Yeshivos Lita is a must-read for all you history buffs out there, and if Zaftige Scheyreh is your forte', then even more so.
In describing the poet CN Bialik, the author of these memoirs, Abba Balosher, a Litvak formerly a student of Volozhin and Slabodke, but basically an Apikeyres, cannot resist the old-time urge to belittle Chassidim. He explains how CNB ever got to Volzhin in the first place if General Studies was his true goal and he never was really interested in learning Teyreh, unlike some of the others.
"The Zhitomerer (CNB) wanted to go to Berlin to study Philosophy, but could not. What did he do instead? he traveled to Volozhin. Why Volozhin? because he heard that in Volozhin they also learn שבע חכמות ושבעים לשון! But when he got there he saw that they learn Gemoroh, Gemoroh, and more Gemoroh. Why would he believe something like that in the first place?
Balosher explains: Certainly this Vohlyner Bocher had "Temimus Yeseiroh", which came from him being raised on Sipurei Meyfsim about Tzaddikim and "Gute Yidden." He heard that in Lita they do not believe in "fairytales" so he believed that they do study Seven Chochmos and Shivim Loshon.
What is it they say about taking the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy?
(Map of Vohlin, courtesy of Jewish Gen)
15 comments:
ok.
i'm lost, don't tell anyone
ok, just tell me where I lost you and I'll try to help you find your way.
13th and 49th street!
Where in New York can I get this book?
I tried Eichler's in BP, they had sold out. Maye they'll have more soon. Or, you can try the website linked at the description of the book, and see if they list stores in NY that sell it.
Dont waste your time with it.
Read somthing important, like a misilas yishorim, or a tanya, or a chofetz chaim......
true, I'll do the reading and comment on the important parts....
gut gezukt!
So now you are saying that they only learned Tayreh in Volozhin and nothing else ? Sounds good to me. ;-)
This post is valuable as well because it shows that Chassidishe/non-Litvishe bochurim went to Volozhin too, and that there were maskilim from Chassidic backgrounds.
C
he was complaining about that fact, but you knew that. However the writers Tayneh that there was no Hashgochoh outside of the Yeshivah, that as long as you learned in the Keyslei Beis hamedrish nobody bothered you. All the reading, singing and writing of Haskoloh books and songs went on at the Achsanyes.
Okay - so limaaseh what he was told that there other chochmos were learned there (by some) were true. So limaaseh, מען האט עם ניט אפּגענארט.
I don't think it's correct to say there was totally no hashgocho. There could have been more, but absolutely no hashgocho? That is not accurate. I recall reading, I guess it was in Stampfer's book, that some of the maskilim covered their windows and had watchmen so hanholo shouldn't find out some things they did.
Maybe Kurenitzer can tell us which Chassidus Bialik came from.
Anyway, I don't see why you're making such a big thing about defending the Chagas "Sipurei Meyfsim about Tzaddikim and "Gute Yidden." ", when Lubavitch wasn't really into that type of thing then either.
I defended Meyfsim and such? Ich gedenk nit. CNB thought that there was Limudei Cheyl metaam the Yeshivah, not clandestinely. Let's just say the hashgochoh was shvach.
Harav YL Don-Yichyeh, another Volozhiner, of Chabad descent, describes CNB as arriving in yeshivah with a little berdel, long curly payos, and a long rekkel. Interesting.
My rebbe Rav Shimon Romm ZT"L a Mirer talmid and rosh yeshiva here at RIETS , told me that except for several shtellen (stanzas) Bialik's poetry is a hundred percent kosher and fine.
I was foolish not to ask which lines the rav refered to,. I suuppose several lines in Ir ha-Hareiga are problematic.
Bialik enjoed a friendly relationship with Rav A.I. Kuk.
His poetry was read in the Litvishe yeshivoth until 1939.
By the way anyone ever read Rav Kuk's poetry very interesting and throws light on his issues with the institution of hlacha vs. free spirituality.
His poetry was read B'Goluy? I would be surprised if it was. But maybe they were not as intellectually rigid in those days.
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