Novardok
(Editor’s note: Two weeks ago, Bitachon Weekly discussed R' Hillel Vitkind Zatzal. During that week I had the amazing Hashgacha Pratis to meet his granddaughter in Yerushalayim, Mrs. S. Shainberger (daughter of R' Mordechai Man, his son-in-law). She shared a very close relationship with her grandfather, and when I showed her his picture in the Novardok section of that week’s issue, she became very emotional, and shared with me a wealth of stories, some of which are appearing here for the first time).
רַ בִּ י הִּ לֵ ל וִּ יטְ קִּ ינְ ד זַ צַ "ל
R’ Hillel Vitkind Zatzal Part II
When the communists took over Russia, they banned learning Torah. The Steipler, R’ Gershon, R’ Nekritz, etc. were all formerly in Russia, and they all crossed the border with tremendous Nissim. Later, they had trouble from the Polish government since they were missing citizenship papers.
This is typical Novardok; crossing the border without any concern how they will manage in a strange country without papers. Bitachon! Hundreds and hundreds made it across with tremendous Nissim, and the Novardok movement was replanted all over Poland.
While still a Bachur at the age of eighteen, R' Hillel was involved in the great escape from Russia, and was busy smuggling children to Poland in order to enable them to learn Torah. An eye-witness saw R' Hillel carrying a child on shoulders; any time a child didn’t have the strength to make the trek on his own, R' Hillel would give them a ride.
Once, the Russians arrested a group of Bachurim who were learning, and announced: We have misgivings about your religion; whoever cannot resolve our claims, will die! R' Hillel fearlessly offered to be the one: “What is your difficulty?” “How can your Torah say: טוֹב ש בַ גוֹםי , ר צוֹץ א ת מוֹחוֹ עיין רש"י בשלח יד ז Even the nicest Goy, smash his brains! R' Hillel replied: No, no, you don’t understand. This means that even the nicest Goy wishes to smash the brains of a Jew!! They were pleased with his answer, and with that they left them be.
While walking through the forest, a group of Talmidim was apprehended by Bolsheviks. “Who is your Rabbi??!” they demanded. R' Hillel fearlessly answered: “Me!”. Everyone knew that whoever is the “Rabbi” is doomed. Immediately they started beating him mercilessly, while the rest of the group hurried on in fear for their lives. R' Hillel fell to the ground, as they continued finishing him off. Finally they disappeared, and R' Dovid Bleicher said: “Come, we must return and give him a proper burial!”. Miraculously, he was still alive! From then on, he suffered from a bad cough for the rest of his life. When he would go to the Mikveh (he went every single day) you could see the whip scars on his body. By the way, besides going to the Mikveh every day, he also wore a Gartel by davening. His granddaughter commented: “He wasn’t an official Chasid, but he was a: חָ ס יד בַ נ פ ש pious soul, if you really knew him”. She remembered him getting up early every morning to learn before davening.
She continued: “You cannot imagine his sensitivity and understanding for people. Here is my personal story that exemplifies his brilliance in Chinuch and his Kavod for others. Right after my Chasuna, we lived in Mea Shearim, and my husband learned in Kollel. Understandably, our income was very limited, and there was no extra money. Once, I was passing by a jewelry store, and I noticed a silver necklace which I really liked, so I went in and bought it. Nobody even noticed that I was wearing anything new. I went to visit Bnei Brak, and again, nobody noticed, except for my grandfather, R' Hillel, who was a very compassionate and caring grandfather. He noticed it right away, and on the spot, he smiled and said: “It’s a smart thing you did, to buy for yourself a piece of jewelry”. She was shocked. This was not the reaction she expected. A normal person would criticize: “It is beyond your budget! And you just got married. What do you need it for?” But he understood my needs, and he realized that I needed it”. (Today she has a successful jewelry store of her own).
R' Hillel founded a Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, and donations came in for the Yeshiva. Some gave more, and some less. But for every donation, he would write a whole thank you letter on the Yeshiva’s official stationery, even if it was only one dollar. I asked him: “Zeide, why are you writing this official letter for this little insignificant donation?” He replied: “If he donated, I must thank him, regardless of the amount”.
People would advise him: Ask for more money! But Zeide did not know how to ask for money. They would quip: כ י הוּב אוּ בֵ ית יוֹסֵ ף עַ ל ד בַ ר הַ כ ס ף מקץ מג יח i.e., “Bais Yosef” (Novardok) needs to be coaxed and dragged in order to bring them to speak about money.
In those early years, the “Joint” would distribute food. I remember my grandfather schlepping huge containers for the children in Yeshiva to have what to eat, e.g., containers of jam, olives, sugar, flour, etc. I watched him carry them with his own hands, each one was at least 15 kilo (33 lbs.)!
My father, R' Mordechai Man, was unusually: שָ קוּעַ (absorbed) in learning. They said about him that he was absorbed like Hillel (who didn’t notice the snow falling on him. Gemara). They added though, that every “Hillel” needs a “Hillel’ta” (Hillel’s wife, referring to my mother, the daughter of R' “Hillel” Vitkind).
At the Chanukas HaBayis (inauguration) of Yeshivas Bais Hillel in Bnei Brak, R' Hillel got up and said: The normal Bracha given at the inception or a birth is: ז ה הַ קָ טֹ ן גָדוֹל י ה י ה “This little one, shall one day be big”. But in this instance, my blessing is just the opposite! ז ה הַ גָדוֹל קָ טֹ ן י ה י ה “This big Yeshiva structure, shall one day be too small (for its numerous Talmidim)”! Indeed, they are always expanding the building, you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it! There is a Bais Medrash, a Kollel, and downstairs is a Yeshiva K’tana (high school age boys). The building is full, and every centimeter is used for Torah; it is buzzing at all hours until one o'clock in the morning! הַ זֹ ר ע ים ב ד מ עָ ה ב ר נָה י ק צֹרוּ Those who plant with tears (R' Hillel who founded the Yeshiva with such Mesirus Nefesh) in the end they will reap the fruits of their labor with joy.
R' Hillel tirelessly raised money for the Yeshiva, traveling to America every year. One year, after returning to Eretz Yisroel, he became ill, and was Niftar soon afterwards. It was the culmination of a life which was one string of Mesirus Nefesh for Torah, starting from his smuggling children out of Russia to learn Torah, until his last day, for boys to learn in his Yeshiva. May we be Zoche to learn from his pleasant ways. זְ כוּתוֹ יָגֵן עָ לֵ ינוּ
Cornerstone laying of R' Hillel Vitkind’s Yeshiva in Bnei Brak 5724 (Standing right to left) R' Hillel Vitkind, R' Getzel Cohen. (Sitting right to left) R' Meir Chodosh (glasses peeking out) R' Avrohom Yoffen, R' Yosef Kahneman, R' Chaim Shmuelevitz, R' Simcha Zeisel Broide
