The Brisker Rov wanted the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe to come live in Brisk in 5691/1931 (Full article, as promised)

The Brisker Rov wanted the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe to come live in Brisk in 5691/1931

stay tuned - full coverage iy"h tomorrow

....א חתונה אין בריסק

It looks like grandiose weddings are becoming the norm even in reclusive families like Brisk. Well, that's how it looks in the pictures, anyway. I don't know if it was grandiose in the sense that they had a choice of beef or chicken and a smorgasbord. But it's a nice hall in Talpiot with a lot of people in attendance. They did, it seems however, follow the תקנות of yesteryear not to have full כלי זמר,  only a drummer=פויקער. The wedding here took place last week in Yerushalayim. Velvel Soloveitchik ben Reb Dovid is married to Reb Berel Povarsky's daughter. His son now married the daughter of Reb Peretz Meyerson, son-in-law of Reb Refoel Soloveitchik, Reb Dovid's younger brother. Keeping it in the family, just like the Rebbes and leHavdil royalty. (At least until recently that's what royalty did.) So, I guess whoever didn't come for Reb Dovid came for Reb Berel.

My personal favorite: The מחותן: רבי נתנאל פרץ מאירזון חתן רבי רפאל סאלאווייטשיק. If I was a Brisker I'd likely look like him. Maybe I should become one.

What excited young Yoshe Ber בר"מ Soloveitchik on the seder night...

Hirshel. 

Here's a piece you may have missed if you don't read the OU publications. I assume the highlight of the night by regular chasidim is probably the piece of zohar that all the angels and the shechina are coming to the seder. It helps that it's at the beginning of the seder, when people are still excited. By others it's the matzoh. With some others it's the kneidlach or the brisket. כל חד לפום שיעורא דיליה. In Brisk - at least the Khaslavich/Boston branch thereof - it's the halachic concept of יקנה"ז. And already at such a young age! Gei farshtey what excites a Brisker. Read the drama of the kiddush with the tall athletic uncle.

Sorry about the food stains...

....נו, לסבא הי' מותר לפרש כך

בבריסק תמיד ידעו ש"משפחה שאני", נכון? כן

"בדרך כלל זה רק מחסרון ידיעה"

Hirshel: I just saw Rav Shteinman's Sefer on Brisk that Reb Chaim had the same view like the Chazon Ish. This has to be promoted and made public for all to see. Especially the Miller guy from the Sefer on that subject who is coming up with all kinds of chumrahs.

Nichum Aveilim interviews - denials soon to come

Hirshel: As you know Reb Dovid Soloveitchik is sitting shiva after the passing of his brother, Reb Meir. The obsession that the good old days were great, makes people talk nonsense. Pictured is Reb Dovid Soloveitchik talking at Nichum Avielim about his younger brother. The "Hapeles" people, led by Shaya Wein, son of, milk it as a bogus interview for them. As if that justifies their existence - that Reb Dovid speaks to them. In the picture you see also Tuvia Freund of the Hamodia, so obviously he didn't sit down and talk to HaPeles. They claim, and one can assume they're twisting his words, that daas torah can only be had from from newspapers. Wink, wink, that means them, of course. What a sham! how detrimental to his image! He's telling them that in old Yerushalayim life was great, even the Jews that were not on the same page with us - i.e. Brisk - were Yerai Shomaim and Talmidei Chachomim; today there is nothing. I guess the 1000's of poor talmidim that learn in Mir is nothing, the whole Mizrachi/Dati Leumi/Charda"l world has no yerei shomayim. As if he has statistics. By the end of this week there will be a denial published somewhere, or maybe just posters in Yerushalayim/Bnei Brak.

ניחום אבלים אצל הגרמ"ד

כשראש ישיבת בריסק אמר קדיש על ידידו החב"די ● מיוחד

Reb Meir Soloveitchik zt"l and Reb Aron Mordche Zilbershtrom o"H

האט איר אמאל געהערט פון רעב כאים סאלאווייטשיק, דער בריסקער ראוו?

