HaRav Don Segal Burst Into Tears: “The Steipler Wanted To Cancel Bein HaZemanim”
In light of the numerous disasters that have befallen the Chareidi sector during Bein HaZemanim, HaMashgiach HaTaddik HaRav Don Segal spoke words of chizuk this week.
Speaking in a broken and tear-filled voice, HaRav Segal said: “Our hearts are broken, every eye tears and every soul is rent about the great trials that have befallen us during these days. It’s already known what the Rambam said, that if chas v’chalilah we don’t wake up from the tzaros that befall Yisrael and instead relate to them as coincidences, chas v’chalilah, on this it says: ‘ואם תלכו עמי בקרי והלכתי עמכם בחמת קרי’ [If my nation treats it as happenstance, I will treat you with a fury of happenstance.], rachmana litzlan.”
“It pains that I’m saying this and I know that I’m not worthy to say this but at a time when it’s a matter of pikuach nefesh for Klal Yisrael, the weak will say I’m strong,” HaRav Segal said.
“It is known that the Gemara says in Taanis (31): ‘Tanya, Rebbe Eliezer HaGadol says, from the 15th of Av and onwards, the koach of the sun is weakened, and no trees were cut for the wood for the mizbeach, since they wouldn’t dry. Rav Menashya said: ‘וקרו ליה יום תבר מגל’ [They call it the day that the sickle was broken]. From now onwards, the one who increases[his limmud Torah], [his days] will be increased, and the one who doesn’t increase will be ‘gathered,’ i.e. will die.'”
“‘Rav Yosef quotes a beraisa, ‘What is ‘will be gathered’? Rav Yosef says: ‘His mother will bury him.’ And Rashi explains – ‘from here and onwards – from the 15th of Av and onwards – he who add nights to days to be oisek b’Torah, the days of his life will be increased. And the one who doesn’t increase – to be oisek b’Torah during the nights – his mother will bury him, i.e, he will die before his time.’ So it’s explained that davka, one who adds limmud Torah during these days will add to his life, and if chalilah, he doesn’t increase limmud Torah during these days – when they stopped cutting wood for the mizbeach and increased limmud Torah – his life will be taken and his mother will bury him, rachmana latzlan.”
“And the fact of the matter is that it’s seen from the sources in Chazal that davka during these days, the obligation is to add to the study of Torah and not chas v’chalilah the opposite. Moreover, if we close the yeshivos hakedoshos, apart from the etzem of the bittul Torah of the matter, but then chas v’chalilah, it appears as if we don’t believe in the these divrei Chazal, as it specifically says that he who doesn’t increase his limmud will be ‘gathered’ and his mother will bury him. And if an individual does this, the matter concerns him, but if it’s the entire public, it’s kaviyachol like we don’t believe these words of Chazal, and it’s terrible to contemplate.”
“Unfortunately tzaros occur every Bein HaZemanin. I remember once that they shelled the city of Haifa. The residents were in danger and many wanted to flee the city. I was by HaGaon HaRav Shteinman, z’tl, and he immediately said: ‘It’s pashut to me that in another week, this will pass…’ Everyone who heard this didn’t understand, it seemed to them as these were words of nevuah since at that point it seemed apparent that there would be a terrible war that wouldn’t end so quickly. People asked HaRav Shteinman, z’tl: ‘On what basis are you saying this?’ He answered b’pashtus that ‘the bochurim are returning to the yeshivos at the end of the week and the zechus of Torah will lead to the end of the war’ – and that’s what happened.”
“I’ll tell you a story. I once went to the Steipler, z’tl, and I asked him – how can it be that all the precious bochurim are taken from the yeshivos during Bein HaZemanim of Av straight to the city streets where pritzus proliferates during the summer days? How can it be that the young souls who are oseik all year in the kiyum of the world are destroyed?”
“The Steipler said to me and I quote almost word for word: ‘To me, it’s a terrible thing because it’s like they’re removing the heart of the zeman. If they would learn from after Pesach until HaYom HaKodesh and even continuously, it would be gevaldig but removing these weeks in the middle is like taking out the heart of the entire zeman.’ He also added: ‘And don’t think that this Bein Hazemanim in Av is done l’Shem Shaymayim, it’s done because the Chassidish bochurim who were in yeshivos began assisting their Rebbes in Elul… and then the number of bnei hayeshivos dwindled quite a bit. And the financial situation in yeshivos was unbearably difficult and they decided that if many bochurim are traveling anyway, then they’ll make it into Bein Hazemanim. But they regretted it and said – how is it possible that Chodesh Eul, when everyone needs to prepare properly for the Yamim Noraim will be turned in to Bein Hazemanim?! And then they decided that it’s not shayach to turn these days into Bein HaZemanim. But due to the financial situation, they decided to turn the three weeks after Tisha B’Av until Elul into Bein Hazemanim instead of the month of Eul.’ And he added another detail: ‘Maybe they wanted the Roshei Yeshivos to rest a bit… and that’s how Bein Hazemanin began not l’shem Shamayim.'”
“I asked him, what’s there to do, to change it!?” The Steipler told me that I should go to HaRav Shach, zt’l, and ask him to cancel Bein HaZemanim.
“I did as he instructed and went to HaRav Shach and told him what the Steipler said. HaRav Shach answered me: “I can’t cancel it only at Ponevezh, it won’t work. All the yeshivos need to join.’ He asked me to go to HaGaon HaRav Abramsky, z’tl to pass a resolution for a kinus of the Vaad HaYeshivos and we’ll convene and make a decision. HaRav Abramsky, z’tl, was then in Yeshivas Slabodka and I went to him. He was so weak that I barely recognized him. I told him about the matter and he answered me in Yiddish: ‘You’re’ right but I don’t have enough koach to even say one word. Ask the Steipler to daven for me.’ I went back to the Steipler and I told him everything that happened.”
“When I stood up to leave, the Steipler told me: ‘You shouldn’t be discouraged that it didn’t come to fruition. You did it l’sheimm Shamayim and you’ll get sechar in Shamayim even if it didn’t come to fruition.’ That’s how the matter ended.”
“From here I saw that the ‘foundations’ of Bein HaZemanim isn’t davka from the ‘holy mountains’. And therefore after our Chachamim revealed to us that these are days that we need to increase limmud Torah, and chas v’chalilah, someone who doesn’t add Torah, his life is lost and his mother buries him, how much are we obligated to at least be mechazeik in this matter and increase our limmud Torah during these days.”
“I don’t know if it’s permissible to say this in public but chas v’chalilah that it shouldn’t be said about us that we don’t believe b’emunah sheleimah in the words of the chachamim. And therefore chizzuk is necessary in the matter, to increase limmud Torah during Bein HaZemanim, each person according to his ability. We need the Torah and the zechuyos.”
