YNA Newsletter 1 of 10 In This Issue Parshat Vayeshev Remembering HaRav Aryeh Bina zt"l Part 2 HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Vayeshev Staff Dvar Torah By Rav T zvi Shiloni Netiv HaChinuch - For Parents and Teachers Petuchei Chotam on Parshat Vayeshev CHANUKAH AT THE KOTEL Dedications, Visitor Log, HaRav Bina has once again been invited to light the menorah by the Kotel on Friday, Mazal T ov' s, T ehilim List, 27 Kislev (Dec 23rd). The Western Wall Heritage Foundation will be live-streaming NEW PICTURE GALLERY the lighting and singing at 3:30 PM IST (8:30 AM EST) on the Kotel website here. Join Our List Click here to view last year's lighting. Links Rabbanit Malke Bina´s Parsha Glimpse Rav Korn And Rav Ginsburg At YU THIS SHABBAT To download the YU Shabbat Schedule click here Rav Yitzchak Korn and Rav Beinish Ginsburg will be at Yeshiva University THIS SHABBAT Parshat Vayeishev (December 16-17), and all alumni (even those not in YU) are encouraged to join. There will be an oneg Friday Night, and they will be giving shiur Shabbat day. Both Rav Korn and Rav Ginsburg will be available to speak to our alumni throughout Shabbat. (For those who need, meals can be purchased from YU, and anyone unable to find sleeping arrangements on their own can contact [email protected] and someone will try to assist you.) Rav Yitzchak Korn Shiur in Queens When: Sunday Dec 18th 10:00 PM YNA Newsletter 2 of 10 Where: At the home of Danny(5767) and Sarala Turkel 141-03 Jewel Ave, Apt #2 Kew Gardens Hills Rav Beinish Ginsburg will be giving shiur in Washington Heights When: Sunday Dec 18th 10:45 PM Where: 495 West 187th Street, Apartment 1F Washington Heights North Shabbat Davening Times: with Rav Ben Leybovich & Family Friday Night Candlelighting- 4:02 PM Mincha in the Beit Midrash - 4:20 PM Followed by Kabbalat Shabbat on the porch overlooking the Kotel Shabbat Day Shachrit- 5:55 AM (at Rav Bina's house) Second Shachrit- 8:30 AM (in the Beit Midrash) Mincha-4:00 PM (in the Beit Midrash) YNA.EDU | Ask Rav Nebenzahl | Suggestion Box Contact Us | Alumni Update Form | Parsha Archives Rav Aryeh Bina zt"l The following is a translation from an Israeli newspaper of an article about HaRav Aryeh Bina z"tl published during the week of his yahrzeit. Part II-Rav in Farmer Clothes HaRav Bina emigrated to Eretz Yisrael in the year 5694 (1934), later joined by his wife. Upon his arrival in Eretz Yisrael he began working as a builder in Tel Aviv while giving shiurim in an old-aged home on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv. Dr. Aviad HaKohen relates in his book that HaRav Bina spent much time in the Poel HaMizrachi where he heard about farmland in the Chefer Valley in search of settlers. This farm area was later given the name Kfar HaRoeh. The builder became a farmer. Some family members claim that Rav Bina worked with his hands only after a few unsuccessful attempts at finding a Rabbinical position. Dr. HaKohen, however, is of the opinion that HaRav Bina viewed working with his hands as an ideal. Dr. HaKohen writes in his book that Rav Bina refused to join the Mir Yeshiva's Kollel in Tel Aviv which would have guaranteed him a stipend of 3 Israeli liras. Whatever the case may be, he ended up in Kfar HaRoeh and became the address for halachic questions until HaRav Shaul Yisraeli's appointment as Rav of the Moshav. Along with his farming work, Rav Bina volunteered for guard duty policing the Jewish settlements for the Hagana, with the approval of the British rule. At the outbreak of the Second World War, HaRav Bina enlisted in the Jewish Brigade which fought within the British army against the common German enemy. The soldiers arrived in Greece and there fell into German captivity in the summer of 5701 (1941) where they remained for the next four years until the end of the war. As prisoners of war they were permitted to receive packages from home. On one occasion, relates his son-in-law HaRav Ben Porat, HaRav Bina took a chocolate bar and bribed one of the guards to bring him any Jewish book he could get his hands on. The guard brought him a Gemara - Massechet Yevamot. HaRav Bina reviewed the not-so- simple Massechet in the difficult conditions of captivity, tens of times. His student, HaRav Re"em HaKohen relates YNA Newsletter 3 of 10 that one of the sages of Yerushalayim referred to HaRav Bina as the gadol hador of Massechet Yevamot. Shortly thereafter, HaKohen relates in his sefer, that his student HaRav Yaakov Ariel current Rav of Ramat Gan asked him whom he consulted with before electing to leave his family and the fledgling