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Rabbi Nachman's Shir Na'im, Which Appears at the Beginning of Likutei Moharan
The following was written by our rebbe, may his memory be for a blessing. A Pleasant Song contains many topics in few words, short but encompassing a great deal, speaking wonders in praise of our holy Torah and in praise of our teacher Moses, peace be upon him, with wondrous instruction and mighty inspiration to help everyone arouse his soul. It tells of the greatness of the Creator, be He blessed, and the wonders of His creations, and it mentions the wondrous sweet pleasantness of the delights of the world-to-come and its pleasures for all who attain them, and of the song that will be sung in the future. Conversely, [it speaks of] the bitter pain and blunted teeth that will be experienced by those pushed away from [these pleasures,] who will suffer a loss that can never be recompensed. It arouses the sleeping, awakens the slumbering, strengthens the weary, informs man of the greatness of his ability: that each person has the power to attain all of these [wondrous achievements]. Like a shofar, [Rebbe Nachman] raises his voice to turn our hearts to [God], may He be blessed, to serve Him with a single accord. This [describes] but a fraction of the ways of this poem. And [Rebbe Nachman’s] holy name and the name of his father are spelled out in the first letter of each line of each stanza, in a doubled, tripled and quadrupled [arrangement]. נ None of the customs of [other] religions equal [those of] our religion. ח With their human intellect, their sages contrived customs out of their hearts, מ [But] Moses rose to the heights, [where] the cloud was his garment. ן Consequently, the Necessary Existent spoke with [Moses] at any time, and [so] he separated himself from [his] wife. נ [As for us,] we are disgraced, sickly and thrust away. ח [But] we have taken good counsel from [Moses’] wisdom, [which] comes from [the realm called] “Nothingness.”[1] מ [Moses was] King in Jeshurun. [He was bonded together] with our religion like two brothers who are never separated, ן [And] his soul and his pure body never moved apart from each other. נ [The various nations’] spirits are many. So too are their perspectives many, and the differences in their [ways of] thinking. ח Newly [and] recently have their devotions come about. מ Their thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not their ways. ן Our spirit is one, and it does not turn to the multitude of their images. נ My strong and intelligent spirit, why have you not taken pity on yourself? You forgot the one who raised you, fed you delicacies and clothed you in purple. Now you are trampled amongst the hooves of the sheep and amongst the feet of thick and coarse desires, and you are naked and bare. The wine of your banquet has turned into a banquet of tears. ח Be strong and firm! Do not be like the great elephant or the camel that, even when a mouse pulls it by its nose, refrains from kicking out, all because of [its] foolishness, in that it does not know its own strength. Oh, my intelligent and strong spirit! מ What will you do on the day of reckoning? And what will you reply to the One Who sent you forth? Ignore temporal revelries, for your body is weak and poor, and time passes, moaning, and perhaps your body’s [final] day has come. ן [My soul,] pierce [my] heart of stone, and through [the fissure] illumine for me a little of your face, clear as the sun, beautiful as the moon. Do not be silent and still. Raise your sweet voice in song and praise, and open your mouth and bring forth your pleasant words before the Holy One, blessed be He. Raise your eyes to the heights and recall your ancient love. נ Rivers, streams, channels of many waters and great and small seas, נ Wondrous and various in their colors and in their taste and in their nature, ח Each one [containing] small and great creatures, numberless species-- מ All of them praise and extol Hashem, be He blessed, with all of their limbs. מ They bring words forth constantly and do not disobey their [angelic] guides. ן Precious stones and pearls in [the waters’] depths sparkle. ן Hidden in [the waters] are the lights of the containers [of these stones and pearls].[2] נ Souls [are] carved from beneath the Throne of Glory, נ [Each] longing always to cling to its root, ח To draw life and lovingkindness from the “kindnesses of David.” ח [Such a soul] has not lost the gracious spirit [that comes] from the drops of the Garden of Eden. מ [Amidst] the estates of [heavenly] palaces and tents of peace, each [soul] is distinguished and marked with an emblem of splendor. מ “What has God done?” ask the angels, and they race on their missions like a comet, מ Distanced and removed from all [earthly] delights, [from the human being,] whose ways are corrupt, ן [From people who] remain hungry and disgraced, fated to be [hurled forth by] the Slingshot.[3] ן Let us return to Hashem and not be lost. ן Let us lovingly accept the bad and the good, and clothe [our] eternal Father. ב The creation of the [Holy] Land and its satellites, the many lands and countries around it, ב [The creation] of human beings, each with his language and [mankind with its] religions, ן [Each country with its] buds, flowers and its shoots-- ן [These] countries [will] fall [when they will be subjected to the Holy Land’s] winds. ן [The Holy Land alone will] remain standing, surrounded by the spheres. ש [But until then,] demons and spirits sail through the air. ש They hear Hashem’s decree and they rule with the four powers of destruction: the ox, the pit, the tooth and fire.[4] מ They share three characteristics with angels and three with human beings.[5] מ They flee the holy covenant, of which is it said, “You shall surely circumcise.”[6] ח They use their various forms to strike, as [one strikes] with batons, ח [Even as] spell-casters and wizards compel [these demons] with their vows, [employing] precise names. ה The holy Torah protects us from all pollutions. ה Charity protects from ugly deaths. נ We have no prophecy. ח The nations gnash [their] teeth at [us,] a singular nation. We have no understanding. מ [The nations] deliberate on how to administer the bitterness of [our] sufferings. ן We will bear the world until the Poor One will arrive. ב A son will search in the treasuries of his father. ן We will crown the beloved son with a coronet. ש Then we will sing a new song. מ Everyone will point with a finger of flesh [at] our King. ח The Torah is sealed in the heart of everyone so as not to be forgotten. ה Death will be swallowed up forever, like scented incense. נ We will bring a heart of wisdom to understand the character of our body, the distances between its limbs and the arrangement of its anatomy. ח The obligation to understand this aids in [our] knowledge of the Creator, Who forms all of these creations, מ Who heals all illness, [Who will heal] a suffering man who is blind and lame, diseased and plagued, worried and pained. ן [Then] we will eat only in order to sustain our spirits and to diminish the cravings of our nature. Be strong! [1] Alternatively: “Where may [the source of] his wisdom be found? From it, we have taken good counsel.” [2] This line is hard to interpret. [3] Alternatively: “[The person] whose ways are corrupt is distanced and removed from all [heavenly] delights. “[Such people] remain hungry and disgraced, fated to be [hurled forth by] the Slingshot.” [4] See Zohar, p. 191, Vayikra 25a, Tazria 48b, Shelach 172a. [5] Chagigah 16a. [6] See Zohar, Lech Lecha 95b and Tikunim 21 and 70.
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by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook
The suffering of creativity in purity is of the type of suffering that accompanies prophecy (which is described particularly regarding the latter prophets, and especially in the visions of Daniel). The levels in the clarity of life on the highest level of attainment come quickly, flooding the retina of the soul’s spiritual eye, which is not sufficiently prepared to receive them. Revelations about existence rise from the depths, from the murky life of the flesh, growing increasingly clear—nevertheless, they bring with them the shadows of the darkness and the scent of the bodily tannery. Mirroring them, revelations of life descend from the highest sphere of the soul, growing crystallized and constricted At last the two meet each other, and mysteries of the world and precious creations are created and born. In accordance with the amount of power, in accordance with the greatness of life—in the flesh, on the one hand, and in the spirit of the soul, on the other hand—the created entities are outstanding in their power, in their beauty, in their effect on life, in their existence and in their eternal being. When [a person’s] will and mind are still in a single unit—hidden in the soul above and, reflecting those, in the depths of the feelings of the flesh below—each [unit] has its own world order, its own soul’s profile, whose situation depends on the will within the mind and on the mind within the will at the foundation of essential being, which possesses both [will and mind], but [will and mind] are higher in the heights and deeper in the depths than either one [separately]. The world order, the world of this unit, is that of life itself. When this world order must be dismantled, exploded and changed for the sake of the manifestation of creativity in purity, this involves sufferings of the destruction of worlds. These sufferings are only revealed to soulful people. All of the regular sufferings of the world are considered like the suffering of children over the loss of small toys compared to the sufferings of creativity of the destruction of worlds. [That is the case] unless there is the light of an encompassing kindness. [Then] immediately with the destruction of worlds comes the light of the creation of worlds. And this creation is certainly more important than the destruction and more elevated than all of the existence that has been destroyed. And the creation consoles the mourning over the destruction. And the creation restores all of the losses of the destruction. And the creation revives all of the dead of the destruction. If not for this great kindness, if not for this vast compassion, it would not be possible to endure the sufferings of the destruction of worlds [caused by] the suffering of creativity. Superficial creators desire creation out of satiety, out of lightheadedness, out of eating, drinking and vacationing [tour]. They consider the suffering and bitterness in which the crown of the spiritual sovereignty is hidden as a type of sweat that is solely the lot of failed artists. But that is a bitter error. “‘Even [af] my wisdom stood by me’ (Ecclesiastes 2:9). The wisdom that I learned with anger [af] stood by me” (Kohelet Rabbah 2:9). Orot Hakodesh I, pp. 193-194 by Itzik Manger
translated from the Yiddish by Y.D. Shulman Leaves of autumn, red, are falling. the king is sitting all alone. The wind spins out its withered whine: All for nothing, all for nothing. Shmerl with his fiddle, Beryl with his bass-- Their melody is bringing Tears to my eyes. The setting sun glows on the panes Of my far and feverish home. Longing tears me--kisses bite cold In this hovel of shored-up lime. Shmerl with his fiddle, Beryl with his bass-- Their melody is bringing Tears to my eyes. In the courtyard, beggars sing, And children weep beside the door. The gentle evening grooms her stars Beside an ancient watermill. Shmerl with his fiddle, Beryl with his bass-- Their melody is bringing Tears to my eyes. And haggard women wish to sleep. Their sleep is walking in the woods. These ancient women, torn and tossed On cold straw beds--their dream's escaped. Shmerl with his fiddle, Beryl with his bass-- Their melody is bringing Tears to my eyes. Thin pimps are singing serenades, Their modest brides are smiling sweetly. The autumn, with her bandaged feet, Is singing Manger's tearful ballads. Shmerl with his fiddle, Beryl with his bass-- Their melody is bringing Tears to my eyes. The willow mirrors its lament In water--or in melodies. And overhead a large bird flees, Passing everything with regret. Shmerl with his fiddle, Beryl with his bass-- Their melody is bringing Tears to my eyes. by H. Leivick
translated from the Yiddish by Y.D. Shulman No. I was never in Treblinka. Nor was I in Maidanek. Yet I stood upon their threshold, I stood upon their edge. The threshold is God's great world, A sill facing the world-to-come... I stand there and I wait, Great world, I wait for your command: You, dirty Jew, let's go--the gas chamber! Everything I see is divine. The forests are shaking with religious heads, And over every mountain, over every steppe Winds are wheeling, circling and dancing. Above, the sun is fair and pure, charged With an overflow of flame From whose quick flares are tearing and streaming All the tongues of fire of Maidanek. In this--my life--I have already had Abundant offers promising delights Like the Inquisition. I stand Near the death camp of the world, on line, A signed and registered Treblinka candidate. by Itzik Manger
translated from the Yiddish by Y.D. Shulman The ragged man stands on the backward road And wakes him from his sleep, the crucified. "Who told you, Jesus, who murmured in your ear, Who said your crown is holier than my tears? "Who told you, Jesus, who tendered you the word And said your crown is holier than my scourge?" And Jesus stammers, "I am but a child, My home a cross hanging in the wind." And Jesus stammers, "Woe and three times woe For my red and brilliant Spring on the white snow." The ragged man is fevered. "Where's my home? Of spiderwebs and night, of wind and lime... "I am alone each step I set my foot, And lice, like stars, are burning in my shirt. "And you--two women rock you in the wind-- One stammers 'Lover,' and the other, 'Child.' "For every wound of yours, lips can be found To call your body holy, crucified man. "For every thorn of yours, knees can be found To bow before your cross, crucified man. "And I am like the shadows and the dogs Who howl wildly on the backward road." And Jesus stammers, "Ragged man, I must Say three times holy are your tears and dust"-- And from the cross, a silver keening flows. the ragged man then smiles, and goes--with joy. With heavy steps, late, he enters the town To get a loaf of bread, a jug of wine. The Life and Teachings of the Master of Kabbalah, the Righteous “Foundation of the World,” Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, Author of the Volumes of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, on the Occasion of his Fiftieth Yahrzeit
27 Adar 5686 - 27 Adar 5736 by Rabbi Deblitzki (Rabbi Deblitzki's first name, שריה, should presumably be pronounced Srayah, but it appears in a Google search also as Sroyah and Sheriah) Introduction The 22nd of Adar in this year of 5736 (according to the Rema, on Adar I [see Orach Chaim 568:7]) marks the fiftieth year since the angels conquered the righteous man, one of the greatest men and tzaddikim of the generation, a master of kabbalah whose like had not arisen in a number of generations, a genius awesome in his standing and attainments, our master, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, famed and known in particular as the author of the Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah. His greatness in the secrets of the holy Torah reached the heavens—something that may be appreciated from his great books, which will be discussed later on, from which one may see his power and might, like that of a messenger sent from on high to decipher hidden, concealed matters. However, he did not attain the measure of fame that he deserved—apparently for the reason that “[God] does the will of those who fear Him” (Psalms 145:19) and he, being humble, “during his lifetime concealed his holy ways, so that few were privileged to come close to him” (in the words of his son-in-law, the gaon, Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv, in his introduction to Chelek Habiurim). Because of that, many people have never even heard of him. As a result, I found it necessary—for the sake of the honor of God’s name, and His holy Torah, in all of its parts, revealed and hidden, which are perfectly aligned with each other—to explain the portion acquired by this tzaddik, the “foundation of the world,” on his fiftieth yahrzeit, to inform and reveal at least a fraction of his ways, deeds and customs, his awesome Torah and his holy ways, so that we—each person on his level—may yearn to acquire and attain something of his holy customs and ways. As is known, the most useful and inspiring works of ethical instruction are books that tell the praise of righteous people, relate their stories and describe their customs. From that, we learn the levels that a human being can attain when he controls his abilities and his will with a strong commitment. Then, in accordance with the great strength of the yearning of his will and determination, he is given Divine assistance tenfold or a hundredfold. To a certain extent, the words of Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach (in the introduction to the Eitz Chaim) have been realized: This wisdom is being revealed in these lowly generations so that we will now have a shield, and we will be able to grasp our Father in heaven with all our heart…. Now the hidden things are as though revealed, because in this generation licentiousness, denunciation, slander and hatred in the heart rule, and the “husks” have spread…. What will shield us if not our study of this awesome and deep wisdom…? (He wrote these holy words for his generation almost 400 years ago—how much more are they relevant now.) In this last generation, over the last two decades a relatively large number of people have been learning the secrets of the Torah. And from the best and greatest Torah scholars both young and old, communities and circles are involved in this holy learning with review and proper understanding, in groups and as individuals. Almost all of the carefully-edited books of the Arizal and the books of other supernal, holy people have been published and republished after an interruption of almost fifty years. This phenomenon is one of the reasons that impelled me to publish this booklet with the thought that it is timely to describe this awesome man of God to some degree, something that will certainly contribute a great deal to inspire people, strengthening this holy learning so that people will cling to the Tree of Life, sit in its shadow and eat of its fruits and goodness—in particular, in the atmosphere of the Holy Land, from which the light of the world shines forth (may it soon be revealed, quickly, in our days). About ten years after Rabbi Elyashiv passed away, his Chelek Habiurim was published in 5695 with a preface dedicated to his memory, including a brief description of his life by the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, who was one of Rabbi Elyashiv’s frequent guests and who was also related to him by marriage. That essay was republished by the same publisher that same year as a separate booklet with a few additions. In this essay of mine, I will include a very brief summary of the words of the gaon Rabbi Aryeh Levin, with additions from a number of other books and sources, together with an overview of Rabbi Elyashiv’s approach in kabbalah and a few other important matters. The gaon, the tzaddik, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, introduces his impressions with the following words: This author deserves a full-length biography so that we might appreciate him: a Godly man who lived in our generation, a messenger sent from the heights to decipher hidden matters, to illuminate the world with the volumes that comprise his Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah. “Greater are tzaddikim in their deaths…”—for, following his death, volumes continued to be published, containing the revelation of vast amounts of hidden matters, peerless secrets of the wisdom of truth. He achieved this wondrously and tremendously in his holy works. And knowledge of the biographies of tzaddikim encourages a person to improve his behavior by giving him the yearning to cling to their deeds. 