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Rabbi Avrohom Pam the Yeshiva ·· .. ·.; .......... "i:;:;;;1111iii1iiiiii111111111111111111111 THE JEWISH BSERVER THE JEWISH OBSERVER (!SSN 0021-6615) is published monthly, except July and August, by the Agudath Israel of America, 5 Beekman Street, New York, N.Y. in this issue ... 10038. Second class postage paid at New York, N.Y. Subscription $9.00 per year; two years, $17.50; three years, $25.00; outside of the United States, $10.00 p(•r year. The Yeshiva Graduate's Obligation, based on an address Single copy, $1.25 by Rabbi Avrohom Pam ............. 3 Printed in the U.S.A. The Yeshiva of Tomorrow, Rabbi Zev Shostak ..... 5 RABBI N1ssoN WoLPIN The Rebbe-Talmid Relationship, Menachem Z. Greenfield 8 Editor The Thirty Year Trip, Wolf Karfiol . 11 Editorial Board A Letter from Federation of Jewish Philanthropies ... .13 DR ERNST L. BooENHfJMER Chairman ... and a Response . .14 RABBI NA THAN ButMAN Shoot Me By the Wall, Hanoch Teller .17 RABB! JOSEPH EUAS JosErH FRIEDENSON The Brisker Legacy, Rabbi Chaim Leib Balgley .20 RABB! MosttE SttERER Plus Ca Change, Elisha Horowitz ..... 25 THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not Postscript: Proselytizing the Unchurched? .27 assume responsibility for the Kashrus of any product or ser­ letters to the Editor . .29 vice advertised in its pages. Index to Articles, Vol. XIII .................... 33 Photo credits from previous issue: Photograph credits: p.3-K. Jewell; p.11-Zelman Studios;p. 11-14-Agudeth Israel of America; p, 15-Train&r Studios; Copyright 1979 p.16-Arnold Cohen; p.25-0reater Conference for Soviet Jewery; p.37-Shlomo Freidman; p.39-Mo!ahe Z. Weisberg. JUNE, 1979 VOL. XIV, NO. 1 Photographs page 9, courtesy Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum As we go to press, we record with shock and deep sorrow the untimely passing of Rabbi Gedalia Schorr ~:ii:i? p"tll i:i1 on 7 Tammuz, July 1. He inspired thousands of talmidim of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, which he served as a Rosh Yeshiva tor many years, with his brilliance of mind, his encyclopedic knowledge of Toras Nigla and Nistor, his warmth of personality and self-effacing modesty. His deep concern for Kial Yisroel expressed itself in his association with Agudath Israel of America from its founding days over a half century ago until the time of his passing, when he was a prominent national leader of the movement; an active member of the International Board of Governors of Chinuch Atzmai-Torah Schools for Israel, and its American section, which he served as Treasurer; and his leadership among the menahalim of the American Yeshivos Gedolos. Rabbi Schorr-a ta/mid of Gedolei Yisroel, himself a recognized Gadol B'Yisroel-left behind bereft talmidim, among them outstanding leaders in the Torah community. ,,.,J ,,~? "i1' May his memory be a blessing. Rabbi Avrohom Pam The Yeshiva Graduate's Obligation The maximal goals of the yeshiva are well known: the opening of the limitless vistas of Torah to its students and imbuing them with the ambition to become Gedolei Ha­ Torah. Not all students succeed in realizing the yeshiva's highest goals; the yeshiva thus also has other lesser expec­ tations for its students-goals that are more universally attainable. First among them is that all who pass through the portals of the yeshiva always reflect Torah values in their personal lives. The following article, based on an address by RABBI AVROHOM PAM N"'D'?1V to an alumni gathering of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, delineates two aspects of this overriding goal. This essay was prepared for publication by RABBI YONAH BLUMENFRUCHT and MATIS BLUM. TWO PRINCIPLE AIMS of the yeshiva are: a) to produce talmidim of outstanding personal character and in­ I. Kiddush Hashem tegrity, who will reflect in their personal lives the ethics The Sefer Yereim states that although the mitzva of of the Torah which they learned in the yeshiva; and Kiddush Hashem is incumbent on every Jew, there is a b)to imbue its talmidim with the spirit of dedication to very special obligation on lomdei Torah (Torah scho­ the service of Kial Yisroel, and to encourage them to lars) to be cognizant of this obligation. He writes: CN1 devote their energies and talents to the advancement of ;; m>11n 1101 iw•~n JI> lt>lY 111.