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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
As a bochur, Menachem Manes Moore sailed from his
hometown in Northern England carrying a large load of
spiritual recording equipment. He had a powerful desire to
absorb all he could and a great thirst to charge his
batteries with Torah and mussar. Everywhere he went,
his head took in the picture laid out before his eyes. He
would listen and absorb, look and take "photographs" with his
mind's built-in camera.
Yet wherever he roamed his strongest sentiments remained
attached to Yeshivas Mir in Poland, the yeshiva he felt bound
to and where most of his memories were set. He remained a
"Mirrer" all of his life. But along came World War II,
cutting short his stay in Mir. In fact when we spoke to Rav
Menachem Moore zt'l fifty years later in Gateshead, he
began his story shortly before the war broke out.
*
Part II
The first part discussed HaRav Moore's extensive travels
throughout the yeshiva world of prewar Europe, including
stops in Vilna, Drozegnik, Telz, Yanuva, Ramigola, Kelm,
Kovna, Vladivostok, Australia, New York and Lakewood.
In this section he talks mainly about Mirrer Yeshiva,
which was the one he felt closest to.
Yeshivas Mir -- Poland
The beis medrash was very wide. Along its width were
three rows of very long benches. The aron kodesh stood
facing them at the mizrach. At the back end of the
beis medrash, near the entrance, stood a huge furnace
made of bricks and covered with ceramic. It was a very large
building, but also extremely plain. The walls were totally
bare. More than 400 bochurim filled the
heichal, which was full and crowded. There were also
older bochurim who would stand together in the aisles
talking over their learning. I especially remember the voice
of Rav Michel Feinstein. In the beis medrash you
couldn't discern individual voices over the din of learning,
but he could be heard loud and clear. He would speak with
great fervor--rischo deOraisa--and his booming voice
could be heard throughout the hall.
The practice at Mir was that every bochur who came to
study at the yeshiva would receive slips that could be
exchanged for portions of bread, and similar slips to receive
meat. They would give these slips to the housewives at the
boarding houses and in exchange [the housewives] would
prepare bread and meat for us.
Those who had a bit of seniority at the yeshiva, one or two
years or more, would also receive chalukoh money which
made their living conditions easier, while the older ones
among them received an extra portion. This chalukoh,
worth about 20 zlotis per month, made it possible to buy
fish, butter, eggs and similar food items not considered
luxuries. The bochurim paid for their rooms out of
their own money, except for those from poor families in whose
case the yeshiva took care of it.
A way for anyone to receive increased chalukoh was to
present chiddushei Torah before the Rosh Yeshiva,
HaRav Leizer Yudel, which spurred the bochurim to
study diligently and encouraged them to seek
chiddushim in their learning.
At Yeshivas Mir there was no position of mishneh
lemashgiach or mashgiach koton to help supervise
the hundreds of talmidim. No. Nobody ever spoke with
me and I never saw one of these at Mir. The mashgiach,
HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein did the entire job. Although at
Telz there was a special mashgiach, HaRav Zalman
Bloch, part of whose task was to ensure that everyone came to
the sedorim, the tefillos, and so on, but at
Mir there was no need for this.
[He laughs.] At Mir there was nothing to do but sit and
learn. A bochur who didn't learn, where could he be?
What was there to do in such a tiny town like Mir? And
besides, the Mirrer bochurim were quite responsible.
Such things [as shirking study] were out of the question for
them!
Sura and Pompedisa
The students at the yeshiva were generally from 20 to 30
years old, although some were 32 and over. The main reason
for this was that during those years it was very difficult to
secure positions in the rabbinate and as roshei
yeshivos. Bochurim who were real gedolei
Torah and aspired to such positions nevertheless had to
wait a long time until they found the daughter of a rov or
rosh yeshiva, and so in the meantime they got
older.
There were a few who attained their goal, such as HaRav
Naftoli Trop at Yeshivas Radin, followed by R' Zeidel
Semiatitzky, who became the son-in-law of HaRav Schneider in
London. Rav Zeidel was one of about five bochurim who
were thirty and over and one of the most prominent figures at
the yeshiva, along with R' Leib Malin and R' Eliyohu
Chazzan.
The Alter of Slobodka, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, advised his
son Rav Leizer Yudel the rosh yeshiva, to send older
bochurim to Brisk every year to learn by Rav Velvel
Soloveitchik. At any given time there were twenty or thirty
bochurim who had returned from Brisk and would speak
of Rav Velvel's chiddushei Torah at the yeshiva.
