REBBE AND INSPIRATION

All this was the result of an elevated Torah perspective of life and its purpose learned on the great “Yam” in which he travelled from childhood on. One need only read Rav Schneur’s insightful introduction to Mishnas Rav Aharon [Hilchos Scheinim] or the many hespeidim about his father found in the Yom Hazikoron section of his sefer “Noam Siach”, to get an idea of how much inspiration and teachings in all the above mentioned areas Rav Schneur derived from his saintly father.

The Yom Hazikoron section contains thirteen separate Ma’amorim which comprise a biographic study of the Rosh Yeshiva’s avoda (service of Hashem) in itself. Rav Schneur constantly remembers, studies and attempts to learn from all facets of his father’s shleimus (perfection): his Kabolas Ol Torah (full acceptance of the obligation of constant and intense Torah study); his great levels of Emunoh-bitochon-amidoh lifnei Hashem / Belief - trust and awareness of Hashem's presence; his deep inner happiness, which derived from the above.

Rav Schneur focuses on and studies his father’s awesome sense of dedication and responsibility; his beautiful and pure character traits, his exacting care with speech, his genuine respect for everyone and the wonderful manner in which he dealt with them; his daas Torah /Torah outlook and so on.

HOW TO GROW

He studies how his father achieved all this in himself: first and foremost through his ceaseless efforts in Torah: "The underlying current, the strand running through my father's multi-faceted life, his total service was "Ol Torah" - without interruption - without letup - without hesech hadaas - diversion of thought. Yes, he had a wondrous mind - his speed, his lightening grasp, his powerful ability to calculate to the very end, to delve deeply, to understand; but all this he combined with tremendous concentration - with indescribable effort - only with that did he acquire the major portion of his Torah! (Introduction to Hilchos Scheinim) ....

. . . And his efforts in all aspects of Shleimus/perfection:

"I was fortunate to personally witness [my father's] tremendous efforts [to grow] in the attributes of Emunah, Dveikus, Bitachon, Avodas Hamidos, Derech Eretz - belief, trust and cleavage to Hashem, worthy character traits and pleasant considerate relationships with others - into which he invested his great mental abilities, his fiery spirit and his deep well of emotions..." (from Rav Schneur's introduction to MRA, Ma'amorim Vol. II. See also Mishnas R. A. itself Vol. I where an entire section is devoted to the Rosh Yeshiva's teachings on the subject of leading a life of constant spiritual growth. And if it is discussed in the shmuessen it was certainly practiced in real life, for it was a hallmark of both father and son that they lived as they taught!)

What emerges is the picture of a talmid striving to hold on to his rebbi; to remember every detail; to learn every lesson; to keep it all fresh in his mind and to constantly grow. Rav Schneur once exclaimed with great emotion: “M’ken verrin ois Talmid!-one can lose his connection to his rebbi!-can lose his relationship as a talmid! Noam Siach thus gives a wonderful portrait of the ideal relationship between father and son, Rebbi and talmid. (Needless to say, Rav Schneur certainly gained from the examples and teachings of his mother too - Toras Imechoh! In addition to all that, he learned from his grandfather, the renowned Godol Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer ZT'L - who he was very close to, and from many other Gedolei Yisroel).

Rav Schneur absorbed those lessons well, and of course- as is the way of Gedolim, he internalized, developed and expanded upon them in his own way with relentless effort till he himself (as the Rebbitzin, in her way) became part of that very same Yam-a wellspring of inspiration for talmidim and future generations.

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