Geula Update from Rav Fish - Yitro 5773 Part 1 - Rav Shlomo Brevda ZT"L's Last Siha
From Rav Fish's latest:
This was said from his hospital bed in the U.S. being broadcast to Bnei Brak. Rav Fish copied part of the words from the recording. One can obtain a recording by emailing Rav Fish.
Morai VeRabbotai, I am laying down on my hospital bed, such a thing should not befall you. And I am suffering from the dreaded disease with suffering as big as heaven. A few years ago, they told me that one of the true Tzadikim of the generation [Hagaon Rav Shachne Zohn ZT"L] had a dream where the Hafetz Hayim came to him and told him that Mashiah was coming. Behold, I know that Tzadik and I believe him, and I asked, "Where is Mashiah Tzidkeinu?" The answer, Rabbotai, is that who said he didn't come? He came, but didn't appear and wasn't revealed. Why should he be revealed?
The community that dedicates its life to Torah - the fine flour of Kelal Yisrael - those who are G-d-fearing and whole, listen up. The gemara in Yoma [19b] says that one who talks idle chatter transgresses a positive commandment and a negative commandment. The question is asked: if a person speaks idle chatter and not Has Veshalom Leshon Hara, lies, or Leitzanut, what's the sin in this?
The Vilna Gaon ZT"L had a student R' Menahem Mendel of Shklov Z"L. He had a student R' Isaac Hever Z"L, who was very great in Torah and Kabbala. He wrote that when a Jew learns Torah, the holy words go up [heavenward] and build a world of holiness, but when he speaks idle chatter, he builds a world of "the other side".
In my youth, when I learned in Yeshivot, the worst sin was to speak idle chatter. Today, the situation has changed from one extreme to the other - people go out of the Beit Midrash and speak foolishness - idle chatter - as if there is no sin in the matter. So, what can I tell you? Mashiah Tzidkenu, who should be revealed speedily in our days, to whom will he come to be revealed??? If Benei Torah build a world of "the other side" through their idle chatter, will Mashiah be revealed to the contractors of "the other side"?! Why???
And therefore, even though I barely have the power to speak and breathe today, and I am indescribably weak, I decided to tell these words to the Tzibbur.
And from Shamayim, it is being threatened upon us via those heretical Resha'im who rule over our Holy Land. What, is this just an ordinary threat? This is from Shamayim to return us with Teshuva - to speak words of Torah day and night, where our environment should be words of Torah, which are "sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb".
And speedily in our days, Mashiah Tzidkeinu will appear, and little me, from the depths of my heart, bless this holy congregation - that all of you along with your families should pass the period of Birthpangs of Mashiah with life and peace, and you should merit to greet him with a happy heart. This is a very great blessing for in order to remain with a happy heart, you need the Noah's Ark of Torah to protect you. Rise up and be successful.
posted by yaak @ 1/30/2013 11:53:00 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Harav Shlomo Leib Brevda z”l, was born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn in 1931. His father, Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Brevda, had brought his family to the United States from Baranovich, Poland, shortly before Reb Shlomo’s birth.
Reb Shlomo was a unique blend of a rich Chassidic lineage being Ben Acher Ben 8th generation of Harav HaChossid Chaim Chaikel of Amdora, one of the Mezritcher Maggid’s biggest Talmidim, and many other great Tzaddikim. He was very proud of his Chassidic lineage, as he named his Bechor after his grandfather eight generations past. Reb Shlomo also wrote a Mazal Tov letter to his daughter-in-law congratulating her on her engagement, detailing his rich Chassidic heritage. Reb Shlomo dedicated his life to commentating the works of the Vilna Gaon. He was also the very first Talmid of Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. This provided the grounds for having both Litvish and Chassidish grandchildren.
Reb Shlomo was a prolific author and Maggid who traveled the world for 60 years delivering Divrei Chizuk and Hisorerus on many topics specifically Tefillah and Emes at the request of his Rebbi, the Mirrer Mashgiach.
He was considered by many as their personal Mashgiach. His inspiration to others was credited for making many into real Bnai Torah and honest Baalai Batim. He also devoted much of his time to doing extensive research on the Vilna Gaon’s Seforim, publishing many of them with his own commentary.
