A deep historical bond bound them — one that began more than 80 years ago, thousands of miles away, in Kobe, Japan
L ast week, a bar mitzvah boy by the name of Nathan Tawil, together with his father Solly Tawil and grandfather — also Nathan Tawil — visited Lakewood’s Beis Medrash Govoha and were granted an audience with the Rosh Yeshivah, Rav Malkiel Kotler. Despite the external differences between three generations of Flatbush’s Syrian community and the Lakewood Rosh Yeshivah, there was a deep historical bond that bound them together — one that began more than 80 years ago, thousands of miles away, in Kobe, Japan.
When Rav Aharon Kotler was escaping Europe during World War II, he arrived in Kobe together with a group of fellow refugees. The Japanese government, however, was unwilling to admit them unless someone in Kobe agreed to take responsibility for them.
The local Jew known to the Japanese authorities was a man named Nissim (Nathan) Tawil. He had absolutely no idea who these Eastern European refugees were, but that didn’t make a difference to him. “A Jew is a Jew, and they’re my brothers,” he said simply. “So I’m signing for them.”
He signed the paperwork, taking responsibility for the group and allowing them admittance to Japan. The elder Tawil’s involvement didn’t end there; he developed a relationship with the brethren he’d saved, and Rav Aharon even stayed in the Tawil home during his brief stay in Kobe.
The rest, as they say, is history. Rav Aharon eventually made his way to America, arriving on its shores in 1941, established the yeshivah in Lakewood in 1943 with a mere 15 talmidim , and laid the foundations for what would become the largest yeshivah in America and the sprawling Torah community that mushroomed in its environs.
Eight decades later, Nissim Tawil’s grandson Nathan, great-grandson Solly, and great-great-grandson Nathan, came to Lakewood. Despite their family’s generations-old connection to its founding rosh yeshivah, they had never really seen the yeshivah or the enormous Torah community that it spawned. Now the Tawils made a visit to Lakewood in honor of the bar mitzvah.
After they visited the yeshivah with its thousands of talmidim , Rav Malkiel turned to the younger Nathan. “Your namesake, the person you’re named after, and your whole family,” he told the young boy, “all have a cheilek in all that you see in this town.”
When Beis Chinuch Harav Dessler (Hebrew Academy of Cleveland) recently hosted Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky, son-in-law of Rav Chaim Kanievsky and a prominent rosh kollel, marbitz Torah , and mashpia in Eretz Yisrael, the hanhalah , rebbeim, and talmidim were in for a surprise.
After being introduced by the menahel to address the gathering, Rav Kolodetsky approached the podium, closed his eyes, stretched out his arms, and began singing “Shaarei Shamayim P’sach.” Soon, the entire audience of rebbeim and talmidim joined in the heartfelt niggun.
After the singing stopped, Rav Kolodetsky went on to speak about the importance of reciting Bircas Hamazon, Al Hamichyah, Borei Nefashos, and Asher Yatzar from a siddur, noting that Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler would speak about this practice. He then announced what he called a “ mivtza :” Anyone who signed up and documented his commitment to maintain this practice until Chanukah would merit a personal tefillah from Rav Kolodetsky at the kevarim of Rav Dessler, the Chazon Ish, and the Steipler Gaon.
Greatly inspired by Rav Kolodetsky, who also showered the mosad , its hanhalah , staff, and students with brachos, the talmidim quickly signed up. It was an offer they couldn’t refuse.
During Rav Shaul Alter’s weekend in Tampa Bay, Florida, the staff and students of the local day school, the Tampa Torah Academy, took advantage of his proximity and paid a visit to the gadol . Rav Alter told the boys that when someone is looking to open a commercial enterprise, they naturally seek the biggest town possible, so as to attract the largest customer base. Not so when it comes to Torah, the Rosh Yeshivah said. In a ruchniyus endeavor, the more remote the location, the more impact a mosad can have. With its location in a relatively small town, Rav Alter assured them, the Tampa Torah Academy could leave the greatest impression.
How many times is Eliezer’s name mentioned in this week’s parshah?
Which place is mentioned twice in this week’s parshah, once in parshas Lech Lecha , and never again in the Torah?
Which two forms of kinyan are referred to in this week’s parshah?
Nachor (mentioned at the end of parshah) was named after his grandfather.
Lot did have sons. Although the “ banecha ” mentioned in the pasuk (19:12) refers to his grandsons (see Rashi), he later had Amon and Moav as sons.
The difference between Avraham’s laughter and Sarah’s laughter was that Avraham’s laughter came from a place of belief — he was joyous over the good tiding. Sarah lacked belief, and her laughter contained an element of incredulity. (See Rashi, Bereishis 17:17, who bases this off Targum Onkelos’s translations.)
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