"Abir Ha'roim". New book about Hagr"o Yosef

The grandson of Hagr"o Yosef, Harav Yaakov Sasson, recently published a new book about his grandfather. The book contains fascinating revelations about his days of youth and his ways of halachic psika.

Among others, the book contains letters from Gedolei Yisrael to Hagr"o, which are published for the first time. In addition, it contains parts of Mussar and Hashkofa regarding his toil in Torah, letters and articles which are relevant for every day life and actuality, and more.

An interesting question which was brought before Harav Yosef and brought in the book, is particularly relevant to our time: should one start learning the Talmud Yerushalmi after completing the cycle of the Talmud Bavli?

Hagr"o answered that one should not start learning the Yerushalmi – unless the one who completed finished most of the learning of Talmud Bavli in topics which pertain to practical issues (le'maase) and he is fluent in them.

Behadrey Hareidim site presents: a chapter from the new book:

Chapter 3 of "Abir Haroim"

"When the Rav, my elder and master, was about seventeen years old, from the year 5698 (and a bit beforehand), he started teaching Torah in public, in halacha, drush and Mussar, to talmidim who would listen, ba'alei Batim from the holy community of Iranian Jews as well as some Talmidim from Syria (Babylonia), in front of whom he would talk in the Ohel Rachel synagogue (in the Ruchama suburb) on issues of halacha and mussar.

At the start of his ways, it was Hagaon R' Ezra Atiya who encouraged and pushed him to start giving Torah lessons in public, and it was by him that he received smicha as a Posek, together with Hagaon the Rishon Letzion R' Ben Zion Meir Hai Uziel. He was also aided by the Jerusalem Gaon, R' Shimshon Aharon Polonsky, the Rav of Teplik, who stood at his side when founding a Beis Midrash in his suburb, and gave his approval that he should be a public Posek (and I shall talk about him at length later on).

Although there was no such thing in Jerusalem, that a young man will hold a post in a yeshiva to give his psak, in any case these Geonim foresaw well in advance the destiny of their special child, Harav, my elder, that besides his being a great Illuy in Torah, Hashem gave him the power of speech, his words were pleasant and were well accepted by people, to the point that one can actually say the words of R' Yehuda Elhariszi on the Rambam about him, "The Rav who with his spirit can revive the dead, took honey out of bitter and fire out of water". He took simple ba'alei batim who did not know much, and made them well versed in Torah and meticulous in Mitzvos. He did wonders when he instilled in their hearts a feeling of belonging to Limud Hatorah, and would infected them with his great excitement until they became involved in the Torah, as real Talmidei Chachamim. He is the man who raised the yolk of Torah with great devotion, and he did everything for the sake of Heaven, not in order to gain reward.

He was involved in public, for even if most of them were people of standing, some of them were simple folk without much thought, who would disturb him in the middle of an explanation, and say in their stupidity, "Talking is not the main thing, rather deeds", to hint that he should stop his words and tell stories with a moral lesson which suited their low understanding. And he would cover those things pleasantly, and move from the drash to practicality, and say them all in his words, to each according to his ability of understanding.

Therefore, there is no wonder that most of the sons of his Talmidim became Bnei Yeshivos and Talmidei Chachamim. As he himself wrote in the introduction to his book "Chazon Ovadia" on Hilchot Aveilut (part 2), in this wording: "I will thank Hashem greatly and praise Him among many, that in His great mercy I had the merit that the verse "You shall see your world in your life" materialized in me, and those G-d fearing Ba'alei Batim, whom I toiled, cultured and taught Torah, in previous years, when I was the youngest in Israel, and they would seek me day by day, would ask me for the laws of justice, and wish for the closeness of Hashem, for now I see that of their sons and grandchildren, dear Talmidei Chachamim whose Torah is their art have come out, and they serve the public, and among them are important authors in halacha, le'asukei Shma'atata aliba de'hilcheta, and I am overwhelmed with joy".