1. A Brief Summary of Rabbi Elyashiv’s Life Rabbi Elyashiv was born in 5701 in Zagar, Lithuania, to his righteous parents, who were related to the Arizal and to Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropolye. In his deeds, he was recognized even as a young person as possessing great talents, with all of the good qualities and traits needed by someone striving to engage in the task and labor leading to holiness. His father, the tzaddik, Rabbi Chaykel, was known among the leaders of the generation as one of the 36 tzaddikim upon whom the world depends. Every night, Rabbi Chaykel stayed awake learning Torah. When one of the tzaddikim of that generation, the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Shraga Meir Leizorovitz, had a son, he asked the tzaddik, Rabbi Chaykel, who at the time was in a distant city, to come to the circumcision and be honored as sandek. As for Rabbi Elyashiv, his mother, the righteous Mrs. Setira Gita, tells that when she was pregnant with him she knew that she would bear a tzaddik and supernal holy being because she always saw a light before her. In Rabbi Elyashiv’s youth, after he spent few years learning with his father, he exiled himself to a place of Torah, Minsk, to seek Torah from the great genius, Rabbi Gershon Tanchum. Over the next few years, that gaon learned regularly with him, including a special lesson with him, until he taught him the entire Talmud. When he turned twenty, he married Bas Sheva Esther, the daughter of one of the important men of the city of Shavel, Lithuania, a man loved and appreciated by the rabbis, and a Torah scholar in his own right, Rabbi Dovid Fein. Rabbi Elyashiv’s righteous wife served as a helpmeet in the full sense of the word. Over the years, wherever they went, she was of great assistance in accepting upon herself the responsibility of financially supporting her family and making do with little so as not to disturb her holy husband whatsoever from serving the Creator. “Women—with what do they gain merit?” (Berachos 17a). Her portion was great in that she helped her holy husband attain the hidden light of the secrets of the Torah on the highest level. Despite Rabbi Elyashiv’s difficulties and poverty, he adamantly refused to accept any public rabbinic post that was offered him. Instead, after he established his home in the city of his father-in-law and his wife’s family, Shavel, Lithuania, he dedicated and sanctified all of his time to Hashem. And when he realized that there still remained disturbances preventing him from reaching the levels that he had set as his goal, he did not hesitate to emulate the ways of the great Torah sages in those generations by leaving his home. He traveled to the city of Telz, where he learned in self-abnegation for a period of ten years. There he learned in a state of self-abnegation, engaged in Torah and worship with great diligence that cannot be described, sleeping only a few hours every night. During the day, he learned all of the branches of the revealed Torah, and at night he learned the wisdom of truth, for which his soul had yearned since his youth. He was initially guided in the wisdom of truth in Telz by two men. One was the gaon, the tzaddik, the beauty of the generation, Rabbi Yosef Reizen (Rozen; author of the responsa Eidus Bihosef), who served as rabbi and av beis din (head of the court) of Telz, and from an older Torah scholar who learned there in self-abnegation, a wondrous man humble in his ways, a pious man who was summoned to the heavenly yeshiva in the midst of his days and whose name is not known, for Rabbi Elyashiv did not reveal it. From then on, Rabbi Elyashiv’s powerful longing to attain the crown of the Torah of the wisdom of truth increased. According to the testimony of the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch of Telz, whatever Rabbi Elyashiv attained was due to his great toil to the point of self-sacrifice in this wisdom, accompanied by intense weeping with an outpouring of the soul as he asked Hashem to illuminate his eyes in His Torah. In this, Rabbi Elyashiv practiced that which is suggested in the name of Rabbi Chaim Vital in his introduction to the Eitz Chaim, in the “Conditions of Attaining Wisdom”: that one should weep as much as one can regarding any words of Torah that one does not understand. Similarly, it is known that the gaon of kabbalah, the author of Shemen Sasson, learned every expression and chapter of the Arizal 101 times, and whenever he did not understand something he wept copiously. However, prior to entering the orchard of the true wisdom, Rabbi Elyashiv first filled his belly with the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds and halachic works, and learned many books of ethics and the fear of God—in particular, the holy work, Reishis Chochmah, which he knew by heart—as well as works of philosophy and thought. Only then did he enter the orchard by learning the works of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero and afterwards the Torah of our rabbi, the Arizal, in accordance with the words of the gaon, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, in Kesser Rosh (61) that the wisdom of kabbalah begins where philosophy ends, and the kabbalah of the Arizal begins where the kabbalah of the Ramak ends. When Rabbi Elyashiv returned after years of separation to his city of Shavel, he worked to assure his Torah learning and service of God by refraining from mundane, unnecessary conversation, and he remained closed in his room crowned in tallis and tefillin, learning the revealed and hidden Torah with awesome diligence day and night, entirely dedicated to Hashem. The elder gaon, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber of London, describes him in his memoirs as follows: “Once I had the privilege of entering the room of that man of God. I trembled before his shining face, wrapped in tallis and tefillin and clinging to his Torah.” There Rabbi Elyashiv had the merit of composing all of the volumes of his awesome, great works, which he gave the inclusive title, Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah. As stated earlier, Rabbi Elyashiv composed his books in holiness and purity. He himself made the ink and prepared the quills. The act of writing was itself almost miraculous because, although his right hand was feeble, he wrote with wondrous swiftness, almost fitting the description of “causing a quill to write of its own accord.” Later, his writings were protected and saved during the First World War, when he had to travel to the cities of inner Russia, and when made aliyah from there to the Holy Land, in ways that people saw as supernatural. In principal, he wrote all of his works only until his fiftieth year. From then on, his thoughts could not be constricted, and he only engaged in editing his previous writings and arranging them in new editions. After his soul yearned to the point of expiration for the courtyards of the house of Hashem, he had the privilege in his very old age—after years of suffering and exile due to the First World War—to come to our Holy Land. That was in Adar of 5682, when he was 81 years old. He arrived with his family. A modest reception was arranged for him at the gates of Jerusalem by the elite, precious leaders of Jerusalem and its men great in the revealed and hidden Torah, where they expressed their respect and appreciation. He established his home in Batei Neitin in Jerusalem, where his home quickly became a meeting place to all who turned to him, whether in matters of the hidden wisdom regarding which many of the sages of Jerusalem and the Holy Land sought him, or whether in requests for prayer, advice and counsel. He received everyone pleasantly and answered each individual. Unfortunately, Rabbi Elyashiv did not live long in Jerusalem. After a brief illness, his pure soul rose to the hidden heights on the eve of the holy Sabbath, and he was called up in sanctity, Parshat Vayikra, on the 22nd of Adar, 5686. His funeral took place on Saturday night, attended by many people, and he was eulogized by the great men of the generation who understood their great loss. “My father, my father, chariot of Israel and its horses!” cried one of the great leaders and tzaddikim of the generation in his eulogy, and he continued, “If we had the merit, we would see with our own eyes how the pillar of fire separated him from us, as is fitting for one or two people in a generation, because the holy gaon was unique in the generation in the wisdom of truth.” “And indeed,” writes the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, “all of us who participated had the privilege of seeing with our own eyes a pillar of fire in the shape of a rainbow beneath the vault of heaven stretching from east to west until the grave was covered. Everyone saw this and was stunned.” My friend, Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Elkonik of Bnei Brak, who grew up in Jerusalem, told me that he recalls that his honorable father, serving Hashem with faith, told him something wondrous when he returned from the funeral: that he saw the pillar of light with his own eyes. Also, the great chronicler of the lives and deeds of the tzaddikim, the famous rabbi and gaon, Rabbi Avraham Stern, may Hashem avenge his blood, writes in his book, Melitzei Eish (Adar, p. 71): The gaon and rabbi, Tzvi Ferber, av beis din of the holy community of London, wrote me that when the coffin of the holy Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (may his memory be for a blessing) was buried, an awesome sight appeared before the eyes of all the people: a pillar of fire from east to west, until the grave was filled in—something that had not appeared in the holy city of Jerusalem for a few hundred years. This has constituted a very brief summary of Rabbi Elyashiv’s life. We will also discuss a number of other topics that have a special connection with him. But first we will mention some more members of his extended family in our Holy land, who are all great men and gaonim of Torah. Our rabbi had a number of daughters who were married to great men of Torah, and he also had a son who served in the rabbinate outside the Holy Land. It appears that the offspring of his extended family outside the Holy Land did not remain alive, tragically, for our many sins. When Rabbi Elyashiv made aliyah to the Holy Land, he was accompanied by one of his daughters, her husband and their children. This daughter served her holy father in the full meaning of the word while outside the Holy Land and, even more so, in the Holy Land when he was very old. Her husband was the rabbi and gaon, Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv, who was known in Jerusalem as the Hamla rabbi. After Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv made aliyah to Jerusalem, he founded Chevras Tiferes Bachurim in Meah Shearim, where he delivered regular daily lessons to tens of God-fearing workers who over the course of the years became learned. Their only son, who made aliyah with them, had the privilege in his youth of serving his holy grandfather. After writing was all but impossible for Rabbi Elyashiv because of his impaired sight, this grandson wrote down and edited his teachings and holy books. Today he is the great gaon, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who is known and recognized as one of the leaders of the generation in all areas and branches of the holy Torah; and all of his sons and sons-in-law are great, famous men in Torah in the Holy Land. 2. Rabbi Elyashiv’s Relationship with the Leaders of the Generation Rabbi Elyashiv was praised by the leaders of the generation of that era as a holy personality. When Rabbi Elyashiv was living in Shavel, the gaonim would visit him when they passed through. Some came to him especially to learn the wisdom of truth with him. Among these were the gaonim and tzaddikim, Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer-Peterburger, Rabbi Tzvi Livayasan (also known as Rabbi Hershel Slabodker) and Rabbi Yosef Yozel of Novardok, who would travel to him and spend time with him from time to time. And Rabbi Elyashiv spent hours alone together with the gaon, Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer, and they also exchanged correspondence. Similarly, the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian, traveled to him and stayed with him for about a year. Especial ties of affection existed between Rabbi Elyashiv and the Chafetz Chaim. The Chafetz Chaim deeply appreciated and valued Rabbi Elyashiv. When Rabbi Elyashiv was exiled to the city of Hamla in Russia, the Chafetz Chaim visited him and said of him in his sweet language, “We build below and reach up to the world above, whereas he, since the pathways of the upper worlds are clear to him, builds his parlors in heaven.” Also, when Rabbi Elyashiv was in Shavel, the Chafetz Chaim visited him and they ate together. And when the Chafetz Chaim remained with him for the holy Sabbath, the arrangements in Rabbi Elyashiv’s house were changed so that the girls and women ate separately and not at the table where the two tzaddikim were seated. There is a story about the Chafetz Chaim’s outstanding student, the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Eliyahu HaCohen Dushnitzer. He once took leave of his rabbi in order to travel to the city of Shavel, where Rabbi Elyashiv lived, for some purpose. After Rabbi Dushnitzer had left the Chafetz Chaim he suddenly noticed the Chafetz Chaim’s son-in-law hurrying after him. When the son-in-law reached him, he said that the Chafetz Chaim had sent him to tell Rabbi Dushnitzer that when in Shavel he should try for God’s sake to visit the tzaddik, Rabbi Elyashiv, “for in this world it is still possible to see him and come close to him, whereas in the world-to-come, who knows if we will merit that.” Rabbi Elyashiv had particular appreciation for the gaon, the tzaddik and foundation of the world, Rabbi Israel of Salant. However, they never met face to face because, since Rabbi Elyashiv was young when they were near each other, he was afraid that Rabbi Israel Salanter would forbid him to study the hidden wisdom. But there was someone especially close to the gaon, Rabbi Israel Salanter, would regularly tell Rabbi Elyashiv every word that he heard from Rabbi Israel Salanter’s holy mouth and what his eyes had seen. And when this man told the gaon Rabbi Israel Salanter of Rabbi Elyashiv’s concern, which had kept Rabbi Elyashiv from visiting him, the gaon Rabbi Israel Salanter said, “To the contrary, it would never occur to me to prevent anyone from going in the path of serving Hashem that he has chosen for himself.” As a matter of fact, the gaon Rabbi Israel Salanter was great in the wisdom of the kabbalah, in keeping with the way of the gaonim and tzaddikim of Lithuania from the school of the students and students’ students of the Vilna Gaon, but as was the way of many gaonim and world-class tzaddikim, this was with the greatest reticence possible, because the gaon, Rabbi Israel of Salant, hid his ways in many things. In Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah (Chelek Sefer Hadeah: Derushei Olam Hatohu, Part 1, p. 38b), Rabbi Elyashiv cited what he had heard in the name of the gaon, Rabbi Israel of Salant: “Whoever proceeds deeply in this [hidden wisdom] will be successful and find [what he has sought]. And this is true only since the year 5600, because until then [the kabbalah] was still sealed and closed to all but a few special individuals.” Rabbi Elyashiv did not refrain from expressing his surprise that many of the sages of the generation did not involve themselves in this wisdom. “I am astonished,” he writes, “at those sages of the generation who have no knowledge of this, for how can they refrain from studying the wisdom of truth, which is the core of the Torah?” Rabbi Elyashiv’s reputation reached Baghdad, the home of the honorable, great genius in the revealed and hidden Torah, Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, author of the Ben Ish Chai and [works on] Shas. The gaon, Rabbi Tzvi Ferber, writes, Childishly, I asked Rabbi Elyashiv why he does not accept approbations. He told me that he knew of a person, unique in the generation in the revealed and hidden Torah, the awesome genius, Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, [from whom he would accept an approbation]. Rabbi Elyashiv saw Rabbi Yosef Chaim’s books on the revealed and hidden Torah and recognized his vast greatness, unique in the generation. [Rabbi Elyashiv] sent his writings [to the Ben Ish Chai] and waited many weeks for his response—which indicated that he was examining them carefully—and [the Ben Ish Chai] approved. I asked [Rabbi Elyashiv] what [the Ben Ish Chai] had written. He laughed and told me that he would only tell me the first words of his letter: Ari bamistarim—“lion of mysteries.” That is to say, [the Ben Ish Chai] wrote his honorific beginning with the phrase, Ari bamistarim. When the first volume of the Leshem, beautifully published, was brought to the gaon, the tzaddik, [Rabbi Elyashiv,] and his sons, the great rabbis, they recited the blessing of shehechiyanu. Similarly, when Rabbi Elyashiv’s books came into the hands of the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Avraham Abba Werner, av beis din of Machazikei Hadas in London, tears of joy welled from his eyes and he said, “The author is of the remnant of the Great Assembly. Upon him shone the light of the sun of the Vilna Gaon in accordance with the way of absolute truth that he paved in the wisdom of truth.” In the year 5640, when Rabbi Elyashiv was about forty years old—an age associated with understanding—the great men of the generation authorized him to publish and edit the holy writings of the Vilna Gaon, the gaon Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik Chaver and others. In the spirit of his great understanding, he edited and published them. With God’s help, we will further on address his attitude to the books of the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto). Many of the books that he edited and published contained statements from those who initiated the publication blessing and thanking him. The great light, Rabbi Shmuel Luria of Mogilev (Mohilev), who was the faithful friend of the house of the great gaon, Rabbi Dovid Luria (the Radal), brought Rabbi Elyashiv the holy writings of the Vilna Gaon from the archives of the gaon and philanthropist, Rabbi Shmaryahu Tzuckerman of Mogilev, whose honorable wife was the daughter of the gaon, Rabbi Avraham, son of the Vilna Gaon. When Rabbi Tzuckerman brought Rabbi Elyashiv the writings, he was astonished at Rabbi Elyashiv’s greatness and said that his clear learning would even have gained the favor of the Vilna Gaon. 3. Rabbi Elyashiv’s Students I do not particularly know those who regarded themselves as Rabbi Elyashiv’s close students. But the gaon and kabbalist, the author of To’ameha Chaim Zachu (a commentary on the Eitz Chaim), who lived in Batei Neitin in Jerusalem and considered himself to be a student of Rabbi Elyashiv, said that after Rabbi Elyashiv passed away nothing was difficult for him any more, because Rabbi Elyashiv came to him in dreams to reveal the meaning and solution of every difficult topic. 