בס”ד
Baruch Matziv Gevul Almanah: 82 years after the talmidim of the Telshe Yeshivah hy”d were murdered, Rosh Yeshivah of Ateres Shlomo, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a redeemed the Telshe Yeshivah building in Lithuania in order to establish a new yeshivah there.
After eighty-two years of desolation, an emotional ceremony was held to return the Telshe yeshivah building in Lithuania to the Rosh Yeshivah of Ateres Shlomo, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a, grandson of the Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe.
The famed Telshe Yeshivah was the most prominent yeshivah in Lithuania in the previous decade, after Yeshivas Volozhin closed its doors. The Yeshiva was founded over 160 years ago by HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Gordon ztz”l, who was affectionately known as Reb Laizer Telzer. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Yehuda Leib Bloch ztz”l, and then his son HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch hy”d who was killed together with the talmidim of the yeshivah on the 20th of Tammuz, 1941.
HaGaon HaRav Shimon Shkop, author of Shaarei Yosher, and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Rabinowitz, called Reb Chaim Telzer, both taught Torah in this yeshivah. Most Lithuanian Torah giants of the generation before the Holocaust learned in this yeshivah, including HaGaon HaRav Elchonon Wasserman hy”d; HaGaon HaRav Naftali Trop ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Yosef Shalom Kahaneman ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Pogramansky ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel and many other Lithuanian greats. The Telshe Yeshivah established the foundations for today’s “yeshivah style” learning and yeshivah structure.
The Yeshivah in Telshe was decimated on the 20th of Tammuz, 1941. Survivors reestablished the yeshivah in the United States. The yeshivah there was headed by HaGaon Harav Elimelech Bloch ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Chaim Mordechai Katz ztz”l; and then HaGaon HaRav Baruch Sorotzkin ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Gifter ztz”l; and HaGaon HaRav Eizik Ausband ztz”l.
Now, 82 years later, the Lithuanian government has returned the Telshe Yeshivah building to the grandson of the original founders and Roshei Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a. HaRav Sorotzkin is Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, which is a continuation of the Telshe Yeshivah.
This Av, HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a and grandchildren of the original Telshe Roshei Yeshivah visited Telshe to redeem the building. They hope to turn the building back into a makom Torah that will be a “yeshivah al kivram.”
During the unique “L’Hashiv Atarah” expedition, the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a visited Telshe together with the grandchildren of the Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe to redeem the yeshivah building. The talmidim stayed in the yeshivah building for about two weeks and maintained yeshivah sedarim in the legendary beis medrash.
The Rosh Yeshivah spoke emotionally when they ceremoniously entered the yeshivah. “Shal ni’alecha mei’al raglecha: Remove your shoes because we’re now standing on holy ground. We are standing here for the first time that Torah is returning to this holy place. This is sacred ground, on which Gedolei Olam learned Torah and from where they merited to go out to teach Torah to Klal Yisroel. This is what Chazal meant when they said that this stone is like Har Sinai and the one who sits on it is like the luchos habris.
“When the yeshivah was closed, Rav Eliyahu Meir Bloch ztz”l cried and begged that Torah should return here. Until now, foxes walked over it, but we are now meriting to see its return. I think this is the most tangible fulfilment of – nikom li’eineinu nikmas dam avadecha hashafuch.”
“Gedolei Yisroel sat and learned in these daled amos. Every step that we take here is on ground that Kedoshei Elyon stood and learned and discussed Torah with dveikus to Hashem. This is also where they were mekadesh Hashem when they were killed al kiddush Hashem. There are no words to describe this feeling.”
The talmidim entered the yeshivah with a Sefer Torah in their hands and recited the brachah of Baruch matziv gevul almanah. With an emotional rendition of Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu, the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a put the mezuzas on the building’s doorposts.
During the trip, there were sidrei limmud in the restored beis medrash and the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a gave a daily shiur. On Shabbos, the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a said a shiur klali in the beis medrash, just like the generations of Telshe Roshei Yeshivah before him.
The trip concluded with a special tefillah for the community and individuals at the kevarim of the Roshei Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Yehudah Leib Bloch and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Telzer at the Kovno cemetery and at the mass grave in which the talmidim and Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe are buried.
The trip made a big impression in Lithuania and throughout Europe. During the trip, the Lithuanian Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture, a delegation of parliament members, the mayor of Telshe and member of the city council, and the head of the Lithuanian National Museum visited the yeshivah building in honor of the historic occasion. The head of the National Museum in Vilna also came to present the talmidim with notebooks and manuscripts of the Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe, some of which were never printed.
Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo is very thankful to Reb Shimon Levinger for initiating the return of the yeshivah building and for arranging the “L’Hashiv Atarah” trip, for the successful production and arrangement of the trip and for his tremendous dedication to returning the yeshivah building.
