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"Anticipating" The Bicentennial Since the Passing of the Gaon of Vilna
by Dov Eliach
For Part II of this series click here.
Part 1
This essay was originally published in the Succos edition of 1996-5757 in anticipation of the following year when the 200th yahrtzeit of the Gaon fell out. This was 29 years ago. We are reprinting it because there is much of interest still today.
Our circles traditionally commemorate fifty year periods of the passing of gedolei Yisroel. Whenever a round figure elapses, a noteworthy date to conjure up memories, impacts and lessons, the public enjoys essays of esteemed evaluation. Sometimes the memories are brought to the fore orally at special public occasions or in memorial journals published expressly for that purpose in which the teachings, acts and exemplary conduct of that great person are reviewed.
In these days, on the nineteenth of Tishrei to be more exact, the fourth day of chol hamoed Succos this year, 199 years will have passed since the demise in Tishrei 5558 of HaGaon R' Eliyohu of Vilna — known as the Vilna Gaon. The reader will surely wonder why this particular year is commemorated in our newspaper. Why has Yated seen fit to note the day of his passing one full year before the bicentennial of his departure?
We find in Chazal: "Rabbon Shimon ben Gamliel says: We do not make monuments for the righteous; their words are their very remembrance" (Yerushalmi Shekalim 2:5). If this holds true for every sage and leader of Israel, how much more does it apply to Rabbenu, the Gra of Vilna? He was the first since the period of the geonim who earned the universal title throughout the entire Jewish world of `gaon,' simply as is, without preface. All of the known Torah leaders regarded him as a sage of the stature of previous generations to the degree that they added to his title "the G-dly man" or even "the G-dly tana."
This is not the place to elaborate with awesome quotes of Torah sages. (I have expanded on this in a biographical work on the Gaon being prepared for publication.) Suffice it on this occasion to mention two, neither of them from his own disciples. The author of Tiferes Yisroel, on Mishna, writes: "The entire Jewish community sits under this single star which rises only once every thousand years, and falls from the sky only once to fill the entire world with light which is Torah."
The author of Haksav Vehakaballa writes of "that tzaddik, world genius, whose parallel does not exist on earth, a veritable angel of Hashem of Hosts, the awesome gaon [who was] like one of the rishonim."
Thus, we do not come to give a definitive description of the Gaon. Rather, this is merely an unpresumptuous attempt to review, scan and delineate the figure of this giant among giants. Can we even imagine that someone in our generation had the power to begin to understand an iota of the ways and virtues of "our guiding light, our teacher, the brilliant star, the G-dly tana," in the words of the author of Shoel Umeishiv, HaGaon R' Yosef Shaul Nattansohn from Lvov—someone who himself is beyond our ken.
The Kloiz of the Gra
The Radal wrote about the purpose of the work Aliyos Eliyohu: "The main purpose is not to praise the Gra or memorialize him, but only to rouse the heart of the reader, to hopefully enthuse him to desire to begin walking in the wake of his exalted and noble ways." The author of the work, HaGaon R' Y.H. Levin, testifies himself that "...I truly attest that I have not come to laud the praises of the Gaon or to tell of his might, but to rouse the people to latch on to the fringes of his conduct and attributes."
Then what are we writing about?
One hundred and ninety-nine years is not a recognized milestone in our circles, but next year at this time, two centuries will indeed have elapsed since the Gra's passing, and that is surely a noteworthy date. Various groups are already preparing for the event, each with its motivations, each with its agenda. We know of a committee established for that purpose by the Israeli Ministry of Education. We have heard of programs taking form in the hallways of the Lithuanian government, which is organizing various events to commemorate this jubilee. Their motives are purely economic: to increase Jewish tourism in the capital city of Vilna. Various researchers throughout the world have also set for themselves the coming Succos of 5758 as a target for publishing their studies on the Gra or on his particular school and his disciples.
As for us, we of the benches of the beis midrash, disciples of the outlook of our yeshivos, the community of yereim who guide ourselves by his light — how can we commemorate this event? Shall we stand aside and leave the stage free for those self- serving factions, and shall we leave the pen in the hands of those who never grew and flourished upon the teachings of Torah, and whose research burrow among his holy teachings, who stir them up [like a kettle of fish], like some mere removed sophistry that does not require internalization and practical application in one's daily life?
It can be otherwise. The voice of those who delve in his works, who sacrifice themselves verily in the tent of his Torah teachings, who drink them in as their very sustenance, shall also be heard in the fore. Those who continue in his path and raise his banner on high—they, too, should express what they have to say from the beis midrash, the fitting repose of his holy glory.
