Profile Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l A loving daughter speaks of “the power of his mind, the softness of his heart” By Dr. Aviva Weisbord

I t was the first day of shiva. It’s hard to say which persona was than surely we had worth in the eyes of Three local came in and asked predominant in our upbringing, the the Ribbono Shel Olam [God]. For us, “How did your father raise you? truth-seeker or the one whose love was years, one of my sisters was convinced We need to hear as much as possible!” so all-encompassing. My father’s pur- that Hashem looked like our father, That question was repeated throughout suit of truth was legendary. As a child, possibly with a longer beard! Our the shiva and I began to realize that the he decided to learn the fundamental early picture of Hashem as a loving, true question was, “What was it like to purpose of this world and what God caring Being came from this identifica- have a gadol for a father?” wanted from His people. He was tion of Him with our father. The answer to that is quite simple: It determined to set aside all precon- When I was 18 and had all the was exactly the same as having a ga d o l ceived notions, all the stories and inter- answers, I queried my father about an for a reb b i , a guide and advisor — only pretations he had heard and to find the interaction he had just had with a mo r e so. My father was a servant of objective truth of Torah. His way of younger sibling. “I don’t want to judge Hashem and a man of truth, and these life would follow the path set out in you...” I began. He quickly interrupt- qualities permeated ever y aspect of his the words of the Creator and in the ed me: “Of course you should judge life and of our lives with him. Th i s actions of His servants. me. You need to observe and ask means that there was a rare consistency One thing he knew from his studies about what you see. Then you’ll to his existence with no differen c e was that example was far more power- decide if that’s how you want to live be t w een his outside and home worlds. ful than talk. Because of this, my your life. That’s the way you learn.” We lived with the same relentless search father never lectured to us — or at “That’s the way you learn.” Perhaps for truth and for rat z on Has h e m [Go d ’s us; we were to absorb his approach that was the most powerful lesson he will] that all his students experienced, through observing his conduct. At the taught: Think, always think. Think the same gentleness and attentiven e s s same time, he encouraged and even honestly, think fearlessly, think without that he displayed to ever yone — chil- demanded questions from us. And worrying about what others will say or dr en, students, Jew and non-Jew alike. there was never a question undeserving think about you. That’s how to serve Th a t ’s why there wer e no surprises dur- of serious consideration. He listened God, how to discover what He wants ing sh i v a; all the stories had similar intently, with great concentration and from you. themes and paralleled our own experi- patience. Of course, he was always It was not necessarily easy to grow ences. The sheer volume of individuals quick to gently point out any weakness up with this! My father was incapable and communities whose lives my father in the question — “Think again how of evading or sugarcoating the truth. touched took us aback, but every t h i n g that question could be much stronger” He was also very sparing with his else matched what we knew of this — or any flawed assumptions underly- words, unless he saw that the listener unique individual. ing it — “That would be a beautiful needed an elaboration to truly grasp question, if your premise were correct.” the point. One couple told us that Aviva Weisbord is the second of the Knowing that even our silliest ques- they received a halachic decision from Weinbergs’ six children. She is married tions would be heard and judiciously my father that was exceedingly difficult to Rabbi Beryl Weisbord, mashgiach analyzed provided the foundation of to live with. “He had done his job,” ruchani of Ner Israel Rabbinical our self-concept. After all, if this great the husband said. “He gave us the College. Dr.Weisbord is a licensed psy- man, busy with the affairs of the decision. But your father sat with us chologist in private practice in Jewish Nation throughout the world, for over an hour, giving us the strength Baltimore. thought our existence was worthwhile,