farm which he helped to develop, in order to serve in the army. "I did not consult with anyone", admits HaRav Bina, "this was my decision and I took upon myself all the responsibility. When the first pieces of news filtered in from Europe I was unable to remain at home. There was a natural feeling of getting ready for war against the enemies of Israel." The same calling moved him to establish Yeshivot in various parts of the land. Upon returning to the farm from captivity, HaRav Neriah asked him to serve as a Ra"m in the new Yeshiva in Kfar HaRoeh. HaRav ben Porat relates that his father-in-law entered the classroom in farmer's clothing having just finished working, and plunged immediately into things - teaching on the very high level to which they had to become accustomed. HaRav ben Porat relates that his father-in-law placed his heart and soul into teaching and thus the students grew to love learning. HaRav Bina's greatness in Torah and teaching were heavenly-sent gifts (he never took a single course in pedagogy). While teaching he continued his work as a farmer. HaRav Bina, who suffered from asthma, heeded the advice of his physicians and moved to Yerushalayim. HaRav Moshe Goldberg asked him to bring a few students from Kfar HaRoeh and help establish a new Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. The Yeshiva began in an abandoned hospital for the poor in what was then the outlying area of Abu-Tur. Given that Abu-Tur was adjacent to the Jordanian border, he would walk around with a handgun to protect his students. A short time later, pressure from nervous parents who preferred their boys not be near a heated border forced HaRav Bina to relocate the Yeshiva to its present location in Bayit VeGan. His pioneering and courageous spirit did not cease as he went ahead with construction of the building without any funds with which to pay the contractor. The contractor, in fact, was a willing partner in this expedition. HaRav Grossberg describes the Yeshiva as having been built from nothing. Dr. Aviad HaKohen writes that HaRav Bina's view towards secular studies, as with many other issues, was multi- faceted. As a student of Mir Yeshiva, he had no formal secular education, and viewed himself as very much apart of the Torah world. With that, he placed great value on general studies to such an extent that Netiv Meir hired only the top teachers, among them Professor Amos Altschuler, Professor Yom Tov Assis and many others who were leading researchers in their respective fields. HaRav Meir Tauber, student of HaRav Bina and current Rosh Yeshiva of Netiv Meir, views combining the Yeshiva with secular studies as an expression of HaRav Bina's wish to educate to greatness. He relates that during the tenure of the first high school principal - Shlomo Merzel z"l, there was a debate whether to have physical education, something which would require great expenditures. HaRav Bina decided that if we feel that this is necessary for a person's development then we must do so in the best manner possible. Rav Aryeh viewed his Yeshiva as strictly a Yeshiva and insisted that others view it in the same manner. When approached by the Peilim organization to send his boys on an anti-missionary activity, he asked whether Hebron Yeshiva was sending their students. When given a positive response he asked further whether it was the Yeshiva Ketana or Yeshiva Gedola who were going. When told it was only the Yeshiva Ketana he refused to hear more details. HaRav Re"em HaKohen remembers students volunteering for Mishmar Ezrachi, citizen's guard, which incurred such wrath from their Rosh Yeshiva as if they had committed some terrible crime. At the same time, on certain occasions he felt it was proper to send students to aid in political activities. HaRav Chaim Sabato, one of the Roshei Yeshiva of Yeshivat Maale Adumim, relates that as a Ra"m, HaRav Bina asked him if he would assist in the election campaign. "I responded that I would rather spend my time learning Torah than being involved in political activities. He applied more pressure but I would not yield. In the end Rav Bina said: 'I promised I would pressure you, I never guaranteed that you would agree - the truth is I am quite pleased with your response.'" HaRav Bina, as we mentioned, served in the Hagganah and was of great assistance in smuggling in illegal immigrants (due to his great physical strength he managed to carry two immigrants - one in each arm - while swimming with them to shore). On the other hand, upon return from captivity he was appointed as guard of the weapon storehouse in Rechovot.