דא קענט איר לייענען איבער אים

Tuesday Links

a Lubavitcher חתונה אין תל-אביב, אלול, תש"ט
Reb Mendelle Vizhnitzer is Menachem Avel and davens mincha in Kfar Chabad
The Rebbe who wanted to correct the agunos problem
end of Shiva for Reb Hilllel Zaks
R' Aron Mordche can't get over the cold weather in Monsey
Couldn't make it to the Yarchei Kallah in Yerushalayim? Come to BMG instead!
If you close your eyes you'd think HaAretz is the VaYoel Moshe
Why Briskers learn קדשים and what it means for the MO

It's a long way from Cluj to Brest-Litowsk

Reb Osher Weisz meeting Reb Aron Lichtenstein in Gush Etzion....

'בריסקער "וויקיליעקס" חלק ד

  Notes לא נודע למי Brisk EY

Box.com link

די בריסקער קענען גוט זינגען

"A recording of R' AY Soloveitchik and his brothers and nephews singing Hamavdil after the Sheva Brochos of one of his sons (In the old Eitz Chaim Cheider on "Yaffa Gass".)  Any one who attended any of them should remember it well. They all stand together with the oilam surrounding them and they sing it with great dveikus. The niggun is (as they say over) a Kotzker niggun. As is well known, R' Berel had a melamed who was a Kotzker chossid, and he taught him this as a child. (Notice the "A gitte voch" at the end in the Polish accent) As far as I recall, R' AY and family sing it on Motzai Yom Kippur and by simchos."

Click here to download

ר' בערל'ס חומש-רש"י שיעורים - תשל"ו

  Notes 1976 2 R Berel Soloveitchik by   Hirshel Tzig

Box.com Link

Brisker "Wikleaks" B O M B (Part II)

(Here's Part I from way back when)

This 32 page treasure full of lies, half-truths and distortions gives us a glimpse into the Ahavas Yisroel that many of the Gedolim had for their fellow Jews - especially Chassidishe Yidden, ובפרטי פרטיות אידן בעלי מסי"נ כמו חסידי חב"ד ורבותיהם נ"ע. And I've only read until page 3... Why do I call them lies, etc.? Because otherwise I have no choice but to lose all respect that I had for many of these Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva. What would you do in such a case? Comments asking me to decipher and type this up will be ignored, unless you send me your credit card information and allow me to charge it $35 an hour. I think that's reasonable for this type of work. If you're going to post this elsewhere or pass it around at least link back here.

  Notes Lo Noda Lemi 1 by   neveler

For our non-Scribd users here's a link to Box, which is good with most filters as well.

The next Brisker באלאגאן

RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL: 

Someone had the great idea of combining all of the chidushim on Maseches Sukkah from the various Brisker family members. However, he did two major aveiros, from a Brisker perspective:

 1. He brought chidushim from the American branch.

 2. He brought chidushim from AJ's talmidim -- they are extremely makpid about unofficial shiur transcript. I'm holding my breath until the first pashkevil. סוכת הלויים

when רבי חיים וואלאזשינער sent RebYitzchok Zev Solowejczyk הראשון to the Heiliger Rizhiner זצ"ל for help with a גזירה...

A very kind reader Upon reading about RAYS reading the תנאים at the Sadigerrer תנאים מאהל, took the time to send me links to the sefer זכרון יעקב by Reb Yaakov HaLevi Lipschutz which discuss a connection that Beis Brisk had to Rizhin, the fore bearer to Sadiger, back in the 19th century. Knowing Reb AvromYeshua and his knowledge of Brisker history I'm sure he knows this chapter of the family history as well, but I couldn't say if there was some kind of ongoing connection בין בריסק לסאדיגורא today as well. Although the fact that the Shapiras are somewhat affluent would help... A brief synopsis: The year 1826 was when the Czar Nikolai I decided to take Jews for military service. It seems from Rabbi Lipschutz that these rumors already started soon after the defeat of Napoleon over a decade before, but 1826 was when it was confirmed that the idea was being seriously considered in the halls of power in the Russian capital. What seems normal now - says RYL - was considered unjust in '26 and an effort was made to try and stop it. By "stop it" we mean that instead of paying with bodies the Jews would pay their share with a heavy tax, since long-term conscription into a Christian army was a death sentence to the Jewish future - which is why the Czar wanted to do it in the first place. But in the end the idea of a tax did not work and army service became mandatory, even for Jews.

