Story of the week (By Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
From a Mishloach Manos on Purim, the Ponovehze Rosh Yeshiva gathered his energy for Torah
Harav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman the Ponevezh Rov, was born in Telz, 28 days of Iyar 5646. His father Harav Yehuda Leib was the Rosh Hakahal and Torah Scholar. As a child he attended the Yeshiva in Plunigan, led by Harav Chaim Yitzchak Bloch Hacohen. At the age of 14 he went to the Telzer Yeshiva, under Hagaon Rav Eliezer Gordon and Hagaon Rav Shimon Shkop.
After Hagaon Rav Yitzchok Yaakov Rabinovich passed away in 1919, Rav Yosef Shlomo was appointed the new Rov of Ponevezh. He built three yeshivas there, as well as a school and an orphanage. The Ponevezh Rov, traveled to raise money for his institutions. At the outbreak of World War II, he was visiting Eretz Yisrael which was under the control of the British, as he was intending to visit the United States to collect. Upon learning about the occupation of Lithuania, he decided to stay in Eretz Yisrael. He continued, from a distance, to oversee the Ponevezh Yeshiva. After the entrance of the Nazis in Ponevezh, the yeshiva was destroyed and many students were murdered.
In 1944, Harav Yosef Shlomo succeeded in re-establishing the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. He traveled world wide to secure support for the yeshiva,. With the help of longtime friend Rav Moshe Okun, he succeeded in re-establishing the Ponevezh yeshiva into one of the largest in the world.
The Rosh Yeshiva worked hard, that the wealthy people should have a part in the building of the yeshiva. One day while he was abroad, he returned to his host when he was completely exhausted. He immediately lay down on the bed from lack of strength. The host ran to offer him a cup of tea with some cake to revive his soul. But the Rosh Yeshiva said, "If you want to revive my soul, give me your phone so that I can call a few more addresses." While he was still lying completely exhausted, the Rosh Yeshiva called several wealthy donors to help in building the holy yeshiva after the terrible destruction that had taken place in Europe. His host, who saw the determination, could not help but ask, "The Rosh Yeshiva is no longer young and I see the great strength that he is investing. Where does the Rosh Yeshiva get his strength?" The Rosh Yeshiva replied, "I will tell you a story that happened to me in my childhood and from which I draw my strength:
Every year we were sent by our mother to deliver the Mishloach Manos to the Rav of our town. My mother would bake a beautiful cake, and all the time she was baking she would mumble, "This is for the Rav, this is for the Torah." Then she added some more items, and on Purim itself, she would send us to deliver the Mishloach Manos to the Rav. One year, my father announced before Purim that this year he too would have a part in the delivery of Mishloach Manos to the Rav.
My father said: “Although the cake that my mother baked was also mine, I still was not an active participant in the Mishloach Manos. This year I finally will be a part in it too. We were curious to hear what was progressing, and we asked our father what happened? My father recounted that today he met a Seforim peddler who had a Gemarra Baba Basra amongst his Seforim that were for sale. I knew that the Rav does not own a Shas in his house, so I bought this Gemarra for the Rav, and want to surprise him on Purim. On the morning of Purim, my parents called me and my older brother and told us to go bring the Mishloach Manos to the Rav. My older brother held the cake and I wanted to give the Gemarra to the Rav. We entered the Rav's house. My brother presented the cake to the Rav, and the Rav said to the Rebbitzin, "Here are Kahneman's children." I then announced to the Rav that this year, my father was also participating in sending a Mishloach Manos. The Rav’s eyes lit up when I showed him the gemarra Baba Basra, and explained to him that this was from my father who wanted the Rav to learn from it. With tears in his eyes, the Rav took the Gemarra, pressed it to his heart, and shouted, "Oh this is amazing, the complete Gemarra Baba Basra!" The Rav began to dance for twenty full minutes around the table, as on Simchas Torah. The Ponevezher Rosh Yeshiva continued to tell the story to his host, despite his weakness, he got up from his bed and showed exactly how the Rav of his town danced with the Gemarra in his hands.
The Rosh Yeshiva continued to tell the story. The Rav then gleefully asked the Rebbetzin, "Do you want to also give me Mishloach Manos?" "Of course I do." She replied. The Rav said to her, "We agreed yesterday that we would have the Purim Seuda today at five o'clock. I want you to give me one hour for Mishloach Manos. I ask of you to start the meal at six, and from five to six, no one should come to me so that I could study the Gemarra for a full hour without interruption." The Rebbetzin replied in the affirmative. Then the Rav pressed the Gemarra to his heart and danced again for another long minute.
I was then a young boy, but when I saw the Rav's love of Torah, I decided that when I grew up I would invest all my strength in Torah. This is where I draw the energy to toil for Torah to my last bit of strength.