>IV'IV ,,,~ nim i101'i N1n "One Torah. who studies Torah must take care to avoid any manner These objectives were established and pursued by the of repulsive behavior, and refrain from any action that founder of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, Reb Feivel bears any resemblance to it." Mendlowitz 'i"ll, whose entire life was dedicated to Kial The ben Torah is expected to personify the teachings Yisroel, thereby serving as a living inspiration to tal­ of the Torah, thus reflecting the image of the Torah midim and baalei batim (laymen) alike. Let us pause to itself. He can, on the one hand, be a living example of ponder these goals, however briefly, and rethink the the beauty and sanctity of the Torah way of life, lending direction of our own lives in light on these guidelines. honor and glory to Judaism, and conveying Kiddush Hashem to Jews and non-Jews alike. The Prophet Yishayahu in his vision of the Children of Israel in the days-to-come, depicts them in these words: "And their Rabbi Pam is a Rosh Yeshiva in Mesivta Torah Vodaath, Brooklyn. children will be distinguished amongst the nations and ' Yonah Blumenfrucht, a musmach of Torah Vodaath in the profes­ their offspring amongst the peoples of the world, and all sional world, and Matis Blum, a Beis Midrash student who edits the who behold them will know that they are the blessed weekly Torah Lodaas bulletin, prepared this essay for publication. children of G-d." The Jewish Observer I May-June, 1979 3 On the other hand, if the ben Torah is not meticulous II. The Sensitivity of the Royal Guard in his personal conduct, and is lacking in integrity, Torah scholars are members of the divine militia, and righteousness, and refinement, he misrepresents Torah, as such they should be in the forefront of the milchemes leading people to think that the Torah approves or con­ Hashem-every battle for sacred causes. This is the dones unethical conduct. He is thereby unwittingly essence of the second objective of yeshiva chinuch. bearing false witness against it, for the Torah is Toras Every yeshiva student should organize his life in the Emes (Torah of truth) and D'rocheha darkei noam-" Its way that permits him to best serve Kial Yisroel, accord­ ways are pleasant ..." ing to his capacity and the prevailing circumstances. We are witness today to an alarming decline in mora­ There are no exemptions in this battle. lity, both in the individual and in society. The contin­ Shaul Hamelech (King Saul) once called in the uous breakdown of age-old concepts of decency is members of his court and chastised them for dis­ shocking and causes us to wonder: What next? Where loyalty to him. He spoke harshly; "You have all is the world headed? conspired against me by not disclosing to me that There are the cynics and pessimists who say 'tv ilm~ my son is in league with the son of Yishai (in a M'~ l~ C'1Y This is the way of the world. Man's character plot against the Kingdom) and none of you is dis­ is inherently corrupt and immoral; strife, greed, and tressed by this threat to me' (Shmuel I: 22,8). As lust are inevitables. That's the way it always has been, the commentaries explain, Shaul faulted his and that's the way it will always be. We Jews, however, closest associates even if they did not perceive believe that the Torah can mold the individual into a Dovid as a threat to Shaul's rule. They should magnificent personality, instilling within him integrity, have at least shared his anguish. nobility, courtesy and dignity. We are persuaded that By the same yardstick, our loyalty to the Divine King Torah can and will in the days to come create a righ­ can be questioned if we lack concern for kavod Sho­ teous society that will reflect the glory of G-d . mayim; if we are not distressed over the fact that the • But if lomdei Torah are found wanting in their per­ vast majority of our youth is totally ignorant of Torah sonal ethics, they give rise to the belief that Torah does and could not care less; if we are indifferent to continu­ not have the capability of improving mankind and can­ ing distortion of Torah and its misrepresentation-in the not cure the ills of society. !~!~ '11l ~11M~ 11:~ p•r; ,, rM name of Judaism; if we are not disturbed by the fact There can be no greater defamation of Torah than this. that our people is degraded, despised, maligned and abused by the nations of the world, and yet the philo­ The Vital Obligation sophy of "Let us be like all the nations" dominates the There is a fascinating psak halacha in Yam Shel policies of the political leaders who presume to guide Shlomo (Babba Kamma 38a), in reference to misrepre­ the destiny of the people of Israel. sentation of Torah. The Talmud relates that the Roman The current state of affairs in Jewish life should suffi­ government once dispatched two officials to the sages ciently touch every yeshiva alumnus to impel him to orient his life to the service of Kial Yisroel and to make of Israel to make a comprehensive study of the Torah and to report their findings to the government. Upon his contribution to kavod Shomayim in one form or completion of their study, they told the sages: "We another.
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