As far as what hishtadlus was done; Being that Reb Yitzchok Zev was Reb Chaim Volozhiner's eynikel he was asked to travel to Rizhin to see Reb Yisroel, זצ"ל, who "had connections." He had gevirim who knew and had influence with the Russian ministers and could do something  about the decree. RYZS told Rabbi Lipschutz about his visit to the Rizhiner and how he would take "kvitlach" with pidyonos in his prave shtieb. But the tzaddik could do nothing for him. "I have done all that I can," were his words, "I can do no more. I have already sent two letters to the מומע לאה, what more can I do?"  Alas, the gates of heaven were closed and the decree would be carried out. Who? Mume Leah? Who was this, and how would she help? We've heard of the Mume Sarah, but who was the Mume Leah? Lipschutz tells us that the Mume Leah was the Jewish wife of the Russian Admiral of the Black Sea fleet of the Imperial Navy who lived in Nikolayev, Ukraine - [ birthplace of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע.] She was a very frume Yiddene, despite being married to a Russian admiral and was very active in Jewish causes, helping her brethren with parnosoh, as well as klal issues. She was a big chasidis'te of the Rizhiner, and would often send kvitlech to him. The greatest hishtadlus he could do was to send her two letters בכתב יד קדשו - you hear that David Assaf? - and since there was nothing she could do then the decree was sealed, אין להשיב.


 [ It seems like this was done several years before 1826, since Reb Chaim Volozhiner, RYZS's zeide, was the one who sent RYZS, and he passed away in 5581/1821, which would make the Rizhiner 25 years old at most!]




Brisk-Ruzhin From Y Lipschutz

תמונת הלילה - בריסק אין סאדיגורא

Reb AvromYeshua Soloveitchik of Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim reading the tnoyim at the תנאים for the grandson of the Sadigura Rebbe, שליט"א, a son of his son-in-law R' Pinchas Shapira (son of the late MK Munye Shapira of Agudath Israel.) Do the Briskers do T'noyims before a wedding, meaning by the close of the shidduch, or do they wait till the Kabbolas ponim? It would be interesting to know if he went against Brisker protocol. I would assume that the bochur learns in Brisk. Now, I may be mistaken, but as far as I know there is a Sadigerrer Yeshiva in Israel that caters to older bochurim as well. I believe it's known as ישיבת רוז'ין בני ברק. Which makes you wonder why the Rebbe's grandson would not attend. I guess inferiority complexes are common even amongst the Rebbishe, not just among Chassidim.

Here we see Reb AvromYeshua seated left, while Reb Mendel Ernster, a son-in-law of the old Vizhnitzer Rebbe, and a  grandson of the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz, and thus a descendant of the holy Ruzhiner, זצ"ל, has his hand kissed by the Sadigerrer Rebbe after doing the honors himself previously. The Tzemach Tzaddik of Vizhnitz, רבי מנחם מענדיל, was married to מרים, a daughter of the Ruzhiner.

Left you can see Harav Chaim Feinstein, son of Reb Michel, and grandson of the Brisker Rov. Maybe the Sadigerrer has some kind of shtarke shaychus to Brisk, to all its descendants and branches. Or maybe he learned there too? We can speculate. I wonder what the Briskers think about the Sadigerrer and the whole Rizhiner family.

