In a special interview which Yated Ne'eman held this past Monday with HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh Yeshivas Philadelphia and member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in the U.S., who is here on a personal simcha-related visit, the latter voiced an emphatic stand regarding the path we must take these days to protect ourselves from our evil-seekers.
"The situation is indeed cause for great concern. All of American Jewry regards what is taking place here very seriously. This is a terrible decree which no one believed would ever happen in the Holy Land, of all places. We must fortify ourselves along the lines of what our Sages directed us to do: through intensified Torah study and yiras Shomayim, and hope that Heaven will have mercy upon us and help us," he said.
When he was asked what specifically we are expected to do at this time in light of the Torah world being threatened with terrible decrees, he said, "The Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Aharon Leib, has already instructed us in which area to fortify ourselves. What more have I to add? To tell the truth, when I entered the beis medrash this morning here in Yerushalayim, I was deeply moved by the scene that met my eyes — a place filled to overflowing with people studying Torah, obeying the directives of the Torah leadership in seizing the skill of our ancestors by strengthening ourselves in Torah study with full force. It was a very uplifting scene."
He continued, "The situation is drastic. It is surprising that the Mizrachi allows itself to be an accomplice to this travesty, to this decree threatening to obstruct the power of Torah students here in the Holy Land. Is it not true that every bit of goodness in the world is channeled only via the Torah? As Chazal said in Bamidbar Rabba (1:3), `R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: If the nations of the world realized the benefit they got from the Beis Hamikdash, they would have surrounded it with legions to protect it, for it benefited them to a greater degree than it did even Jewry.' It is precisely through the power of kedushoh and Torah that the entire world enjoys bounty and prosperity. Were they to realize to what extent Torah and the Mikdash protect the entire world, not only Jewry, they would guard and preserve every Torah scholar from sin, and would surely not attempt to harm him."