Another clique was the Radiners, bochurim who had come
from Yeshivas Radin, and they would bring with them Rav
Naftoli Trop's Torah learning. Just a few years earlier he
had been among the eltereh bochurim at the yeshiva,
and they remembered his mehalchim in each and every
sugya.
The Torah learning of the leading roshei yeshivos
would make the rounds of the yeshiva. This was said in
the name of Rav Chaim, and this in the name of Rav Shimon,
and so on. Rav Shimon's teachings really were studied
extensively. I remember how Shaarei Yosher was
tattered and worn from use on all sides. But if I'm not
mistaken the chiddushim of Rav Velvel and Rav Naftoli
played a central role and drew the most interest.
A Rebbe for Every Talmid
Another of the Rosh Yeshiva's practices was to have the older
bochurim learn with bochurim from abroad in a
fixed seder every day. He [charged them with this
task] when they came to him asking for increased
chalukoh as veterans at the yeshiva. Members of this
class of older bochurim were at the level of roshei
yeshivos in every way. They knew all of the material
being studied in the yeshiva, had mastered the Rishonim and
Acharonim on all of Noshim and Nezikin, and
those who were sent to Brisk returned with knowledge in
Kodshim as well. They set the tone for the yeshiva,
both in learning and in spiritual life.
In any case the Rosh Yeshiva wanted to oblige them and
proposed an idea. Since many of the foreigners who came to
the yeshiva--particularly Americans, British and Germans--had
studied in schools and their level of study did not match
that of the local talmidim who had attended
yeshivos ketanos, from now on all those who came from
abroad would have to hire a rebbe from among the
elteres and pay a sum of 25 zlotis per month. As soon
as about 30 older bochurim gained talmidim, the
problem was solved and the increased chalukoh was
definitely felt.
My rebbe was Rav Simchah Kaplan, who later became the
rov of Tzfas. I would pay his wages from the money my mother
sent me. He was 28 at the time and was among the leading
talmidim at Mir. Like his close friends, he too was
sent to learn by the Brisker Rav for a certain period of
time. His cousin, Rav Simchah Sheppes, followed in his
footsteps and later went on to become a maggid shiur
at Yeshivas Torah Vodaas in New York.
This practice contributed considerably to the talmidim
from abroad, and really this was the main source of their
learning: two hours of study per day with the oldest and most
outstanding bochurim at the yeshiva. The idea was
devised by the rosh yeshiva, Rav Leizer Yudel, a
bright idea by a very sharp-minded Jew--who was as wise as he
was clever.
The Study Schedule
This was the daily schedule at Mir: The first seder
began at 9:30 a.m. and continued until 2:00 p.m., which was
the time for Minchah--tefilloh ketzoro without
chazoras hashatz. At 2:15 we went to eat lunch and the
second seder began at 4:00. The meal would last close
to an hour and afterwards we needed a bit of rest, to slip
off our shoes or to go for a stroll outside on days when the
weather permitted. Of course many rushed back to the beis
medrash after a half-hour or so, before the second
seder began. By 4:00 the beis medrash was
already full! At Mir this went without saying. Nobody
imagined it could be otherwise.
This seder lasted until 10:00 p.m. -- six whole hours.
Then we would daven Ma'ariv and go to the boarding
houses to eat supper and maybe step outside for some fresh
air. By then it was already midnight, time for bed.
There were definitely some masmidim who would return
to the beis medrash, but for the most part the
seder ended at 10:00, then we davened and ate.
Since we had to get up for the tefilloh, how much time
was there left to learn?
During the second part of the second seder, from about
6:00 to 10:00, we would change to a different type of
learning, such as bekius study of the second half of
the maseches or another maseches; for example,
learning Kiddushin from Ho'ish Mekadesh until
the end of the maseches. Due to the influence of
returnees from Brisk, there was also a chaburah that
spent this time studying Kodshim.
The pace was about 30 dapim of iyun per
zman. This was in addition to the bekius
learning of most, if not all, of a maseches. Yet this
was perceived to be insufficient, something that needed to be
rectified, learning a mere 30 dapim!
About half of the bochurim remained at the yeshiva
during the month of Nisan including Pesach. There was no
bein hazmanim break. Those who wanted to go home went,
and those who remained, sat and learned as usual. Thus after
Pesach there was no summer session marked by an opening-day
shiur or any other indication of a new beginning.
