Thursday, March 15, 2012

Rabbi Yaakov Kassin ZT"L

This was told to Saul A Kassin from his cousin Aaron Kassin, whom the man in the story told it directly to Aaron.
A man was praying in the same Minyan as Rabbi Yaakov Kassin. Rabbi Yaakov Kassin walked by him and told him to take off his Tefillin. The man was shocked, surprised, and of course nervous, but did as the Rabbi told him. Rabbi Yaakov Kassin asked the Shamosh of Shaare Zion - Shalom Ozery to bring him a knife. Rabbi Yaakov Kassin using the knife opened the man’s Tefillin. When it was opened, they found nothing inside the Tefillin.

Reb Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz and the Train Ride

In his youth in Europe, Reb Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz once was traveling by train, in order to protect his eyes from an inappropriate not Tznius sight, that he felt would compromise his Kedusha, the young holy bachur jumped out of the window of a moving train and severely injured his ribs, all in order to preserve his purity. Only after his mother saw him in great pain was he compelled to tell her what happened. Years later in Eretz Yisroel she told the story to some of Reb Michel Yehuda's children, which is how we know this story.

Rabbi Aharon Kotler and the Toll Booth Attendant

The bachurim would take turns driving the Rosh Yeshiva - Rabbi Aharon Kotler back and forth from Lakewood and New York each week. They considered this chore an honor more than a duty. A bachur retold, that while driving the Rosh Yeshiva, when they approached the toll booth, Reb Aharon told him not to go to the exact automated toll lane, but rather go to the live person booth, which was a much longer line and wait. Surprised the bachur asked the Rosh Yeshiva why? Reb Aharon replied, “How do you think the man must feel as he stands at his booth, and sees cars going through the other booth that is controlled by a machine? Better that we should spend some more time on line, than we should belittle the honor of any human being!”

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The ArtScroll Digital Library Featuring the Schottenstein Talmud

Rabbi Yaakov Kassin and his Rebbe Rabbi Avraham Ades

Before Rabbi Yaakov Kassin was married (he married at 18 ½), one night he had a dream. He went to his Rebbe - Rabbi Avraham Ades, to tell him his dream - that he went up to Shamayim, and learnt Torah with the Rambam. Rabbi Avraham Ades told him, “The Rambam looked like this, and wore a hat like this.” Rabbi Yaakov Kassin answered, "Yes". Then Rabbi Yaakov Kassin asked his Rebbe, “And how did you know that?” Rabbi Avraham Ades answered him, “Every night I go up to Shamayim and learn Torah will the Rambam, Rashba and other Rishonim.” 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Reb Aharon Kotler - a well overflowing of Non-Stop Torah

Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Varsharshik - Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, was a talmid of Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman in the Baronovitch Yeshiva. He said he spent one entire day with Reb Aharon Kotler, which left an impression on him for life. He said this story; I was a young student in Baronovitch, the Yeshiva of Reb Elchonon Wasserman. Reb Aharon Kotler came to our town with one of his local townspeople to raise money for his Kletzker Yeshiva. After Shacharis the Mashgiach - Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky, came over to me with a request from Reb Elchonon, that I take some bachurim with me, go to Reb Aharon’s hotel room and ask him to come to the Yeshiva and say a Shiur. We got to his room at 8:40AM, the minute we entered the Rosh Yeshiva started talking to us in learning. Someone had brought Reb Aharon tea, which he did not yet start drinking and then it got cold. The Rosh Yeshiva was like a well, overflowing with non-stop Torah. They brought him another tea and then another, of course they all became cold. We kept talking without a break till 5PM. It was a fast day for us. We then brought the Rosh Yeshiva to our Yeshiva to Daven Mincha. Right after Mincha, the Rosh Yeshiva turned to us and continued his animated discussion. The person that accompanied the Rosh Yeshiva from Kletzk tried to remind him that they came to raise money and also that Reb Aharon should eat something, his words fell on deaf ears.

We continued talking in learning straight non-stop till Maariv at 9:30PM. After Maariv Reb Aharon walked up to the Bimah and said a Shiur for 2 ½ hours, by then it was 12:30AM. Then bachurim came over to him to discuss the Shiur. When that was over we walked Reb Aharon back to his hotel room. When we got to the room, we didn’t stop. We spoke in learning till 4:45AM. Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Varsharshik said he tired for a week, but was inspired for a lifetime

Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky

In the freezing winter nights of Eastern Europe, it was the job of the Shammash to tend to the Shul's oven early every morning. Thus, when people came at daybreak, to recite Tehillim or to study before Prayers, they should find the Shul warm. The Shammash, an elderly man and who was a bit lazy, would rely on the out of town beggars, who normally arrived during the night, to light the oven. But many times, when the beggars would not show up, the Shul would be freezing in the morning, and people began to complain. Then all complaints stopped, the oven would be fire-hot every morning. People thought the Shammash was doing a good job, and the Shammash took it for granted that the beggars were tending the oven. No one suspected that it was the Rabbi of the town, Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky, who was doing the job every morning. He would also draw the water for the congregants to wash their hands. He did all this, because he wanted to ease the burden of the Shammash.
One early morning, the firewood happened to be particularly wet, thus requiring a lot of blowing to get a fire going. (One could blow his lungs out until the wood finally burned.) With his head in the oven door, Reb Yisrael Yaakov was blowing upon the fire, and the Shammash walked in. In the darkness of daybreak he did not recognize the Rabbi. Sure that it was one of the beggars who were tending to the oven, the Shammash in a joking manner gave the man a good kick. Reb Yisrael Yaakov knew that if he took his head out of the oven, the Shammash would be terribly embarrassed (imagine the Shammash actually kicking the Rabbi). So he pushed his face deeper into the oven. The smoke was burning his eyes and choking his lungs, yet he would not remove his head until the Shammash left. By the time the Shammash walked away, half of Reb Yisrael Yaakov’s beard was gone, due to his beard having been caught on fire.

Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky was also the Mashgiach of Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman Yeshiva in Baranovich Ohel Torah. He was also a talmid and son in-law of Rabbi Yosef Yoizel Horowitz - the After of Novardok.