Rare visit to Bnei Brak: On the occasion of Passover, Rabbi Ezra Binyamin Shochat, head of the Or Elchanan-Chabad Yeshiva in Los Angeles, visited one of the most glorious and important Chabad yeshivas in the world.
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Today (D. Dahol HaMoed), the Rosh Yeshiva paid a rare holiday visit to Bnei Brak and was scheduled to mingle with the great leaders of the Lithuanian yeshivas to chant the words of Torah and Aggadah.
The Rosh Yeshiva visited the heads of the Ponivez Yeshiva from Rabbi Erigstein and Rabbi Baruch Dov Poversky, and the heads of the Salvodka Yeshiva Rabbi Lando and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch Shlita. Also intended with Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Landa with Rabbi Bnei Brak.
In the holiday talks that took place out of closeness between the Rosh Yeshiva of Chabad and the heads of the yeshivas from Bnei Brak, they delved deeper into the words of Torah and Halacha regarding Passover.
The great Torah scholars were interested in the Rosh Yeshiva from Chabad about the Torah fortress ‘Or Elchanan’ in Los Angeles and the Ga’a Shochat told about its establishment by the Gaon Rabbi Simcha Wasserman ztl.
Maran Hagrig Edelstein welcomed the guest, and the head of the Or Elchanan Chabad yeshiva spoke about the differences between Maimonides’ methods and the Shulchan Aruch Harav regarding drinking four glasses.
The Ga’a Shochat commented on the source of the differences in their methods, which stems from their general method in other matters. The GRIG admired the commentary and the GRJ Shochat greeted him with longevity and the continuation of the Torah. The Grig has blessed the greatness of the right to multiply Torah.
During his visit to the head of the Salvodka yeshiva, Garad Lando, Garach Shochat spoke about the renewal of Maran Hagariz from Brisk regarding two laws regarding drinking four glasses. Garach Shochat made it difficult for the Gariz to put things on the Maimonides method, while it does not align with the language of Maimonides, and Garad Lando replied that this was indeed a strong question.
The GRD made a novelty on the matter: “If we had sacrificed before Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah” – and explained on the basis of Rashi’s words on the verse “She is not in heaven” which says:
The difficult GRD Lando: Apparently how is it possible to ascend to heaven? But the only time it was possible to do so was at Mount Sinai, on which it is written that God lowered the heavens to the mountain.
The Ga’a Shochat tastes that things receive more clarity according to the well-explained in the Torah of Chassidut that the giving of the Torah acted as a ‘connection of superiors and inferiors’ – that the Torah and mitzvos will be within the world and of human beings, Be connected to God.
The two heads of the yeshivot talked for a long time about the closeness of mind and the depth of Torah.
After a conversation with Rabbi Poversky, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponivez, regarding the division in the question of the four sons as it appears in the Pentateuch and as it appears in the Haggadah, Rabbi Poversky spoke about two occasions when he entered the “units” in the Holy of Holies with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Rebbe spoke to him in the words of Torah and Chassidut, and told of the question he asked the Rebbe about the issue of ‘choice’ in the nations of the world. The Garbad said that in the second “units” he came to consult with Barbie about his mother-in-law’s health matters.
Rabbi Povarsky even longs for the days when his father, the late Rabbi Povarsky, headed the Chabad Yeshiva in Tel Aviv, about 80 years ago, and for his father’s special disciple – the “returning” Gaon Rabbi Yoel Cohen, who passed away in the last year.
Rabbi Poversky told of the return of the ‘returnee’ to him, and of the fact that he showed the ‘returnee’ the picture of his father in his old age and did not recognize it, while when he showed the picture of his father in his younger years the ‘returnee’ replied: ‘This is R. David ( – “This is Rabbi David!”)
During his visit to Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshiva of Salvodka, the Gramma was interested in the yeshiva headed by the glory of Rabbi Shochat and was amazed to hear that in Los Angeles hundreds of young men are working on studying the Torah.
Gershom Hirsch was interested in the order of recitation of the lessons of Gershom Shochat and insisted that the method of study in Chabad is similar to the Lithuanian way of teaching.
The Ga’a Shochat spoke about the accuracy of the laws of Pesach in the Shulchan Harav – whether the beautiful dishes should be placed on the table in order through freedom or a remembrance of freedom.
Gershom Hirsch honored Gershom Shochat and his companions by saying “Lachaim” over wine and the conversation lasted a long time out of closeness and diving into the depths of Torah.