JEWISH ACTION Winter 5760/1999 (continued from page 26) we were walking. I commented to my no obligation to commit suicide. At to carry out the halachah. It was an father, “Wow! Now that’s something that instant, I understood that my cur- incredible example of the power of his to aim for!” rent behavior was killing me. Those mind combined with the softness of “Look how the American culture has ten minutes with him saved my life.” his heart.” rubbed off on you,” he responded. There was never any burden too My siblings and I sensed that my Thirty years later, that comment still heavy for him to lift off of our shoul- fa t h e r ’s method of teaching bore a strik- helps me maintain my focus. ders or our hearts. There was never a ing resemblance to Rashi’s description I’m not the only one whose perspec- request that went unanswered or an of Moshe and Aharon in Exodus (7:2), tive was changed with a small com- hour that was too late to offer comfort, “M oshe transmitted exactly as he heard ment or an aside from my father. His solace and advice. Our parents went it from Hashem and then on a weekly four-hour Ah a r on would present it in round-trip to teach in a small a more palatable fashion to community of unaffiliated Pha ro a h ”: He pres e n t e d Jews. Many times they didn’t the unvarnished truth, but get home until 2:00 in the he was able to give it over morning, but if my father in a manner that could found a note on his pillow, readily be understood and he would meet us at 6:30 acted upon. a.m. to help us with our For example, I remem- homework. ber walking out of the Ironically, as accessible as neighborhood grocery as a he was to family, talmidim nine-year-old, having and total strangers, my father spent a nickel for an ice was such a complex person cream cone. I was joyous- that it was difficult to fully ly licking it when I met know him. We used to say my father walking home that only two people truly from the yeshivah. He understood my father: Rav took one look at me, , zt”l, and smiled and said, “Haochel my mother. Theirs was a rare bashuk domeh lekelev.” partnership, spanning 54 [Talmudic saying: “Eating years of building, working in the street is canine and reaching out to others as behavior.”] I heard the an Avrohom and Sarah team. love and gentle humor Most of the time, my and accepted the rebuke. father waited for us to From then on, I took my approach him with our ques- chances on the ice cream tions, problems, or issues. arriving somewhat melted, However, if he saw some- when I could eat it in the thing that needed improve- privacy of my home. ment or redirection, he made With one short sen- Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, 1923-1999 sure to let us know. It was tence, this master teacher the same way in the world of could accomplish months’ worth of talmidim [students], as well as strangers the yeshivah. He never imposed his growth in his children or a re-ordering who heard him speak, or people who will but was there to make an impact of our priorities. Although sometimes went to him for advice have mentioned when a student was ready for it. But if it was not pleasant or inviting to con- to me again and again how a single he saw a need, whether in an individ- template change, we were able to comment turned around their thinking ual or the Klal, he took the initiative to accept his words with complete trust, and even redirected their lives. meet it. That’s why he took a strong knowing that he always spoke truth One young man in his 20s told me stand in the late ’50s to start the and that whatever our father said was a he was caught in a relationship dilem- Mechinah [preparatory] program at reflection of God’s will and came from ma and had been immobilized for Ner Israel. Even my grandfather, Rav pure love. When vinyl tops were first months. “The Rosh Hayeshivah told me Ruderman, zt”l, who had so coura- introduced on cars back in the late that while it’s true that I’m obligated to geously founded the yeshivah with his ’60s, I saw one of the newer models as be sensitive to the other person, there is

JEWISH ACTION Winter 5760/1999 rebbetzin in the hostile American cli- teach secular and non-Orthodox thought and depth of understanding mate of the ’30s, hesitated to commit groups, he persevered in his efforts, as req u i r ed to navigate the rivers of Tora h the yeshivah to this kind of expansion. well as in guiding those involved in sh e b e ’al peh. This became crucial at a It meant extra classrooms, salaries and outreach. His most ardent disciple in time when yes h i v ah attendance was tremendous financial risk. But he this area was his younger brother, Reb fr owned upon as a burdensome delay in trusted my father’s vision and went Noach Weinberg, founder and rosh a young man’s pursuit of a prof e s s i o n . ahead with the plans. hayeshivah of Aish HaTorah. Reb My father made it far more difficult The same thing happened in the early Noach was dismissed as “the meshugen- to depreciate the academic value of ’60s: My father saw the need for a ko l l e l an d er” for his resolute labors; he remained yeshivah studies. Now it was possible understood the impact it would have on the steadfast with the constant encourage- for secular institutions of higher learn- yes h i v ah. Opposition was quite strong, but ment and direction of his brother. ing to recognize the unique process of he was tenacious about anything that was Tod a y , of course, outreach has become yeshivah education. This recognition, ne c e s s a r y for the strengthening of Tor a h . ma i