.....וזרח השמש ----- עד שלא

The handwritten note written by Reb Chaim Kanievski yesterday, passes the torch from his shver, Rav Elyashiv, who is very ill, r"l, to Reb Aron Leib Shteinman, zol gezunt zein. It's not clear if Rav Elyashiv himself told his son-in-law to pass the torch, or if it was done on his own, since RYSE has not been conscious, as far as we know, for some months now. Sources close to the matter say that is closely related to the fact that Rav Elyashiv is gravely ill, and the clamor to replace him has already begun. A recent sign of that change has been at the Israeli Yated Ne'eman, no relation to the American newspaper of the same name, where the old guard that was close to the late Ponovizher Rosh Yeshiva was unceremoniously thrown out and replaced by Rav Shteinman's people. Reb Aron Leib is not considered a follower of the true "Torah Haskafah" that the late Ponovizher Rosh Yeshiva handed down over the years. Neither is Rav Elyashiv, for that matter, but his leadership was uncontested, now that he's sidelines the fights can begin. The factions here are many, ואי אפשר לפורטם, and you can give yourself a migraine trying to figurer it out. I was asked how can I be "sleeping" at a time like this? You all know that I don't just report the dry news, I need to have an "angle," something to set me apart. Which is why I waited until this fell into my lap. It doesn't reflect on how I fell about Reb Aron Leib, whose tzidkus is undisputed, it just gives you a feeling as to what others feel, even if they claim to be respectful of Torah and talmidei chachomim...

 The following is a true story about the נצי"ב of Volozhin, זצ"ל, as told by הרב אברהם יהושע סאלאווייציק of Yerushalayim:

The Netziv, Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, lived in Lithuania during the 19th Century. Him and his brother-in-law, Reb Yitzchok Fried, were sons-in-law of Reb Itzele Volozhiner, son of Reb Chaim Volozhiner, the Yeshiva's founder. After his first wife passed Reb Hirsh-Leib Berlin married the daughter of the בעל ערוך השלחן. He was one of the most famous Rabbonim of his generation, and it's said that in the 40 years he headed the yeshiva in the town of Volozhin, some 10,000 students studied there. Many of them went on to lead communities and Yeshivos of their own. (a list of famous alumni can be seen here) The Netziv wrote commentaries on all parts of the Torah, and once, when he'd published a particularly difficult work, called "HaEmek Shayla," he called together his friends for a special celebration, where he told them the following story:

"When I was a child, I never paid attention in school. I was lazy and did not want to concentrate. Then one day when I was 11 years old, I came home from school and heard my parents talking. My father was explaining how he'd spoken to my teacher and together they'd concluded that I'd never amount to anything in terms of scholarship. So, my father explained, he was arranging to enroll me as an apprentice shoemaker as soon as I became Bar Mitzvah. "I was so shocked by this conversation that I ran to my parents and exclaimed: 'I'm sorry I've been so negligent with my studies. Please give me one more chance to prove that I'm a good student.' And from that day onward, I applied myself to the study of Torah with tremendous vigor and dedication. Since then I have not wasted a moment and it is that devotion which has enabled me to write the commentary which we are celebrating today." Then the Netziv continued: "But just imagine what would have happened had I not overheard my parents' conversation. I'd probably have ended up as a shoemaker. And I'd have been a pretty good shoemaker besides! But think of what would have happened at the end of my life when I'd get up to the Heavenly Court and they'd ask me: 'Naftali, (or Hirsh Leib - HT) show us what you've done with your life.' And I'd proudly show them my beautiful shoes: the fine workmanship, the quality leather and the exquisite design. "And then they'd ask me: 'But Naftali, where are all the books you were to publish? Where are your 10,000 students?'" The Netziv continued: "And what would I possibly respond??" Reb Avraham Yehoshua said that when Rav Shteinman reaches heaven, they'll ask him "Where are the shoes?!"

And this is where today's best and brightest end up. In Brisk...

Is the Agudath Israel misusing Reb Chaim Brisker's name here?

After all, Reb Chaim did rescind his support from the Agudah. So despite the fact that he originally supported the idea of an Agudah of Charedim, in the end he didn't. So to say, 100 years later, in an ad for the CURRENT Agudah, that Reb Chaim supported them, is somewhat disingenuous, no? Reb Chaim's picture is second from the left.