During the month of Nisan we would sleep in the same boarding
house and received slips to be exchanged for bread and meat,
everything as usual just as throughout the winter session.
Some bochurim would do the matzo baking for the
rest of the talmidim and staff of the yeshiva. I
recall dancing together during Pesach. But on the night of
the Seder there was no group Seder, rather
separate Seders in each and every boarding house.
The Tefilloh
Tefillas Hashachar was at 7:15 or thereabouts
[depending on the time of year], if I'm not mistaken. The
tefilloh lasted a bit over an hour, and another ten
minutes on Mondays and Thursdays. The tefilloh was
orderly and tightly scheduled. Brochos and Pesukei
Dezimroh lasted half an hour since the chazzan would say
Borechu half an hour from the time the tefilloh
began.
The tefilloh itself left a very powerful and singular
impression on me. After Borechu nobody went in or out.
Everyone sat in his place and the beis medrash was
packed from wall to wall. From this point on no conversation
was heard, chas vecholilo. Not a single word until the
end of the tefilloh.
Throughout the tefilloh nobody budged or moved an inch
from his place, something I have not seen anywhere besides
Mir, and apparently this was all due to the influence of the
mashgiach, Rav Yeruchom. Elsewhere one would find
eltereh bochurim roaming to and fro. Although they
were much better than the shtiebelach, still people
would come in and go out, etc. At Mir this was an anomaly.
That was the atmosphere there. Nobody even went to the
bathroom during the tefilloh.
"Omen" was said in unison and everyone would say
"omen" together after the chazzan. "Omen, yehei
Shemei rabbo mevorach" was also very impressive.
Everyone said it one word at a time, clearly and in a
memorable melody.
Pesukei Dezimroh lasted for 25 minutes, mamash
kemoneh mo'os. When the chazzan came to
Kedushoh Desidro he would bang on the bimoh and
everyone would say the verses together. At every opportunity
to recite in unison the chazzan would bang on the
bimoh and right away everyone would recite divrei
Elokim chaim aloud together with yir'oh.
By the way, in Bircas Hamozone we would only
bentsch until "al yechasreinu," and from there
on not another word. Similarly we would end bircas Bonei
Yerusholoyim according to the Gra's custom, not saying
the word, "berachamov."
During Havdoloh on motzei Shabbos all of the
listeners were seated in their places. Rav Chaim Sharshevsky,
a man of considerable achievement and one of the older
bochurim at the yeshiva, would recite Havdoloh
at Mir, and to this day I say Havdoloh exactly as
he did. He would say it in a loud voice, with exceptional
melodiousness and clarity so everyone could hear.
From Baranowitz to Mir
In general those who came to Mir from other yeshivos already
had some knowledge of gemora and the commentators.
Those who had learned under HaRav Elchonon Wasserman knew how
to learn particularly well, since the learning there was
taken very seriously. Rav Elchonon had already set them on
the right path in terms of study and they could stand on
their own two feet with confidence.
Bochurim under the age of 18 did not come to Mir. The
better talmidim under Rav Elchonon could come to Mir
once they reached the age of 18. At Baranowitz the maximum
age was 20. Afterwards either they would return home or go to
another yeshiva, a yeshiva gedoloh. Most of Rav
Elchonon's better talmidim did wind up at Mir, which
was quite close to Baranowitz, only about 20 mil [12
miles] away.
Out of the goodness of his heart, rosh yeshivas Mir
Rav Leizer Yudel would send money to Rav Elchonon to fill up
the yeshiva's empty coffers, for on numerous occasions the
talmidim there went hungry. This was not the case at
Yeshivas Mir, which managed to raise funds in America and was
able to support its fellow yeshiva as well. At the time, Mir
was the richest yeshiva, with the possible exception of
Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin.
By the way, at Yeshivas Mir, Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin was not
held in such high regard. It was perceived as a place that
had not proven itself as a yeshiva. Nevertheless many people
had a very high opinion of the Admor of Gur, HaRav Avrohom
Mordechai Alter, and showed great appreciation for his
gadlus in Torah. They also had a very high opinion of
HaRav Menachem Ziemba, and would travel to Warsaw especially
to speak with him in learning. He was greatly respected as a
gaon muflag in Torah, much more than other
lomdim you could find in Warsaw.