n s t r eam and is viewed as ever y in turn, led to the founding of AARTS, Once again, time proved him right. Bef o r e yes h i va h ’s res p o n s i b i l i t y . Int e re s t i n g l y , the Association of Advanced Rabbinic the establishment of the ko l l e l , any newl y the same process occurred with Proj e c t and Talmudic Schools, a national married couple committed to full-time SEED, the summer program in which agency of accreditation for post-high Torah learning had to leave Bal t i m o re . yes h i v ah students establish a be i s school yeshivos.Today we take it for Today the city refl ects the influence of the me d r ash in small cities that have no granted that a qualified yeshivah stu- ko l l e l in its vast numbers of Torah scholars, institutions of higher Torah learning. dent can attend yeshivah full-time and le c t u re s and sh u l s . As one eulogizer pointed When Rabbi Gavriel Ginsberg first pro- have his Torah learning recognized by out, my father dealt with each issue not only posed this innovat i v e idea, it was gree t - even the most prestigious colleges and in the here and now, but with a view ed with horror . My father was the one universities. My father’s painstaking tow a r ds the future, years away. who forcefully convinced the ros h e i work was a major factor in this process. Doing whatever needed to be done yes h i va h to approve a trial run. Onc e I knew on some level that there were for Torah was paramount in his life. again, my father’s notions wer e labeled people who found my father intimidat- There were many times he accepted a “ou t r a g e o u s ” and “radical;” once again, ing, but I never really understood that speaking engagement somewhere, even the revo l u t i o n a r y became mundane and response to him. Now I realize that his knowing that he would not be treated eve r y yes h i v ah was vying to send stu- towering intellect combined with his with proper respect. We used to argue dents on this important mission. fierce defense of the truth could indeed with him, asking, “Why are you giving We never heard my father voice any be daunting. He had an unapologetic of yourself to those who won’t give you satisfaction at the turn of the tide, but fidelity to the spirit of the Torah, even your due?” The reply, invariably, was, we wouldn’t expect that: There was if it meant taking a stance that was “There are people there who need to always more to accomplish and that’s unpopular.To us, his children, it hear what I have to say. What differ- what he concentrated on. This atti- meant we could ask him anything – ence does it make how I’m treated?” tude came to the fore at a rally to any Torah verse, any concept, any sub- We never succeeded in answering that counter chillul Shabbos in Baltimore ject — astronomy, calculus, history, question to his satisfaction. three years ago. There was an air of nuclear physics, the nature of volcanoes In my father’s concept of avodas satisfaction at the large turnout. My or the properties of water. The greatest Hashem, it was obvious that we are father punctured the self-congratulato- thrill was to actually stump him. But obliged to bring Torah to every Jew ry tone by remarking, “Yes, we have he took far more pride in those rare and not to rest until the entire world, 3,000 people here today and that is occasions than we did and proceeded Jew and non-Jew, recognizes the exis- truly wonderful.” Then, in a thunder- happily to look up the answer. tence of our Creator and His direct ing voice, he continued, “But what It was much harder for me to grasp a involvement in our lives. about the other 95,000 Jews in our city person’s failure to see the warmth and There were two major outgrowths of who know nothing about Shabbos? sweetness that could never be obscured this understanding. The first encom- What are we doing for them?” by the intellectual genius. Perhaps, as passed his outreach efforts, starting in The second outgrowth of my father’s one who eulogized him explained, peo- the early 1940s in New York, when he sense of obligation to bring Torah to all ple understood that listening to him walked from the Lower East Side to was his articulate presentation of what meant that they had to change; his Brownsville every Shabbos to speak. Torah and Torah study are all about. mere presence obliged one to think Lieutenant Birnbaum was there in As one of the first American-born and act differently. And yet, of all the those years and described him as “a roshei yeshivah, my father was able to qualities enumerated at the shiva or in maggid – at age 19.” give the secular world an idea of the letters, faxes and phone calls by the hun- While many were opposed to my high level of scholarship involved in dr eds, my father’s warmth topped the list. father’s willingness to speak to and Talmudic res e a r ch, the complexity of

