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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Part Two
The first part covered HaRav Yechiel Mordechai's youth and
years in Europe at the head of the Lomzha yeshiva, founded by
his father-in-law. This part is mainly concerned with his
years in Eretz Yisroel at the head of the branch of the
yeshiva that eventually, tragically, became the main
yeshiva.
The Seeds of a Mighty Tree
In 5680 (1920), the problem of conscription into the Polish
army began and many of the Lomzher talmidim received
conscription orders. In an attempt to win exemption for the
bnei hayeshiva, Rav Yechiel Mordechai traveled to
Warsaw and went to see Dr. Noach Priluki, an elderly
maskil in official employ. Dr. Priluki was prepared to
exempt the talmidim from army service on condition
that the yeshiva incorporated secular studies in its program.
Stalling for time, Rav Yechiel Mordechai responded that he
wanted to discuss the matter with the staff of the yeshiva
back in Lomzha.
"Even though in the meantime, the bochurim will
continue being conscripted and sent to fight?" Dr. Priluki
asked him.
"Yes," replied Rav Yechiel Mordechai, "even at that
price."
While still in Warsaw, Rav Yechiel Mordechai had a dream in
which the posuk, "No leaven or sweetness shall be
offered up . . . to Hashem" (Vayikra 2:11), appeared
to him. As a result, the proposal was dropped.
By this time, Rav Yechiel Mordechai's father-in-law HaRav
Eliezer Shulevitz, zt'l, was already living in Eretz
Yisroel, where he had renewed a youthful friendship with
HaRav Zerach Braverman zt'l that went back to when
they had learned together bechavrusa in one of the
towns near Lomzha. Rav Zerach, who was considered one of the
talmidim of HaRav Yehoshua Leib Diskin zt'l,
had been of great assistance to Rav Shulevitz in the original
founding of Lomzha Yeshiva in 5643 (1883).
When news about the problems with the conscription reached
Eretz Yisroel, it was decided that the yeshiva would open a
branch in Eretz Yisroel. Rav Braverman was the patron and
spiritual mentor of the settlement of Petach Tikvah and the
two friends went there to look into the idea of establishing
the yeshiva's new branch there. With Rav Braverman's
encouragement, a committee of townspeople was set up and
efforts were soon excitedly underway to erect a large
building for the talmidim who were to arrive from
Lomzha. That building serves as the beis hamedrash of
the Lomzha Yeshiva in Petach Tikvah to this day.
The rov of the settlement at that time was HaRav Abba Cytryn
zt'l, son-in-law of the Rogatchover Gaon zt'l.
He also participated warmly in the preparations for receiving
the Lomzher talmidim who were expected to reach Petach
Tikvah in the summer of 5686 (1926). The first group of forty
talmidim to arrive was led by HaRav Eliyahu Dushnitzer
zt'l. From Russia, Rav Shulevitz's youngest son-in-
law, HaRav Moshe Aryeh Ozer zt'l, also arrived to
serve as rosh yeshiva and menahel.
The two branches of the yeshiva, in Lomzha and in Petach
Tikvah, existed side by side for thirteen years. Throughout
this period, more and more talmidim traveled to Petach
Tikvah; nobody then could have any idea how many lives would
be saved as a result.
Cornerstone of the Torah World
The Lomzher talmidim planted seeds of Torah in the
soil of the fledgling yishuv in Eretz Yisroel. Even
among the religious public there was little understanding of
the Torah world and of the life of the yeshivos. Besides the
yeshivos of the yishuv hayoshon, there were only two
"Lithuanian" yeshivos: Chevron, also established at about the
same time and then still in the city of Chevron, and Lomzha
in Petach Tikvah.
The roshei hayeshiva of the European branch paid
visits to Eretz Yisroel to consolidate the new institution.
Rav Yechiel Mordechai came in 5687 (1927), on his return from
a long trip to the United States. He was forty-seven years
old at the time and his visit was a major event for the
yishuv. Gedolei Torah came out to meet him and he was
honored royally when he arrived in Yerushalayim and in Petach
Tikvah. When Rav Eliezer Shulevitz witnessed the honor with
which his son-in-law was received, he remarked, "Oy. I pity
him. How can anyone bear all this?"
Two years later, in 5689 (1929), HaRav Yehoshua Zelig Roch
zt'l Hy'd, visited Eretz Yisroel. He left behind him a
reputation of not only being a great gaon but a gifted
speaker, too. During his stay, he delivered a droshoh
in Petach Tikvah's Beis Haknesses Hagodol that lasted for
four hours; none of his listeners got up to leave until he
finished.