4. Rabbi Elyashiv’s Approach to Understanding Kabbalistic Concepts This is not the place to discuss the ways that the great men across the generations viewed and understood the kabbalah’s concepts, which they expressed in their books, each following his own approach and particular way—which apparently depended on the root of his soul and was related to his literary style. It would appear that these great men across the generations disagreed in their understanding and view of these concepts. However, in my humble opinion, at the root they might not have been disagreeing. It is possible that these great men across the generations were attempting to make spiritual concepts intellectually accessible, to inspire people and distance from them from the slightest trace of attributing materiality to Godliness. To that end, each one utilized his own style and his particular approach. In the limited framework of this essay, there is no room to explain and clarify these deep matters that stand at the peak of the world and embrace the world. Rabbi Elyashiv’s approach regarding kabbalah concepts and the manner of transmitting them was close in spirit to and almost identical with the approach of the great Sephardic kabbalists, in a transmission generation after generation that continued the approach of the early masters. This approach states that everything discussed in the holy Zohar and in the writings of the Arizal possesses a true spiritual reality. This is in contradiction to the view of those whose words imply that they deny true existence to all of these elevated and awesome matters and concepts, and understand them in other ways. The gaon, the great kabbalist, our teacher, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditshov, addressed this lucidly in his work, Sur Meyra Va’asei Tov (Va’asei Tov): I have addressed all of this at length, for I saw that there are sages, the sages of this generation, who explain all of the words of the Zohar and Idros and the words of the Arizal by saying that this is all metaphor and riddles, etc., and explain the matters not as they are in order to make everything accessible to the sensory intellect, etc. But this is not my approach. I was taught to reject this way of thinking, in which one takes matters out of the simple meaning of what they are to make them accessible to the human intellect, etc. Rather, one must believe (as above) that all of the narratives in the Idros and Sifra Detzniusa and the words of the Arizal are real and exist: they are spiritual, refined lights, concepts in the form of the chariot, etc. Therefore, my brother, guard yourself from philosophy and metaphor as applied to Godliness…. This was also Rabbi Elyashiv’s approach. In his great books, he addressed this at great length in many places, explaining how one should understand all of the kabbalah’s concepts. “In my view,” Rabbi Elyashiv writes in his Sefer Hadeah (Chelek 1, Derush 8, p. 57a): all of the revelations in the Idra, which are themselves the core of the words of the Arizal, are not at all imagery and illustration, etc. Rather, they are complete, true and established forever, entities from the time that the Emanator, blessed be His name, emanated and brought them into being, and He clothes Himself and unites in them (as above). And heaven forbid that one entertain other conjectures about this and that one express such conjectures and concepts regarding their character. Rabbi Elyashiv was inclined to think that the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) as well tended from the way of thought regarding their necessarily true existence. “And I say” he writes there: that although the books of the Ramchal are very precious and they contain many pearls and much fine gold, and almost all of his books that we have available in our day were edited and made available for publication through my efforts, etc., nevertheless, I say that whenever the Ramchal combined the words of the holy Zohar and the Arizal with the vision of prophecy—as in the words of the verse, “in the hand of the prophets I will be visualized” (Isaiah 30:10)—and he burdened them with visions and images, my mind is not at all at ease with this, because there is not a single early or later authority who says anything of the sort, nor do the words of the holy Zohar and the Arizal at all bear the meaning of his words in this matter. Our rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Moshe Charlop, desired to entirely justify the tzaddik, the Ramchal. In his Mei Marom, in a discussion regarding the Rambam’s Shmoneh Perakim, p. 191, Rabbi Charlop writes: This is the place to note that there are people who wish to describe emanated beings as abstract categories and deny that they truly have existence. But these people stray from the way of understanding. They misinterpret the words of the living God in order to turn kabbalah into philosophy. Even the Ramchal terms all of the midot [sefirot] as hanhagos [modes of guidance]. But heaven forbid that we disrespect this tzaddik by saying that he denies the existence of the sefirot, heaven forbid. Rather, just like the previous kabbalists—who, wanting to break free of physical imagery, termed [the sefirot] “lights”—the Ramchal, seeing that there still existed fools who imagined that [these “lights”] are fire and flame and who strayed and erred, saw fit to term [the sefiros] by the term hanhagah, something that people will certainly not make material. But he certainly did not deny the true existence [of the sefirot]. And heaven forbid that a person err in this matter. Some people have wished to attribute such metaphorical interpretations to our great rabbi, the Vilna Gaon, on the basis of a passage that they found in a letter of the kabbalist, Rabbi Avraham Simchah of Amsitzlav (the son of the sister of the gaon, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin; as was recently published in Da’as Tevunos [Bnei Brak, 5733, p. 236]. He writes, “The Vilna Gaon said that the writings of the Arizal are entirely only parable.” Similar words appear in the Likutim at the end of Sifra Detzniusa Im Biur Hagra in the name of the Vilna Gaon himself: “They speak employing parable and people do not understand at all.” But all of this is of no consequence, because such words literally are also found in the writings of the Arizal and in the words of the Rashash. It is true that Rabbi Chaim Vital writes in Shaar Hahakdamos (p. 5b; and copied from there to Eitz Chaim: Sha’ar 1, Anaf 4), “It is obvious that up above exist only subtle lights with an ultimate spirituality that is not at all graspable…,” words that clearly indicate the existence of spiritual entities. Nevertheless, he wrote (ibid., p. 36b) that from the ten sefirot and below it is only possible to speak employing parable and imagery. Similarly, the Rashash (in Eitz Chaim: Sha’ar 37, Chapter 2) writes that these words are not to be understood according to their simple meaning, and “I know that that no thought can grasp the truth of these matters at all.” If it were possible to understand the truth of these matters, there would be no place to raise questions. Thus, we see that is no contradiction at all between the concept of a spiritual entity and the term “parable.” Rabbi Elyashiv (ibid., p. 56d) explains at length how it is that both exist, and how this is related to two verses. “As for the statement found in a few sources that all matters in the realm of atzilut are only parable,” he writes, “that is in terms of what we grasp of these matters, because their true existence is certainly beyond the evaluation and imagery of our understanding and comprehension.” Before concluding this chapter, which has provided some very general outlines of Rabbi Elyashiv’s approach in kabbalah, it is relevant to make a comment on a related matter. There are those who, for some reason, have voiced the falsehood that the Sephardic approach in learning kabbalah, which is the approach of the early masters, is mere reading without comprehension—that is to say, superficial learning, something almost useless. It appears that the purveyors of this view, which unfortunately has been accepted in some places, have conflated kabbalah learning with a practice found particularly among the Sephardic masses: that of simply reading the holy Zohar—which is in truth for the most part reading without comprehension or at most with very superficial comprehension. This claim dissuades people who have a desire to begin learning kabbalah so as to be of the children of the palace of the King and taste from the Tree of Life and live and dwell in its shadow. These people who wish to begin learning attempt to start immediately, without any background, following the explanations of one approach or another. That begins and ends in marked failure, in disordered confused, in superficial knowledge, in lack of success or in an imagined success that is not at all real. In truth, the Sephardic method, which is the method of the early masters and also the path upon which Rabbi Elyashiv walked, is a way of learning that allows a person to learn and engage in a deeply intellectual fashion, with questions, answers, distinctions, and resolutions and clarifications of approaches—in the same way that one analyzes the revealed aspect of the holy Torah. Witness to this statement are the tens of books that have been composed by the great men of the generations applying this approach to the writings of the Arizal and the Rashash. And witness to this statement are Rabbi Elyashiv’s great and profound books, all of which were written in this manner and with this approach, although with some greater breadth. Those who wish to succeed in learning kabbalah and in rising ever higher must begin learning in this simple way—of course, making maximum usage of their abilities in Talmudic analysis of distinction and clarification that each person has been granted in accordance with his makeup and nature. After learning in such a way for a number of years, in proper and good order and with much review, organizing matters and topics as much as he is able, a person can then reach the explanatory stage and align himself with a particular approach in accordance with his nature, or to blend all of the approaches. And with that will come complete success. The same applies to the Vilna Gaon’s kabbalah—including his profound commentary on Sifra Detzniusa, his commentary on Tikunei Zohar, his commentary on the parts of the Zohar as found in Sefer Yahel Or and in many other collections. There are people—in particular, from communities close to the Vilna Gaon’s home—who, wishing to begin learning kabbalah, although they possess a very limited knowledge of kabbalah go directly to gain the knowledge of the Vilna Gaon’s approach, learning the Vilna Gaon’s commentary on Sifra Detzniusa or his commentaries on Tikunei Zohar. These men are wasting their time and do not attain anything outside of mere impressions of confused and disorganized knowledge. And their portion is like that of those who seek explanations, whom we described above. Those who wish to begin learning the Vilna Gaon’s kabbalah and understand his words properly must first go through the writings of the Arizal, at least in the Eitz Chaim, with a good and ordered review. Similarly, in order to understand the Vilna Gaon’s words in his commentary on Sifra Detzniusa, one must first review the two Idros a number of times with the commentary, Yayin Harekach, by the gaon, Rabbi Yehudah Fatiyah, since the Idros are to a great degree the foundation of kabbalah. After all of this, they will be able to approach the commentaries of the Vilna Gaon on Sifra Detzniusa and with God’s help they will easily understand everything, and they will also immediately recognize wherever his approach differs from the approach of our rabbi, the Arizal. And this should suffice for those who wish to attain the truth. Those who have no appetite for learning in the way that we have described and who, even after disciplining their will, still find it hard to grow accustomed to this so that their learning is as hard as iron for them and they attempt to slake their thirst for the secrets of God by fleeing and turning directly to the various explanatory approaches, and similarly, those who in general lack any natural aptitude for this holy learning, must know that their portion is in the revealed aspects of the holy Torah, and they must completely set aside kabbalah learning and invest all of their might and strength in learning whatever part of the revealed Torah their heart desires. From the earliest days and years of all generations, the portion of those who engage in the secrets of God has been relatively small among the totality of the Torah sages and students of the Torah—something that apparently was established by God’s wisdom, blessed be His name. 5. The Order of Rabbi Elyashiv’s Prayer and His approach to the Kavanos of Prayer, and his Service in Performing the Mitzvos Those who are familiar with the kavanos [mystical intentions] of the Arizal know that there are two overall approaches to them. The approach of the majority of kabbalists—in particular, those who have lived outside the land of Israel—is basically to focus on the names and cognomens of the sefirot. That is the approach of the Maharam Zacuta. In his Letters (6) he writes, “It is not proper to connect the names of Hashem to the words, etc. Rather, it is proper to simply have in mind the name of the sefirot, which includes every level in every midah [spiritual category].” The other approach is that of our rabbi, the Rashash, as expressed in his Sidurei Kavanos: to have in mind only the kavanah of the holy names and not the names of the sefiros. In his Hakdamos Ushe’arim (p. 43a), Rabbi Elyashiv decides in accord with the approach of the Rashash, writing: Those who enter into the secrets of Hashem and delve into the kavanos in accordance with the kavanos of the Arizal must be very careful to have in mind only the holy names or the letters of the names in each case according to the context, and not the names of the partzufim [clusters of sefiros] such as Atik, Arich, and so on—i.e., [one should concentrate on the names] as they are arranged in the siddur of the holy rabbi, Maharash Sharabi [the Rashash]. As for a person who does not have the power to direct and focus his idea and thought on the names only … it is much preferable that he have in mind the words, like a schoolchild, and simply focus on them, for regarding focusing on the sefiros, [the masters] have said, “[We must focus] on God and not on His traits….” Rabbi Elyashiv continues describing the great level of those who engage in kavanos. He writes, “Such a person’s level is very high. He is alluded to in the Sages’ statement: ‘Why do Israel pray and are not answered? Because they do not know the secret of the Shem Hameforash. As the verse states, “When he who knows My name will call me, I will elevate him…” (Psalms 91:14)’ (Pesikta Rabasi: end of 22).” Practically, Rabbi Elyashiv maintained the practice of Rabbi Shimshon of Chinon (Rash Mikinon) who testified of himself—as cited in Responsa Maharshal (98)—that even after he learned all of the secrets of the wisdom of truth he prayed like a day-old baby—i.e., simply focused solely on the meaning of the words. A story is told about the great gaon, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, who once yearned to study the way in which the tzaddik, Rabbi Elyashiv, prayed. One evening, Rabbi Meltzer got up and went to the synagogue where the tzaddik used to pray. When Rabbi Meltzer returned, his excitement was palpable. When he was asked the meaning of that excitement, he answered that it came from having seen the simplicity of the prayer of the tzaddik, Rabbi Elyashiv, who prayed as part of the congregation and from a regular siddur, word by word (as told by the rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Yosef Aryeh Leib Zusman). Although Rabbi Elyashiv’s prayers were, at least externally, unexceptional, as he sat at his regular seat in a quiet and normal way, nevertheless in certain parts of the prayers his feelings broke out. My friend, Rabbi Ephraim Gelis, told me that when he was a child he had the custom of praying vasikin in the Neitin synagogue in which the tzaddik, Rabbi Elyashiv, prayed regularly. He saw Rabbi Elyashiv every day tremble wondrously before he arose to pray the Shmoneh Esrei. Trembling seized his entire body and his knees knocked against each other in his fear of Hashem and awareness of the splendor of His exaltedness. That occurred every day. Fortunate is the eye that saw all this! Despite Rabbi Elyashiv’s sufferings due to the deprivations of poverty, he dedicated his soul to every detail of Torah and mitzvos, including the minutiae of the Scribes, keeping all of the mitzvos and all of their fine points with tremendous joy. Every time that a mitzvah came to his hand he would pray to Hashem, may He be blessed, with many tears to give him the privilege of performing the mitzvah fully. Anyone who did not see—for instance—his soul’s joy on Simchas Torah during the hakafos dancing never saw joy in his life. Rav Elyashiv’s family members could not keep pace with him during the Passover seders, because the fervor of his holy joy so overwhelmed him that he was not even aware of himself. His relating of the Exodus from Egypt lasted the entire night, with fervor and tremendous joy, as though that night he himself had left Egypt. Although throughout the entire year Rabbi Elyashiv was one of the “masters of accounts,” maintaining solitude and examining his deeds (although they were not marked by the slightest trace of sin, heaven forbid), on the holy days of selichos and judgment people saw him standing with his head bent as his knees knocked together out of his fear of Hashem and his awareness of the splendor of His exaltedness, as He came to judge the earth. 