WITHIN THE WALLS
‘‘
HaRav Moshe Hillel
Hirsch, shlita
Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, Bnei Brak
T
here was severe poverty in the yeshivos of Lithuania
in the years between the two world wars. In the
Chofetz Chaim’s yeshiva in Radin, bachurim in
the dormitory slept on the floor on piles of straw.
Only the oldest, most distinguished bachurim slept
in rooms that were rented from local townspeople.
One day, a new talmid arrived at the yeshiva. His name
was Yaakov Safsul and he would later be known as the Visker
Ilui. He was but fourteen-years-old when he arrived in Radin
and he had a serious lung condition.
A few bachurim approached the Chofetz Chaim and sug-
gested that because of his precarious health situation, Yaakov
should be assigned a bed in town rather than sleep on the
floor. However, the Chofetz Chaim was adamant that this
should not be done. “I am not willing to forgo the oros (spiri-
tual lights) of his sleeping on the floor! I give him a bracha
that he should be healthy.”
36
BEDARCHEI HATORAH
WINTER 5780/2020
Today, bachurim are challenged to
show a different kind of mesiras
nefesh ...when some enjoyment seeks
to pull them away ...to be at learning
seder on time ...to break their
physical retzonos...
And indeed, the Visker Ilui lived a long and productive
life. His chiddushim are still being published. In his final
years, he lived in a health care facility on the Lower East Side,
across the street from Yeshiva Rabbi Jacob Joseph, which I
attended. I would visit him there.
What did the Chofetz Chaim mean by “the oros (spiri-
tual lights) of his sleeping on the floor”?
The Torah tells us that when Hashem appeared to Moshe
Rabbeinu the very first time, Moshe “hid his face, for he
feared gazing at Elokim.” (Shemos 3:6) Moshe’s act of hiding
his face was one of kavod for the Shechinah. The Gemara tells
us that as a reward for this act of kavod, Moshe merited to
speak directly to Hashem on the highest level of nevuah that
any human ever attained; and that when he descended from
Har Sinai, his face shone with a spiritual light that his fellow
Jews were unable to gaze upon (Berachos 7a).
Sleeping on a pile of straw in a yeshiva dormitory is an
act of kavod haTorah, for it demonstrates the sacrifice that
a ben Torah is willing to undertake for the sake of learning
Torah. It was this demonstration of kavod haTorah that the
Chofetz Chaim would not forgo.
One of my rebbeim was a product of the Lithuanian ye-
shivos, first in Baronovich, which was led by Rav Elchonon
Wasserman Hy”d and later in Kaminetz, under Rav Boruch
Ber Leibowitz zt”l. He would tell us about the conditions in
those yeshivos, which were not much different than Radin.
His stories of mesiras nefesh for Torah made a deep impres-
sion upon us and helped to shape our lives.
In America, the affluence allows yeshiva bachurim to
learn Torah in comfort. Today, bachurim are challenged to
show a different kind of mesiras nefesh. They are challenged
when some enjoyment seeks to pull them away from the beis
medrash when they should be learning. They are challenged
to be at learning seder on time. They are challenged to break
their physical retzonos in favor of retzon Hashem.
Among my chaverim in yeshiva, many went on to be-
come roshei yeshiva. As I mentioned, that is because they
heard their rebbi’s recollections of mesiras nefesh in Europe
and applied it to themselves. Every ben Torah in America can
do the same and in this way, attain the highest levels of limud
haTorah and attachment to Torah. !
For audio, visit Darchei.org/RavHirsch
or contact [email protected]