LITVISHE GEDOLIM IN TOMCHEI TMIMIM

Special shiurim in Halacha and Agada were given in Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Kfar Chabad by Rabbi Eliezer Silver z”l and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein z”l who also farbrenged with the residents. * Beis Moshiach brings you a fascinating account of the visits of American, Litvishe g’dolim to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Kfar Chabad, fifty years ago. * Presented for 15 Elul when Tomchei T’mimim was founded.

In recent years we have been hearing about visits made by people from the Litvishe yeshiva world to Yeshivos Tomchei T’mimim and Chabad houses around the world.

This is not a new phenomenon. In the past, many visits were made by Litvishe rabbanim to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Kfar Chabad. One of these rabbanim was Rabbi Eliezer Silver. This took place in Av of 5724/1964. Religious Jewry was focused on the fifth Knessiah G’dola of Agudath Israel, which was held from the thirteenth until the twenty-fourth of Av in Yerushalayim. They were excited because the last time a Knessiah G’dola took place was ten years earlier, in Tammuz of 1954.

Rabbanim and Admurim came from all over the world, among them leaders of religious Jewry in the United States. During the Knessiah and following it, some of them, who were on good terms with our Rebbeim, included Kfar Chabad on their trip itinerary.

At the initiative of R’ Zushe Wilyamowsky, the “Partisan,” three distinguished rabbanim from America came to visit: Rabbi Simcha Elberg, chairman on the executive board of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis for 25 years and on the executive committee of Agudath Israel of America, who came with his wife; Rabbi Yehuda Altusky, member of the executive committee of Agudath Israel of America and rosh yeshiva of Torah Ohr (mechutan of Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg); and Rabbi Shneur Zalman Reichman, a distinguished rabbi on the boards of Agudath Israel and the Union of Orthodox Rabbis in the US.

In honor of these distinguished guests, a reception was held in the yeshiva hall. The rabbanim also visited the vocational school nearby and were shown the major institutions in Kfar Chabad.

R’ Efraim Wolf, menahel of Tomchei T’mimim, wrote a brief description of the visit to the Rebbe:

“They were welcomed in the yeshiva hall and R’ Elberg and R’ Altusky gave regards from the Rebbe. They also visited the vocational school. The reception gathering was arranged by the vaad of the Kfar. R’ Zushe Wilyamowsky brought them to the Kfar.”

Days later, Rabbi David Hollander, member of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis visited, as did Rabbi Yisroel Yitzchok Piekarski, rosh yeshiva of Tomchei T’mimim in 770. The two of them apparently also attended the Knessiah G’dola. R’ Piekarski gave a shiur to the talmidim of the yeshiva.

RABBI FEINSTEIN AND RABBI SILVER

On 28 Av, the renowned posek, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Eliezer Silver visited Kfar Chabad. R’ Silver served as President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis in the US and president of Agudath Israel in America. When he passed away a few years later, R’ Moshe Feinstein succeeded him in those roles.

Who initiated their visit? R’ Moshe Feinstein visited Kfar Chabad upon the request of his friend, R’ Nachum Trebnik, one of the roshei yeshiva in Kfar Chabad and later the rav of Kfar Chabad. Perhaps R’ Silver joined him at the request of the guest or the hosts.

The connection between R’ Feinstein and R’ Trebnik began back in Russia when his brother, R’ Shimon Trebnik, was R’ Feinstein’s chavrusa. R’ Nachum Trebnik visited R’ Feinstein on the Lower East Side every time he went to New York to 770. They also corresponded on halachic and communal matters.

The visit began with a tour of the educational institutions of Kfar Chabad. The great rabbanim wanted to hear about the Lubavitcher village that was founded by instructions from the Rebbe Rayatz and continued to develop under the guidance of the Rebbe.

The rabbanim went to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim where the talmidim and many of the residents of the Kfar were present, with their Mara d’Asra R’ Shneur Zalman Garelik, the mashpia Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Kesselman, R’ Efraim Wolf the menahel and other roshei yeshiva and important people.

R’ Feinstein gave a shiur to the talmidim who, along with the many guests, listened closely. When he finished, R’ Silver gave a shiur and to the amazement of all he said he would give a shiur on the first masechta they would find on the tables. That year, the yeshiva was learning Bava Basra and naturally, that was found first. R’ Silver delivered his shiur in his inimitable style and this shiur is remembered till today! Among those who took part in the heated Torah debate that followed were R’ Mordechai Ashkenazi, then a talmid in the yeshiva and today the Mara d’Asra of Kfar Chabad, and R’ Yaakov Katz who was part of the staff at the time and is now a rosh yeshiva.

When the shiur was over, a farbrengen was held in the yeshiva dining room in which the rabbanim sat with the residents of Kfar Chabad and the bachurim. R’ Silver said he was pleased to be meeting yet again with Chassidim who remembered him from the time he visited the DP camps in Europe in the period following World War II. R’ Feinstein was also invited to the home of his host, R’ Nachum Trebnik.

These visits made significant waves in the religious world and reports of the visit were written up in HaPardes, published by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the US, and in Hamodia.