rav Schwab was known as a man who always stressed truth. He said
that he learned that trait from Rav Breuer his predecessor in Washington
Heights. The night Of Crystalnacht the nazis were rounding up all Jews
up to the age of 60. A Nazi stopped Rav Breuer on the street in
Frankfort and asked how old he was. Rav Breuer answered that he was
57. The nazi said no he was 60. This argument went on for a while until
the Nazi pulled out his gun and said he would kill Rav Breuer unless he
"admitted" that he was 60. Rav Breuer then agreed that he was 60 and
was released. Later Rav Schwab was rescued from Europe by a certain
gentleman and brought to be a rabbi in this man's shul in
Baltimore. Once this man (shul president) wanted an aliyah for his
father's yahrzeit. Rav Schwab refused since the man was not shomer
shabbat. The president reminded Rav Schwab that he had rescued him and
brought him to the shul. Rav Schwab answered that he was grateful but
could not change the halachah. Rav Schwab was fired on the spot. The end
of the story was that Rav Schwab moved to the Agudah shul which became
very successful while the former shul declined with the time. Rav
Schwab refused to have anyone help him on with his jacket. As a young
"bachur" in a yeshiva the elderly gentleman from the neighborhood would
come to the yeshiva to help in many menial tasks as their way of helping
Torah. One gentleman in particular would help (the future) Rav Schwab on
with his jacket. When the elderly man passed away thet found that he had
in his house many writings on the Talmud and Zohar. So far from being a
"am haaretz" this man was a secret great talmid Chacham. Rav Schwab then
took a vow never to have some outsider help him with his jacket.
Finally, at his end Rav Schwab sufferred a heart attack. When he was
brought to the hospital he was resussicated, said shema with his heart
growing stonger and then returned his soul with the words "echad".
With regard to Rav Auerbach it is interesting that this past
motzei shabbat (probably close to the time of his death) Ezra Rosenfeld,
director of Tzomet (and a contributor to Mail.Jewish) was speaking of
the time he received a phone call from a man who identified himself as
"Auerbach" and was enquiring about a wheel chair for some in his
neighborhood who did not come to shul on shabbat because he used an
electric wheelchair during the week and was too proud to be pushed on
shabbat insisting on his independence. Rav Auerbach was worried about
this man's "kavod". It is interesting that Rav Feinstein was generally
referred to as "Rav Moshe" and Rav Auerbach as "Rav Shlomo Zalman" while
most rabbis are reffered to by their last name or a book they wrote.
I suspect the reason is that these two rabbis were among the most
approachable of all the gedolim. When Rav Shlomo Zalman went to shul the
street was lined with people who had "she-elot" (questions). He answered
each person with a smile enquiring about their personal well being. One
person told be of a sheila that arose 11:30pm friday night. They went
to Rav Auerbach who immediately invited them in for tea and cake (declined).
The most amazing story i ever heard was about his wife's funeral. The
custom is to ask mechilah (forgiveness) of the departed. Rav Auerbach
did not ask mechilah was from his departed wife. Later on he was asked why
and he answered that in all the years of their marriage he can't
remember any disagreements that they had and can't think of anything to
ask mechillah for!!
<turkel@...>
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From: Micha Berger <berger@...>
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 95 09:27:31 -0500
Subject: The death of Tzaddikim
I was taught that tzaddikim (righteous people) are taken from this world
right before a catastrophy so that they do not have to witness it.
With everything going wrong in Israel, and the recent deaths of
R. Sh. Schwalb and R. SZ Auerbach, perhaps we should be stepping up
tephillah and hishtadlus.
Micha Berger Help free Ron Arad, held by Syria 3046 days!
<berger@...> 212 224-4937 (16-Oct-86 - 21-Feb-95)
<aishdas@...> 201 916-0287
<a href=http://www.iia.org/~aishdas>AishDas Society's Home Page</a>
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From: Harold Gellis <gelyc@...>
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 19:08:13 +0200 (IST)
Subject: The Miracle of Brigadier General Kish's son
The man opposite me at lunch at the Jerusalem College of Technology
seemed like an ordinary religious Jew; he had a white beard, sidelocks,
and a black, velvet yarmulke. The only thing unusual about Yehonasan
Kish was his quaint, English accent.