Only Emes:
Reb Shlomo learned in Yeshivah Yitzchak Elchanan. A straight A-plus student, Reb Shlomo prepared to start going to college following Rosh Hashanah of 1947. Shortly before the Yomim Noraim, the bulk of the Mirrer Yeshivah arrived in New York, after miraculously being rescued from the Holocaust after travelling through Shanghai, China. Harav Chatzkel Levenstein z”l, the then Mashgiach, was at their head.
Reb Shlomo spent an uplifting Rosh Hashanah with Reb Chatzkel and the Mirer Yeshiva students. This was a turning point in Reb Shlomo’s life. He had witnessed learning and Davening with Hislahavus as he had never experienced in America. The pull of the Emes of the Mirrer Derech helped him decide that he wanted to remain learning Torah full time. “If this is Yiddishkeit,” he said, “then I am not going to college.” That decision was not an easy one. Friends in Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan ostracized him over it. Family members and neighbors thought he was extreme. But the worst was yet to come.
As the “only” Yeshivah Bachur in the Shul where he Davened, a Makom Tefillah for hundreds Mispallelim, he was requested to speak.
Reb Shlomo geared up for his first public Drashah and cried out in his short lived Drashah “College, Rachmana Litzlan”
Then ducked under a table to save his life, not a second too soon. Most members of the Shul, incensed at his denigration of what was an integral of the American Jewish lifestyle, began pelting him with small objects, then graduating to chairs and benches.
After a 20-minute scuffle, Reb Shlomo said, “I learned from Reb Chatzkel not to be afraid of saying the Emes” (This was the base of all his teachings throughout his life.) I’m now going to continue my Drashah saying the true Hashkafah regarding college and advanced secular studies versus full time Torah learning.
Harav Brevda frequently stressed the primacy of tefillah in the life of every ben Torah. He used to emphasize the horrific nisyonos in ruchniyus and gashmiyus that each person encounters on a daily basis. It is virtually impossible to withstand these tests, he taught, without the fortification that can come only from tefillah.
For this reason, he pleaded with his audiences not to simply daven with a minyan. Rather, he encouraged his audiences to find “a proper” minyan, at least for Shacharis. If one starts off the day with a well-davened Shacharis, he would say, then at least one has a “fighting chance” against the Satan.
He often hammered home the message that davening a decent Shacharis is not a luxury reserved for Shabbos and Yamim Tovim. Rather, it is a vital necessity in the physically and spiritually dangerous world in which we live.
At one point in his life, Rav Brevda came to London, initially for medical reasons, together with his family. He remained for almost ten years before moving back to his home in Bnei Brak.
While he was in London a small nucleus of bachurim began coming to Rav Brevda for shiurim and guidance. This group grew in numbers and strength, eventually encompassing hundreds of Torahdig families. And the brilliant jewels topping the crown of that chaburah were the special minyanim they arranged whenever Rav Brevda was in town. Even if he would only be stopping over in the airport to change planes, dozens of yungeleit exerted enormous Mesirus Nefesh just to be able to Daven one Tefillah with him.
Dveikus BaShem
Rav Brevda often spoke about people’s typical reactions to adversity. He would describe the sense of panic and desperation that would overcome someone who was not properly trained in emunah and bitachon. If one is truly attached to the Ribbono shel Olam, he would say, that is not how one would respond. Yes, finding the right doctor is important. But why not first say a kapitel Tehillim?
In fact, Rav Brevda taught that an excellent path to dveikus baShem and meriting personal yeshuos is to recite Tehillim whenever possible. In Kimu V’kiblu, his peirush on Megillas Esther, for example, he cited numerous Midrashim that illustrate how Esther’s strategy to overcome Haman was to do everything to insure that Klal Yisrael would daven uninterrupted for three days.
Moreover, he advised countless singles who were desperate to find their basherte, for example, to recite a kapitel Tehillim before each and every shidduch- related phone call. “If you call a shadchan or you are calling for information about a shidduch, first say a kapitel Tehillim.”
Hakaras Hatov
One of the middos Rav Brevda stressed most often was hakaras hatov. In Leil Shimurim, his peirush on the Haggadah, for example, he explained how the mitzvos of the Pesach Seder are intended to deepen our feelings of hakaras hatov for Yetzias Mitzrayim. Perhaps the greatest lessons in hakaras hatov, however, he taught by personal example.