At the yeshiva itself, some specialized in mussar,
such as HaRav Elya Chazzan or HaRav Dovid Kobriner
(Kronglas), who later became mashgiach in Baltimore.
During his time at Mir he did a lot to encourage the British
and American bochurim. He himself was an orphan with
no family, but he was really a geshmaker mentsch!
The mussar seforim studied at Mir included Mesillas
Yeshorim and Shaarei Teshuvoh, and another
sefer often used was Yalkut Yedi'os Ho'emes (Derech
Hashem) by the Ramchal. There were dozens of copies of
these seforim at the yeshiva and much use was made of
them.
What is a Mirrer Man?
Mir was particularly noted for ahavoh and
achvoh and derech eretz. If, nevertheless,
someone hurt someone else accidentally he would immediately
apologize and ask for forgiveness. Here in England politeness
is a common heritage, but it is merely a national tradition.
I don't know if anyone is sincere. But there we really did
mean it!
Once a certain bochur stepped into a boarding house on
Shabbos in the day and the housewife served him and his
friends cups of tea. Suddenly one of the guests slipped and
spilled his cup of tea on one of the elteres sitting
there. The tea was boiling hot, plus it spilled all over his
nice Shabbos clothes. But rather than growing angry or losing
his head he turned to the housewife calmly and said,
"Balebusteh! Perhaps you could bring him another cup
of tea."
He expressed neither his own pain nor the harm done to him,
as if the only problem was that one of the guests was left
without a cup of tea.
What I really enjoyed at Mir was the independence of the
bochurim. Take Yeshivas Telz, for instance. There the
roshei yeshiva were the ones who directed the yeshiva,
but at Mir self-discipline reigned. Everyone was
independently responsible for his personal conduct.
When the War broke out I used to travel frequently to Kovno,
where there were avreichim with yiras Shomayim,
avreichim from Slobodka and Kletsk and Kamenitz. But
after studying at Mir for a while, I knew how to discern who
among them had yiras Shomayim. Not that I knew
everyone -- even at the yeshiva itself there was no way I
could know all of the hundreds of bochurim -- but I
could recognize in certain people that they had to be
talmidim from Mir.
At Mir the practice in terms of outward appearance was
neither to be sloppy like at Novardok nor meticulously
groomed like at Slobodka. There was a different look. You
could see a certain air of importance [in the Mirrer man]. He
looked like a mentsch, perhaps with a slight touch of
pride, but it was suppressed!
Many years later, I had set times for learning at Yeshivas
Gateshead and I learned in chavrusa with HaRav Chaim
Ozer Elynson, who is now in London. We spent seven years
learning all of maseches Shabbos. One day I noticed a
Yid walk into the beis medrash and walk over to speak
with the rosh yeshiva, Rav Leib Gurwicz, o'h. I
turned to Rav Chaim Ozer and told him, "That Yid is a
Mirrer!"
"How do you know?" he asked me.
And I replied, "I can see it in him, that he was a
talmid at Mir!"
I had never seen him before and I did not know him
previously, but it turned out I was right. Later I was told
he was a long-time Mirrer who had been appointed head of the
shochtim in London. I don't know how to describe what
I saw in him, but he looked like a Mirrer. He carried himself
with a sense of importance, not gaivo but a unique
manner of conduct.
At Mir, the Slobodkers were not held in such high regard.
They were considered baalei gaivo. Actually the Alter
of Slobodka's approach steered them and pushed them in that
direction--to dress meticulously and to walk with a stately
gait. All of this was to achieve the goal he had set for
himself, to make sure they would stand up to the influence of
the streets.
On one of my trips to Kovno I happened to eat at Yeshivas
Slobodka. The dining room was arranged with small tables
covered with snow-white tablecloths and goyishe women
serving the food. They would cover their heads with
kerchiefs, like the goyishe ladies here in England,
and they would bring the food around to the tables. Nowhere
else did I see such manners, and this was on a regular
weekday! At Mir this was seen with a critical eye.
*
Rav Moore himself notes that a number of Torah greats emerged
from the talmidim at Slobodka. But his loyalty to his
own yeshiva and its hallowed tradition runs deep.
"Nonetheless, in my humble opinion, Mir was the best of all
of the yeshivos. Both in learning and in other matters. They
were mentschen!"
Rav Moore is very happy to have finally found the right word
to define what a Mirrer is. "Ho! Dos iz der vort--
mentschen."
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