The annual Lev L'Achim rally was held on Monday 26 Nisan in
Bnei Brak. Thousands came to hear maranan verabonon
speak at the event which lasted more than six hours from
three in the afternoon. This event brings together thousands
of activists from all over the country.
One of the main speakers at the event is HaRav Aharon Yehuda
Leib Steinman. This is what he said:
"There is nothing to add to the divrei Elokim chaim
given by the others. We must convey one sentiment only: that
every one of the participants can sense that it is as if a
large part of Klal Yisroel has been lost, chas
vesholom. All are sons of the HaMokom. Hakodosh Boruch
Hu, the Father, has lost His sons. When someone returns a
lost son to Him, how great is His happiness -- the happiness
of a father to whom a lost son is returned. One who returns a
child to Torah and mitzvos returns His lost son to the
Father, Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and the great joy he
brings Him cannot be described or imagined.
"Each participant must be imbued with the feeling that it is
he who has returned the son to his Father, and in this way
has brought great joy to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. If he
feels that way, he will succeed. Hakodosh Boruch Hu
will grant him success, and in this way we will all merit the
great light of `the earth is filled with the knowledge of
Hashem, as water covers the seas' and we will merit the
geula sheleimo, speedily in our times.
Another of the highlights of the long event is the address of
HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, the rav of Ramat Elchonon. Here
we present part of his remarks.
Many of the questions asked by activists throughout the year
are addressed to HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, who discusses
them with his father-in-law the pillar of halachic authority
Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv. At the meeting, HaRav
Sorotzkin presented some of those questions and HaRav
Zilberstein presented the answers.
One question was: Is it permissible to lie or to "round off
corners," (i.e. not to say the entire truth) in kiruv
work.
In his clear voice, saturated with love of Torah and those
who study it, HaRav Zilberstein related a number of stories
which clarified both the question and the answer.
"The first story involves parents influenced by an activist
to send their son to the Chevron Yeshiva," HaRav Zilberstein
related. "The parents agreed, but demanded that their son
receive a bagrut (high school) diploma. `Does Chevron
grant a bagrut diploma?' they asked the activist, who
did not give a positive reply, but promised that he would
arrange a diploma for the boy. The boy entered the yeshiva,
and began to study gemora, Tosafos and Maharsho
very eagerly.
"After a while, his parents asked the activist: `Nu?'
"`Don't worry,' he replied. `One of the students who is
familiar with the material will study with him.'
"Not long afterward, the boy told his father: `Abba, pardon
me. You asked him, and he did what you asked. But I want to
study Kesuvos, and not only have no time to study for
the bagrut, but I am also not interested in such a
diploma.'
"The father approached the activist, who replied: `I did what
you asked. But what can I do if your son doesn't want to take
the bagrut?'
"I was this young man's friend," HaRav Zilberstein continued.
"Today, he is one of the heads of the botei din in
Israel."
HaRav Zilberstein proceeded to the next story: "This is a
story about activists who influenced a father to register his
son in one of the yeshivos hakedoshos. The father
agreed but asked how the boy would support himself when he
grew up. The rosh hayeshiva signed a statement saying
that the livelihood of the boy was assured. What did the
rosh yeshiva really intend? This was what was in his
mind: `May the student succeed. If Torah is his occupation,
the Torah will guarantee his livelihood. If not, the yeshiva
will help him.'
"Time passed. The student succeeded far more than expected,
and today is a ram in that very same yeshiva."
"But," intoned HaRav Zilberstein, in the famous gemora
niggun, "the rosh yeshiva signed. That's not
simple."
"Yet," he suddenly said, "in order to continue, I have to
tell you a third story, in which I will reveal the name of
the rosh yeshiva: HaRav Eliyahu Broide." He then
related: "One day, I went to visit him in the Ichilov
hospital in Tel Aviv. There was a Jew there whom HaRav Broide
introduced as one of the greatest baalei teshuva of
our times. That Jew was a barber, who used to keep his shop
open on Friday night. He even had an a excuse: the barber
shop was situated in an area where many air force officers
lived and, for those who may not know, the only time they
have for haircuts is on Friday nights, Rachmono
litzlan. One day, HaRav Broide passed by the barber shop,
and discovered this serious Shabbos breach. He asked the
barber pleasantly: `Why do you desecrate the orders of Hashem
Tzevo-kot?'"
" `I don't earn a thing all week,' the barber replied,
`because of taxes and other things. I earn my most of my
living on Friday nights.'
" `Let's examine your records, and see how much you earned
during the past few months on weekdays and on Shabbosim.
Close the barber shop, and I promise you at least a 30
percent increase.'
"The barber saw a that the rav was a distinguished Jew and he
listened to him. Then, in the silence of the hospital, the
barber related: `HaRav Broide was not precise. He said 30
percent and the truth is that I made 50 percent more!'
"I then asked my brother-in-law, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, the
activists' question. He told me that a person who truly
trusts Hashem and seeks to sanctify Hashem's Name before the
many people who are looking up to him, may alter his words.
However, one who is active in the spreading of emunah
has power and actually has no need to lie. He can say the
absolute truth."