As a result of unforeseen events, Rav Brevda once needed to accept a married talmid’s invitation and move into that talmid’s home for a few days. As an extraordinary display of hakaras hatov, for many months afterwards, Rav Brevda came back with his family to this talmid every Friday night for a social visit!
During his final illness, Rav Brevda received many gestures of chessed, not only from talmidim but also from admirers, acquaintances and even total strangers. In order to express his heartfelt hakaras hatov, he dispensed a warm, personal brachah to everyone without exception. These brachos were delivered with intense concentration, as Rav Brevda slowly enunciated each word, at times even with superhuman mesirus nefesh.
May Hakadosh Baruch Hu grant each and every one of us the siyatta diShmaya to grow as bnei Torah and become all that Rav Brevda wanted and believed we could be.
Sorry to hear that Raav Fish is ill...may HKB"H send him a refuah sheimah!
Anonymous,
Thank you for this interesting biography.
Cosmic,
I didn't hear this. Thanks for letting me know. Refu'ah Sheleima.
I believe you are misunderstanding and it was Rav Brevda who was unwell.
Rav Brevda's Family are requesting that all those who would like to share their stories that took olace with the Rav z"l or perhaps have his letters or pictures, please Email to: RavSBrevda@gmail.com Thank You. Gut Shabbos
Remembering Harav Shlomo Brevda zt”l on his 6th Yahrtzeit - 26 Chodesh Teves (Jan 3rd ’19)
Rav Brevda zt”l often mentioned in his inspiring Shiurim that one has to excel in the Midah of Hakoras Hatov, explaining that if a person is lacking in the Middah of Hakoras Hatov towards anyone that has done them a favor helped them etc. and they don’t show enough appreciation by expressing gratitude they are missing the essence of being a Yid.
The Rav said that we find in Parshas Chayai Sorah that when Avrohom Avinu was negotiating with the Bnei Chase trying to purchase a burial plot the Meoras HaMachpelah for the burial of Sorah Imeinu he basically got the run-around, until they finally honored Avrohon Avinu as a great prince agreeing to hand over the burial plot of Avrohom Avinus choice for the burial of Sorah Imeinu. Right away in the next Posuk it states that Avrohom Avinu bowed down immediately to thank them.
The Rav asked why couldn’t Avrohon Avinu wait until the entire transaction was completed to thank them? What was his rush to thank them in the middle of his negotiations? The Rav explained that when one receives a gift or a favor from a friend and they thank them on the spot it’s done with 100% of appreciation – HaKoras Hatov but the longer they wait, the lesser of a thank you will be given, and at times if it’s pushed off there won’t be any appreciation shown at all.
Avrohom Avinu excelled in HaKoras Hatov so he thanked them IMMEDIATELY. Only then did Avrohom Avinu bury Sarah in the Meoras HaMachpelah.
In line with the above mentioned thought it is worthwhile to note that immediately upon arising in the morning we say Modeh Ani thanking Hashem for giving us back our Neshoma. We say Modeh Ani even before washing Negel Vasser perhaps the reason is because if we were to push off expressing our gratitude to Hashem, with time we can forget to even thank Hashem at all.
During Rav Brevdas lifetime he was always very careful after saying Modeh Ani in the morning to immediately wash Negel Vasser at his bedside before putting his feet down on the floor (as mentioned in Zohar Chadash 18). The Rav was always very scrupulous not to walk without washing Negel Vasser. Rav Brevda personally prepared his Negel Vasser near his bed before going to sleep at night (keeping it covered overnight) to ensure that he would immediately thank Hashem for returning his Neshoma in the morning and that right away be able to wash Negel Vasser in the proper way before placing his feet on the floor. (It is known that who ever washes Negel Vasser in the morning before placing their feet on the floor has a greater power to win over the Yetzer Hora that day)
Since Rav Brevda zt”l spent his life giving to the public through his amazing shiurim giving advice and other acts of Chessed, it would be a gesture of appreciation to the Neshoma of the Rav, if people around the globe can light a candle, give Tzedakah, do a Chessed, learn Torah/Mishnayos, and improve in the Middah of Hakaros Hatov, L’ilui Nishmas Reb Shoima Leib Ben Reb Moishe Yitzchok zt”l.
Thank you Klall Yisroel !!!
May he be a Malitz Yosher in Shamayim for all of Klall Yisroel...
and may his Neshama have an Aliya.
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