Lomzha in Petach Tikvah was the prototype for the yeshiva
world that later developed in Eretz Yisroel. The
sedorim, the shiurim and even the
tefillos of the Yomim Noraim in the yeshivos
here are based on those that Lomzha brought over from its
yeshiva in Poland. Rav Moshe Aryeh Ozer's shiurim "on
the daf" were the first of their kind in the yeshiva
world.
HaRav Zeev Edelman zt'l once related that he went to
see the Chazon Ish and found him giving a yeshiva
bochur a very thorough and extensive examination on what
he had learned. After the bochur left, the Chazon Ish
remarked to Rav Edelman, "It's evident that that
bochur has a good teacher." The teacher was Rav Moshe
Aryeh Ozer zt'l, whom many Lomzher talmidim
considered their principal rebbe.
In 5692 (1932) HaRav Reuven Katz zt'l, who had been
rov of Amdur, was appointed as rov of Petach Tikvah and Rav
Yechiel Mordechai invited him to join the staff of the
yeshiva. Rav Katz taught in the yeshiva for over thirty
years, until his petiroh in 5724 (1964).
A Bitter Exile
In Elul 5699 (1939), just before the outbreak of the Second
World War, Rav Yechiel Mordechai packed his suitcase and left
Europe for a fundraising trip to the United States to provide
for the yeshivos in Lomzha and Petach Tikvah. As a result his
life was spared, but all contact was lost with his family and
with the bnei hayeshiva that he had left in Poland. He
lost his wife, three sons, his daughter and son-in-law and
his talmidim in the war.
During the war years, Rav Yechiel Mordechai was one of the
founders of Vaad Hatzoloh and one of the driving forces
behind the efforts to raise funds for the organization's
work. Rav Eliezer Silver zt'l, the president of the
Vaad, would always stress the crucial role that Rav Yechiel
Mordechai had played in its establishment and activities.
Rav Yechiel Mordechai himself would relate that when the idea
of founding the Vaad was first broached, Rav Yisroel
Rosenberg zt'l, head of the Agudas HaRabbonim —
and also an alumnus of Lomzha in Poland — strongly
opposed it. He argued that a new rescue initiative would draw
support away from the important relief work being done by the
Ezras Torah organization, which he also headed. A commotion
arose and Rav Yechiel Mordechai, who was always present at
the meetings of gedolei Yisroel in America, was asked
to intervene.
"On the contrary, Rabbi Rosenberg," said Rav Yechiel
Mordechai. "Fight Vaad Hatzoloh! — `When elders engage
in demolition, it is constructive!' "
That immediately calmed the atmosphere.
Gedolei Yisroel supported and assisted Rav Yechiel
Mordechai in all his efforts on behalf of Yeshivas Lomzha,
with which he was occupied throughout his lengthy sojourn
— of fifteen years — in America. He was admired
and beloved by all; Rav Rosenberg once termed him, "Prince of
the Torah Kingdom."
There were virtually no survivors of Lomzha in Poland. After
Lomzha had been heavily bombed and the German army overran
the town, the bnei hayeshiva, led by Rav Roch, escaped
to Vilna, seeking the shelter and protection of HaRav Chaim
Ozer Grodzensky zt'l. They went into hiding but were
martyred al kiddush Hashem. Eventually the handful of
survivors sought out their rebbe and it was from them
that he learned the bitter news of his family's fate.
Rav Yechiel Mordechai devoted himself to providing for his
beloved talmidim, concerning himself with their every
need and arranging respectable means of earning a livelihood
for them, either as rabbonim or in other positions.
Rabbi Simchah Rosenberg zt'l was one of the survivors.
Shortly after his arrival in New York, he was injured in a
road accident. The lawyer who dealt with the case on behalf
of the insurance company suggested to him that he add a
certain detail — one that was impossible for anyone to
disprove — to his version of the incident. Were he to
do so, he stood to be awarded a fantastic sum.
Rabbi Rosenberg refused to change his story since the truth
was otherwise but the lawyer would not accept this. "You are
a refugee," he pointed out, "and you don't have bread to eat.
Here I have an opportunity to obtain riches for you."
The matter was brought before Rav Yechiel Mordechai, who
ruled out claiming an extra penny dishonestly, adding, "One
derives no benefit from non-kosher money." The lawyer was
astonished and fumed over their honesty.
