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NEWS
Dedication Ceremony for Mercaz Limudei Eretz Yisroel
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

A modest dedication ceremony for the Mercaz Limudei Eretz Yisroel, under the auspices of the Beis Medrash LeHalocho BeHityashvut HeChakla'it, drew Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv and HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, as well as the Beis Medrash's roshei kollelim, rabbonim, Knesset members, city heads and public figures to the construction site at the entrance to the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Preceding the arrival of HaRav Auerbach, Rav Eliakim Shlanger read aloud a letter of support from HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira, rosh yeshivas Be'er Yaakov; Rav Simchoh Edelstein, rosh kollel Meor Yitzchok, read a letter from HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz; and Rav Tzvi Weisfish read a letter from HaRav Shmuel Auerbach. When he was finished reading, Rav Weisfish added, "Rav Yosef Efrati wanted to do this discretely, but I told him this should be done prominently to show we are not surrendering to the scheming to restrict bnei Torah and we intend to continue increasing Toras Hashem in Am Yisroel."

The crowd was overcome with a sense of kedushoh upon the arrival of HaRav Eliashiv at the construction site and all stood up to receive him, singing "Yomim al yemei melech tosif." HaRav Eliashiv has been guiding the path of the Beis Medrash LeHalocho BeHityashvut HeChakla'it through his halachic rulings and by giving practical advice. His presence, unusual at such events, demonstrated the importance he attaches to advanced scholarship in the area of Toras Eretz Yisroel.

Afterwards Rav Yitzchok Levenstein read a letter by HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman which read, in part, "And it is an honor to serve under Maran Sar HaTorah, shlita, and all aspects will be subject to his rulings and directives. May [the Beis Medrash] continue to work in this direction and increase the number of avreichim engaged in these halochos."

"Last night at 1:30 when the Rosh Yeshiva sat down to write the letter," Rav Levenstein added, "the question of whether there was a need to write a letter for a cornerstone-laying was raised. Then mention was made of the fact that the Rosh Yeshiva took the trouble to devote numerous hours of his valuable time to promote agriculture during the shmittah year. And if R' Yosef Efrati has worked all these years on this important matter of ensuring there are no problems regarding orloh and tevel, then certainly a letter should be written."

Later, he also said, the Rosh Yeshiva added that he was sending the letter because, "HaGaon Rav Yosef Efrati, shlita, is like a son to Maran Sar HaTorah, shlita."

The central address was given by the head of the beis medrash, Rav Yosef Yekutiel Efrati. He began with a survey of the difficulties over the course of the 22 years preceding the dedication, particularly during this time of plots against the Torah world. He cited the Ramban on parshas Bamidbar, which explains that Shevet Levi was the smallest in number because they were not enslaved in Egypt and therefore "veka'asher ya'anu oso kein yirbeh vechein yifrotz" did not apply to them. If this is the case with physical enslavement, it certainly pertains as well when there are decrees against the Torah, and clearly the tents of Torah must be expanded and increased.

Rav Efrati went on to relate how in Sanhedrin the Yerushalmi recounts how Dovid Hamelech wanted to dig the foundations for the Beis Hamikdosh and reached a deep layer where he came across a pottery shard. Said the shard, `Don't touch me, for I am here in order to prevent the waters of the depths from flooding the world.' But Dovid thought that to build the Beis Hamikdosh it was permitted to move it and even to use it for construction. But when one handles the shard that protected Klal Yisroel from the floodwaters below since the time of Matan Torah, it can inundate the entire world. This applies even more when certain figures seek to uproot the Torah world, which provides the merit for our existence. They fail to understand that only because of these `shards' is Am Yisroel able to exist here in Eretz Hakodesh.

As the source for the cornerstone-laying ceremony, Rav Efrati cited Acharonim who, based on the Radak, write that the Altar was named after Shaul because he laid the first stone for it. The same is written of Zerubovel, that he built the Beis Hamikdosh upon returning from Golus. Though he did not actually build it himself, since he started building it was named after him.

"Therefore when Maran places the first stone it will serve as the foundation for the founding of a great building, exalted and uplifted. And may Hashem help it come to be that soon Maran, shlita, will also have the merit of fixing the mezuza on the beis medrash."

Rav Efrati concluded with a tefilloh and brochoh for donor Rav Rafael Harari, saying that just as he merited participating in the laying of the cornerstone, may he also merit, together with everyone else, completing this Beis Mikdosh me'at. He also thanked all those who assisted over the years, making special note of Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, who played an important part in securing building permits.

Afterwards, Rabbi Lupoliansky read the founders' scroll, which was then signed by HaRav Eliashiv, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, Rav Rafael Harari, rabbonim and public figures participating in the event. In conclusion HaRav Eliashiv stepped forward to cement the first foundation stone for the Beis Medrash building and then HaRav Auerbach began laying the foundations, along with other prominent rabbonim.

A seudas mitzvoh was then held at the home of Rav Ron Nachman Sharon, chairman of the Beis Medrash board of directors. The main speaker was Rav Avraham Yitzchak Barzel, one of the roshei yeshivos at Yeshivas Mir-Brachfeld. "In the six orders of the Mishnah," he said, "the first order is Zera'im, which is about emunoh. A seed is placed in the ground, it decomposes, and only through emunoh and tefilloh to HaKodosh Boruch Hu to make it grow, does it grow. This is also true when a fortress for the study of Zera'im is built; it is a cornerstone for a fortress and strengthened emunoh in Am Yisroel. And HaRav Efrati has had the merit of building a network of kollelim across the country to increase emunoh within Klal Yisroel, and this is the true song [of praise], particularly during this period. He who merits building Torah in Am Yisroel during these times receives an unlimited reward." Later he applauded the donor, Rav Rafael Harari, for helping to carry the load of the Torah world.

The seudah ended with a talk by the host, Rav Sharon, who has stood by the Beis Medrash through the years, ever since he was among its avreichim. He enthusiastically described how a novice farmer is asked not to make use of the crops for four years, and then must separate terumos umaaseros and in the seventh year is commanded to let the land lie fallow. "It would seem impossible to sustain [agriculture] under such conditions, yet we see that in fact those who walk this narrow bridge merit endless blessing and abundance, just as the Torah promises in parshas Bechukosai. And HaRav Efrati had the merit to disseminate and set up Torah tents that deal with these halochos, which are directly responsible both for the success of tillers of the land in their labors and the increase in the number of farmers regularly joining the circle of shomrei mitzvos."

The impressive event ended on a note of enthusiasm and kedushoh over the building of another place of Torah in Eretz Yisroel specializing in the study of halochos pertaining to Eretz Yisroel. The Beis Medrash has the honor of leading the holy task of clarifying and illuminating these halochos and implementing them in every corner of Eretz Hakodesh.

 

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