| Sholom Revach! Let me share with you what I just heard from Rav Chaim Halpern shlita of London. When eastern European Yiddishkeit was destroyed during the holocaust, all
the illustrious Yeshivos were forced to close. Although many were re-opened in
other countries, the original Yeshivos were actually a thing of the past, with
a vast majority of the student body having tragically perished. It was a
question of building again from scratch, and naming the new Yeshiva after the
former.
The only exception to this was Yeshivas
Mir. In this case, the Yeshiva as such survived, with most of the Rebbeim and
talmidim being forced to move away, and travel miraculously across the world to
their new home in Eretz Yisroel. Here the Moisad continued to flourish to its
prestigious position of probably the largest Yeshiva in the world.
Why? – What zechus afforded this? Rav Chaim
Shmulevitz zt"l suggested the following. The original
Yeshivas Mir was established by his father-in-law the famous Gaon Olam Rav
Leizer Yudel Finkel zt"l (who was the son of der Alter fon Slobodke). Having
put his life and soul into setting up the Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva felt it was
time to engage a Mashgiach, and he had his eye on Rav Yerucham Leibovitz. His
good friends attempted to dissuade Reb Leizer Yudel from this step, because
their personalities were so different. Reb Yerucham's dynamic charismatic
personality would, they feared, overshadow that of the Rosh Yeshiva, and as a
result the Mashgiach would take centre-stage and assume his position in the
limelight, banishing the Rosh Yeshiva to the sidelines. Reb Leizer Yudel
understood – and even agreed with their concerns – but he still went straight
on with his plans saying that his own personal interests did not feature at all
but rather his own concern was to do what was best for the Yeshiva.
After the
instalment of the new Mashgiach, when the above predictions proved to be
well-founded, there were a number of trouble-makers who tried their best to
cause friction between the two Gedolim, and they persisted in reporting
allegations against the Mashgiach to the Rosh Yershiva. At every occasion, Reb
Leizer Yudel would always react in the same way – taking no interest in
anything other than what was best for Kevod Shomayim.
This selfless self-sacrifice
(similar to Rochel Imeinu gladly bringing Yakov and Lea together), -said Reb
Chaim Shmulevitz- paid off with the supernatural Hashgocho Protis that only his
Yeshiva would enjoy!
Thank you for sharing that! - Revach -
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