I heard the following stories from my Rebbe, Harav Aharon Walkin Shlita, who is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah Beis Nosson Meir of Queens. The Yeshiva is a division of the Chazaq Organization, which is run by Harav Ilan and Reb Yaniv Meirov; two brothers who make all the difference for Bukharian Jewry. Harav Walkin had the immense pleasure and opportunity of personally meeting and spending time with many of the giants of Torah of the last generation. I asked him if I could record some of the occurrences, which are true treasures in Torah and Yiddishkeit.
Talmid: Can Harav please tell me a little about the Gadol Harav Birnbaum Zatzal?
Harav Walkin: I want to give an introductory glimpse into the personality of the Rosh Yeshiva Harav Birenbaum, so you can appreciate some of what I will disclose. The person was Kuloh Torah (completely dedicated to Torah) to the point where there was no person, only Torah. He was a man that truly felt the Galus of Yiddin, and was able to connect with Jews no matter where in the Galus they were. Many years ago, we brought Harav Birenbaum to see the boys in the community Yeshiva. He came in and saw bachurim arguing over pshat in Reb Chaim, which I said that day in shiur. He turned to me and remarked “Reb Chaim?! These boys have come as immigrants from Stalinist Russia and they are already talking in Reb Chaim!” The sight must have made a great impression, for he then exclaimed “Stalin tried to extinguish the flame and love of Torah from Jewish boys. Look. He didn’t succeed; nobody can succeed, because the light of Torah can never be extinguished!” The Rav understood what transformation can take place when Torah in injected into the soul. He also taught that the Jewish Neshama can never be extinguished.
Harav Shmuel Birenbaum ‘breathed’ the Yeshivah, for him the seder was unalterable. My son R’ Yisroel Meir was born before Channukah, and his Bris fell out on Erev Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh Channukah. I asked Rav Shmuel to be Sandek. He answered me “Of course! Channukah is all about this bris. The Yevanim tried to vanquish Rosh Chodesh, Milah, Shabbos and Torah. You have them all here together, Rosh Chodesh, Milah, Shabbos and the Walkin Family is Torah”, he said, while tapping my shoulder with each topic. That was Rav Birenbaum. His character was always evident in his excitement for Torah and Mitzvos. Anyways, he told me he was coming to be sandek at my son’s Bris. I called him up the day before the Bris to give him the time for davening, 8 A.M. He said “8 AM? I can’t, I’m sorry I cannot come…” Needless to say, my face fell and I said “What? Rebbe! You said you would be sandek!” I had no idea what had happened, did I insult him or something? But he responded to me “I can’t daven 8 o’clock. In Yeshiva we start 7:30 and I have to follow Sidrei HaYeshiva.”
He must have sensed my desperation and dejection though over the phone because he immediately responded “If you want, I will daven in Yeshiva and then someone can pick me up and bring me to you.” “That won’t work though” I replied. The whole thing was falling apart. “I don’t understand. Why can’t you make it?” He replied to me with a stern voice “Davening is part of Sidrei HaYeshiva. Seder by us in the Mir starts at 7:30 AM. I start at 7:30 in the morning. I’m sorry I can’t come”. I admired his principles, but I realized I was stuck. How could I rescue the situation? I decided to play a different strategy; I approached him for advice instead. “How can I get the Rosh Yeshiva to come?” I asked. He chuckled at my ploy and said “If you are willing to daven at 7:30 and get some people, I will join you in that shul, we can daven in a side room”. He then asked me to pick him early, around 6 AM.
When I came the next morning to the Yeshiva and noticed that the light in his classroom was on, it was the only light on in the building. I come in there and he’s learning; I wasn’t surprised. As we made our way down the steps, we could see through a window into the Beis Medrash. I noticed the beautiful sight of the Ner Tamid, as it lit up the entire Beis Medrash, and I was moved. I thought to myself “how many giants learned in this space…” and I told the Rav how I felt. But I also pointed out the well-used benches which were visibly worn-out. He looked to me and said “You understand. The Board wants to update the Beis Medrash, but you can understand. The beauty of the Beis Medrash is the used benches and the worn out books.” This was the beauty to him; a setting which testifies and screams out “I was used for Torah.” In fact, the benches stayed in the yeshiva until after he passed away. As long as he lived, he would not allow them to be updated.
By Adam Suionov
I Heard From Harav Walkin About Harav Birenbaum
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