And he was filled with the spirit of G-d with wisdom

In the wonderful drashos and lessons which he gave during those years, especially when he turned seventeen (out of which only part was printed), he would enthrall his listeners in his complete knowledge of all realms of Torah, full and overflowing with Chumash, Mishna and poskim, in the two Talmudim and all the words of Chazal, the Zohar, Midrashim and small masechtos, in Seder Zraim, Moed, Nashim, Nezikin, Kodshim and Taharot. And with all his knowledge, he was well calculated and organized, and his way was paved in each matter, in sharpness and straight svora (thought). In this way, he became famous in the capital city as a clear Talmid Chacham who is not limited in any topic, and is well versed in all areas of Torah. For different reasons, until now most of his drushim and his chidushim on the Gemora have not been printed, although they were composed in his youth, and only two volumes have been printed.

Besides his knowledge in all part of the oral Torah, from a very young age he was wonderfully versed in the 24 books of Torah, Nevi'im and Ktuvim, and all the commentaries of the writings are engraved on his heart, directed according to the words of our sages in Gemora and Midrashim. Whenever he talks about any issue of the words of the Nevi'im, he immediately explains it according to the commentaries of Chazal, and only afterwards does he bring the commentaries of the Rishonim, Rashi and Ramban and other holy commentators. In his drushim and chidushim on the Tanach which were written in his childhood and youth, he deals in the commentaries of our sages on the Shas and Midrash, every matter in its place. And therefore the commentary of Torah Temima on the Torah is very dear to him, as he is used to read it, since it explains the writings according to the Shas, as known. And what is considered a great effort in the eyes of all, in collecting all the words of Chazal on the Tanach, by Harav my elder and master, this is a simple matter, for all the writings of the Tanach are in his eyes an eye opener to the words of Chazal.

Here is the place to comment, that although the Rav, my elder and master, is like "a pit of paint which does not lose a drop" as one can see his great knowledge in his holy books, in all the words of Chazal and all the books of questions and answers, in a phenomenal way which has almost never been – never the less I say with full confidence, that although no doubt Hashem has given him a great talent especially in his power of memory and diligence, and I have seen all the toil and talent, never the less, he does not rely only on his talent, but the love of Torah which burns in the chambers of his heart, and the burning joy of its learning, is what gave him the merit to reach these heights. For in every matter which is not pertaining to learning of Torah, he does not remember at all, and he is less than a medium person who would at least remember essential details in his life. Not so is Harav, my elder and master, for anything which is not concerning the service of Hashem, is not engraved in his mind.

He himself told me how he would understand Arabic when he was in Egypt, and would know their reading and writing as well, but now he does not remember from this writing almost anything. And even in matters of the language, he has forgotten most of it. I also talked to him numerous times about people who were in touch with him in matters of askanut a few years earlier, and it took him time until he remembered who they are and what their deeds are. But this is not so when one talks of a Rav or of the sages whose answer was printed in an unknown book, then he is fluent in his name and memory.

And Talmud Torah against them all

In the Shiurim which he used to give in those times and until about twenty years ago, especially in his talks, he used to repeat over and over again about the greatness of Torah. For example, if he would talk about the halachot of kibud av va'aim, about one's obligation to honor his father even after his death, including the saying of kadish (whose virtue is known among everyone) he would talk at length and praise the sons who learns Torah, that there is no level higher than that. And so in every single Shiur he would find the connection to these issues. In this way he pleasantly influenced the entire holy audience who came to hear him, that there is nothing greater than Torah, and they sent their sons to the holy Yeshivos and their daughters to the schools of Beis Yaakov.

He himself would make a great effort to help the sons and daughters of his many talmidim enter hareidi schools. He would go and plead with the principals of the Beis Yaakov to accept the daughters of his talmidim to their schools. Normally, his words were accepted and would find paths to the hearts of those who are G-d fearing, but at times the heart of stone was heavy, and they refused to listen to him, as is common in our times. I heard from him that all those girls who were not accepted to schools of Beis Yaakov, became Mechalelei Shabbos be'farhesia, and their sins are due to those principals, "the voice of their blood is shouting from the earth".