6. Rabbi Elyashiv’s Holy Books In all of the volumes of his holy work, Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, Rabbi Elyashiv is revealed in all his radiance and splendor as the prince of the wisdom of kabbalah. His expertise is displayed on every page of his holy books and literally rises to the heavens. Tens of citations and references are to be found on every page. Some of his books are straightforward commentaries on Eitz Hachaim. His books consist in the main of introductory material, and clarification of matters and topics that has a homiletical character. Rav Elyashiv was gifted with a light style and a language that might be understood by anyone to whom the concepts of kabbalah were not completely unfamiliar. A large part of his books is devoted to explaining his overall view that all of the revelations and processes that exist in the highest worlds exist as well in detail in every world. And of course he presents that view with a combination of proofs and sources. To this end, he also allowed himself to speak in great detail about the partzufim and the most supernal and highest worlds, in accordance with the simple presentation of these matters in Eitz Chaim (Sha’ar 1, Anaf 5), “for there are no questions in regard to kesser and chochmah.” Regarding the foundation of his approach, he explains in Chelek Habiurim (p. 21) that God’s wisdom decreed (may His name be blessed) “that every day more light of the Infinite One spreads out in atzilus and new revelations are revealed…. Thus, at first it was forbidden to study the gimel rishonos and afterwards it was permitted (as above).” That is to say, as we grow closer to the end time, it is gradually permitted to reveal more and more. Rabbi Elyashiv was among the few of the generation before whom the entire kabbalah of our rabbi, the Vilna Gaon, was open like a spread garment. Whatever topic he discusses, he cites the view of the Vilna Gaon and notes whether or not his view is in accord with that of the Arizal. In one of his letters, he has a partial list of the issues in the concealed Torah regarding which the Vilna Gaon and the Arizal disagree. In the introduction to his Chelek Habiurim he writes, “Hashem awakened my spirit in the outpouring of His kindness and goodness, creating an opening through which I could draw knowledge from the deep wells of the Ari and the Vilna Gaon.” Regarding the kabbalah of the Vilna Gaon overall, I wrote a survey at the beginning of the Vilna Gaon’s old siddur that was republished in the year 5732, but this is not the place to review what I said there. Since Rabbi Elyashiv viewed the Vilna Gaon and the Arizal as being on the same level, he delved equally into the kabbalah of the Vilna Gaon and the Arizal. A gracious wind of holiness and purity flows and rises from every line in Rabbi Elyashiv’s books. A person who learns his books with the requisite holiness and purity will—besides receiving clear and well-organized explanations of all the matters and topics that were difficult for him and that had always remained puzzling and unresolved—attain an enhanced spirit of holiness and purity, love and yearning, to the point of the expiration of the soul, as in the verse, “My soul thirsts for You…” (Psalms 63:2). That is all in accord with the student’s preparation and in accordance with the extent of the opening that he has made with the effort of his own powers from below. Let us address one more detail in Rabbi Elyashiv’s teachings. As is known, the Eitz Chaim, the Shmoneh She’arim and Mevo She’arim contain the words that were orally transmitted to Rabbi Chaim Vital by our rabbi, the Arizal. The Chida in Shem Hagedolim (Ma’areches Gedolim: Erech Rabbi Chaim Vital) writes that a person who wants to learn the most authentic texts should learn Shmoneh Sh’earim and so forth, and the other books that were written by Rabbi Chaim Vital. Similarly, our rabbi the Rashash in his Nahar Shalom admonishes in a number of places (p. 32a and p. 33c) that a person should only learn these writings mentioned above, and not the words of the other students of the Arizal, which were not transmitted by Rabbi Chaim Vital. The teachings in Eitz Chaim and the writings mentioned above begin by describing a certain world called Adam Kadmon. That is the beginning of atzilus in general, although in a very hidden way, and from that everything else devolves. There is no mention in Eitz Chaim of any world before that, besides a subtle hint to this effect: “a few worlds preceded them, which—because they are so hidden—are only alluded to in the Zohar” (Eitz Chaim: Sha’ar 1, Anaf 4). That hint cannot be deciphered by a person who knows nothing about the existence of those worlds to which it alludes. However, the kabbalah of another student of the Arizal, Rabbi Israel Sarug, does describe the existence of a world before the first world mentioned in Eitz Chaim. And all of the teachings about that world—which also is divided into “worlds” and “gates”—is described in a number of books such as Emek Hamelech, Vayakhel Moshe and Shever Yosef. These teachings were publicized more fully by Menachem Azariah da Fano (Rema MiPano), who is considered to be a student of the gaon, Rabbi Israel Sarug. Those worlds are called olam hamalbush, hatehiru ila’ah, and so forth. The great Sephardic kabbalists said almost nothing about this and did not deal with it, for the great majority of them were faithful to the admonition of the Rashash not to learn and study the words of the other students of the Arizal. An exception to these kabbalists was the gaon, the Ben Ish Chai, who—despite his tendency to follow all of the ways of the Rashash almost without reservation—delved into this matter in his great work, Da’as Usevunah. However, the great Ashkenazi kabbalists accepted these teachings of Rabbi Sarug almost without reservation and even built complete systems upon them. Some of these kabbalists used these teachings as foundations for their own teachings. In Sefer Hazichronos (p. 14), the gaon, Rabbi Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin, approves and authorizes all of these teachings on olam hamalbush and hatehiru ila’ah: Rabbi Israel Sarug, who was clearly the greatest of the students of the Arizal besides Rabbi Chaim Vital, went to Italy immediately after the Ari passed away, where he published all of the words of the Arizal that were known to him by oral transmission and from the Arizal’s writings. And his student the Rema MiPano later published more of these teachings. Because Rabbi Israel Sarug went to Italy, his writings were unknown to Rabbi Chaim Vital, and therefore Rabbi Vital did not gather them as a source for his writings when he gathered the writings of his other comrades. Therefore, for no valid reason a few of those whose books follow in the footsteps of Rabbi Chaim Vital piously refrain from speaking of these matters. These teachings were also accepted as true and authoritative by the great Hasidic kabbalists. In Sefer Baal Shem Tov by Rabbi Shimon Menachem Mendel (Mekor Chaim 9, Parshas Ki Sisa), the author writes: There is a tradition in the hands of the masters of Chabad handed down from one master to another, going back to our holy rabbi, Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch—and possibly going back to the Baal Shem Tov, and indeed I heard that it does go back to the Baal Shem Tov—that the Baal Shem Tov accepted the kabbalah (of the author of Emek Hamelech). And on the basis of this kabbalah, the teachings of Chabad always cite the words of the author of the Emek Hamelech. And it appears as well that the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov that address levels higher than atzilus are based on this kabbalah. Rabbi Elyashiv also relied on these teachings, and he argued (in Hakdamos Ushe’arim, p. 59b) that the Vilna Gaon and Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin also authorized and discussed them. “For this reason,” he writes, “I decided to focus on these words and I saw fit to organize them concisely in proper order from beginning to end, and I called this Sha’ar Haponeh Kadim.” This appears as an essay, about 34 pages long, in Sefer Hakdamos Ushe’arim. In it, Rabbi Elyashiv explains at length all of the profound matters addressed in these teachings about olam hamalbush, hatehiru ila’ah, and so on. And he is almost alone in having discoursed so fully on these profound matters. In a similar vein, we will take note of the words of the gaon and kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner, in his Igeres Hapesichah to Alfasi Zuta by the Rema MiPano (Part 1, Jerusalem 5632): The master, the author of the Leshem, decided and clarified that many things that are not found in the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital and which are found solely in the words of Rabbi Israel Sarug were approved by the school of the Vilna Gaon…. If not for the Rema MiPano, we would not have been privileged to access any of the revelations of the Ari that were not included in the teachings of Rabbi Chaim Vital. Besides Rabbi Elyashiv’s published books, a number of books in manuscript remained. Similarly, we were privileged to receive his notes and anthologized teachings on the Eitz Chaim and, in particular, on the introductory Rechovos Hanahar by our rabbi, the Rashash, that were published in Eitz Hachaim Hagadol that now exists (Warsaw) and were merged into the main text with notes and explanations by a “Rabbi Shevach”—who is Rabbi Shlomo ben Chaykel, who had requested that he only be referred to in that way. In this booklet, I have reviewed with great concision the history of the tzaddik, Rabbi Elyashiv. However, I left out a great deal of his life that was related in the booklet of the gaon, the tzaddik, Rabbi Aryeh Levin. Similarly, I described only a very little of his approach to kabbalah, his books and some other important matters with extreme brevity. In conclusion, it remains only to mention that since the time of our rabbi, the Vilna Gaon, until now there has been no other great Jew than Rabbi Elyashiv before whom all of the secrets of kabbalah were organized in such order and with such unequalled, wondrous clarity, as is evident from his awesome books. In conclusion, one more comment should be made. In recent years, Torah scholars have arisen from time to time to assure those who ask them and believe them—assuring them orally or in writing—that the messiah will come and bring the complete redemption at a date that they specify. Simple people are beguiled by them, and some in their great faith borrow money to be repaid after that date, thinking that then they will be able to repay their debt in a miraculous fashion, since the rules of creation will have changed. When these dates pass without the prediction being realized, these people are disappointed and depressed, but then they are immediately beguiled by a new date predicted by some other person. This approach is absolutely forbidden and very dangerous. The gaon, the tzaddik, Rabbi Tzvi Ferber, writes: In the year 5661, when I was with (our rabbi, [Rabbi Elyashiv]), I told him that people were saying that according to the holy Zohar the messiah will come in the year 5666. He told me, “At first glance, it seems that this is the simple meaning of the holy Zohar. But in truth it is not the simple meaning, because the holy Zohar possesses both an inner and an outer meaning.” And he said humorously, “The holy Zohar discusses Rachel and Leah, but Rachel is not Rachel and Leah is not Leah, because there are inner meanings to all of the words of the holy Zohar.” And with this I have concluded the booklet, Ari Bamistarim, on Thursday of Parshat Mishpatim, the eve of an early Yom Kippur Katan before Adar 1 5736. Notes on the Life of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, author of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah
by Rabbi Aryeh Levin[1] Foreword The following paragraph is excerpted from the words of Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv, son-in-law of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, in his introduction to Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah: Chelek Habiurim, Part One: Many people have yearned to know a few details about the life of my father-in-law, the holy gaon, the author of the holy book, Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah, who in the course of his lifetime concealed his holy ways so that few had the privilege of coming close to him. Regarding that, I approached my relative by marriage, Rabbi Aryeh Levin, who had the privilege of coming close to my master and father-in-law in his last years when he was in Jerusalem. Rabbi Levin was among those who came to my father-in-law’s home every night, listened to him and knew of his deeds. Rabbi Levin focused his heart and soul on considering my father-in-law’s holy ways. My heart told me that Rabbi Levin is worthy of this holy work of transmitting some of my father-in-law’s praises for the good of the people at large. May my father-in-law’s great merit stand on behalf all the people of Israel. Amen, so may it be His will. A Biography of the Holy Gaon, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv by his relative by marriage, Rabbi Aryeh Levin The following are sketches and impressions toward a biography of the gaon [great Torah leader], author of the holy work, Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, the rabbi, Godly kabbalist, master of secrets, unique in his generation, peerless gaon in the “wisdom of truth” [kabbalah], holy to Hashem, our honored master and rabbi, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv. This author deserves a full-length biography so that we might appreciate him: a Godly man who lived in our generation, a messenger sent from the heights to decipher hidden matters, to illuminate the world with the volumes that comprise his Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah. “Greater are tzaddikim in their deaths…”—for, following his death, volumes continued to be published, containing the revelation of vast amounts of hidden matters, peerless secrets of the wisdom of truth. He achieved this wondrously and tremendously in his holy works. And knowledge of the biographies of tzaddikim encourages a person to improve his behavior by giving him the yearning to cling to their deeds. It is not for someone like myself to evaluate this great man, the holy content of his pure soul, a living soul that merited by means of the Torah’s whispers to be like the holy angels upon the earth (in the words of the holy Zohar). Only those wise of heart, the gaonim of Israel who belong to the council of those who are wise and understanding, can evaluate this holy and giant being. Recounting his praises and wonders misses the mark, for that is like attempting to extol a fabulous jewel: the more one praises it, the more one fails to adequately portray it. Also, he hid his holiness. He was modest in his ways, such that we have not found anyone in his generation to compare to him. However, since Hashem gave me the merit of serving the holy gaon—at least to “pour water upon his hands,” if I cannot claim to have learned from him—I acceded to his esteemed family’s entreaty to record some notes of what I learned from them—in particular, from his precious son, the wise and understanding Rabbi Yitzchak. When the holy gaon learned in Telz in a state of self-abnegation, he took Yitzchak, his only son, with him in order to supervise and guide him. Afterwards, Yitzchak helped him a great deal in writing his Torah insights and in organizing them. In addition to that, I have also recorded that which I was privileged to see with my own eyes, as best as I could understand it. Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was born in the city of Zagar [Zagory], Lithuania,[2] in 5601 [1841],[3] to his righteous and upright parents, who lived in poverty.[4] His righteous father—who “was pious with his Maker” (Zohar: Mishpatim 114b) [as he writes there in the introduction]—was the rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Chaim Chaykel, [5] and his righteous mother—“a woman who fears Hashem will be praised” (Proverbs 31:30) [as he writes there in the introduction]—was Mrs. Setira Gita.[6] He was the descendent of holy rabbis. As he writes at the end of his introduction to his Sefer Hakadosh: “According to what I was told by the elder members of my family, from both my father and mother’s sides I am a descendant of the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing), and from one side I am a descendant of the holy rabbi, the master, Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropolye (may his memory be for a blessing for the life of the world-to-come, may his merit guard over us),[7]” both of whom brought Torah and light to all Israel. Even in his youth, his outstanding qualities, greatness and wondrous abilities in comparison to those his age manifested themselves—in particular, his superb memory, which was like a plastered cistern that does not lose a drop of water; his clear intelligence; and his refined traits with which the Elevated One graces those whom He has chosen as remarkable among tens of thousands. His deeds were recognizably pure and upright. From the time that he knew how to choose good and reject evil until his final day, he was holy and pure. Until the age of thirteen, he learned with his father. And when he became bar mitzvah, his heart inspired him to exile himself by making his way to the city of Minsk[8] to seek Torah from the mouth of the great gaon, Rabbi Gershon Tanchum. For six years, he learned in his yeshiva with diligent application. And Rabbi Gershon Tanchum showed him an extra measure of love by establishing a special learning time with him, during which they learned all of Talmud, Rambam, etc. His Torah learning was clear in his mouth and guarded in his heart, the fear of Hashem was his treasure and he was crowned with all of the traits with which the Torah is acquired. Before he reached the age of twenty, Hashem gave him a God-fearing wife, Ms. Bas-sheva Esther, daughter of a loving, precious Torah sage, Rabbi Dovid Fein, who was one of the honored people of the city of Shavel.[9] She was afterwards of great help to him in that she took upon herself the responsibility of earning a living to support her family and she made do with little in order not to disturb her holy husband at all from serving Hashem. Because of her, he attained the hidden light. In this way, he sat for a number of years learning Torah and worshipping God with intense, holy diligence.[10] The discerning people of Shavel, those who appreciated his great worth and knew of his difficult circumstances, proposed that he accept the post of halachic decisor. At this time, the great gaon of his generation, Rabbi Yosef Zechariah, was serving as av beis din [head of the court]. At first, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv agreed to their suggestion. However, the following day he changed his mind, for reasons known best to him. [One time I happened to hear him speak of this, but he did not provide me with any explanation. However, afterwards he showed me a passage in the Pesikta Rabbasi (Chapter 22, s.v. lo sisa), which concludes, “Rabbi Abahu said [that God tells a person who is considering becoming a rabbi]: ‘I am called holy and you are called holy. If you do not possess all of the traits that I possess, do not accept a position of leadership.’” And Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv concluded with a blessing, “And all who accept upon themselves, etc., so may it be His will that God’s Presence will rest upon the works of their hands.”][11] He increased his meticulousness and intensified his efforts in Torah and serving Hashem. But he did not satisfy himself with this, and his pure heart drove him to leave his home and family—with permission—taking Yitzchak his only son with him, so that he might supervise him for his good and they proceeded together to learn Torah in self-abnegation. To that end, he made his way to the city of Telz [Telsiai],[12] which was then a place of Torah learning for great men of Israel who later gained fame as world gaonim, shepherds of Israel, such as the great gaonim, R. Meir Atlas, av beis din of Shavel, [13] and Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Teomim (Rav Kook’s father-in-law),[14] av beis din of Ragli.