Birth
At time of eight hundred years since the birth of the Rambam, there was much activity among the circles of those as distant from his teachings as east is to west. They sought to celebrate that event according to their own spirit and sights. "This celebration is a new event in our world, which is not comfortable to the heart of any person living a life of source true Judaism," was what HaGaon R' Yechezkel Abramsky, zt'l, wrote at the time.
Why, then, did he devote a special article to this subject? He answers that in doing so, he fulfilled the request of the sage of his generation, R' Chaim Ozer of Vilna, so that "they would not say: bnei Torah are not participating in the eighth hundred jubilee of the Rambam."
If this is so regarding the birth of the wise one of Israel, something so foreign to our spirit, what shall we say and what shall we do in commemorating the anniversary of the death, an event which our camp does accept and practice and which has roots in our sources?
Let them go their own way and celebrate their hollow concepts. We shall raise on high the figure of that angel of Hashem, according to our outlook, as we regard him, an exemplary, wondrous figure, a veritable pillar of fire which descended from Heaven to serve as the lamp for our path.
Two hundred years is an epoch, a significant segment in the history of a people. The more time passes and the more we recede from that generation of wisdom which Rabbenu graced, the more we learn to appreciate his mighty contribution, not only to his own generation, but for all generations to come.
The Grave of the Gra
HaGaon R' Aharon Kotler instituted special annual assemblies in his Beis Midrash Govoha in Lakewood commemorating the Gaon's yahrtzeit. He would devote them to talks of his'orerus and introspection on his teachings and conduct, and would elaborate in his description of a little of his greatness. He would be followed at the lectern by his son, HaGaon R' Shneur Kotler, and the practice is still kept up to this very day.
He used to say that the purpose of those gatherings was not only to delve into the Gra's ways, but to rejoice in the very fact that a figure like Rabbenu had ever descended to the world, for he was a phenomenon beyond human grasp. This joy was coupled with that of the heritage he bequeathed for all time. The very appearance of such a giant among giants in our world is a miraculous occurrence to strengthen our faith in Torah sages in the latter generations. He opened for us a window to catch a small glimpse of the exalted level of the prior generations.
An insight of this kind of the contribution of the Gra to the soul of the Jewish people cannot be found outside the walls of the beis midrash, for it is only in the yeshivos that his sacred works are diligently studied by day and by night, as living, practical teachings, so as to understand the hidden aspects of his writings.
Let us then see how this day has been commemorated over the ages, from his passing to this day, and what name was established for Rabbenu HaGra over the past two centuries.
The Gra Kloiz in Vilna
Shortly after his passing, a yeshiva was established in his memory when they officially designated his beis medrash as the "Beis Medrash HaGra," or the "Kloiz of the Gaon Hechossid." We know of no special ceremony that took place at that time, but in the records of the kloiz [kollel] we find that the main initiative was to support ten scholars who would devote themselves to his teachings "with extreme diligence (behasmodo atsumo)," and with a pre-agreed study schedule. Special rules and regulations were also established obligating the members to conduct themselves in the spirit of the Gaon's practices and customs.
A house of study was established already in his lifetime, in 5528, in an apartment next to his home. Rabbenu would study there and pray there daily. His disciples occupied this place and pursued their studies together with the members of his particular "Minyan of HaGaon Hechossid," as it was then called, organizing things under the leadership of the Gaon's talmid, HaGaon R' Saadya.
When Rabbenu departed this world, all of his disciples and family gathered and established certain customs and regulations, including a most stringent regimen of study so that the study house be worthy of bearing his great name, and so that would continue to be conducted according to the spirit of the Gra's teachings. From one of the lists of regulations established in the records of this kloiz, we learn of several most interesting decisions:
First, immediately after shacharis, they must study gemora and cover no less than a page and a half. This was to be followed by a shiur in Shulchan Oruch, both of which should include a daily delivered lecture by one of the members. During both of these study sessions, as well as in the afternoon study sessions, everyone was to remain "adorned with their tefillin," as was the custom of the Gra.
Among the general hanhogos and halichos of Rabbenu, which the members of this group were obligated to accept, they noted the prohibition of chodosh [newly harvested grain] and refraining from eating matzo that was not shemura as strict requirements. One who did not abide by these and all the other stipulations was docked of his stipend for each day of his violation. Among the four first trustees who administered this kloiz and whose word was law, was the Gaon's brother, HaRav Yissochor Ber, and his son, HaRav Avrohom.