But, as we began to talk, Yehonasan told me that his father, Brigadier
General Frederick Herman Kish, was the highest ranking Jewish officer in
the British army during World War II. What was even more astounding was
that his son, Jonathan, a confirmed secularist and tractor driver at
kibbutz Ein Harod for twenty five years became a devoutly orthodox Jew
and talmudic student four years ago as a result of watching a television
broadcast - of a man whom he didn't even understand.
Brigadier General Kish was killed in a minefield on the Tunisian front
in 1943 while fighting Rommel's advancing Afrika Korps. His widow and
son, Jonathan, thereupon moved in with relatives in a small town in
England. Jonathan studied agriculture and dreamt of working the
land. In 1955 he moved to Israel where Jonathan joined Kibbutz Ein Harod
and married a fellow kibbutzik, Rivka. The couple raised two sons, Yair
and Shai.
One day four years ago, both boys were watching television when they saw
an unsettling scene. A very old man appeared on the television screen
and, although speaking in an unfamiliar language, seemed to be in
extreme emotional distress. There was something unusual about the old
man - he seemed to be speaking in anguish directly to the two boys.
Yair and Shai did not know then what the man was speaking about nor who
he was. But, later they would discover that the man was none other than
Rav Shach, the dean of the Ponevich yeshiva in Bnei Brak, and that he
was bemoaning the younger generation's estrangement from Judaism.
When the two sons of Yehonasan Kish, Yair and Shai, learned that Rav
Shach was crying over their being removed from Judaism, they decided to
learn more about the world of Rav Shach. They fell under the influence
of a rabbi in Afula, began to put on tefillin, and after meeting
personally with Rav Shach, decided to learn in yeshivos.
The boys' father, Jonathan, was influenced by his two sons as well. He
began observing mitzvoth and began wearing traditional religious garb.
But he still continued to drive his tractor on the kibbutz.
Two years ago, while driving the tractor, he remembered that he forgot
something in the dining room. As he got off the tractor and started to
walk toward the dining room, he heard a tremendous crash. Turning
around, Jonathan was horrified to see a enormous tree lying across the
driver's seat of the tractor. A huge tree had suddenly, and without
warning, fallen on the tractor, and, had Jonathan not gotten off moments
before, he certainly would have been crushed to death. Jonathan saw the
hand of providence in his salvation.
A year ago, Jonathan was again driving the tractor. Suddenly, without
warning, the tractor's engine suddenly sputtered and died. It would
take a month to repair it. Jonathan decided to make use of his
unexpected spare time by learning in a yeshiva.
A month later, the tractor was still being repaired. Jonathan, now
Yehonasan the yeshiva bochur, decided to extend his time in the yeshiva.
After the second month, Yehonasan learned that the tractor was scrapped.
It was clear to Yehonasan, that providence did not want him to return to
the kibbutz any longer.
Today, Yehonasan Kish, the son of Brigadier General Frederick Herman
Kish, is a librarian at the Jerusalem College of Technology. He is
interested in telling the world about his father and about himself. He
insists that he be called YEHOnasan, not Yonasan - the extra "heh"
denotes his new, religious identity and personality.
(I thought Yehonasan's story would be inspirational and he had asked to
publicize his unusual background and history).
Heshy Gellis <gelyc@...>
02-66-33-95
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From: <dovle@...> (Dov Ettner)
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 95 12:25:45 +0200
Subject: Vayekel
In the first few pasukim of this week's Torah portion, we find 3 words
together Zahav (gold), Kesef (silver), Nachoshet (copper). Rabbi Neil
Rotner from Hashmonaim pointed out to me that the first letters of each
of these three words give us the times of our yearly Torah readings.
Zion - representing the seventh day, Shabbat.
Heh - the fifth day of the week, Thursday.
Bet - the second day, Monday.
Chaf - Kippurim, Yom Kippur
Samach - Succouth
Pey - Pesach
Nun - Nayrote (candles) Chanukah
Chet - Chodesh (month) Rosh Chodesh
Shin - Shavouth
Taf - Taniyote (fast days)
A good week to all.
Dov Ettner
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End of Volume 18 Issue 56