“They rise up against us to destroy us, Rachmana l’tzlan…Bnei Yeshivos, bnei Torah, must be mechazek themselves, and we are mechazek ourselves by learning Torah and learning Torah some more. There is nothing else.”
Maran Gaon Yisrael, Rav Dov Landau shlita delivered piercing words in the beis medrash, in the wake of the complex situation the yeshivah world finds itself in.
“Our chizuk is learning Torah. Don’t involve yourself in all the pointless goings-on … sit and learn and delve into Torah. There is nothing other than Torah. Only limud Torah and more limud Torah. This is what we have, this is the essence of our life and the essence of our existence.”
Hundreds of talmidim merited to listen to a shiur klali from Gaon Yisrael HaRav Dov Landau shlita who gave a shiur in the beis medrash in Kiryas HaYeshivah on the Yahrzeit of Maran Rosh Yeshivah HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein.
At the end of second seder, Rav Dov Landau shlita was greeted by Rosh Yeshivah HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein shlita, Rosh Yeshivah HaGaon HaRav Chaim Mordechai Ausband shlita, and the Mashgiach HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Yosef Davis shlita. Due to his travels on behalf of the yeshivah, Rabbeinu Rosh HaYeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlita was not able to be there. The bachurim waited excitedly in the beis medrash for the shiur.
Maran HaRav Landau shlita delivered a shiur on the sugya of dresh hamafkid. When he was finished, he gave piercing chizuk regarding the obligation that rests on each and every talmid in light of the difficult situation of the Jewish community, when the enemies of Yisrael are waiting to destroy us and Hashem saves us from their hands.
Maran shlita said, “We are in a very difficult situation. They stand up to destroy us Rachmana litzlan; they don’t want bnei yeshivos, bnei Torah. We must strengthen ourselves, and we must do so through Torah.
“They think up evil things about us and we must have bitachon in Hashem and daven to Him that everything will be okay. We don’t need to busy ourselves with all the silliness they say. We should only sit and learn and think in Torah. Learn more and more. There is nothing other than Torah. Only Torah. Only limud Torah and more limud Torah. This is what we have. This is the essence of our life and our existence.”
Maran shlita concluded his words, “I don’t need to speak at length to yeshivah talmidim who live the Torah, limud Torah, limud Torah and more limud Torah. We will strengthen ourselves in this. They aim to destroy us, but Hashem will help. He will save us from their hands and protect us. Hashem will help us and we will merit all and only good and the geulah…bimheira biyameinu.”
Later on, after the shiur, Maran shlita repeatedly mentioned that “He got a lot of geshmak and enjoyment from the shiur.” He sensed that the bachurim in the yeshivah have a special, exceptional passion for ritcha d’Oraysa.
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After the shiur, one of the talmidim presented him with a letter with a comment on the shiur. Maran shlita enjoyed the question very much and even took the trouble to write an answer to the bachur, something he rarely does.
Thousands of families of avreichim and rabbanim of the Ateres Shlomo network throughout Eretz Yisroel received a unique Ateres Shlomo pre-Yov Tov chalukah this morning.
After weeks of careful planning of the complex logistics, the Yom Tov chalukah took place at fifteen different places throughout the country. Thousands of families were recipients of this unique distribution that the yeshivah runs annually.
Each family of avreichim and rabbanim received a package that included everything a family needs for Yom Tov: a carton of meat, carton of chicken, package of soda and a box of candies and chocolate L’Kavod Yom Tov and for v’samachta b’chagecha.
The meat and chicken were from a mehudar shechitah supervised by the Rabbanim of Yeshivah Ateres Shlomo along with the kashrus of Shearis Yisroel. The chocolate and snacks were also a special run for the distribution of Yeshivah Ateres Shlomo under the supervision of the Rabbanim of the yeshivah and with the Shearis Yisroel hechsher.
The distribution took place in fifteen different areas throughout the country. During the night, more than 4500 Yom Tov packages were transferred to the distribution areas, a project that required complex planning in and of itself. Distributions took place in Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh, Modiin Illit, Beitar Illit, Petach Tikvah, Achisamach, Ofakim, Elad, Telzstone and Charish. There were more than one distribution centers in somef the bigger cities.
The administration of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo and the yeshivah’s “Keren Tomchei Torah,”who spent nights and days over the last few weeks planning the distribution, expressed their satisfaction at the successful completion of the monumental chalukah for the families of avreichim and rabbanim. The operation achieved its goal of enabling the families of ameilim b’Torah to enjoy Yom Tov without worry, as befitting legyono shel Melech! In addition to the annual distribution, close to 1000 alumni of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo in the Kiryas HaYeshivah received a special Yom Tov gift, a 1000 NIS voucher to purchase jewelry at
the Noble jewelry stores as an expression of appreciation for eishes chaver.