The Great Synagogue of Vilna, built originally in 1630
"This Stone Resembles Mt. Sinai"
This beis midrash became a source of inspiration for all those seeking the Torah of the Gra, and anyone visiting Vilna would go there to savor the special majestic and glorious atmosphere of holiness that permeated it. The fact that the tzaddik had occupied this very house for forty years and studied Torah in it with his awesome diligence and his profound intensity, galvanized the visitor to a peak of emotion. A special aura surrounded the place where the Gaon had been accustomed to sit, which was subsequently surrounded by a special gate to prevent anyone else from daring to occupy it.
We have a photo of the journal of kloiz (see facsimile) in which the trustees listed "for an everlasting sign and remembrance" the donation of one particular philanthropist who, in 5677, affixed a magnificently carved wooden chest upon the site where the Gra had been wont to sit, embellished with flowers and buds. They noted the importance of this gesture, which cost a great deal, several hundred rubles. "And this is a great tikkun to prevent any mortal from sitting in the place of the saintly Gaon, Rabbenu z'l."
R' Yehoshua Heschel Levin writes that the bimah of his beis midrash is "the very site where the Gaon's cradle stood, the awesome site where angels of Hashem ascended and descended," in his very words. He had this pointed out to him the first time he came to visit by the moreh tzedek of Vilna, HaGaon R' Dov Ber, who had yet been privileged to pray in the proximity of the Gaon in that very beis midrash. After the Gra's death, he was told, the Gra's own house, which adjoined, was annexed to the beis midrash.
R' Yehoshua Heschel also relates that on the day following this, when he went up on this bimah to address the people, he was gripped by a feeling of panic. He was reminded of the teaching of Chazal about R' Yehoshua who entered R' Elozor's beis midrash and kissed the stone upon which R' Elozor had sat, declaring that "this stone is like Mt. Sinai and the one who sat upon it resembles the Aron Bris." "For a few moments, I was gripped by an awesome holy fear," he concludes, and infers that if the memory of his place has such an impact upon the heart of a person, how much more so does the remembrance of his deeds and works!
R' Shmuel Fein, who visited Vilna several years before the Holocaust, told of many Torah scholars who studied there day and night, and that "on his yahrtzeit, the place was packed tightly with devout Jews who came to pray and to thus pay their respects to Rabbenu HaGra."
One Hundred Years After His Passing
On the hundredth yahrtzeit, the notables of Vilna gathered in the Kloiz for a memorial rally. Upon the suggestion of the maggid of the community, HaGaon R' Meir Noach Levin, it was decided to add new shiurim in this beis midrash, including a special one in Shulchan Oruch with the commentary of the Gra, since this auspicious day was especially sanctified above others to increase the study of Torah and to disseminate the Gra's writings and works. It should be noted that in this beis midrash were, in manuscript form, many of the Gaon's writings that had not yet been printed, and devotees of his teachings would come here to pore over them.
A commercial house in Vilna published a picture of the Gra on that occasion that met with great success. The drawing that depicts Rabbenu studying Torah adorned with tallis and tefillin, occupied a position of honor in many Jewish homes. A Lithuanian Jew once told me that in his birthplace, that was hardly any home that did not have a picture of the Gaon on its walls.
In the introduction of the second edition of Gvi'i Gvia Hakessef (Warsaw 5658) by HaGaon R' Binyomin Rivlin, disciple of the Gra, the publisher, R' Yosef Mordechai Rabinowitz, explains why he undertook to print this work at that very time. He writes:
"This year being the one hundredth year since Eliyohu ascended to Heaven, it was thought to add another commemoration to this giant among men, and to bless his name, and to bring blessing also upon their house, the institutions of charity and good works, and the shiurim and holy studies. Since Vilna is the city from which his sun shone forth to illuminate the entire earth and its inhabitants, it was decided from now on to devote time each day to the public study of Shulchan Oruch with the commentary of the Gra.
"And I, young one among the great ones of Yehuda, was aroused by my spirit to undertake to publish something this very year in memory of the Gra. I realize how little is my worth; who am I and what is my significance that I should presume to commemorate him? But my soul desires it for the sake of his name and memory, and in seeking a way to do so, I came upon this work, Gvi'i Gvia Hakessef which contains pearls of his holy sayings which its author heard from his master... [the author] drew up from the wellsprings of his master's teachings and gave others to drink thereof... I thought that it would be timely and good to reprint it."
End of Part 1
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