The chareidi community has eagerly responded to the call of
maranan verabonon to join the new cycle of the study of
the laws of shemiras haloshon.
In yeshivos and kollelim throughout the country, many
avreichim and students have decided to participate in
these studies which, in the yeshivos, will take place between
the set study sessions. Many have undertaken to participate
in the exams on the halochos they learn. In Israel one
may join the exam-program, by contacting: 02- 5713487.
The book, Shemiras Haloshon, is currently at sale in
both Hebrew and English.
In this context, it is worth mentioning a remarkable story
that was related at the central his'orerus rally for
women, organized by Toda'ah, and held in Bnei Brak on the
65th yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim last Elul.
The main speech at the rally was delivered by the av beis
din of Bnei Brak's Zichron Meir neighborhood, and rosh
yeshiva of today's Yeshivas Chachmei Lublinin in Bnei
Brak, HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, who stressed the importance
of strengthening our devotion to the chinuch of our
children, and sharpening our awareness of the dangers the
posed to our generation by the unfit media which poison the
souls of our youngsters, and undermine the walls of our pure
education.
In his speech, he spoke about the Chofetz Chaim, whose
yahrtzeit coincided with the day of the rally. He
related that he was studying in the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva
in Europe on the day of the petirah of the Chofetz
Chaim. When the bitter news reached them, the rosh
yeshiva, R' Meir Shapira, convened the students and with
bitter tears eulogized the godol hador who had gone to
his eternal rest.
In his hesped, Maharam Shapira related that during the
final years of the Chofetz Chaim's life, a decree was passed
against the talmudei Torah and chadorim in
Poland. A contingent of rabbonim was sent to the Chofetz
Chaim with the request that he head a delegation to the
Polish government, for the purpose of annulling the decree.
"We told the Chofetz Chaim: `On Yom Kippur, the fledgling
priests told the Kohen Godol: `Our master, the Kohen
Godol, stand on the floor and lessen the warmth of your
feet.' Our master, the Kohen Godol, Maran the Chofetz
Chaim, stand at the head of the campaign for the honor of
Hashem and His Torah.'
"And the Chofetz Chaim, in his venerable old age, headed the
delegation to the Polish government. When he appeared before
the members of the government, they rose in his honor. The
Chofetz Chaim told the Prime Minister that he couldn't speak
Polish, and asked to speak in Yiddish. To this, the Polish
Prime Minster replied: `Your honor will speak the language of
the heart, and I will understand.'
"With heartfelt words, the Chofetz Chaim began: `Your honor,
the Prime Minster, during the First World War, the Russians
who ruled Poland murdered all the Poles who sought
independence. One time, they led a group of captives through
the town of Radin. The captives were bound in iron chains,
and the Russians beat and disgraced them. When I saw this, I
entered the beis medrash, opened the aron kodesh,
placed my head between the Torah scrolls and prayed:
`Ribono Shel Olom, even though they are non-Jews, they
are Your creations. Why do they disgrace them so?.
HaKodosh Boruch Hu heard my prayers, and Poland
received its independence.'
" `Honorable Prime Minister,' the Chofetz Chaim continued. `I
requested that Poland remain Poland, that Poland remain a
state. If you don't annul the decree, Poland will cease to
exist.'
"The Polish Prime Minster, who was deeply moved by the words
of the Chofetz Chaim, rose and said: `Most honorable rabbi,
the decree is canceled.' "
This story was related by my mentor, the rosh yeshiva
of Chachmei Lublin, in his hesped over the Chofetz
Chaim. At the end of the hesped, Maharam Shapira
described the Chofetz Chaim's immense greatness in Torah,
stressing that he was the Rav of all Israel and that he
had strengthened his generation and all generations until the
coming of the Moshiach in many issues, among them that of
shemiras haloshon.
On that occasion, Maharam Shapira noted that in the
generation preceding him, it was the Chasam Sofer one who had
fortified our faith, and that at the time of the
petirah of the Chasam Sofer, in 5700, the verse, "and
the sun shone, and the sun set," as well as the statement of
Chazal that, "the sun of the tzaddik doesn't set until
the sun of another tzaddik. begins to shine," were
fulfilled, because it was then that the sun of the Chofetz
Chaim began to glow.
At the close of his stirring words, Rav Wosner emphasized the
obligation to strengthen our shemiras halashon, saying
that one who guards his tongue and his mouth merits
longevity, as it is written: "Who is the man who wants life,
loves days to see good? Guard your tongue from evil, and your
lips from speaking deceit."