[15] He lived there for about ten years in self-abnegation, learning Torah and serving God with diligence great beyond description. He only allowed himself a few hours of sleep a night, and even then his lips murmured. He learned the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud, halachic works, rishonim, etc., and he dedicated a part of the night to the study of Torah of the wisdom of truth, in keeping with the verse, “Arise, sing in the night” (Lamentations 2:19). He concealed his holy ways, but the Torah that he learned in secret made his stature evident.[16] And the spirit of Hashem began to pulse within him, and he began to write his holy books, Sefer Hakadosh and other volumes of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah. I heard from the mouth of the Godly kabbalist, the rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, our master, Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Maharil, that when Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv began learning in Telz he took the opportunity to meet with a Torah scholar and sage there who learned in a state of self-abnegation. Rabbi Elyashiv recognized that this was a man who was wondrously modest in his ways, and sensed that he was learning the wisdom of truth after midnight. And since Rabbi Elyashiv’s soul had yearned from his youth for the wisdom of truth, he begged this man to learn with him. And that man accepted his entreaty and learned Sha’ar Ruach Hakodesh of the Shmonah Sha’arim[17] and Sha’ar Gan Eden with him. From then on, Rabbi Elyashiv’s strong yearning for the wisdom of truth increased. However, it was not long before that pious man was summoned to the heavenly yeshiva, and he remained unknown. And the holy gaon, Rabbi Elyashiv, did not speak about this to others. [The rabbi, the gaon, our master, Rabbi Tzvi Ferber (may he live long), of London writes: I know that from the time that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was in Telz he received this holy wisdom from the gaon, the tzaddik of his generation, Rabbi Yosef Rozen, av beis din of Telz, author of the responsa Eidus Bihosef.[18] The gaon, the tzaddik, Maharil Bloch of Telz,[19] told: Rabbi Shlomo ben Chaim Elyashiv attained what he did as a result of his great toil in self-sacrifice and intense weeping in pouring forth his soul to Hashem that He illumine his eyes.] Afterwards, he returned to his home in the city of Shavel, and he again made a special effort to safeguard his Torah and his worship of God. He did not speak purposeless, trivial words. He enclosed himself in his room, crowned in tallis and tefillin, and learned the revealed and concealed Torah with awesome diligence, day and night. He measured and weighed all of the minutes of his life, sanctifying them for the sake of Hashem. Thus he dedicated his spirit and body entirely to the service of Hashem in all of his ways. And all of the traits that the sages enumerate as being necessary to master the Torah were realized in him. His broad and holy awareness was calm and quiet, even as he acted with great enthusiasm and alacrity. In that room, he composed all of his holy volumes. The following is a list of all of Rabbi Elyashiv’s holy works. All of them were given one general title, Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah (in which the letters of the author’s name are embedded), and he gave each volume its own name in keeping with its contents (as written in Rabbi Elyashiv’s introduction to Sefer Hakadosh, published in 5669 [1908-09]).[20] a) Sefer Hakadosh (The Book of Holiness). (The Hebrew word for “holiness” is an acronym for “Introductions and Gateways”). This presents, as the name suggests, “introductions and gateways for everyone whose soul yearns to enter into the palaces of holiness, the teachings of the wisdom of truth of the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing) in his holy and awesome book, Eitz Chaim, etc.—that which pertains to the teachings of the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing) in general and that which pertains to a number of topics in greater detail, etc. We brought have everything together and worded it in easy-to-understand language and in simple terms that may be comprehended by everyone—even someone who is not yet accustomed to them, etc. When a person learns this work from beginning to end, he will have an excellent overview of the wisdom of truth in general, so much so that it seems to me that whoever is incapable, etc., can fulfill his obligation to learn the hidden aspect of the Torah by learning this book…” (ibid.).[21] In his introduction, the author explains more of its content. The author himself published this in 5669 [1908-09].[22] b) Sefer Hadeah (The Book of Knowledge). (The Hebrew word for “knowledge” is an acronym for “Disquisitions on the ‘World of Chaos’”). This is divided into two parts. Although this is the second book of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, it is the first volume of disquisitions. The author briefly explains its contents in his introduction: “Part One explains the secret of the early kings: the eight kings mentioned at the end of Parshat Vayishlach (Genesis 8), their root and secret, their existence and sovereignty, their death and shattering, etc. Part Two goes on to discuss the levels of the state of the worlds before mankind’s sin and the change that those worlds underwent as a result of mankind’s sin, and the deeper meaning of the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life, upon which depend all of the awesome events that were decreed and that have constituted the experiences of our forefathers and ourselves—from the time that we arose in God’s thought to create us until the future coming of the righteous redeemer (may he come quickly, in our days, amen), and some other associated awesome matters.” “And in truth its topics and disquisitions are not limited but have no end” (Author’s introduction, published by him in 5772 [1911-12].)[23] c) Sefer Hakelalim (Book of Principles) (the second volume of disquisitions, divided into two parts). This discusses “the principles of the spreading out [of God’s light] and [its] rising up, and it discusses wonders of the order of the weaving together of the worlds and their descent from the highest world in the elevated height to the end of the totality of the worlds--beriah, yetzirah, asiyah—which were created ex nihilo, etc., and how they are all bound and united, and depend upon Him forever” (title page, ibid.). “And it tells how they are all descended from Him in one structure, etc., explaining elevated, extraordinary matters in the words of the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing). [This is] a wondrous and awesome book…” (from [the author’s] introduction to Sefer Hakadosh). The first part of Sefer Hakelalim was published in Jerusalem in 5686 [1926][24] on a Friday, on the same day that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was summoned to the heavenly yeshiva. I, the writer, was present at the time that the book was brought to him from the printer. He reached out for it, embraced it and kissed it, as tears streamed from his eyes. And he praised and thanked Hashem for the kindness, miracles and wonders that He had shown him all of the days of his life. “And what will I restore to Hashem in accordance with all that He has given me?” (Psalms 116:12). The people present blessed him that he himself might have the privilege of publishing all of his holy manuscripts. And he replied to them, “Thank God that I at least merited this much!” Part Two of Sefer Hakelalim was published in 5688 [1827-28][25] in Jerusalem by his son-in-law, the honorable rabbi, the gaon, active and accomplished, our master and rabbi, Avraham Elyashiv, the son of that tzaddik who gave merit to the people, the gaon, Rabbi Moshe Araner, who has now published, with self-sacrifice, the great work, the final section of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, Chelek Habiurim. May Hashem grant him the merit to complete the work and publish all of the holy manuscripts of his father-in-law, the holy gaon. May his fathering-law’s great merit stand by him and all of his elevated family. d) Chelek Habiurim (“Volume of Explanations”), which is “a commentary on and explanation of the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing)’s Eitz Chaim, etc.: that which relates to understanding its simple meaning and that which relates to their depth, as well as a number of apparent contradictions that appear in his words. All of this is commented upon and explained in accordance with the good hand of Hashem upon me, in accordance with the introductory writings that I composed with the salvation of Hashem (in my earlier books), etc., so that not even a single expression lacks commentary and explanation” (from the author’s words in the introduction). Part One comments on Eitz Chaim until “Shaar Ha’akudim.” Published in Jerusalem by his son-in-law, Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv, in 5695 [1934-35].[26] Similarly, his Hagahos Yekaros (“Precious Comments”) on the Eitz Chaim were published by the rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, the kabbalist, our master, Rabbi M. Minchen, in Jerusalem in 5670 [1909-1910], with commentaries and corrections.[27] Rabbi Minchen wrote: “Rav Elyashiv produced this work because the text of Kuntres Chasdei Dovid [by the Yemenite kabbalist, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi] was very incomplete and corrupt. He (may he live long) proofread it all and made it like fine flour. He also wrote a number of precious, excellent comments on [Rabbi Sharabi’s] Rechovos Hanahar and Nahar Shalom and I have attributed these to ‘Rashbach’” (from Rabbi Minchen’s introduction). And I heard that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv asked that he only be given the title Rashbach, [an acronym for] “Rabbi Shlomo ben Chaim Chaykel.” “In 5640 [1899-1900], the leaders of the generation agreed that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was the only person suited to publish the holy writings of our rabbi, the Vilna Gaon, and the gaon, Rabbi Haim Moshe Luzzatto (may their merit protect us) and others.[28] He, with the spirit of his great understanding, proofread them” (from a letter of Rabbi Tzvi Ferber). Besides his holy books with whose lights we were privileged, others remained in the handwriting of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv: a) Part Two of Sefer Habiurim (whose Part One was mentioned above), until the middle of “Derushei Hanekudos”; b) a commentary on Sefer Hayetzirah; (b) a commentary (highly-condensed) on Sifra Detzniutah; (c) a commentary on Sefer Hatemunah—but I heard him say that heaven indicated that he should refrain from working on it, and stopped him in the middle. Besides his holy books in kabbalah, he inscribed comments and insights on all of the volumes of the Talmud, the four sections of the Shulchan Aruch and the books of the Rambam, in the books from which he had learned. Similarly, he replied to each of the many people who asked regarding the word of Hashem in the wisdom of truth, and he exchanged letters with the gaonim, the tzaddikim, the kabbalists of his generation[29]—in particular with the gaon, the tzaddik, the Godly kabbalist, our master and rabbi, Aryeh Leib Lipkin, nephew of the holy gaon, holy man of Israel, Rabbi Israel Salanter.[30] Also, in the course of the days of his life, he sent many holy letters to encourage the hearts of the people of Israel with words of Torah, awe, hope and consolation. And his holy words welling from a holy and pure heart entered people’s hearts. But to our dismay we were not privileged to possess this large treasure, because it was burned with all of the treasures of his books in 5675 [1914-15] in Shavel.[31] All of the leading sages and gaonim were thrilled when they studied his holy books, which gained fame and spread among those who know the hidden wisdom throughout all of the corners of the world. The reputation of the holy gaon as a prince of the kabbalah—of the wisdom of truth—and as a majestic gaon radiant in his purity traveled far. We were told that when the holy work, Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah, reached the gaon, the tzaddik, the Godly kabbalist, Rabbi Yosef Chaim, the lion of Babylon,[32] and his sons, the great rabbis, he recited the blessing recited on glad occasions, shehechiyanu.[33] I, the writer, was present when a volume of Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah was brought to the gaon, the tzaddik, our master and rabbi, Avraham Abba Werner, av beis din of Machzikei Hadas in London. In his great joy, his eyes welled with tears, and he said, “The author is one of the remnants of the great assembly on whom the light of the sun of the Vilna Gaon shone in accordance with the way of ultimate truth that he paved in the wisdom of truth.” I heard directly from our rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, our master, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, chief rabbi of Jerusalem, that since the time of the holy Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, no book on the wisdom of truth was published with such breadth of explanation and a grasp of the material as all of the volumes of the holy work, Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, “except for those holy books of our holy rabbis (may their merit protect us) that discuss the essentials of the roots of the kabbalah, all of whose holy words were spoken with the holy spirit.”[34] He produced all of his insights and discourses in his holy books before he turned fifty. After that, he became a wellspring that grows stronger as it spreads out. In his great might, he could not constrict his thoughts and thus engaged only in their revision, and he arranged them in various editions.[35] I heard directly from the Godly kabbalist, the tzaddik, the gaon, Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Maharil, that the holy gaon, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, himself made the ink and prepared the quills to write his Torah insights in holiness and purity. And he was also careful in not to touch the mucus of his ears and nose, for which purpose he had special feathers—and that was something that I saw with my own eyes. In order to grant merit to the Jewish people, he sent free copies to his colleagues familiar with the hidden wisdom—in particular, to those who sit before Hashem in the courtyards of the house of Hashem in Jerusalem, the holy city—accompanying them with money for binding,[36] and he asked others of his acquaintance to help support these people. And we saw something wondrous: in general, he found it hard to write because his right hand was weak. Nevertheless, when he wrote his Torah insights, his hand wrote with wondrous swiftness, so that he succeeded in favoring Israel with his holy books, supernal lights and treasures containing all good. [The above-mentioned Rabbi Tzvi Ferber writes: He said on a number of occasions that Hashem had blessed him with a swift scribe’s pen. People did not understand his meaning, until, when I grew old, I saw that the Chida writes that the Shach had the power of causing a quill to write of its own accord. And I understood that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv had a hidden meaning in saying that Hashem had graced him with a swift scribe’s pen.] And in the following episode we saw that heaven agreed that his holy books should be revealed to the world. At the time of the expulsion from Shavel in 5675 [1914-15], when people were given only fifteen hours to leave the city, the confusion was great and their outcry reached to the heavens.[37] Of course, the decree greatly affected the holy gaon at this time of his old age and weakness—in particular, at a time when mortal peril accompanied a person’s every step. In particular, his heart and soul were affected by the idea of being separated from the apple of his eye: the holy manuscripts that had not yet been published to grace the people of Israel. To take them with him was impossible, so in great haste he managed to conceal them in the ground in accordance with the law regarding all holy books that require sequestering, and with many tears he left them. A number of years later, after the holy gaon had established his residence in the city of Hamla,[38] as the city Shavel was conquered by the Germans, he told of his suffering to his kind benefactor, the elevated and pure-hearted man outstanding in his generous charity, Mr. Ben Tzion Nurik (may Hashem avenge his blood) of Shavel, who was then in Riga. This kind man did not rest and was not still but attempted, with Hashem’s help, with his own efforts and money to save this holy hidden treasure, sending experts (eksperetin) from Riga to Shavel. And with God’s help, he succeeded in restoring the holy hidden treasure to the holy gaon. [May that elevated man be remembered for the good. He performed much charity on behalf of this tzaddik when he was in his exile and afterwards when he came to Jerusalem, the holy city, until his final day. And he bestowed merit upon the people by publishing the precious volumes of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah. And Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv mentions him in the introduction to his holy book: “May Hashem bless him with all good and elevate his horn with honor, and may he merit still more to publish the hidden matters of wisdom.”] And another wonder: when Rabbi Elyashiv and his retinue were on their way to the land of Israel in 5684 [1923-24], they spent a few days in Kushta [Constantinople]. Afterwards, when they boarded the ship to sail from Kushta to the land of Israel, they lost the container with the holy manuscript of Chelek Habiurim and more. That tzaddik’s great suffering cannot be imagined and described, because the ship was due to sail in a few minutes. He prayed to Hashem with many tears that his loss should be restored to him. And a few minutes before the ship sailed, a person who had been rooming with him in the hotel quickly ran with all his might and brought him the holy lost object. In 5666 [1903-04], he wrote an approbation for the commentary on the holy book, Otzros Chaim, by the rabbi, the gaon, the pious and ascetic Godly kabbalist, our master, Rabbi Chaim Shaul HaCohen Dveck, one of the sages of the great Sephardic kabbalists in Jerusalem.[39] In the book, Kuntres Kelalei Haschalas Hachachmah of 5653 [1892-93], the editor states in a note in section 69 “that he received a letter from the rabbi, the gaon and tzaddik etc., etc., the rabbi, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (may he live long), regarding a certain matter that our rabbi, the Vilna Gaon, asked my ancestor, the pious gaon, the Godly kabbalist, Rabbi Kalman Kalonymus, of Tshaus, regarding a surprising midrash in the name of the holy Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropolye (may his merit protect us).” And the editor concludes, “And so do I have it in a handwritten manuscript of my pious ancestor, but with a slight change in language.” When the holy gaon was in Shavel, all of the gaonim visited him when they passed through there—in particular, the gaon, the tzaddik, the wonder of the generation, the master, Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer. They used to go into seclusion with each other for a few hours at a time, and they exchanged letters with Rabbi Israel Salanter during the war. When Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was in Hamla [Homel], Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, the gaon, the tzaddik, the rabbi of all of the people of the exile, author of the Chafetz Chaim, visited him and said of him, “We build below and reach up to the world above, whereas he, since the pathways of the upper worlds are clear to him, builds his parlors in heaven.”