אילן היוחסין שמקורו ברבי חיים מוואלוז'ין זצ"ל
I didn't know Reb Zundel. I may have heard about him, but it's not like I learned his seforim or anything. I just mumble some Tanya and Rambam for a few minutes daily to please my handlers. But if you look at what they write about him, (and the fact that he never was part of the whole mass Gedolim branzhe ---- ) you can't help but stand in awe. A life of learning Torah and not much else. Gan Eden! You can imagine what Yidden in the Old Country who had the good fortune and intestinal fortitude to have a Jewish education and zitsfleish, and who were able to learn Torah well into their later years - what they were like. Someone was to have said that RZK had the siyata d'shmaya that he was able to learn Torah מתוך מנוחה, and at the same write wonderful seforim. He didn't have people bothering him with their naarishe questions day and night. As you can see from the link above he was - as Rav Soloveichik would say - from בית הרב - הרב being Reb Chaim Volozhiner. That's what I see as unique with RZK. Below we find the words of a relative of his who takes things easy in life who got a "wake-up" call at his levaya.
סוג של דילמה
החיים שלי בגדול זה סביב הפייסבוק, והאוואטסאף , עושה כמעט מה שבא לי , בסלנג זה נקרא חרדי לייט, נהנים זוללים. בקיצור, שמים את אלוקים והדת טיפה בצד. חזרתי עכשיו מהלוויה של דוד שלי רבי זונדל קרויזר, יהודי מהליגה העליונה, ,טוף שבטוף. נתחיל מזה שכל החיים שלו היה קם ב3 לפנות בוקר, לומד ומתפלל נץ, דמות ירושלמי, עניו שקט. תכלית ראיתי בהלוויה אלפי אברכים , אולתרא חרדים, שלוקחים את הדת בשיא הרצינות כל מצווה כל הלכה עם כל הפיטשיפקעס וזה עף לי לפנים, ואמרתי לעצמי לך תדע, אולי הם צודקים ואני טועה? אולי בסוף נצטרך לתת דין וחשבון על כל...בקיצור, דילמה
By just reading what His nephew felt after being at his uncles levaya, its totally pure and true. I totally understand where hes coming from. I wasn't there but his words are inspiring me as well. second hand power, to want to change and grow.
ReplyDeletethank you hershel
Magid shiur in Chebin
ReplyDeletewrote seforim Oir Hachama on shas
Brother of the Skverer Rosh Yeshiva, also a Masdmid and Mechaber seforim
Overheard at the לויה from reb yosel gutfarb... He was such an ענו that he didn't even write in will not to מספיד him...
ReplyDeleteEuohemisms abound. 'Someone' is another way of referring to Reb Chaim Kaniyevsky, right? The Nosi HaDor?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know him personally but was introduced to his sefarim by a friend who was close to him. What stands out in his sefarim is not the chiddushim per se [they're wonderful but there are many wonderful peirushim] but the hasmadah and ameilus that is evident in every word. He drilled down to the bottom of every sugya and the questions he asks and teirutzim he gives are evidence of that.
ReplyDeleteWe lost a very great person in R' Zundel זצ"ל
I had the privilege of meeting him, he was gentle and not full of himself. He would smile and say "How can I give a brocho?" I was told to ask him for an inscription when buying a Sefer from him. I did so and he signed it with his initials in English letters Z.K. and said "Amerikanisher meyses zu shreiben arein in seforim, ich chasme in goyishe oysios, ich shreibe menschen in mein hartz"
ReplyDeleteI will never forget that. he learned bechavruse for hours with many people of all types always insisting that they were his partners, even though he was a gaon. Quiet modest house, and when his son died and left a son who had trouble learning in yeshiva etc. he took care of the difficult grandson