HaRav Yaakov Kamenetsky zt'l used to visit Rav Yechiel
Mordechai every week during the years that they were both
living in Brooklyn. Twenty years earlier it had been Rav
Yechiel Mordechai who had taken the destitute Reb Yaakov into
his yeshiva. Now the Rosh Yeshiva, whose life had been
shattered by the war, was in need of comfort and support,
which Reb Yaakov provided. He also hoped that seeing how
highly the rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaas held her husband
would demonstrate to Rav Yechiel Mordechai's third
rebbetzin the true worth of the broken man she had
married. Rav Yechiel Mordechai would seek Reb Yaakov's
counsel, and noted that he was unique in there never being
any trace of self-interest in the advice that he gave.
Homeward Bound
After spending years in the United States, Rav Yechiel
Mordechai began planning his return to Eretz Yisroel, this
time to stay. Among those encouraging him to move was the
Chazon Ish zt'l, who had concerned himself with the
yeshiva in Petach Tikvah and wanted to see it graced by Rav
Yechiel Mordechai's presence.
Preparations for the move began in 5711 (1951). One of Rav
Yechiel Mordechai's close friends, Mr. Kaufmann z'l of
New York, donated a sizable sum to the yeshiva so that an
apartment could be built for the Rosh Yeshiva.
The following year Rav Yechiel Mordechai's influence began to
be felt once more in Eretz Yisroel. His many talmidim,
first and foremost the yeshiva's staff, rallied to him and
formed the Union of Talmidim of Yeshivas Lomzha. The
talmidim in the yeshiva in Petach Tikvah were drawn to
him in love and admiration as his shiurim and
shmuessen opened up new horizons for them.
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, who learned in the yeshiva for
fourteen years, recalls that with Rav Yechiel Mordechai's
arrival, the shiurim in the yeshiva shifted gear, as
active participation on the part of the talmidim
— by interposing their own questions and raising
difficulties — was encouraged. This breathed new life
into the yeshiva's atmosphere.
The Rosh Yeshiva's home became a lodestone for the
bochurim. They felt they had somewhere to turn to and
someone who cared about them. Just as it had been in Poland,
each and every bochur felt as though the Rosh Yeshiva
was thinking about him alone. The bochurim were
permitted and invited to enter the Rosh Yeshiva's apartment
at any hour that suited them and the impression of the
minutes that they merited spending in his presence, basking
in the glow of his boundless love and encouragement would
remain with them forever.
Each vaad [level] in the yeshiva was assigned a day
when they would all go in to the Rosh Yeshiva together. The
arrangement was that the Rav Yechiel Mordechai would first
ask to hear questions or ideas and after everyone had had his
say, would weave all that had been said into one cohesive
presentation. He did this in a way that gave each member of
the vaad the feeling that the entire edifice centered
upon his individual contribution.
Once, one of the vaad members nodded off right in
front of the Rosh Yeshiva. His friends tried to arouse him
unobtrusively but to no avail. Rav Yechiel Mordechai noticed
what was going on and merely said, "He must have learned
right through the night. We mustn't disturb his rest. Let's
speak quietly so that we don't waken him."
His Delicacy and Concern
Rav Yechiel Mordechai's refinement and his consideration for
others were boundless and were evident in every facet of his
life.
For example, he found the physical handling of money
repulsive. Although he administered huge sums for many years,
when someone actually held out a coin to him, he asked that
it be placed on the table, not into his hand.
*
This went hand in hand with his scrupulous honesty. One of
the yeshiva cooks received instructions not to allow guests
to dine with the talmidim. One erev Shabbos a
guest arrived and asked if he could eat in the yeshiva's
dining room.
"You'll have to get permission," the cook told him.
The guest asked one of the bochurim to help him and
when he approached the Rosh Yeshiva, he received the
necessary consent, together with a request that the
bochur should return to the rosh yeshiva's home
immediately after ma'ariv on motzei Shabbos.
On motzei Shabbos Rav Yechiel Mordechai explained to
the bochur, "I am not allowed to feed strangers at the
yeshiva's expense and if a guest comes, I really ought to
host him properly at my own table. My wife is feeling unwell
however, and it would have been difficult for her. So please,
take this money, roughly the cost of the guest's Shabbos
meal, and give it to the cook."
*
There was an eccentric fellow who used to wander around
Petach Tikvah. He was a frequent visitor at the Rosh
Yeshiva's home, where he would be welcomed by Rav Yechiel
Mordechai's radiant smile even if he was calling at
midnight.
Once he entered the beis hamedrash while Rav Yechiel
Mordechai was delivering shiur. Interrupting the
shiur, Rav Yechiel Mordechai went over to him and told
him warmly, "It's hard for me to welcome you properly right
now. I still have to finish. I'll wait for you after the
shiur. Come in afterwards."
