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

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