R' Aharon Leib Steinman: "I never had kpeida on anyone"

The big loss, with the demise of Hagaon Rabbi Asher Zelig Rubenstein zt"l, Rosh Yeshivas Toras Simcha, continues to make waves in the yeshiva world. The fact that he died suddenly due to cardiac arrest, only compounds the tragedy.

One member of the family of Hgra"z, who is one of the supporters of the Netzach party and stood at the forefront of the movement, was active and even dared to lash out at the Degel Torah leaders during their gatherings, came a few days ago, even before the disaster occurred, to the residence of Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman to ask his forgiveness for daring to speak ill of R' Aharon Leib.

The response of R' Aharon Leib, which was said with a smile, surprised the avrech: "I never," testified R' Aharon Leib, "had a kpeida on any single person. And to validate and strengthen it, I am used to say every night before krias shema al hamita, "Ribono shel olam, I forgive anyone who angered or antagonized me."

Meanwhile, in the last days the letter of an avrech, resident of Kiryat Sefer, who worked for the party in question during the last elections, was published. The avrech posted a notice on his own accord at the 'Beis Yitzhak' shull, which said that before the elections –his father-in-law called him and asked that he would not join the ranks of the movement, after the letters of Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman and Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky who expressed themselves acutely against those committed to 'Netzach'. The avrech admits that he too saw the letter from R' Chaim - but decided to ignore it.

"The reality set in, and some of the members of our headquarters were punished," said the avrech, "one had a sick son born, the other – his married daughter came back home, and these are famous things. Unfortunately, by us too, one of the family fell ill with the terrible disease G-d forbid. I immediately went to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky in Bnei Brak and asked crying and begging for forgiveness for having disgraced a talmid chochom, although it is not of the minor offenses." He does not reveal, who is the family member who became ill until the end of the letter.

During the notice, he tells briefly the sequence of events, mentions the Chedera Yeshiva affair, adds some touch and interpretation to it, and even says: "And even that Gaon from Chereda, who belittles divrei chachomim, does not see nachas from his sons and one of his only two sons went astray."

Finally the author of the ad reveals the name and nature of the sick family member, and seals the letter, stating: "I am writing in pain and tears and maybe these things will outweigh the sins above. And I ask all members of the public to pray for my son David Ben Adina for complete recovery and the good Hashem will atone."

The response of Bnei Torah movement in Modi'in Illit: "The avrech's letter - published by e-mail and not in shulls, was published under a pseudonym, and the other names written in that letter are all pseudonyms, and of course, the whole story does not exist. It is extremely unfortunate that there are factors who make up fictitious stories, that never occurred, and disgrace themselves first and foremost, but probably that is the last choice because they not digest the victory of the Bnei Torah movement in the elections despite the scare campaign and a series of conferences they conducted. The fictitious stories and fantasies do not add dignity to the movement of Degel HaTorah and its heads.

"Since their way is not our way, we will not be dragged and also publish the disasters that occurred in Degel HaTorah supporters, because we respect the other side and do not belittle rabbis who instructed to vote for other parties. The voters of Zach - Bnei Torah do not need reinforcement because the head of the party is Hgr"s Aerbach who blessed all the voters with everything of the best"

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!