Photo Courtesy of Yeshiva Eitz Chaim
We bring you a
shtikkel from the latest volume of גנזים ושו"ת חזון איש, courtesy of a devoted and kind reader הרוצה בעילום שמו, where a copy of a שער בלאט of a
sefer by the late
R. Yechiel Michel Tuktchinski (who married a granddaughter of
Reb Shmuel Salant) on the issue of the International Dateline (קו התאריך) is shown. The
Chaz"I wrote a small but very poignant inscription at the very top of the page, which some say was indicative of his opinion of those who disagreed with him; - such as
Reb Chaim Noe - namely, that they were
treif. The CI doesn't say exactly in his own script why he wrote that the sefer is "
neged Chazal," but
Reb Shmerel Greineman quotes him as saying that RYMT writes נגד חז"ל והראשונים and bases his opinions on the
Maskil and
Apikores Hayyim Zalman Slominski, who wrote a book/
sefer on Astronomy and such. I don't know if RYMT admits to him being the source, or if the CI smelled it on his own. Was טוקצינסקי the only one who used astronomy books etc. to pasken regarding complicated matters of astronomy? Why, even the
Pupa Rov used a געבילדעטע מענטש to create a luach for him!
What I would like to know is whether or not this applies to all of RYMT's
seforim, or at least to all of his
zmanim? He would publish the "לוח ארץ ישראל", which is published by his grandson עד היום. That
luach is used by most Jews in
Eretz Israel who don't follow
shitas Rabbeinu Tam. Obviously the
Chazon Ish'nikkes and
Briskers have their own
zmanim and
shiurim, but all other
Prushim use that, as do some
Chassidim, especially regarding
zmanim like end of fasts, etc. But we do see a clear example of the absolutism that we mentioned in the header - which mind you, he wasn't the only one who was an absolutist, but he was an absolutist when it came to his OWN
shittos, which is unique - I think. They say that the
Rebbe Rashab was learning a
Kamarner sefer when he saw how he disagrees with the
Alter Rebbe, so he closed the sefer and never leaned
Kamarna again. But that was the
Alter Rebbe, not his own
shittos. This that people like the
Steipler were להשמיד ולהרג against anybody who disagreed with their
Rebbe the CI, is also to be understood. In a way. But I speak of the CI alone.
ווי איך פארשטיי שיקען די בריסקער קינדער זייערע קינדער קיין עץ חיים, מיסודו של הרי"מ טוקצינסקי, ווייל דארט לערנט מען אויף אידיש, און ס'איז א חדר אויפ'ן אלטען דרך - כאילו. א חזון איש'ניק שיקט אויך אהין? כנראה אז נישט. איז די שאלה צו דאס איז ווייל ס'איז טוקצינסקי'ס מוסד? אדער סתם אזוי.
?וואס ווייס איך
