Article Zalman-Simcha Levine about Rawa Ben Tzion Zilber

Article Zalman-Simcha Levine about Rawa Ben Tzion Zilber

Rav Ben Tzion Zilber

In the book of memoirs "... That you have remained the Jew" Rabbi Yitzchak Zilber (of blessed memory of the righteous!) Talks about her wedding, which took place in 1945, the fourteenth of Elul. She was poor, but the chupa, as expected, set in the open air on the street, and the men are told p. Yitzhak us, his disciples, it was exactly a minyan. But among them was Rabbi of the city of Kuibyshev Shteynmarder, Rabbi Yehoshua, Yehuda Leib Meirovich from Lithuania and a former member of the Latvian Seim Rabbi Mordechai Dubin, who was Shadkhan young Rabbi Yitzhak.

"I still remember it, Reb Mordechai Dubin at this wedding. He cited the famous words of the Talmud:

- It was a traveler in the desert, and his journey was difficult. But here he came across a fruit tree. It is worth it in the pure spring, and the fruits of his refreshing. Traveler ate fruits, drank water, and refers to the tree: "Tree-tree, which give you a blessing? You to grow in the water - and so you grow up in the water. The fruits were good - they are so good. I'll give you a blessing to all that grows on you, it was like you. "

This is equal to me and wished: good children, true faith of the fathers. What do you think? In my opinion, it has come true. "

And this can be quite agree. What could be greater than this award for the parents! And Rabbi Yitzchak received her law. His children - a son and daughter Sarah Benzion, Hawa and Malka - became his reliable support on the difficult and glorious path of life, for them - a reflection of his righteous soul and kind heart.

By nature and occupation for two decades p. Isaac was a teacher, spiritual guide. He devoted himself to the approach to the Torah of Israel Russian-speaking population, and not only him. He led the conversation about the Torah in any situation and with any people - even getting into a taxi, he began to tell the driver about the content of the next week's chapter. His house was always open to people, and it happened that his wife could put the Shabbat candles in just a few minutes before the start of the Sabbath - on the table circumcision. And how many "Russian" it helped women in obtaining Geth (movable certificates) and the device in its fate. Personally I went on a long trip, searching for missing husbands all over the world ...

This sense of responsibility and willingness to come to the aid of a Jew, wherever he may be, Rabbi Yitzchak also passed svom children as a family tradition.

The bearer of these traditions teaching, spiritual guidance is, in my opinion, his son, Rabbi Ben Tzion Zilber, who after the death of his father took over the duties of the spiritual leader of the organization "Toldos Yeshurun", dedicated to religious education of Russian Jewry.

This activity was prepared by his entire previous life.

In five years, under the guidance of his father, he has taught the Torah and prayed. And pray! R. Yitzhak recalls in 30s Kuibyshevsky one Jew "joke", referring to the test on p. Zilber: "Well, Benjamin, when you begin to eat pork?" He did not believe that will someday people loyal to the Torah. "Many years later, the man came to Kazan and came to us to see his Gita [wife p. Yitzhak]. Our Bencik was then five years old. He ran into the room and stood in a corner and began to pray. The man could not believe he was teasing his grandfather, whether it is time, they say, there trefnoe and end the nonsense, and here's grandson, the little boy prays thoughtful, heart. And the visitor said, "This is such grandchildren, I want to be!" So, I have changed. "

In Kazan, Rabbi Yitzchak Benzion took with him a secret beit midrash, and the boy listened as people understand the different Talmudic questions. And on Saturdays they went to pray in a minyan. Benzion studied in parallel in ordinary Soviet school (he was taken immediately to the third grade), where he was forced to hide their religion, but on Saturday he and other children p. Zilber, did not attend school.

In 1960, Rabbi Isaac and his wife were fired from their jobs (in 1941 he worked as a teacher at the school), and organized a demonstration meeting, which demanded that he renounce faith in Gd, threatening otherwise to take away the children. Break his government have failed, but after meeting him received a summons to appear before the KGB. "... something like - thought p. Yitzhak. - Sign-then I can, and come out - do not know. "

So how can that be? Run?

Remember the wife says:

- Where did you run away? You still get caught. After all, can declare a nationwide wanted list.

Children, of course, know our affairs, and a small Benzion suddenly blurted out: "Papa, run away!"

And p. Yitzchak secretly fled to Tashkent, where he worked hard, and where then able to call his family.

Here, in Tashkent, there was the spiritual formation of young Benzion. He, like his sisters, according to Rabbi Yitzchak, "there was a Jewish environment Jewish friends, and it was especially important." "We grew up in a unique feeling that to be religious Jews - happily and freely, - says sister p. Benzion Hawa. - It was especially fun after Awdal, separating public holiday from everyday life ,, on Saturday night: Dad undertaken more games with us, began to dance with Benzion, he told us, "series" of Jewish history to the continuation. "

Once Benzion became ill and his father, struggling to get the money for the ticket, I sent him to a sanatorium. At fourteen, torn from home and familiar environment, the only Jew in the sanatorium, he broke down and for four or five months, that was there, and he managed to pray (tefillin hid in the woods in the hollow of a tree), and observe the Sabbath. "Sabbath kiddush Benzion done quietly over two slices of bread, Havdala - over a glass of tea or coffee," Birkat-to-Mason "(the blessing after the meal with bread) read, covering his mouth with his hand so as not to have noticed."

Coming out of the sanatorium pozdorovevshim, Benzion continued his studies in school working youth (there is no need to learn on Saturdays; he graduated in fifteen years), and in fact the underground yeshiva, where mentors him and a few other guys were Rabbi Zalman Pevzner (Reb Zalman beaver), a native of Belarus, and Rabbi Yitzchak Viner from the Uzbek city Marghelan (p. Yitzhak Margelaner).