There was a story with a Jew who came from Iran, who was a G-d fearing and talented young man, and his older brother was in charge of his livelihood. Since he worked as a builder, he took his younger brother to work with him. When the Rav saw this, he pleaded with the brother of that young man to enable him to learn in Porat Yosef yeshiva, and promised to pay the sum of his learning. Over the years, that bochur became a head of a few yeshivas and disseminated Torah in Israel. In the same way, he worked many other wonders in his sublime ways in good taste and mercy, and he himself spent much money to finance the studies of the sons of widows. He is the one who "builds Jerusalem in mercy", who built the Sephardi Torah world from the sons of Jerusalem.

In this way he continued throughout the years, with giving fixed Shiurim and with great diligence in Torah and Avodah by day and night, wonder of wonders. He would "jump over the mountains" for a few nights in every week he almost did not sleep because he was busy learning, as is his custom until today.

I remember when he travelled during the month of Elul from town to town to bring the word of Hashem, he thereby missed out on his fixed hours of learning, and my grandmother the Rebbetzin a"h used to tell that he makes up for his learning during the nights. This was his custom throughout the time that he served as the Chief Rabbi of Israel, that he was very busy with public matters, being the president of the Supreme Beis Din, and a posek for the entire nation, and dealing honestly in public affairs, and busy with a machlokes which came upon him unwillingly. With all that, he composed a few very precious books, and completed his learning during the days and nights with great diligence, and would pain himself not to go to sleep, although he was extremely tired from the yolk of the public.

I heard about a certain (Ashkenazi) Rosh Yeshiva, a Gaon in Torah and G-d fearing, who once saw Talmidei Chachamim who made up lies against Harav, my elder and master – he rebuked them and said: Do you know who this Rav is that you should talk slander against him? Let me tell you who he is. When he was the Rav of Tel Aviv, I lived in Tel Aviv too. One night, close to Rosh Hashana 5734, a power failure occurred in all the houses in our neighborhood. When I came back from the Beis Midrash to my home at 11 o'clock at night, I went by foot through Rothschild blvd., and there I see the Rav sitting and learning Gemora under a street lamp. I thought that he had to study something in depth, and therefore he went to look in a lit up place. But so great was my amazement, when I got up early to say Slichos before dawn, I still saw him standing in the same place learning Torah, not noticing what was happening around him. And if so, why did you not fear to talk against him?"

When he was preparing his book "Questions and Answers Yabi'a Omer part 8" in 5755, he was very busy proofreading the book and organizing it. One of his Talmidim, Harav Hagaon Gad Yazdi shlit"a came in to him and saw him very tired. The Rav said to him, "How much does one have to tire himself to organize a book, I have already passed three nights without sleep this week." This was on a Wednesday, and he did not sleep, only a little at lunch time. He also told him, that when he prepared the book "Taharat Habayit" for print, he took more pains to organize it. So was his custom always, to labor at the gates of Torah unceasingly, with a great aspiration to rise and uplift himself all his days, out of love of Torah and fear of Heaven. And since all his acquaintances knew the greatness of his diligence and that he practices what he preaches, therefore the great love was aroused among the rest of Torah pursuers who knew him, and they too added to their diligence in Torah more and more, and sent their sons to the holy Yeshivos, so that their offspring will be a blessed generation.

