On Tuesday evening, November 26, Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, CEO of Chazaq and Rabbi of Congregation Charm Circle, introduced Rabbi Yaakov May, former menahel of Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe, for Chazaq’s Tuesday Torah Talks virtual program.
Rabbi May spoke about the role of chesed in Jewish education. He shared that he came to Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in 1964 and was a talmid of Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt”l. Rabbi May shared how his rebbeim inspired the talmidim to be marbitz Torah. Rabbi May held many positions in chinuch before becoming the menahel of Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe, where he served for 22 years.
He shared that the Alter of Slabodka defined a rebbi’s mission as raising up the spirit of the broken, to bring life to those who are broken. They need to be built up.
Rabbi May shared that every Jew, no matter who he or she is, needs to be built up. A yeshivah is a chesed organization for its talmidim and parents. You always have to ask about whatever we do for the yeshivah if we are doing chesed.
Rabbeinu Yonah taught that Hashem tells klal Yisrael to look for opportunities to do chesed. Chesed entails working hard. A person has to look for opportunities to help others.
He shared how, during World War II, Rav Yechezkel Abramsky zt”l, head of the London Beth Din, lived in London during the Blitz in London (1940-1941). Despite intense bombing and danger, he made sure the Jewish communal life continued. He encouraged attendance at synagogue services and Torah study. As bombs fell on London, Rabbi Abramsky remained in the city, refusing to abandon his community. After a bomb hit the Beis Din, he climbed up the unstable rubble and kicked in a window to get inside and rescue the copies of gittin in the safe in order to prevent agunos. He was driven by chesed.
Rabbi May emphasized, “Leadership means kindness to be free to help people.”
The Alter of Slabodka taught how Avraham ran to take care of the three presumed idol worshippers who were his guests. He was busboy, waiter, and baker. He did everything with alacrity. He did everything but bring water, which he asked his son to do. It’s amazing to note that he did this chesed on the third day of his bris milah, which is the most painful day. The Alter’s shmooze was that he was more dead than alive if he couldn’t perform chesed. Chesed was his lifeblood, so to speak.
Torah standards for chesed are different from any other system in the world.
The Manchester Rav taught about the midwives in Egypt. The Torah says that they feared G-d. The Torah also says that they allowed the children to live. They couldn’t abandon them. After they saved their lives by not following Pharaoh’s orders, they sustained them with water. Every moment, they put their own lives in danger for these children. The chesed of the Torah is above and beyond. It demands a higher level.
Rabbi Meirov asked Rabbi May to share his message to parents. Rabbi May responded that the school and the parents are partners. The role of the parent is to support the child, while the role of the yeshivah is to educate the child. The child should always feel his parents are there for him.
Rabbi Meirov asked what advice do you have for parents of a child who is on the wild side? Rabbi May responded that Rav Chaim Ozer was a wild child. His rebbi had to teach him while the then young Chaim was climbing a tree.
Rabbi May said that no two children are the same. We have to find out what works for each individual child.
The yeshivah needs the support of the parents. It can only educate children with the parents’ support.
Rabbi May’s final message is to raise up each child. The yeshivah is not just for superstars. We have to be there for every child. He reiterated Rav Yisrael Salanter’s teaching to bring up those who are broken.
By Susie Garber