*
Rav Yechiel Mordechai would check what day the cleaner was to
come and would switch on the heater the day before so that
she would have warm water for squeezing out the washing
rags.
*
Once, while staying in a hotel, Rav Yechiel Mordechai was
sitting with several acquaintances and a waiter approached to
serve soup. A bowl of soup spilt on Rav Yechiel Mordechai's
leg. The waiter blanched; the soup had been very hot —
hot enough to cause a burn.
Rav Yechiel Mordechai calmed him down, telling him to
continue his work and not to trouble himself because nothing
had happened. After the waiter had moved away it transpired
that Rav Yechiel Mordechai's leg had indeed been badly
burned. His main concern though, had been to prevent
the waiter from feeling distressed.
*
One day, Rav Aharon Kotler zt'l arrived to visit Rav
Yechiel Mordechai.
"How did you get here?" Rav Yechiel Mordechai asked his
guest.
"By cab," Reb Aharon replied.
"And where's the driver?"
"Waiting in the car."
Rav Yechiel Mordechai asked someone to go and fetch him. He
sat the driver at the table with Reb Aharon and himself and,
though the man could have understood little if any of what
the two sages discussed, he must have felt every bit of what
was probably the greatest honor he could receive.
*
On another occasion, one of the gedolei hador was
staying in Petach Tikvah and came to visit Rav Yechiel
Mordechai. Because his Rebbetzin was not at home at the time,
Rav Yechiel Mordechai asked his distinguished guest to come
and visit again when she would be there. On a different
occasion, when another such guest arrived, Rav Yechiel
Mordechai was heard telling his wife, "We have an
important visitor."
Upon returning from a trip he would sit down with his wife
and relate everything he'd done, giving a thorough accounting
as a sign of his estimation and of his consideration for
her.
Beyond the Yeshiva
Upon arriving in Eretz Yisroel, Rav Yechiel Mordechai was
invited by HaRav Meir Karelitz zt'l and Rav Asher
Werner zt'l, rov of Tiveria, to join the Moetzes
Gedolei Hatorah. However he declined the offer as he was
unwilling to become involved in politics. When Chinuch Atzmai
was established however, he became its patron and did his
utmost on its behalf. Despite his reluctance to become
involved in communal affairs, he was consulted on every
issue.
During bein hazmanim he would rest in Yerushalayim.
One year he was staying at a guest house in the Talpiyot
neighborhood where he met the religious author, S.Y. Agnon
z'l. Rav Yechiel Mordechai approached Agnon and
encouraged him to direct his talents to writing articles that
would draw others closer to Torah and heighten people's
appreciation of Torah and Torah scholars. Agnon's response is
already on record. He said that he had sold all his rights to
Shocken Publishers and that they were not interested in that
sort of literature.
Next to the yeshiva in Petach Tikvah, Rav Yechiel opened a
beis hamussar that was named after his father-in-law,
HaRav Eliezer Shulevitz. Many would gather there to study
mussar works at the set times and Rav Yechiel
Mordechai would also deliver mussar discourses. On
Shabbos, many would attend the shiur that he gave in
the beis hamussar. He would speak at sholosh
seudas as well, and many people would crowd into his
house to hear his Torah.
Always, wherever he was, his face radiated calm and
tranquility, despite the succession of tragedies that he
endured in his personal life. For himself, he never
complained.
Once, a tragedy occurred in Petach Tikvah and a ben
yeshiva drowned. Upon arriving at the hospital, Rav
Yechiel Mordechai burst into bitter tears. To his brother-in-
law Rav Ozer's questioning he responded, "I didn't even merit
giving my children a Jewish burial!"
That is My Consolation
Sadly, Rav Yechiel Mordechai's sorrows did not end with the
war. He once remarked that in his youth, he had not known
what it was to forget anything and that he did not start
experiencing forgetfulness until his cup of suffering
overflowed when his youngest and only surviving son was
murdered in Eretz Yisroel.
His talmid HaRav Yaakov Naiman zt'l, rosh yeshivas
Or Yisroel in Petach Tikvah, related that Rav Yechiel
Mordechai was in America when it happened. Rav Yaakov Kalms
zt'l, av beis din of Moscow, met Rav Yechiel Mordechai
and, unaware that the terrible news had been deliberately
withheld from the bereaved father, began to speak about the
tragedy. He realized immediately that the news had not
reached him and changed the subject.
