Unfortunately, yesterday I attended the l’vayah of a Gadol, HaRav Yechiel Yitzchak Perr zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. Through the various hespeidim, there emerged a picture of a brilliant “m’chadeish” of Torah, who gave up what could have been a lifetime of producing brilliant s’farim of original and creative Torah thoughts, in order to produce thousands of talmidim instead.
Amongst these talmidim are those who are teaching Torah to their own talmidim, those who are learning full time, and those who are producing s’farim and giving shiurim that have impacted thousands of others. One such example is HaRav Moshe Don Kestenbaum, who has his own yeshivah producing his own talmidim, has produced s’farim, which thousands, including me, have benefited so much from, and who also has close to 4,000 shiurim on TorahAnytime — this is ONE talmid of HaRav Perr. HaRav Perr also gave up his personal dreams to produce devoted baalei batim — b’nei Torah who have inculcated midos such as emes, kindness, and compassion, along with a high level of bitachon. They learned by personal observation and interaction, as well as from HaRav Perr’s brilliant and inspiring musar vaadim.
Last, but certainly not least, are his beautiful family, all of whom are outstanding and dedicated spreaders of Torah to both young men and women, and all who emulate his sterling midos, bestowing their chesed and compassion far and wide to their talmidim and talmidos and others. So many of their students retain a close relationship far beyond their yeshivah/school years and turn to them for guidance throughout their lives.
Certainly, the Rebbetzin, may she be well l’arichas yamim v’shanim tovim u’m’sukim, is a full partner in producing such outstanding children and talmidim, in addition to her own personal great achievements.
You may be wondering what this has to do with Weekly Tefilah Focus and these segments. Nine years ago, just before we began the Weekly Tefilah Focus program, I went to speak with HaRav Perr. He gave me much inspiration and strength to move forward. I am indebted to him for that.
Secondly, as I was fulfilling the mitzvah of accompanying the aron with the overflow large crowd who attended the l’vayah, I came to a new understanding of something I have been struggling to understand for a long time. Since it relates to the Name of Hashem, which is one of the three words we have been focusing on, I would like to share these thoughts with you.
It is customary to recite Perek 91 of T’hilim while accompanying and following the aron. This was even more fitting for HaRav Perr, who was known for his greatness in bitachon, following the mesorah of the Rebbetzin’s family. She is a direct descendant of the Alter of Novardok, who was known as the “Baal Bitachon.” Perek 91 is known to be a perek discussing bitachon.
T’hilim Perek 91
For he has yearned for Me, and I will deliver him; I will elevate him because he knows My Name. (pasuk 14)
What does “yada Sh’mi” mean? We find similar language in other p’sukim and parts of our daily tefilah. What does it mean to “know,” and what does it mean to “know Hashem’s Name”?
HaRav Perr, in one of his musar vaadim, related an experience he had when he visited someone in Canada who was one of the first two people who escaped from Auschwitz. It was many years ago that I heard the story he himself told. I have repeated it many times since, and I will do my best to present it as I recall it.
HaRav Perr had asked him a question, which included the word “know.” The man asked Rabbi Perr, “What does it mean to know.” He then related that after he escaped, his mission was to save as many Jews as he could. He had a meeting with a bishop to relate the horrors he had witnessed, in the hopes that this effort, along with many other efforts of his, would save thousands of Jews. He began relating the unspeakable atrocities he had witnessed, but the only response he was receiving from the bishop was a cold “oh, so terrible.” He understood that he was not getting through. He then told the bishop, “I saw someone dressed exactly as you are,” and he spoke in great detail of the clothing the bishop was wearing. He then told the bishop that they placed this other bishop in a box and burned him alive. Upon hearing this, the bishop fainted. He was revived but fainted again. It is said that the efforts of this man wound up saving 200,000 Jews.
The bishop did not “know” until it became personal and then entered deeply into his heart.
“Daas” has many meanings. It means connection, love, tangible knowledge that one lives (not merely intellectual knowledge), and more.
What does it mean to “know Hashem’s Name”? The pasuk in Perek 91 has “knowing My Name” as a higher level than “For in Me he desires (to be close to Hashem). As I was walking, following the aron, I began reflecting on this pasuk when I reached it in Perek 91. It was a long walk, so I had time. I began to realize that HaRav Perr “knew Hashem’s Name” and I could gain a better understanding of “knowing Hashem’s Name” by reflecting on what had just been shared at the l’vayah and on his life.
HaRav Perr excelled in his emunah and bitachon. Hashem’s Name (HAVAYAH), which is one of the three words we have been focusing on, means “Adon HaKol,” Master of all. It also means that He is timeless (of course this is only the minute understanding we have. The full understanding is beyond our grasp). The Name “Adon” was first spread by Avraham Avinu when he experienced the above-nature miracle of Sarah giving birth to Yitzchak without having a womb at such an old age. Hashem controls every detail of our lives and can overturn nature when He desires, so anything is possible. This is one understanding of “knowing Hashem’s Name.” When bitachon is so ingrained within us that we live every aspect of our lives with that bitachon, that is “knowing Hashem’s Name.”
It was related at the l’vayah how all HaRav Perr did was to increase the revelation of k’vod Shamayim. It seems he asked himself only one question: How will Hashem’s Honor best be publicized and spread? That is what drove him in his learning, teaching, spreading of Torah, emes, chesed, and compassion. He loved Hashem with all his being and loved Hashem’s children. HaRav Perr “knew Hashem’s Name” in the sense that he loved Hashem so much that he wanted everyone else to love Hashem, as well. That is one of the definitions of loving Hashem and another understanding of “knowing Hashem’s Name.”
How could a man who had so much responsibility for so many and who was so busy, call a talmid DAILY when he was sick for weeks. How could he find the time to call another talmid a few times a week for years when his wife was ill. The Name HAVAYAH represents the midos of Compassion and Chesed. Emulating Hashem’s midos of powerful compassion and chesed, and emes, is also a way of “knowing Hashem’s Name.” HaRav Perr “knew” because he lived it. It was deep inside of him.
It is written that the Torah is all Sheimos (Names) of Hashem. It is beyond the scope of my knowledge to explain what this means, other than that learning Torah is getting to “know Hashem’s Name.” Certainly, HaRav Perr, who learned Torah at such a high level, and taught and spread Torah, knew Hashem’s Name through his learning, as well.
“Knowing” also means “d’veikus.” D’veikus means all we have written about and more. It means thinking constantly about Hashem. It means thinking about His Honor. It means coming close to Hashem through Torah, mitzvos, and emulating Hashem’s midos. It means faithful love of Hashem with a complete heart.
As I was walking, I realized that through contemplating what I had just heard about the life of HaRav Perr, Hashem had in His infinite kindness, opened up to me a glimpse of what “knowing Hashem’s Name” means.
(Certainly, my understanding is minute, compared to the understanding of talmidei chachamim, and even their understanding is only a minute sliver of understanding of “Hashem’s Name.”)
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