JEWISH ACTION Winter 5760/1999 It will take time to assess fully his his sheilos answered by someone who Chronology: impact as a rebbi, but already it’s clear displayed such ahavas Yisrael. • Born January 2, 1923 in New that his concern for his talmidim and More than the genius, greater than York City to Yitzchok Matis and Ayala availability to them were the founda- the encyclopedic knowledge, beyond Hinda (nee Loberbaum) Weinberg, tions of their relationship with him. the prodigious output of original the third of five children Then came his specific approach to thought, there was the love: the all- • Descended from the first Re b b e learning, the training in critical think- encompassing, totally accepting, com- of , author of Yesod Ha Avo d a h ing and the demand and expectation to pletely non-judgmental love for us and Lived in Eretz Yisrael from the age care for and serve Klal Yisrael. The for every single Jew. It was a love that • of eight to his mid-teens totality of their experiences with him could give us a sense of what Hashem’s Received semichah from Rabbi left his students feeling invigorated, love is like for His children, so to • Yitzchok Hutner of Chaim alive to the possibilities of Torah and speak. One erev Rosh Hashanah, my their place in it. sister called my father to express her Berlin, in 1944 My father understood the centrality fears of the Day of Judgment. He • Married Chana Ruderman, of ahavas Yisrael [love for fellow Jews] asked her, “Do you know I love you?” daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok even as a young child. In his parents’ “Of course,” she answered. Ruderman, June, 1945; became a household, he was the child sent to ask “And if you did the absolutely worst rebbi in Ner Israel Rabbinical College any sheilos [halachic questions] about thing possible, would you st i l l kn o w I love that same year. chickens. In those days the person ask- you ? ” • Served as Rosh Hayeshivah of Ner ing the sheilah put a quarter down for “One hundred percent.” Israel College in Toronto, the rabbi before showing the chicken. “Then listen carefully: Hashem 1964-1971 There was one rav who answered the loves you a billion times more. Don’t • Returned to Baltimore in 1971 to sheilah with or without the quarter: be afraid of Him: turn to Him.” assist Rabbi Ruderman in the yeshivah Rav Moshe Feinstein. As a six-year-old We can listen to tapes of his speeches, • Appointed Rosh Hayeshivah fol- boy, my father walked an extra 20 min- we can share memories. We can keep lowing Rav Ruderman’s passing in utes each way to ask Rav Moshe his bits and pieces of my father in our lives . July, 1987 sheilos. As he explained it, he put But we can never fill the hole crea t e d • Died of cancer, six weeks after down the quarter anyway and he trust- by the absence of the security and diagnosis, on 17 Tammuz, 5759; he ed all the local rabbis; but he wanted warmth of that incredible love. JA was 76 years old. Th r ough the Eyes of a Disciple Rabbi Weinberg’s method of Torah learning was unique. He constructed complex conclusions by combining simple insights that he derived from the texts of the and the commentaries. The Rambam was his delight – a phrase, word or even a single letter in the text of the Yad [Hachazakah] was critical at times to derive the way the Rambam must have understood a particular section of the Talmud. Using this method, he invariably developed bold interpreta- tions that shed new light on a given Talmudic issue. His method was so fundamentally rooted in logic that once you were exposed to it, it became the way you naturally approached any new section of the Talmud, or even any new prob- lem. His way of thinking became your way of thinking, without your ever realizing it. Rebbe’s Torah perspectives, his hashkafah, were all developed the same way he learned the Talmud. Hashkafah and the Talmudic basis for halachah were both derived with the same rigorous logic. Everything had its origin in the words of the commentaries. One of the most pervasive themes in his thinking was the aristocracy and nobility of purpose associated with Torah learning. One could see that he viewed all yeshivah students as virtual princes among mankind who were entitled to his complete love and respect. He once remarked to us that there was no power on earth greater than the power of yeshivah students. I believe that attitude was Rabbi Weinberg’s response to the tremendous degradation of respect for Torah learning he encountered in post-Holocaust America. He felt it was his primary duty to restore the crown of Torah to its former glory. But perhaps most remarkable were the lifetime relationships he developed with his closest students. He was practical- ly selfless in those relationships. He once remarked that anyone who took on the serious obligation of teaching Torah to the next generation had to be ready to give up not only this world, but also his share in the World to Come. As he spoke, we could see in his eyes that, long ago, he had personally come to terms with that sacrifice. Contributed by Bezalel Ostrow, a former talmid of Rabbi Weinberg at Ner Israel Rabbinical College

JEWISH ACTION Winter 5760/1999