[40] One of the great rabbis outside the land of Israel wrote that he heard that the gaon Rabbi Israel Salanter had visited Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv in Shavel. I had not heard that. When I sat before Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv during Purim 5686 [1926], the conversation turned to the gaon, Rabbi Israel Salanter, and Rabbi Elyashiv said that “it is fitting to say that Rabbi Salanter did not take benefit of this world, etc., for he disdained honor, he utterly hated gain, and he allowed no place in his heart for the love of his children—these three things being the foundation of a person’s pleasure in this world. I did not have the privilege of seeing him. Despite my will and desire to know him and come close to this elevated man, I nevertheless avoided going to him because I was afraid that he would prevent me from learning the wisdom of truth—for at that time, in particular in Zamut, delving into the wisdom of the kabbalah was a rare sight. Nevertheless, I did have the privilege of being in touch with him via one of those particularly close to him, the gaon, Rabbi Nachum (may the memory of a tzaddik be for a blessing) (the ilui—“young genius”—of Dokshitz[41]). He related to me every word that he heard from Rabbi Salanter’s holy mouth and everything that he saw. And when, after some time, Rabbi Nachum told Rabbi Salanter of my fear, Rabbi Salanter responded to Rabbi Nachum, ‘To the contrary, it has never occurred to me to keep anyone from following his unique path in serving Hashem that he has chosen for himself.’ But even then I was unable to meet him, because a short while later the gaon, Rabbi Israel Salanter, traveled on his way.”[42] And Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv added that as far as he knew the gaon, Rabbi Israel Salanter, did not have a particular approach in serving Hashem with the attitude that everyone must follow in it. Because of the depth of his feeling and because of his great fear and awe of the splendor of the majesty of Hashem, he was always in a state of sensitive spiritual responsiveness. A proof of this contention is that his outstanding students, the righteous gaonim, did not all follow on the same way, for “straight are the ways of Hashem” (Hosea 14:10)—[the word “ways” is in the plural]. “A precious stone was hanging about his neck, and whoever saw it was healed by it” (Bava Batra 16b)—and those majestic of spirit, the wise of heart who seek the word of Hashem, would find sufficient satisfaction in the progress of their soul that he bestowed upon them from his great spirit to each one according to his way and straightforwardness of soul—that being the principal matter. The genius, holiness and purity of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv is testified to and communicated by his holy books, all of whose words are based upon and sourced in the words of our sages: Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, midrashim, holy Zohar, Idras and Tikunei Zohar. And from there he went forth and shone and arrived at to the holy within. I heard directly from our rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, our master, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, the chief rabbi of the holy city, Jerusalem, that before Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv entered the orchard of the wisdom of truth, he filled himself with the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, halachic works, rishonim, etc., and he learned many works of ethics, such that the book Reishis Chochmah was fluent on his tongue. Afterwards, he learned works of philosophy from the rishonim. Afterwards, he learned all of the books of the holy Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, and the books of the pious master, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. Afterwards, he learned the holy Zohar and Sefer Yetzirah with the commentaries and explanations of the Vilna Gaon, and all of the works of the Vilna Gaon. And afterwards he entered the orchard to understand the teachings of the holy Ari. And he acquired the light of his Torah in all of the 48 ways that the Torah is acquired. And I will copy a few sections of a letter that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv sent to a friend, one of those great in both the revealed and hidden Torah. And the following is his holy language: I will not withhold from my friend a little of what is in my heart. I have seen that the great Sephardic sages (may the supernal pleasantness be upon them selah) view the Torah of the holy master, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi (may his merit protect us) as being equal to the Torah of the holy Ari—the equivalent of the oral Torah explaining the written Torah. However, this is not my view. I acknowledge that the words of the holy rabbi, our master Rabbi Sharabi (may his merit protect us) are true, and a number of his holy words constitute basic propositions and axioms regarding the depth of the Torah of the Ari, without which it is impossible to master the truth. But his way in general is no more than one facet of the teachings of the Ari. And in my humble opinion it is also possible to understand them well via other facets, for there are a number of facets to the Torah, and it is not necessary to understand the Ari only according to Rabbi Sharabi’s holy approach. Also, Rabbi Sharabi’s approach in holiness is extremely acute and deep, and not every mind can bear it, and it is possible to understand the Ari’s teaching as well in another way that is simpler and easier, as I myself have tried to do, and I have seen in a number of places that Hashem has favored me with such explanations. However, in regard to the yichudim [mystical intentions] transmitted by the holy master, Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, there is no comparison to the heights that a person who is privileged to unify them can reach—and, as is explained in the words of our rabbi, the holy Ari, the practice of yichudim is very great, and fortunate is the person who clings to them. Despite Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s genius in all of the chambers and mysteries of the kabbalah, his heart did not turn to practical kabbalah, and he opposed all who used and engaged in practical kabbalah, etc., even to resolve questions in their learning, being shown matters from heaven. He only allowed his soul good as a result of his toil, and besides that his soul did not want such help. And his heart experienced wondrous joy only as a result of resolving questions by means of his great toil and intense, unceasing diligence with especial holiness.[43] His greatness was coupled with his humility. In all of his ways he walked modestly with wondrous simplicity. And also in his prayer, he acted as is said of the master, Rabbi Shimshon of Kinon,[44] that after he learned all of the secrets of the Torah of the wisdom of truth he would pray like a child, etc. One time I heard him say, amongst his holy words, that there are pious, accomplished men, masters of kabbalah, who bear in mind a particular trait associated with every Divine name [that they pronounce]. But, as Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid[45] wrote to his son, if a person does not know all of this [kabbalistic] wisdom clearly, he should only have the intention of directing his prayer to his Father in heaven. The dictum that a person must focus his heart in his prayer means that every individual’s intent must be in accordance with his level—every individual according to his awareness and knowledge. And the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts the offering of the poor person no less than He does the sacrifice of the wealthy person: both are called “a pleasing fragrance.” Moreover, the poor person is called “a soul who brings himself close,” for he brings his soul close to the Holy One, blessed be He. And even if a person is on a lower level than this, so that he does not even understand the meaning of the words, if his intent is to pray for the sake of heaven—i.e., to fulfill the Creator’s commandment that he should pray to Him—then the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts his prayer as though he is praying with intent and with purity of heart. And our sages teach that even when a person is imperfect, as long as he is sincere, God loves his efforts (Midrash Rabbah). And it is written, “Better is a little with the fear of Hashem,” etc., (Proverbs 15:16), and regarding that the sage said, “All that you find yourself able to do, do” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). That is to say, everyone must act in accordance with his power and his understanding—as long as he does so for the sake of heaven. The trait of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s humility was beyond imagining. His way was always to be among those who are insulted and forgive. He never spoke harshly, heaven forbid, even if people upset his pure spirit. And he bore and tolerated everything in silence. Although his body was very weak, he was as mighty as a lion in his spirit to conquer his evil inclination. Every day of his life constituted a unique page in his history. He lived a life of poverty and want. And, moreover, he underwent various sufferings and difficulties. But he accepted everything with love and joy. Although he underwent privations of poverty, he dedicated his soul to the details of Torah and its scribes, keeping all of the mitzvos and all of their particulars with intense joy. Every time a mitzvah came to him, he prayed to Hashem with many tears to give him the privilege of performing it completely. And every time, it was clear that—in accordance with the requests of his pure heart out of his great faith—Hashem brought him a “jar of the manna” (as I heard directly from the gaon, the tzaddik, Maharash Neta). Whoever did not see the joy of his soul when he celebrated the Torah during the hakafos dancing of Simchas Torah never saw joy in his life. On the night of the sanctification of the holiday of Passover, the fervor of the holiness of his joy was so intense that he was not aware of himself, so that his family, despite all of their efforts, could not continue the seder together with him. And he would tell about the Exodus from Egypt the entire night with intense fervor and joy, and it was clear that he experienced literally the directive, “In every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as though he came out of Egypt.” After his great suffering in his old age—during the World War, at the time of the decree of expulsion from Shavel in 5575 [1914-15] (as mentioned earlier), when he lived in Hamla [Homel], and afterwards in the city of Berdyanski[46] in Russia, when he experienced a chain of troubles for seven years and more,[47] and after he returned to Hamla—the yearning and pining to come to the Holy Land that he had experienced all of his days intensified. His soul longed to worship in holiness in the Holy Land. And he prepared himself for his journey with vast self-dedication.[48] After all of his travels, we had the privilege, thank God, to greet the face of our rabbi and those who accompanied him in the gates of Jerusalem [These were: his daughter, the righteous Ms. Chayah Musha, who had the merit of serving her holy father for a period of a number of years; her husband, the rabbi, the gaon, etc., a man of deeds in Torah, our master, Rabbi Avraham; and their precious son, young and very wise, who while yet in his childhood had the privilege of writing some notes on the holy volume, Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah: Chelek Gimel, which were dictated to him directly by his grandfather, as he mentions in his book Ashrei Yoladeso. This son is the gaon, etc., our master, Rabbi Yosef Shalom.][49] In 5684 [1924], in the month of Adar, a modest reception was held in his honor by the leading citizens of Jerusalem, out of a profound feeling of appreciation. Among those who greeted him were men of Jerusalem great in the revealed and hidden Torah: his faithful outstanding student, the tzaddik, the Godly kabbalist, our master, Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Maharil, and the rabbi, the gaon, wondrous and outstanding in the revealed and concealed Torah, Chacham Rabbi Yaakov Almage. When the former met him, he kissed him and recited the blessing shehechiyanu. And the latter recited the blessing, asher chalak meichochmaso lireiav (“Blessed is God Who has given His wisdom to those who fear Him”), and everyone responded “amen.”[50] The great sages of Jerusalem came to his house to welcome him, and some to receive his pure blessing. And when the rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, Rabbi Ze’ev Ashkenazi, came to him, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv rejoiced greatly to meet him, for they had exchanged correspondence. His stature was that of a palm tree. The lineaments of his face and the gaze of his eyes spread pure light, and a holy enchantment drew the eye of everyone who saw him. Afterwards, the great rabbis of Jerusalem came to seek Torah from his mouth, for he was “a rabbi similar to an angel,” etc.[51] Whenever someone came for a useful purpose to discuss his problems and seek his advice, he greeted him with a pleasant expression. He inspired and encouraged every person whose soul was embittered. His advice was proper and his words, emerging from a pure heart and through his holy mouth, entered into the depths of people’s hearts, and not one of his words was in vain. As the verse states, “You will make a decision and it will be accomplished for you” (Job 22:28). And I too was drawn after his awesome distinctiveness. From time to time, I came to this Godly man to tell him the sufferings of distressed people, may the Compassionate One protect us, so that he would request God’s compassion on their behalf, and he would pray from the depths of his heart. And if his prayer was fluent in his mouth, we knew that it was accepted. As I approach that which is holy in order to eulogize him properly, I will tell about a wondrous matter. Once I met a former acquaintance who had learned a great deal in his youth. As we talked, he expressed doubts regarding faith in the wisdom of truth, and I ended my conversation with him. That day I was summoned to come to the holy gaon in the evening. When I came to him, he told me that he had something to discuss with me after the evening prayers. And that evening, he began to speak to me about the wisdom of the kabbalah, and he discussed everything that the man whom I had met had spoken about. I remained silent, quiet and astounded, knowing truly that all of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s holy words were directed to me. Afterwards, I would come to him frequently, until he allowed me to come to him every night to read to him from his holy volumes. I would spend a number of hours doing so. And although I lack human understanding in the wisdom of truth, at the time that I sat before him I felt as though I were in another world entirely, far from the matters that remove a person from spiritual reality. Neither rain nor snow prevented me from coming every night. All of my days upon the earth will not erase from my heart this important chapter of the years of my life in this world, in which Hashem gave me the privilege of serving the holy gaon, when I saw my true world. A number of times when I came to him, I found him sitting and learning by heart, so immersed in his holy thoughts that he did not even sense my arrival.[52] The following episode remains carved in my heart forever, standing before me as though alive. On the night of selichos [penitential prayers, recited at the time of the new year], I entered his room, as was my custom. I found him standing with his head bent and his knees shaking against each other out of his awe of Hashem and His splendid exaltedness. I stood at a distance to gaze at this awesome sight until, after a few minutes passed, he returned to his place. Later, as I took my leave of him, he told me the following story. The author[53] of the holy book, Minuchah Ukedushah, was a holy man who had the privilege of living to an extremely old age. In his youth, he had served the rabbi of Israel, the gaon, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. For a short period of time, he made a living as a merchant traveling between villages. Once during the selichos days he was in a village because of his rounds, and after he finished his work that evening, he returned to the city to recite selichos with a congregation. When he entered the synagogue, the congregation began reciting, “To You, Hashem, is charity and we are shamefaced” (prayerbook). Shame seized him so powerfully that for a few minutes he could not raise his head, as a river of tears poured from his eyes, in keeping with the words of Ezra the scribe, “I am too embarrassed and ashamed to raise my head” (Ezra 9:6). For the rest of his life, that tzaddik (the author of Minchah Ukedushah) would pray that he may again experience such holy minutes. And my rabbi, Shlomo Elyashiv, was in this state at the time that I came into the room. He was one of the spiritual “masters of accounts,” one of those who examine themselves and search their deeds so that they should not contain a trace of sin, heaven forbid—in particular, he examined his deeds that he had engaged in when he was not learning Torah. And if he suspected anything wrong, he repented and guarded himself for the future. I will permit myself to relate what one of the rabbis, the gaonim of Israel outside the land of Israel, wrote regarding what Rabbi Elyashiv’s righteous wife told him in the simplicity of her soul: for a period of a few years every night after midnight she heard a sweet voice learning with her husband from the room in which the holy gaon had closed himself in. She did not dare ask her husband about that. However, one time, it happened that she had to interrupt his learning, and she sensed the presence of an awesome entity. However, she was afraid to talk about this. I also heard that about 5670 [1909-10], one of his relatives was a defendant in a criminal case—in which, if he were found guilty, he would be sentenced to hard labor. That man related his sad situation to the holy gaon, who arranged his prayer time to coincide with the time of the trial, and that person was acquitted. This incident made a great impression in the area at the time. I recall with holy trembling the last time that I took leave of this Godly man. Those minutes were the most moving of my life. At the time that he spoke his final words to me, it did not occur to me to think that this was the last time: Wednesday evening, 24 Adar, after midnight. Invariably, when I left he would always accompany me to the front door and always me, “May it be His will that we will have the privilege of being connected and bound to the Holy One, blessed be He.” But this last time, he changed his blessing and said to me, “Our sages (of blessed memory) said that a person should express the worry in his heart, and our sages (of blessed memory) also said that a person who has a sick person at home should go to a sage. However, it is not so easy to find someone to speak to, and even if one does, that person is not always available. Therefore, regarding every trouble that might come about, a person should pour his words out before the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is always available and Who answers and is close to all who call to Him in truth.” And I took my leave of him. As I left him in the middle of the night, I contemplated these words, which I had never before heard from his holy mouth, and I decided that I would ask him about this the next evening. However, the next day I had to leave early for Jaffa. On Thursday at noon, I returned to Jerusalem, and I learned that the holy gaon had suddenly taken ill and had sent for me—or, if I could not be found, for my son-in-law, the rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Shmuel Aharon.