In the Gemora, masechet Yoma (86a) it says in the issue of one who transgressed kritos and mitos Beis Din, that Tshuva and Yom Kippur postpone, and suffering cleanses. The words of the Rav, my elder and master (in Drush 5 for Shabbos Shuva) are well known, that one who deals in Torah, is totally forgiven, even without suffering. As it says "Bechesed ve'emet yechupar avon". And one of the Segulos of the Torah is that it is an atonement for sin in itself. See inside. [And as was ruled in the Beis din shel Mata, so it is ruled in Beis Din shel Mala, as Hagaon Bnei Yisachar wrote (month of Tishrei article 4, Halacha 4 in the above said drush) regarding Hagaon Chida in a similar matter]. And when he talked in front of his Talmidim during Aseret Yemei Tshuva he added that since a person who only thinks of Torah, removes sleep from his eyes at nights, and because of his tiredness his eyes close, and he makes an effort and does all types of tricks to stay awake to learn Torah, there is no greater suffering that that, and that atones for all his sins. When he told so and showed how his own eyes close as an example, we knew how many nights he would strain himself so as not to lie down to sleep, and would force himself not to fall asleep for days and nights. He fulfilled in himself the saying of R' Yochanan – there is no joy of Torah, only at night, as it says: "Get up and rejoice at night". And the saying of Rish Lakish, during the day and night, as it says – "and you shall study it by day and night". In this way he had the merit of the crown of Torah. He is used to say the words of the Rambam (3rd chapter of Hilchos Talmud Torah), "A person does not learn most of his wisdom, only during the night, therefore one who wishes to merit the crown of Torah should be careful with all his nights and not lose out even one of them in sleeping and eating and drinking and talking and the like, only with learning Torah and words of wisdom".

From way back and until this day he does not normally learn, only out of love and fear, and his Torah is with joy and tranquility, and he enjoys it. Normally when he would sit and learn (especially before his old age), he would sit on the verge of his seat, bent over his books, and delve totally into his study, and while he would review the words of the poskim, he would read out loud what his lips would mumble. (It is known what was said in the Midrash (Parshas Nitzavim) that "it is life to its finders", to one who takes it out of his mouth, a story with a Talmid of R' Eliezer ben Yaakov, who would think of his entire study in one hour. Once, he fell ill and forgot all his study. What caused it? The fact that he would not say it by mouth. R' Eliezer prayed for him and his knowledge returned.

How many times did I see him sitting and learning, and because of his tiredness and weakness he almost fell asleep, and immediately woke himself up by rocking his body and sitting up straight to continue learning with diligence. And who knows what he does while he sleeps, I have seen with my own eyes many times, when sleep overtook him while he was learning, since he went to sleep at a very late hour the previous night, immediately upon waking, he continued to study the exact point at which he was beforehand. And at times he was in the midst of a whole array, and from the line in which he was beforehand, he continued in one stroke. This issue was a great wonder in my eyes - strands of sleep were still on his eyes, and he is already delving completely into the issue with which he dealt before. The Talmidim who are acquainted with him can testify that this is so, as it says "When you walk, it will lead you, when you lie down it will guard you, and when you wake up it will be your talk".

His way has always been so, that every nice and acceptable thing he would bring closer, while something which stems from a limited thought, he would remove. When he was still in the Porat Yosef Yeshiva, he took off on a tangent from the accepted way of limud there, and decided that one has to study the other commentators which it was not customary to study at the yeshiva, as I have mentioned in the past. Hagaon Harav Ezra allowed him to deal in Limud as he wished. The same was with other issues of behavior, he would study and inquire into every way which he would come across, with open mindedness and clarity of thought.

An example of this, is regarding the machlokes of the mekubalim with the poskim, there are those who instruct according to the words of the mekubalim against the words of the poskim, and he rejected this idea as is known, although many of the Rabbonim of his ethnic group held onto it with all their might. Regarding the elections to the Knesset, he moved away from the way of most of the sages of Porat Yosef who would refrain from the elections, and instructed that it is a Mitzva and holy obligation to take part in the elections. That being after he talked about it with the Sephardi Geonim who were opposed to the elections, among them R' Tzadka Huzin and R' Yaakov Muzafi zl"h and others. Indeed, there were others of the alumni of the yeshiva who agreed with him regarding taking part in the elections, but those were mostly those who became close to the Mizrahi movement, which my elder and master opposed with all his might.