"In fifteen or sixteen years - writes p. Isaac - my son knew Tanah almost level with me, a grown man ... He [p. Yitzchak Viner] refer to my son as his and held it to his disciples. " This relationship of teacher and student is not interrupted, and then, when they were both in Israel until his death p. Isaac Wiener ...

Benzion study was so successful that by the time of his departure from the Soviet Union, he was able to learn a part of the Talmud. (Rav Yitzchak said that he started to get up in front of Benzion as before talmid-chachamim, Torah scholar, when he was 16 years old ...)

But before that so desired family Aliyah were years and years of "failure" (Rabbi Yitzchak began to apply to emigrate to Israel in 1956).

In Tashkent, 60-70 years lacked teachers to teach children the Torah. Rav Yitzchak said Benzion: "You are obliged to leave school and start teaching children." Son protested that he still "am well-Aretz" and just beginning to learn. "Every day after class with Rabbi three o'clock I teach Gemara and Tosafot. If I quit, that I would make? " But Rabbi insisted: "... what is more important for the Most High: to you and your companion better known Gemara and Tosafot or to people who know nothing about Gd, learn about it, know how to read the" Shema ", to impose Tefillin and thus way were the Jews? I accept such a decision: you have the right to leave school and go to teach. "

And Benzion, abandoning their evening classes, becomes a teacher.

"The day it was formed as follows: from eight to twelve - the work, and then he ran away to study, and in the evening, around seven or eight, we went with him: I said to his disciples, Benzion - to her. In secret from my wife: she would have died of fear, knowing that Benzion goes home and teaches. "

And to get a degree that made it possible to make a living, Benzion (he was champion of the City School Mathematics Competition) entered the Tashkent Pedagogical Institute of the Physics and Mathematics Faculty. His sister Hawa humorously recalls that once he returned pale and frightened of the institute with the examination of the history of the Communist Party, receiving - the only one of all - the top five on the subject. "He was terrified. It was very unfortunate that he knew so well this thing ... "And in the classroom plagued teachers tricky questions (for example, the number of victims of repression in the 30s), which could in the future and hurt him ...

But then came 1972 and with it the permission to leave the whole family in Israel.

Upon arrival, there was a question where to learn. Assumptions (even in Tashkent) to continue his studies for a degree in mathematical University of Jerusalem (the existence of yeshivas in Israel, he is, according to Chava did not know) give way to the hard decision - only the yeshiva.

Recalls Rabbi Yitzchak:

"It is interesting to happen with education Benzion. I offered him:

- Go into all the yeshiva, work out every few days. Where you feel that you get the knowledge and "irat Shaman" (fear of Heaven, God goboyaznennost) - and stay there.

He went to several, came to Yeshiva "world" and said:

- More'm not going anywhere.

Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim then headed Shmulevich. He cried when he checked Benzion knowledge. "

Six months after arrival, during the Yom Kippur War, Benzion married the daughter of Rav Baruch Rosenberg (זצ''ל), Rosh Yeshiva "Slobodka" (Bnei Brak), where he studied from 1973 to 1977. And after the birth of their first son the family moved to Jerusalem, and he returned to study at the yeshiva "Mir".

According to the story of Hava, in yeshivas Benzion very well received - we were astonished, and cried when they found out that he came from the Soviet Union with the knowledge that not only meet the requirements of yeshivas, but something was up. At first, form of work out there when all speak loudly during school hours, was unusual for him, and he sought solitude somewhere in Mea Shearim (a religious quarter of Jerusalem), but then he and adapted to it.

Later Rabbi Benzion he taught at various yeshivas, was for some time in radio programs for Russian students, including to foreign countries.

Rav Ben Tzion Zilber - one of the largest Russian-speaking authorities in the field Alah in the land of Israel, and beyond. From the point of view of Alah he consults and checks go in Russian books on Judaism.

He edited a book of memoirs of his father "... That you have remained the Jew," which is very popular among the Russian-speaking Jewish readers in Israel and the Diaspora.

Several times he went to America, arranging the lectures, tutorials and seminars.

Every day he gives lessons. To him people go for advice about Shlomi-byte (family problems) and other issues. Currently, Rabbi Benzion, as already mentioned, is headed founded by his father-Israeli organization "Toldos Yeshurun". He gives lessons in collel "Toldos Yeshurun", developing curriculum, implementing the desire of Rav Yitzchak Zilber, said the head of this organization, "Do! It's very good! I have long dreamed of: anyone who studies seriously studying, will teach others. Gd will help! "

In the evening Kollel "Toldos Yeshurun" Russian-speaking Jews come after work or school, and get a knowledgeable partner with whom to advance the study of the Torah and the Talmud, at the same time mastering lashon well-koydesh (holy language). Kollel such system exists today across the country. In parallel with studies of men provided training for women. Network these lessons led by the daughter of Rav Yitzchak Chava Kuperman.

According to the organizer "Toldos Yeshurun" Avrom Cohen, Rabbi Yitzchak told him that when he was thirty years ago, arrived in Israel, in Jerusalem, there was no Russian-speaking Jew who taught Torah. Therefore, it may be, to the detriment of his own studies, he decided for themselves - to engage people, brings them closer to tradition.

And now this thing continues, his son Rabbi Ben Tzion Zilber and his organization "Toldos Yeshurun", which enthusiastically employs more than two hundred and fifty of the Torah teachers, mostly young.

In the Russian language, along with the word "teacher" (teacher) has traditionally used the word "teacher" in the sense of "ideological leader", "mentor." In the plural, the latter sounded like "teacher" - with the accent on the second syllable. Father and son Silber, Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Benzion - teachers, followers of the main traditions of their ancient rabbinical family.