For Your Inspiration
The Gedolim Speak
For Your InspirationRav Dovid Schustal, Shlit"a
Today's gedolim encourage full-time yeshiva students to actively participate in kiruv efforts. Have they deviated from their predecessors?
At the Partners in Torah gathering in Los Angeles, Rav Dovid Schustal clarified an important point, asked by many potential mentors. Is there a chidush, a change, in the mehalech of the gedolei hador regarding kiruv? Sixty years ago, Rav Ahron Kotler, the Chazon lsh, and the Brisker Rav taught Bnei Torah that focusing on their own limud haTorah is the most potent form of kiruv, and by essence; brings the kedushas HaTorah to the world.
Yet in today's generation, Rav Shach spearheaded the efforts of Lev L'achim and called upon Bnei Torah to devote some spare time toward knocking on doors and enrolling secular children into yeshivos. Today Rav Aron Leib Shteinman is strongly reinforcing that message. What has changed? "In fact," explained the Rosh Yeshiva, "nothing has changed. The legacy of limud HaTorah is continuous. Yet we are witnessing what the Rambam explains in Hilchos-teshuvah... how Klal Yisroel will only be redeemed from golus when they do teshuvah, at the end of days. Nowadays, there is an outpouring of kedusha, u'mol Hashem es livovcho, and we are witnessing a tremendous resurgence toward a Torah lifestyle. Thus, upon the direct p'sak of the gedolei hador, today's Ben Torah is obligated to reach out and draw other neshamos closer to a Torah lifestyle, by learning b'chavrusa, at least one hour a week.
"When the kedushash and the loftiness of the d'var Hashem are absorbed in the Yiddishe neshama, it creates a powerful impact. It's only a matter of time before they will return to a Torah lifestyle. Hakodosh Boruch Hu is waiting impatiently for their return." The Rosh Yeshiva's statements were a powerful testament to the impact of Partners in Torah. "The primary method of bringing them back to teshuvah in our time is through the study of Torah with others. Who, if not for Bnei Torah, should be involved in today's seder hateshuvah? This is the chidush of the gedolei haTorah, who urged Bnei Torah to share an hour of their time to learn together and take part in this monumental achrayus."
The Rosh Yeshiva's words were underscored by a powerful disclosure. Rav Dovid announced that he too was a partner in Torah and spends an hour a week learning with a cousin whose family had gone off the derech. Today, Boruch Hashem, this individual is fully shomer Torah Umitzvos - "directly as a result of these one-hour weekly discussions which opened his heart and made him ready for more."
Click here to listen to a 5 minute audio clip of Rav Schustal, Shlit"a
To hear Rav Schustal's address in its entirety, click here
Copyright info: (printed in the Yated, Dec. 5, 2003)
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