[Avodah] Moving words by Rav Michoel Ber Weissmandl zt'l

[SBA]

This week I received a shipment of 2 seforim by/about the late hero of the
Holocaust Hagaon Hatzadik Reb Michoel Ber Weissmandl ZT"L, Rosh Yeshivas
Nitra, the author of Min Hameitzar.

The publisher/compiler of both sforim is his young grandson Reb Chaim Elyeh
Weissmandl - a marbitz Torah in Monsey.

The first, "Ish Chamudos" is a comprehensive biography of RMBW's life and
times as well as many, many interesting and amazing anecdotes, divrei Torah
and mussar and more. There is something interesting and repeatable an almost
every single page. Very highly recommended.

The 2nd, "Lechem Chamudos" is a collection of RMBW's Torah, hashkafa and
mussar, droshos according to the Parshiyos, Tefila and Moadim. It includes
many of his Torah Codes (and the publisher dissociates him from the new
computer-generated Codes, ayin shom.

We have been discussing the frum community and Holocaust etc recently. 
Those who know we recall that despite his amazing achievements in delaying
the deportation of Czech Jews for a long time and all his other heroic
efforts on behalf of Klall Yisroel, the inaction of others to do more broke
his heart - and he died  in 1958 - when only in his 50s.

Here I bekitzur translate and post 2 pieces from Lechem Chamudos which has
some relevance. (I think I may have mentioned part of this at an earlier
occasion):

Rav Yonah Forst zt'l, another unique personality associated with the Nitra
Yeshiva in Mt Kisco, is quoted having heard from RMBW to explain why,
despite the fact that the Nazi horrors began in Germany and from where it
spread all over, more German Jews were able to get out of the country and
save their lives per capita than Jes in most other places. 
And even more amazing is that many of them saved much of their wealth -
unlike the other Yidden in the other countries where everything was looted
by the Nazis and their non-Jewish neighbours.

He suggested that this may have been because German Jews were far more
makpid to deal with non-Jews honestly and with yashrus - thus the money they
made was truly 'theirs' and no part of it belonged to goyim.

But it other parts of Easter Europe, where the poverty was rampant, many
allowed themselves to deal not so correctly with the goyim - with excuses of
taus Akum etc, thus when the bitter times arrived much of their fortune
'returned' to its "rightful" owners.. 

Reb Yoneh used this comment of RMB, to explain the Magen Avrohom that says
re Arba Minim that 'velokachtem lochem' - "Lochem" means it must be
completely yours and not via Taus or Gezel Akum. Even if we say that taus
Akum is muttar - it still isn't considered 'lochem' = yours because one day
may be taken from you and returned to its rightful owner..

Another heart-rending pshat in the sefer on 'Ve'ishei Yisroel usfilosom
be'ahavo sekabel berotzon'.

(There are various pshotim on what is meant by 've'ishei yisroel' - see
Tosfos Menochos 110.)

RMBW said that in post-Holocaust days he thought of a new pshat for "Ishei
Yisroel".

"What were the tens of thousands of our kedoshim thinking and praying
moments before being thrown into the ovens? 
They nebach knew very well that there is nothing left of any of their
gashmiyos possessions. Everything had been looted, their homes destroyed and
also knew that their families were suffereing a similar fate." 

Thus, says RMB, their thoughts would have been on matters ruchniyos. 
Eg, a rebbe who had previously learned with talmidim, may have had as his
last Tefilla: "RBSO, I worked hard to educate good talmidim bederech
hamesorah. However I wan't zocheh to continue doing this and see them grow
up to be good erlich Jews. I am now on my way to Olam Habo. Please, Hashem,
You look after them and ensure that they continue bederech Torah and Yiras
Shomayim.

In another corner of the ovens is a woman, who in the last moments before
she was deported - handed over her young child to a Goyish neighbor, hoping
that she will return and retrieve the child and bring him/her up as a
erlicher Yid. 
Now that she understands that she is on the death's doorstep and she will
never see that son again, her tefilla to Hashem was, "RBSO who will inform
my child that he is a Jew? You have promised 'ki lo yidach mimeno nidach'.
Please keep your promise and create the circumstances that he returns to his
Jewish source."  And so forth were the tefilos of our Kedoshim.

And this is his pshat - that we ask Hashem 'Ve'Ishei Ysroel" [the Neshomos
of the tzadikim that were burned in the fires of the ovens], 'usefilosom'
[and the tefilos of these korbonos, that they davvened to you as above],
'be'ahava sekable berotzon' [you should fulfill their final requests for
their talmidim and children...]

Classic reb Michoel Ber words. Zechuso yogen oleinu.

[The publishers tel no is 1-845425 5379] 

SBA