Why not use the opportunity to have the group visit his rebbi, Rav Neuman?

Living Higher

After the October 7 massacre and the anti-Semitism that erupted on college campuses, Rav Yisroel Tzvi Neuman, rosh yeshivah of Lakewood’s Beth Medrash Govoha, encouraged a talmid of his, businessman Reb Shmuel Iann, to become active in college campus kiruv. Reb Shmuel followed his rebbi’s directive and over the course of the year began learning various sugyas in Choshen Mishpat with a group of Rutgers students. The weekly learning sessions began in Rutgers but soon began taking place in Reb Shmuel’s hometown of Toms River. The students came there on Thursday nights to enjoy a stimulating seder with Reb Shmuel and Mendy Brukirer of Rutgers Jewish Xperience, as well as delicious, heimishe cuisine. This past Thursday night, the group ended up heading into Lakewood, which neighbors Toms River, for their fill of Thursday night cholent, and Reb Shmuel had an idea: Why not use the opportunity to have the group visit his rebbi, Rav Neuman? He quickly made the arrangements and the students filed into the Rosh Yeshivah’s modest home at 11:30 p.m. for an audience. The Rosh Yeshivah, who barely looks up from his Gemara and is a role model of a masmid, engaged the students in conversation and asked them about anti-Semitism on campus. He also regaled them with his own personal history, telling the students that when he entered Beis Medrash Govoha as a young man, he made up with his parents — who expected their son to follow the typical American path toward earning a college degree — that he would attend yeshivah for one year. When one of the older Lakewood bochurim asked him what he planned on doing after the initial year, Rav Neuman demurred. “We’ll see then,” he said. “Right now we’re here for a year.” The bochur smiled. “In Lakewood, we’re not against college,” he said, “we’re just for learning!” Rav Neuman chuckled. “I don’t know if the Rosh Yeshivah held like that,” he said, pointing to a photo of his grandfather (through marriage), Rav Aharon Kotler, “but that’s what this bochur told me.” He repeated a conversation he had in the same vein with Rav Zev Hoberman, one of Rav Aharon’s earliest talmidim. “Parents called him, upset that he had brainwashed their children not to attend college, but he answered the parents — if your children want to stay in yeshivah, obviously they appreciate their rebbeim more than their secular teachers and if so, you shouldn’t be upset at me — you should take up your complaints with the professors!”

Rav Neuman then asked each student about their plans for the summer, and invited them to join the BMG Yarchei Kallah in August. After a half hour of enjoyable conversation, the clock struck 12. With that, the Rosh Yeshivah wished the students well and bid them farewell. He then exited his own house, and walked across the street to the yeshivah’s beis medrash, where his beloved Gemara was waiting.

The Lens

Gateshead Rosh Yeshivah Rav Avrohom Gurwicz is a man who dedicates every waking moment to learning, and immerses himself in the masechta being studied in the yeshivah. Come bein hazmanim, his time is no less precious, but with his schedule more relaxed, a unique opportunity presented itself: the upsheren of a grandson at Keser Torah school in Gateshead. Flanked by his son Reb Eliyahu, the Rosh Yeshivah watched proudly as the foundation stones for the next link in the chain of mesorah are set.

Humble Fire

Rabbi David Haber has a very close relationship with Mirrer mashgiach Rav Binyamin Finkel, known, for good reason, as Rav Binyamin Hatzaddik. The Mashgiach eschews honor at all costs, his every word and action characterized by the deep humility with which he defines his life.

This past Motzaei Shabbos, however, he recognized that his humility would be overpowered by a force even stronger. When the Mashgiach is in America, Rabbi Haber takes every opportunity to spend time with his revered rebbi. This past week, things were a bit different. This time, Rabbi Haber was in Eretz Yisrael, and as a visitor, went to the same lengths to service his rebbi as he does when hosting.

Each Motzaei Shabbos, the Mashgiach conducts a beautiful Havdalah and Rabbi Haber made sure to be present. As the Mashgiach prepared to make Havdalah, Rabbi Haber leaped forward, took the candle, and lit it — a small but invaluable act of service to the tzaddik whose face now shone with the added glow of a candle’s flame.

“David,” the Mashgiach looked up and smiled, “I know better than to protest!”

I may not appreciate the kavod of lighting a fire on my behalf but I also can’t extinguish the fire of passion within you.

The flame of a Havdalah candle must be a shalheves, flickering atop a minimum of two wicks rather than one.

As Havdalah was recited, talmid standing dutifully beside rebbi, a shalheves danced upon two humble, but impassioned, wicks.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1059)