[54] Rabbi Shmuel Aharon hurried to him, and he told Rabbi Shmuel Aharon some things to relate to me. Afterwards, he told Rabbi Shmuel Aharon, “If you have something to ask me, ask it now.” Rabbi Shmuel Aharon replied that he would ask him when Hashem would restore his strength. When I learned of this, I hurried to our rabbi, where, to the dismay of my heart and soul, I found him in dire straits. We told everyone of our sorrow, and we poured out our words before the Holy One, blessed be He, asking that we may have the privilege of remaining in his shadow until the coming of the righteous redeemer. Afterwards, he sent me a brief message that constituted a last will and testament. At the time, I did not understand the need for some of his words. However, afterwards I realized that all of his holy words were exactly and precisely spoken to reach their goal with unimaginably wondrous wisdom. The entire day he did not remove his mind from clinging to Hashem for even a moment, and his lips kept murmuring. The next morning, the eve of the holy Sabbath, he was brought a volume of his holy book, Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah,[55] from the printer,[56] and all of those standing around him blessed him that he might have the privilege of personally publishing all of his holy manuscripts. And he replied to them, “Thank God that I at least merited this much!” (as mentioned above). The entire day, he prepared himself for the day that is entirely Sabbath. In the evening,[57] he made kiddush and learned, and after midnight his soul returned to God as He had given it, in purity in the year 5686 [1926],[58] at the age of 87,[59] which forms the word paz—“fine gold.” His holy soul, pure as the essence of heaven for purity, dwelt in the heights. He went to his rest, leaving us until Hashem will look down and see, and revive those asleep in the dust, when Hashem will return us to Zion and the glory of Hashem that gathered him in will shine upon him. At the end of the holy Sabbath, a large group of the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem from all of the communities gathered at the house of the deceased holy gaon, to accord him his final honor (in Batei Neitin in Meah Shearim). Many of the gaonim and sages of Jerusalem eulogized him: Ashkenazim and Sefardim, and his son-in-law, the rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Avraham, rabbi of Humla [Homel]. When the bier was taken into the city street, our rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, the master, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, the chief rabbi of the holy city, eulogized him with bitter weeping.[60] As he spoke, he broke out in tears, and he cried out bitterly, “My father, my father, chariot of Israel and its horses! If we had the merit, we would see with our own eyes how the pillar of fire separated him from us, as is fitting for one or two people in a generation,[61] because the holy gaon was unique in the generation in the wisdom of truth.” When his casket was brought up to the Mount of Olives, his honored resting place, and the burial began, all of us who participated had the privilege of seeing with our own eyes a pillar of fire in the shape of a rainbow beneath the vault of heaven stretching from east to west until the grave was covered. Everyone saw this and was stunned.[62] When I returned from the funeral with a broken and oppressed heart, I told the people who had accompanied the holy gaon who had passed away about the last words that I had heard from his holy mouth on the last night that I took my leave of him—“Our sages (of blessed memory) said that a person should express the worry in his heart, and our sages (of blessed memory) also said that a person who has a sick person at home should go to a sage…”—and I commented that I had never heard him speak like that besides that night. When I came home, I found that a sick person was staying in my house and I realized that Rabbi Elyashiv’s holy words had been directed to me with precision. During the following week, the sick person was close to death. At the end of the week of shivah, I went to the gravesite of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, this Godly man, and prayed to Hashem, pouring forth my speech with many tears, since I had heard from Rabbi Elyashiv’s holy mouth—as he states in his Chelek Dales in the name of the Vilna Gaon—that “at the present time, God’s Presence rests upon the graves of the righteous.” When I returned home, I was told that the sick person had improved immensely. He had suddenly begun bleeding profusely from his ear and his fever had gone completely down. After a few days, this sick person returned to robust health. I am afraid to tell everything that we knew, heard and saw, lest my pen disclose something against Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s holy will. In his lifetime, he distanced himself a great deal from this. Therefore, my words will be few—and to him silence is praise.[63] The following is the text that our rabbi, the gaon, the tzaddik, our master, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, composed to be inscribed upon the gravestone of the Godly man for an eternal memory.[64] The holy anointing oil, the light of souls, A flame of holy fire, speaking of exalted matters-- From the heights a messenger was sent to decipher hidden matters. He illumined the darkness of the world with his volumes of Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah, The rabbi similar to an angel of the Lord of hosts, the outstanding, peerless gaon, To whom the eternal mysteries of the teaching of truth were open and revealed, A tzaddik, the foundation of the world, a modest instrument, encompassed in great humility, Our great rabbi, holy and supernal, master of mysteries, our master and rabbi, Shlomo Elyashiv (may the memory of a tzaddik be for a blessing, his soul is in the heavenly heights), author of the holy volumes, Sefer Hakadosh and Leshem Shevo Ve'achlamah, Who passed away on 27 (which forms the word zach, “pure”) Adar 5686 [1926] here in the holy city of Jerusalem. May his soul be bound in the knot of life. May his merit protect us and all Israel, amen. The holy gaon, the author, left behind his only son,[65] may Hashem lengthen his days and his years in good and fresh old age, and three daughters: the righteous Chani Hinda, the wife of the rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Mordechai Farber, of Shavel; and the rebbetzin Chayah Musha, wife of the gaon, Rabbi Avraham, the publisher of this holy book; and the rebbetzin Sarah Leah, wife of the rabbi, the gaon, Rabbi Shalom, rabbi of Vigava.[66] [67]May his great merit stand by his family and all Israel. Addendum Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv used to say that we must consider that the evil inclination is an angel and not a human being, and that it is an extremely practiced past master of stratagems, for it was already involved with a number of righteous and pious men, the foundations of the world, and it even wrestled with the patriarchs of the world and the prophets, etc., and its power is very great, and if not for the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, helps a person, he would not be able to overcome it. [1] Translated by Yaacov David Shulman shulman-writer.com. [2] In the north of Lithuania. [3] Alternatively, in 5602 [1842], on a Friday night, 12 Tevet. [4] However, Rabbi Nosson Kaminetzky is doubtful regarding this poverty. [5] Rabbi Chaim Chaykel’s father, Rabbi Aryeh, would stay up every night learning Torah. Rabbi Shraga Meir Leizerovitz—a colleague of the leading rabbis and kabbalists of his time—said that it was clear to him that Rabbi Chaim Chaykel was one of the thirty-six righteous men of the generation. When Rabbi Shraga Meir Leizerovitz fathered a son in Zagar, he sent a telegraph to Rabbi Chaykel, who was at that time living in Warsaw, asking him to come to the circumcision and be given the honor of acting as sandek. [6] It is told that when his mother was pregnant with her son Shlomo she constantly saw a light before her eyes, from which she knew that she would give birth to a supernally righteous and holy son. [7] Well-known as a holy kabbalist (d. 1648). Ostropolye [Ostropoli] is in Volhynia. [8] In Belarus. [9] Or Sliauliai. A city in Lithuania. [10] During his time in Shavel, people called him Rabbi Shlomo Fein, after his father-in-law. [11] Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv never held a public position. [12] In Lithuania. [13] Earlier, he had been rosh yeshiva [yeshiva head] in Telz. Later on, he served as a rabbi in the important cities of Salant [Salanti, in Lithuania], Kovrin [Kobrin, in Belarus] and Shavel. He was related by marriage to Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman (a prominent rosh yeshiva) and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (chief rabbi of Vilna [Vilnius], Lithuania). [14] He was the twin brother of the Aderes. [15] Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv learned with both of these men. [16] Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neriah reports that Rav Kook said that “the innovation of Rabbi Shlomo was that he injected explanations of lomdus [Talmudic analytics] into explaining kabbalah” (Likutei Harayah, p. 58). [17] From the Ari. [18] Or: Rabbi Yosef Reizen. Previously av beis din of Slonim (in Belarus). He was the father-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines (Lithuanian rabbi, important figure in nascent religious Zionism). [19] Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch, rosh yeshiva in Telz. [20] The fact that Rabbi Shlomo mentions all of these books in his introduction to Sefer Hakadosh indicates that as early as 5669 he had already written and organized a first draft. [21] His writings relied particularly on the teachings of the Ari and the Vilna Gaon: “I derived everything only from the words of the Ari and from the words of the Vilna Gaon (may their memory be for a blessing).” He wrote to his friend, Rabbi Naftali Hertz Halevi: In my opinion, it seems that every understanding that is not based on the foundation of the words of the Zohar and the Tikunim and from the words of [the Ari,] the rabbi and gaon in whom the spirit of Hashem spoke literally with Divine inspiration (as is known), but which arises only from intellectual cogitation—to my mind, it is completely and entirely forbidden to use such intellectual constructs in this wisdom of the intellect. That is because the inquiring intellect is free and there is no end to its thoughts and it develops at times into mere airy words. And heaven forbid to use this approach and propose [original] theories regarding the Divine wisdom.… It is proper that we follow [the Ari’s] way in holiness—that we not to propound any theories of our own but only draw living water from the deep wells, which come from the words of [the Ari,] the rabbi and gaon alone. Regarding differences between the approaches of the Ari and the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv wrote to Rabbi Naftali Hertz Halevi: In essence, even if the Vilna Gaon presents an explanation that is not in accordance with the words of the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing), one should not be surprised, because the Vilna Gaon possessed the greatness to interpret differently and according to the vision of his holy eyes. And that is not at all new, for we have found in a number of places in Sifra Detzniutah where he writes differently than does the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing), and his words shine like the sun at noon. At times we have also found where, in the Shmonah She’arim, the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing) retracts from what he wrote in Eitz Chaim and makes a comment in accord with the view of the Vilna Gaon (may his memory be for a blessing). Nevertheless, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv also made use of the books of Rabbi Israel Sarug and the students of his academy: the works of Rabbi Menachem Azariah de Fano, Emek Hamelech, Ma’amar Adam De’atzilus, and Sha’arei Gan Eden. Regarding this, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner wrote: On the one hand, the Ari (may his memory be for a blessing) relied exclusively on Rabbi Chaim Vital and did not want people to study the writings of his other students who recorded his words. But on the other hand, a number of people (in particular, the master, the author of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah [may his memory be for a blessing]) have determined and clarified that many things that are not found in the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital (may his memory be for a blessing) but which appear solely in the words of Rabbi Israel Sarug (may his memory be for a blessing) were authorized by the school of the Vilna Gaon. The reason, according to Rabbi Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin, is that Rabbi Israel Sarug learned kabbalah directly from the Ari before Rabbi Chaim Vital appeared as the Ari’s student. Since by that time Rabbi Israel Sarug had moved to Italy, Rabbi Chaim Vital was unfamiliar with his words, and so he did not include them in his writings when he gathered together what the other students wrote. And so the Ari’s warning not to study the writings of the other students does not refer to Rabbi Israel Sarug (Pachad Yitzchak: Igros Umichtavim, p. 147). [22] In Pyetrokov [Piotrkow, Poland]. [23] In Pyetrokov. [24] Or: 5684. [25] Or: 5690. [26] Or: Part One was published in Jerusalem in 5696, and Part Two in Jerusalem in 5708. [27] Or: Rabbi Menachem Menchin Heilprin of Grodno [Hrodna, in Belarus]. He was a noted kabbalist and good friend of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv. In 5641 [1900-1901], the two of them published a handsome edition of Eitz Chaim in Warsaw with the aid of Rabbi Aharon Valden of Warsaw. (In his humility, Rabbi Elyashiv did not sign his name to his comments, but “Rashbach,” an acronym for “Rabbi Shlomo ben Chaim Chaykel.”) [28] Such as Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Chaver. These works had for a long time been in the possession of Rabbi Shmaryahu Tzuckerman of Mohilev [Mogilev, in Belarus] and in the book collection of Rabbi Shmuel Luria. Rabbi Dovid Luria of Bichov [Bykhaw, in Belarus], a close friend of Rabbi Shmuel Luria, brought these writings to Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, who edited them with great care and profound insight. Rabbi Shmuel Luria was impressed by Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s greatness and said that his clear approach would gain favor even in the eyes of the Vilna Gaon. [29] These included Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch (head of Telshe Yeshiva), who wrote: “I visited the tzaddik, the kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (may the memory of a tzaddik be for a blessing), and we discussed topics of the wisdom of the kabbalah”; Rabbi Tzvi Leviasan, also known as Reb Hershel Slabodker; Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (prominent musar rabbi), who stayed in Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s house for about a year; and Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (head of Ponevezh Yeshiva), whom Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv is said to have taught kabbalah when Rabbi Kahaneman was ten years old. [30] Also, he knew Rabbi Naftali Hertz Halevi, rabbi of Jaffa, and exchanged correspondence with him on the topic of kabbalah. He knew as well Rabbi Yuzyil Horovitz of Novardok (the Alter of Novardok). R. Mordechai Yaffan, great-grandson of Rabbi Yuzyil, told Rabbi Nosson Kaminetzky that Rabbi Yuzyil learned kabbalah together with Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv for about two months. A legend tells that after they finished learning Rabbi Yuzyil would to lie down to sleep in Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s home. Once he noticed that Rabbi Shlomo was learning with someone else, although he knew clearly that there was no one in the house, and he believed this to be Elijah the prophet. Regarding why he ceased learning with Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, it is related in the name of Rabbi Yuzyil’s grandson, the pious gaon, Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz (rosh yeshiva of Mir), that one time as Rabbi Yuzyil was walking in the street, he passed by a few children who called after him, “Here is another kabbalist!” He took this as a sign from heaven to stop his kabbalah learning. [31] In his last year in Shavel. [32] Author of the Ben Ish Chai. When the book came to Rabbi Yosef Chaim, “he announced this with great joy to the city’s sages of the hidden Torah. He invited them to a special mitzvah feast in his home, and told them to light candles at his holy table in honor of the appearance of the bright light of the pure marble stones: Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah” (Sichos Harayah). [33] Once, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber asked Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv why he did not solicit approbations for his books. Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv answered that once he had sent his writings to a unique man of the generation in the revealed and hidden Torah, Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (whose greatness Rabbi Elyashiv had discerned from his books). When Rabbi Yosef Chaim’s response arrived only after a delay of many weeks, Rabbi Elyashiv understood that Rabbi Yosef Chaim had studied them in depth. Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch asked what Rabbi Yosef Chaim had written. Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv laughed and answered that he would only reveal the two first words: “lion of mysteries.” [34] Rabbi Neriah writes in Moadei Harayah (p. 455): When the master, Rav Kook (may the memory of a tzaddik be for a blessing), held his first rabbinical post in Zoimel, he received permission from his community to travel for a month to the town of Shavel, to visit the lion of the group of great men who studied the hidden Torah: the gaon, the kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (may his memory be for a blessing). And from then on they were closely bound to each other. Elsewhere he writes (Sadeh Harayah, p. 25): When Rav Kook delved into the hidden Torah, he had a few fundamental questions and he decided to go to one of the great masters and present him with his questions and learn Torah directly from him. He arose and traveled to the gaon, the kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (may his memory be for a blessing), of Shavel. He lived in his house for about a month. Rabbi Shlomo saw that the young rabbi was great in kabbalah and that his pure soul was worthy of entering into holies. Rabbi Shlomo revealed secrets of the hidden wisdom to him and taught him the knowledge of the holy, and inaugurated him into the secrets of the Zohar and its commentators, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero and his student and master, the holy Ari, and the Ari’s students. The young rabbi was deeply impressed by Rabbi Shlomo’s greatness in the wisdom of kabbalah and said of him: “Comparable to the greatness of Rabbi Dovid of Karlin in the revealed Torah, so is the greatness of Rabbi Shlomo in the hidden.” In a letter, Rav Kook described the first moments of his receiving Sefer Hakadosh: “I swallowed up a number of pages before it was bound, out of love of the holy, and it was in my mouth like honey for sweetness” (Igrot Harayah I, p. 236). Rav Kook also wrote, “The book of the great master among the kabbalists of the generation, Rabbi Shlomo of Shavel, may his light shine, contains important matters that touch upon the disquisitions of the shiur komah (the ‘Divine anatomy’)” (Igros Harayah II, p. 114, 1 Kislev 5673). And Rabbi Yaacov Moshe Charlop quotes Rav Kook as saying: “What can we say about Rabbi Shlomo? He strolls in the supernal Gan Eden in this world, and he passes from world to world in the upper worlds in the same way that we pass from room to room” (Sichos Harayah, p. 163). [35] It is similarly said of the Vilna Gaon (Aliyos Eliyahu, 78): When he turned forty years old, which is associated with understanding, he attained additional understanding and became like a flowing wellspring, so that time would not suffice to write all that was revealed to him. And from then on he only wrote and composed via his students. Before he reached the age of forty, all of his compositions that he had written himself were completed. And from then the profound depths of his understanding could not be comprehended. [36] However, it appears from Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber that this refers to Rabbi Ovadiah Lachman of Berlin, who was a friend of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, and who monetarily supported the project to publish the Vilna Gaon’s books in memory of his parents. It was he who gave the books to all those conversant with kabbalah (among them Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Specter), including the sages of Jerusalem, and who sent the latter money for binding. [37] This is the same year that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s house went up in flames, and his manuscripts were burned. At this time he was over 70 years old. [38] Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s son-in-law, Rabbi Avraham, served as rabbi of Humel [Homel, Gomel], in White Russia [Belarus]. Rabbi Avraham was the son of the tzaddik, Rabbi Moshe ben Shlomo Elazar of Radin. R Moshe lived in the town of Aran [Varena], a parish of Vilna, and was known as “the ascetic of Aran.” He composed three books of ethical instruction: Oheiv Musar (Warsaw 5656), Yedei Moshe VeTorah Ohr (Warsaw (5657) and Ma’aneh Rach (Pyetrokov 5671), which had approbations by Ridbaz (Rabbi Yaacov Dovid Vilovski) of Slutsk, Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel of Lodz, Rabbi Mordechele Slonimer, Rabbi Chaim Berlin, and others. Rabbi Avraham was educated in his youth by Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen (the Chafetz Chaim) of Radin, and he also learned in the famous group that learned under well-known maggid, Rabbi Elyakim Getzel of Dvinsk. After he married, he adapted the surname of his father-in-law’s family—Elyashiv. He undertook to publish Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s books, which he did during the latter’s lifetime and afterwards as well. At the age of eighteen, Rabbi Avraham published part one of his own book, Bikurei Avraham, containing his Talmudical analyses, with appendices presenting those of his father and father-in-law. As soon as Rabbi Avraham arrived in Jerusalem, he published the second half of that work. After coming to Jerusalem, Rabbi Avraham founded a group called Tiferes Bachurim in Meah Shearim, where he taught daily lessons to tens of laymen and workers, who over the course of time became learned. Rabbi Avraham passed away on Thursday, 4 Marcheshvon, 5703, and his post was filled by his famed son, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. [39] He is known to have written approbations for only two books, both by Rabbi Chaim Shaul Dveck HaCohen, the greatest of the Jerusalem kabbalists (he was among the sages of Yeshiva Beit El,). The first was for Eifah Sheleimah, a commentary on Otzros Chaim (Jerusalem, 5667 [1906-1907]), and the second for Benayahu Ben Tehoyada (Jerusalem 5671 [1910-1911]). Both of these approbations, which he wrote when he was in Shavel, indicate clearly his high standing among the kabbalists of his generation. [40] Rabbi Aryeh Levin tells that the Chafetz Chaim visited Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv in Humel [Homel]. Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Ferber adds that when the Chafetz Chaim visited Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv in Shavel, the usual order was changed in that the girls and women ate separately. Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s grandson, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, informed Rabbi Nosson Kaminetzky that the Chafetz Chaim first met Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv in 5675 [1914-1915], when they both were exiled because of World War One. Legend has it that the two men would take turns staying with each other for the Sabbath. Once Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv asked the Chafetz Chaim why he did not learn the hidden Torah. The Chafetz Chaim replied, “I will walk simply ‘like a nursing baby with its mother’ (Psalms 131:2).” It is told that when Rabbi Eliyahu Dushnitzer took leave of his rabbi, the Chafetz Chaim, in order to travel to Shavel, the Chafetz Chaim’s son-in-law met him on the way and told him that the Chafetz Chaim had sent him to tell Rabbi Dushnitzer that while he was in Shavel to try for God’s sake to visit Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, “for in this world it is still possible to see him and come close to him, whereas in the world-to-come, who knows if we will merit that.” [41] A town near Vilna. [42] Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz (mashgiach [spiritual counselor] of Mir Yeshiva) tells (Da’as Chochmah Umusar, part 2, p. 174): Rabbi Shlomoleh Finn told me that in his youth he learned kabbalah. One time when he traveled with the gaon Rabbi Israel Salanter, he asked him why he did not learn kabbalah. Rabbi Israel answered him: “What difference does it make to me over which firmament the Holy One, blessed be He, is sitting? One thing I know: that they will use whips, and these will be very painful …because the whips will burn. That much I know, and what more do I need?” Regarding such an attitude to Kabbalah, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv wrote (in a brief introduction to his Sefer Hakadosh): “I am astonished at those sages of the generation who have no knowledge of this, for how can they refrain from studying the wisdom of truth, which is the core of the Torah?” Also, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber (Yeshurun 6) testified: The righteous gaon, Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (may his light shine), told me that the master and rabbi, the rabbi of the entire congregation of Israel, Rabbi Israel Salanter (may his merit protect us), once visited him in Shavel once (for a well-known and understood purpose). And Rashbach [Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv] expressed his surprise that Rabbi Israel does not learn the hidden Torah. The gaon Rabbi Israel Salanter replied that he is already old, and besides, who knows the proper books from which to learn the beginning of this wisdom? Rabbi Shlomo Hoffman tries to reconcile these two testimonies as to whether or not Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv and Rabbi Israel Salanter met by saying that Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv literally only “saw” Rabbi Israel Salanter but did not actually meet him. [43] He was surprised that the sages of his generation had no knowledge of kabbalah, and wondered how they could refrain from learning it, “and all of the apologies and excuses do not at all suffice.” [44] In France. One of the ba’alei Tosafos of the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries. [45] Of Regensberg. Circa twelfth century. [46] Or Berdyansk. It is in the governorate of Tavrida [Taurida], in the middle of Russia. [47] For seven years he moved from place to place. [48] He traveled with his daughter Chayah Musha, her husband Rabbi Avraham, and their son Yosef Shalom. Rav Kook, chief rabbi of the land of Israel, and Rabbi Yitzchak Herzog, who was then chief rabbi of Ireland, attained the certificates for them. Igrot Larayah contains the text of a letter of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv to Rav Kook, whom he thanks for proposing to send him a certificate for aliyah, and asks him to send certificates as well for his son-in-law and family: Here in Hamel [Homel] is my son-in-law, the master, Rabbi Avraham (may he live long), who has served here a few years with the crown of the rabbinate among other outstanding rabbis. For about fifteen years you, the honorable gaon (may you live long), knew him well, because you and he were together a few times in Dublin [sic] near Riga, where people go bathing in the sea, and he received rabbinical ordination from your honor. It is hard for me to part from him. Therefore, I request that you kindly send an entry certificate for him as well. He is fifty years old, and his name (due to a name change) is Dovid Simchah Udelav Poupko. My daughter is forty-eight years old, her name is Chayah Musha, and they have an only son … whose name is Yosef Shalom…. In another such letter in 5682 [1921-1922], Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv writes to Rav Kook, “I was told that your honor was appointed chief rabbi of Jerusalem, and I rejoiced greatly over this. And I am honored to bless your honor to have long days upon this throne of the rabbinate, and may your good name travel far and rise upward. Amen, so may it be His will.” In Av 5684 [1923-1924], Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv wrote to Rav Herzog (who later became chief rabbi of Israel) with guidance on how to learn kabbalah, which he also spoke of Rav Herzog’s help in obtaining entry certificates: A wealth of peace from the heights to the great rabbi, tower of strength, etc., etc., sitting upon the throne of the rabbinate to teach the nation of Hashem the law of God and His Torah. May your throne be elevated ever upward. May your name shine before the sun: our master, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevi Herzog (may you live long). May your light shine forever! I received your letter from 25 Tammuz on the previous eve of the holy Sabbath. First of all, I will pay my debt to your elevated stature (may you live long) for your trouble and effort to benefit me with the entry certificate for entering the Holy Land, on whose behalf your elevated stature toiled on my behalf. Many thanks and blessing to your elevated honor for this. May you take blessing from Hashem to be blessed from the abode of blessings in all that your soul desires, selah. I did not write my thanks until now because, due to the difficulty of my travels, I was sick in bed for a few weeks (may you not suffer such). A few weeks have passed since I rose from my bed (thank God, blessed be His name), but I am still very weak (may you not suffer such). That is why I did not write to your elevated honor (may he live long) until now…. [Now follows a passage in which Rabbi Elyashiv provides guidance in learning kabbalah.] All of this I saw fit to write to your elevated station (may you live long) now as an answer to your letter. And if the content of this letter does not satisfy you, may your honor please deign to write me again and I will reply to you with Hashem’s help (without a vow), in accordance of all of your desire, with whatever Hashem (may He be blessed) has been gracious enough to me to express His will in all things. I have written this letter [by dictating it] to a family member, my grandson, who is a child, since my eyes are dim (may you not suffer such), so that I cannot write myself. And I wrote everything through him, and nothing of this is known to anyone else at all…. The words of your friend, who blesses you to be blessed from the abode of blessings—Shlomo, called Elyashiv. [49] Rabbi Elyashiv’s grandson, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, was especially close to him, and used to serve his grandfather and write his books at his dictation. [50] Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Maharil, author of To’ameha Chaim Zachu (a commentary on Eitz Chaim), was one of the sages of kabbalah in Jerusalem. He was born in Zagar, lived near Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv in Batei Neitin, and considered himself a disciple of his. After Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv passed away, he said that now nothing was difficult for him in learning, because Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv solved every difficult problem for him in a dream. [51] Many of the great rabbis of Jerusalem came to Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv’s home in the neighborhood of Batei Neitin, near Meah Shearim, and he would greet them warmly. Rabbi Neriah writes that “it is known that Rav Kook took counsel with the gaon, the kabbalist, author of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah (may his memory be for a blessing), in the last year of that tzaddik’s life” (Sadeh Harayah, p. 577). And Rav Neriah tells in the name of Rabbi Aryeh Levin: “When the gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, came to Jerusalem at the end of his days, Rav Kook (may the memory of a tzaddik be for a blessing) would at times come to his house after midnight, and over the course of several hours they learned kabbalistic matters together” (Sichos Harayah, p. 163). The gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Arieli wrote in his memoirs: I had the chance to accompany Rav Kook to the home of Rav Elyashiv. And when Rav Kook appeared, Rabbi Elyashiv honored him by asking Rav Kook to sit in his place. Rav Kook refused. Rav Elyashiv said to him: “Cohen and nazir.” Rav Kook acquiesced and sat down. He showed him unbound sheets of the Leshem, Volume 3, and they began to discuss the comments of Rav Kook. And I heard that when Rav Elyashiv came to visit the house of Rav Kook, that took place in the winter, and when Rav Kook saw that he did not have a warm coat he took out his own fur coat, clothed him in it and gave it to him as a gift. Rav Kook knew him from the days of his youth and had traveled to him to the city of Shavel. And when his book came to Rav Kook, he said that the house was filled with light. When he passed away, I heard Rav Kook state in his eulogy that if we had merited, we would have seen a pillar of fire. And indeed, there are those who accompanied Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv to the cemetery who saw this pillar when he was laid in the grave. R Neriah tells, “Once, when I entered the home of the well-known Jerusalem kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, author of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, he was in the company of the kabbalist, Rabbi Aharon Shlomo Maharil (may his memory be for a blessing), author of the book To’ameha Chaim Zachu. When I parted from Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, author of Leshem Shevo Ve’achlamah, I asked him to bless me in spiritual matters, and he replied, “What is spirituality? Physicality is also spirituality.” [52] For three years Rabbi Aryeh Levin would go every night to his relative by marriage, the kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv.…. Neither cold, wind nor rain prevented him from going. He spent hours in Rabbi Elyashiv’s company. His son, Rabbi Chaim Yaacov (may he live long) told: “A few times I accompanied him. They went inside while I, who was young, waited in the corridor for about two hours. When we returned home, I asked my father, ‘What did you learn?’ He answered me, ‘The holy gaon learned and delved into the holy books and I stood next to him. I held the lamp in my hand, I handed him the books that he needed … and I do not know why I have the privilege of serving this holy man’ … and I asked him no more” (Ish Tzaddik Hayah, Simchah Raz, p. 51). Rabbi Aryeh Levin named his son, Rabbi Simchah Shlomo, after Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv and after Rabbi Meir Simchah HaCohen of Dvinsk. Rav Kook instructed Rabbi Aryeh Levin to use “Simchah” as the first name because Rabbi Meir Simchah was a genius in the revealed Torah, and to use “Shlomo” as the second name, because Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was a genius in the hidden Torah. [53] Anonymous. [54] Yudelvitz. [55] Sefer Hakelalim. [56] Which just then had been printed. [57] Parshat Vayikra. [58] 27 Adar. [59] 84. [60] Since he was a cohen, he could not enter a house containing a dead body. [61] An allusion to Kesuvos 17a: “When [Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Yitzchak] died, a pillar of fire came between him and the whole world; and there is a tradition that such a pillar of fire makes such a division for only one or two people in a generation.” [62] Rabbi Sharia Deblitzki quotes his friend, Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Elkonik of Bnei Brak, who grew up in Jerusalem, as reporting that his father told him that he saw the pillar of fire with his own eyes. Also, Rabbi Avraham Stern writes in the name of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber: “At the time the casket of the holy Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (may his memory be for a blessing) was buried, an awesome sight appeared before the eyes of all the people: a pillar of fire from east to west, until the grave was filled in—something that had not appeared in the holy city of Jerusalem for a few hundred years” (Melitzei Eish: Chelek Adar, p. 71). [63] Many stories are told in Jerusalem about people who had miraculous solutions to their problems after they visited his gravesite on the Mt. of Olives. [64] And it is carved upon it. [65] Rabbi Yitzchak. [66] Near Kelm. [67] Apparently none of them survived the destruction of European Jewry. |
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