I shall now talk a little at length about the storm of the machlokes which occurred in those days over the residents of Jerusalem, when the community split, and some of Gedolei Hador did not recognize at all the authority of the national institutions (the state had not yet been founded), and especially they greatly opposed the institutions of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. At first, they talked against the Chief Rabbi of Israel the Ray"h Kook z"l, and against the Rishon Letzion R' Yaakov Meir z"l. Afterwards they started opposing the Rabbonim R' Yitzchak Eizik Halevi Herzog, the chief Rabbi of Israel, and R' Ben Zion Meir Hai Uziel, the Rishon Letzion. Later on there were few who had the great cheek to shame the angel of Hashem, Gaon Yisrael Vetifarto, Maran R' Zvi Pesach Frank z"l, the Rav of Yerushalayim (who was one of those who believed in the greatness of Hara"y Kook z"l) and others. At the head of the conflict and denouncement of Talmidei Chachamim which took place, stood some of the Neturei Karta, who always ridicule those Talmidei Chachamim who do not think like them. And about those (those who were active in 5702) the Rav, my elder and master, said that even if their intention is wanted, their actions are unwanted, and the title "Neturei Karta" does not suit them. The masses of simple folk were drawn after them, and especially many of the Syrian Jews, both from the Talmidei Chachamim and the simple folk, who would greatly disdain those talmidei Chachamim and would rely on a few Geonim who would justify their actions. Among the regular Talmidim of the Rav, my elder and master, were also quite a few who would talk insolently against those Geonim.

The Rav, my elder and master, although his view was different from the view of a few of the mentioned Rabbonim regarding a few issues, in any case agreed with the view of Gedolim who supported founding the institutions of the Chief Rabbinate, and like him thought most if not all the Geonim of Porat Yosef, even if they stood aside helplessly next to the Agudas Yisrael movement (after the founding of the state), they still supported the institution of the rabbinate. Hagaon R' Yaakov Ades z"l, who was one of the pillars of the yeshiva, was even appointed later to sit in the Great Beis din of the Rabbinate. And generally, most of the Rabbonim of Jerusalem supported the Rabbinate institution, and saw in it a single anchor to save the Yichus of Jews, and therefore the Rav was not pleased with the words of those who disdained the Rabbinate and its heads.

To say the truth, the simple folk and youngsters of the Sephardim who lived in Yerushalayim, did not take part at all in the conflicts regarding the Rabbinate institution, and those of them who were recruited to one of the sides, normally it was only as a tool for them. All the conceptual conflict which stirred the diaspora, whether the return to Zion in our times is the atchalta de'geula or not, did not touch or harm at all according to the way of thought of the Sephardim, for whom the return to Zion was a return to the Holy Land, the joy of our lives. The actions of the secular Zionists were for them like all the actions of the governments overseas, that if they benefitted our nation according to the Torah, they gave praise to Hakadosh Baruch Hu about it, and if they did bad, they knew that their actions stem from their evil and hatred to those who are religious. Why should they get involved in issues of outlooks, Messianic movement or Kanous, to decide on issues which cannot be decided (and we have no Nafka Mina in them).

Only the great Rabbonim would talk from time to time about these issues. Harav, my elder and master, commented on one occasion, that he is sorry about the fact that the Rabbonim of Porat Yosef did not extend the talk more on issues of Hashkofa, for if they would have done so, one can assume that some of the Talmidim of the Yeshiva would have not supported the Mizrahi movement and its followers.

Harav, although he is of the idea that in founding the state there is no hint to "atchalta de'geula", in any case he gives praise to Hashem Yisbarach for saving the Jewish nation and for giving us the opportunity to sit peacefully in our land, in a way that our forefathers who sat in the diaspora did not imagine that could materialize. He is used to say, that if during the British Mandate Jewish blood spilled like water, and the hypocrisy of the rulers and harming the rights of Jews were beyond all borders, to the point that they limited our steps in the streets, then with the removal of their reign and when the storm died, we should give thanks to Hashem for not removing His mercy from our nation.