Several hours later, Rav Yechiel Mordechai arrived at Rav
Kalms' home and said, "I understand why you felt that news of
the calamity should be concealed from me but I want to know
whether he was still occupied with Torah study during the
last days of his life. If he was still attached to the
learning in the yeshiva, the tragedy is not so great, for his
life was a spiritual one — of attachment to Torah
— and he is bound to the "bundle of the living" of our
sublime martyrs. If though, he chas vesholom
interrupted his learning and was then taken from us, it is
indeed a terrible catastrophe!"
Rav Kalms replied, "To his last day he was attached to the
holy yeshiva."
"That is my consolation," said Rav Yechiel Mordechai.
Even when he fell ill and lay suffering, his face radiated
hope and he received every visitor joyfully.
A chosson came to see him and told him that he was
about to marry but that he had nothing whatsoever. Rav
Yechiel Mordechai comforted him by telling him, "It is
written, `Your beginning will be slight but later you will be
exceedingly mighty' (Iyov 8:7). Why doesn't
Hakodosh Boruch Hu bring the stage of `exceeding
might' right away? Apparently, after a `slight beginning,'
one appreciates the later benefit all that more."
This provided the bochur with the necessary
encouragement.
When HaRav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky, the Steipler
zt'l, came to see him, Rav Yechiel Mordechai was
visibly shaken. Was his situation already public knowledge?
If so, a bigger miracle would be needed to save him. That
thought troubled him.
Rav Yechiel Mordechai's life drew to its end in the same way
that he had lived it until that point. His illness attacked
him in a particularly vicious way, choking his throat —
but his face shone until the very end. As long as some life
remained in him, he radiated warmth and closeness. Throughout
his eighty-three years, he never ceased his song to Hashem,
"[In both] kindness and judgment I shall sing to You . . ."
(Tehillim 101:1).
On erev Shabbos, the thirteenth of Teves 5725, the
radiance in which Yeshivas Lomzha and Petach Tikvah had
basked for twelve years, dimmed and faded. At the
levaya, HaRav Yechezkel Sarna zt'l declared
that Rav Yechiel Mordechai had been the greatest of his
generation in the fulfillment of the halochoh of, " `and you
shall transmit them with precision to your sons' —
these are your talmidim" (Sifrei).
Bowed and broken, multitudes of his talmidim
accompanied the beloved rebbe, who had been a living
sefer Torah and their source of warmth and
illumination throughout his life.
Yeshivas Lomzha has continued along Rav Yechiel Mordechai's
path. Today, a large student body of avreichim,
graduates of the country's finest yeshivos, continue their
advance in Torah and yiras Shomayim within its walls.
Over the years, many of those who learned in Lomzha have gone
on to serve as roshei yeshiva, mashgichim, rabbonim,
dayanim and mechanchim.
Much blessing and peace to his honor, my close friend . . .
the gaon Rav Yechiel Mordechai Gordon, Rosh Yeshivas
Lomzha, Petach Tikvah . . .
I received your great and splendid sefer with great
joy — on the days when we are commanded to be joyful
— and it helped me in fulfilling the mitzvah. How
precious is every new sefer that appears, especially
now . . . After the dreadful Holocaust, every author is one
survivor out of many thousands of authors.
They are recalling the Holocaust at this particular
time [i.e. the twenty-seventh of Nisan, marked by secular
Israelis as Holocaust and Heroism Day], although the way they
commemorate it is a spiritual holocaust, for here too they
associate it with "heroism," in other words, "my strength and
the might of my hands." Instead of remembering what this
commemoration ought to bring to mind they are absolutely
oblivious to the fundamentals and are comatose, without any
spiritual arousal whatsoever.
Moreover, the very fixing of memorial days during this period
[i.e. the month of Nisan] is contrary to halochoh and to
universal Jewish custom . . . and I am amazed at the
participation in this of great rabbonim, as the
notices in the newspapers announce. Has the Government's
power grown so great as to render the rabbonim its
permanent lackeys, even with regard to things that contravene
Torah customs? Is there any place at all for rabbonim
to take part in such a non- Jewish type of ceremony? I am
staggered.
In contrast to profanation of Torah's honor and of the honor
of our holy martyrs, it is encouraging to see Torah's honor
heightened through the labors of great Torah scholars and
disseminators, for "all we have left is this Torah." I was
also happy to see the alef marked on the sefer,
indicating that be'ezras Hashem it will be followed by
volumes beis, gimmel and so on. I bless my friend with
being able to disseminate Torah in their [i.e. the martyrs']
memory. I would very much like to have enjoyed your precious
and great writings but I am at present exceedingly
preoccupied and I only managed a superficial glance. However,
the time will yet come be'ezras Hashem yisborach.
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