By the way I will mention what our relative, Harav Hagaon R' Mordechai Eliyahu z"l told the Rav my elder and master, that when he wanted to be appointed as Dayan in Be'er Sheva, he went up to the home of Hagaon Harav of Brisk to take his advice if he could join the institutions of the Rabbinate (for at first R' Mordechai was one of the Kannoim). Hagaon from Brisk is known for totally banning any issue of the chief rabbinate, and did not allow his foot to step on the threshold of Heichal Shlomo. Therefore it seemed very possible in the eyes of R' Mordechai that Harav of Brisk would instruct him to give a negative answer to this post. He was so surprised when the Rav told him that he is permitted to be a Dayan in the rabbinate, "You are Sephardi, and the whole conflict in Heichal Shlomo does not pertain to you Sephardim at all".

In any case, and without anything to do with the support of the Rav to the rabbinate institution, he was very angry that the issur of ridiculing Talmidei chachamim became so lax in the eyes of those who opposed the rabbinate, especially since he toiled with all his might to increase the value of those who learn Torah among his Talmidim, and now by a light conversation with words of nonsense against Gedolei Hador, the honor of Torah went down by thousands of levels. Therefore he would warn his Talmidim over and over again, that they should not G-d forbid get involved in these controversies, and would talk to them about the lowliness of one who disdains Talmidei Chachamim, who has no part to the World to Come, and there is no cure for his injury. As a result, most of his Talmidim were careful not to talk against Talmidei Chachamim any longer.

All that was until one Ashkenazi Rav (because of his honor, I shall not mention his name) who was used to give a lesson to those Talmidim as well, cursed and spoke against Talmidei Chachamim, Gedolei Olam, who are for the institute of the Rabbinate. His words made a strong impression on the Talmidim, to rage a war against Hagra"y Herzog and his supporters. This came to a climax when one of the Rabbonim Hatzadikim of the Syrian community in Jerusalem, brought out a booklet called "Mekitz Nirdamim" dealing with mussar and awakening about the faults of the generation, and in it (on page 54) he published words of denouncement against Hagaon R' Y.A. Halevi Herzog, and named him "doctor" and accused him of things which cannot be printed. Because of the dissemination of these things by a great and famous Rav, it became permissible to talk against Harav Herzog z"l, and against other Geonim. The secular Jews who opposed religion, were glad to see how the Rabbonim are fighting each other, and rejoiced the shame of Torah, to say "whores are fighting with each other, all the more so Talmidei Chachamim" (Shabbos 34a, see there. And I myself saw things of the like which were written by one of the Maskilim in those times, whose words were brought in a certain book).

Therefore, when Harav my elder and master heard of this, he became very angry, and he pulled his strength together during the Drosha on Shabbos Shuva 5703, when a big audience sat in front of him, torches came out of his mouth denouncing those who say such things, he spoke at great length about the issue of Machlokes, and in his words he said that even if we assume that the halacha is not like those Geonim who believe in founding the rabbinate and participating in the institutions which were founded by the secular, and they are very mistaken, in any case chas veshalom to judge someone who sinned unintentionally (beshogeg) like one who sinned intentionally (bemezid), for they are great Rabbonim and Tzadikim, who even if they were mistaken in their views G-d forbid, how do we have the insolence to talk against them. And so he spoke at length about this issue, and did not calm down until he said in wording of a vow: "The G-d! If I hear about any one of the Talmidim who stands here, that he talks against the Chief Rabbi, I will hit him a hundred smacks with a strap, and you should know, that I am not prepared to teach him Torah and halacha, to be throwing a stone to a Markolis (idol)." Obviously the words of the Rav who came out of an excited heart, made a huge impression on the entire audience, and immediately most of them left this big sin, and since then talking against Talmidei Chachamim became despicable in their eyes and the eyes of their sons, like talking of Avoda Zara (idol worship).

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!