וַיָבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְּכֹל זִקְּ נֵי יִשְּרָאֵל לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם יח יב
Rashi asks where is Moshe? And he answers that Moshe was standing and serving everyone else (and he was the one who came out to greet Yisro in the first place, in order to give him lots of Kavod). Look how Moshe is always there to serve others. Although there were many Gedolim and Tzaddikim in that Dor, only Moshe was Zoche to take them out of Mitzrayim and to give them the Torah.
Throughout the entire Kabolas HaTorah we see Moshe as a: סַּ רְ סוּר middleman and a: שׁוּשׁב יִ ן best man; a go-between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. This is because: וַּיֵצֵא משֶּׁה אֶּל אֶּח יו וַּיַּרְ א בְסִבְלֹת ם שמות ב יא Moshe was always going out to his brothers to share their burden. (Rashi). His whole life was being involved and concerned about Klal Yisroel. When Hashem showed Moshe Eretz Yisroel, it was mainly to show him the future history of Klal Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel; the good times and bad times, the Eis Tzara and the Yeshua, like Devora and Sis'ra, Shmuel HaNavi and the Pelishtim etc. (Rashi).
This was Moshe’s life: How is Klal Yisroel doing? He even said: מְחֵנִי נ א מִסִפְרְ ךָ לב לב “Erase me from your Torah for the sake of Klal Yisroel”; a true selfless leader. I once read a story about the Alter of Novardok Zatzal, who went into the Bais Medrash and opened the Aron HaKodesh and he started crying to Hashem. It was during turbulent times, and he wasn’t sure if he should be in Germany or Russia. The Shayla was about the Ruchaniyus vs. Gashmiyus safety. He said: “Hashem, what should I do with Your kinderlach?”
R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal was also like Moshe Rabeinu, and they called him a: רַּעְי א מְהֵימ נ א “loyal shepherd” like Moshe Rabeinu. After WWII, as soon as he was freed from the Germans, while he was still in his prison clothes (in Bergen Belsen), all he cared about was building a Yeshiva immediately for the survivors. R’ Motel Katz Zatzal, right after WWII and having lost a wife and 10 sons, all he did was go straight to Cleveland to open Telshe all over again.
While he was still in NY, the Kapitchnitzer Rebbe Zatzal made him meet my Aunt Esther ע"ה to make sure he got married first. These people were true Moshe Rabeinu types, whose life and Neshama was Klal Yisroel. During the war, R' Ahron Kotler Zatzal and R' Avrohom Kalmanovich Zatzal were seen in a car on Shabbos collecting money to save Jews from the concentration camps.
After R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal was Niftar, they found his Cheshbon HaNefesh booklet. A famous Tzaddik and Adam Gadol who was a Talmid of R' Nosson Wachtfogel Zatzal happened to be in France at the time. He told me that the most impressive part of the booklet was his concern about the Yidden in Australia. R' Ahron Kreiser Zatzal was a big Chasid of R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal, and when he went to meet him, all they did was cry together about the Matzav of Klal Yisroel.
They were very different in their Avodas Hashem, but both had Klal Yisroel’s welfare their main focus and concern. I was once driving this Adam Gadol, who is from the Talmidim of R' Nosson Zatzal, to the airport, since he was going to Eretz Yisroel. But first, he asked me to take him to the backroads of Lakewood, so he could observe the new homes that were just built, and enjoy watching all those Heilige Kollel-leit go to Yeshiva with their Gemara’s under their arms, while the wives sat watching the kinderlach as they played with each other.
This person loves Klal Yisroel like his Rebbe, R' Nosson Zatzal, who spent hours and hours just davening for Klal Yisroel. I once watched him standing and davening by the Kever of R’ Chaim Mordechai (Motel) Katz (center) and R' Mordechai Gifter (right) his Rebbe, R' Nosson Zatzal. All he did was cry for Klal Yisroel. The famous R' Yaakov Yosef (J. J.) Herman Zatzal would spend many hours daily at the Kosel just to daven for the Russian Jews. They say that at the Levaya of R' Rottenberg Zatzal (the Rav of Paris), R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal stopped the Kevura until thy raised a million dollars for the Russian Jews.
When I was a young Bachur learning in Eretz Yisroel, I went to see the Bais Yisroel of Gur. I was very nervous, because I heard that he was sharp, and you had to move quickly. To my surprise, he noticed my discomfort, and he became very warm and friendly to me. He said in perfect English: “I can speak English if you want!” All he talked about was: “How are those Yidden in Queens and Far Rockaway (where I came from). Again and again, he asked: “Are they Yiddish types (frum)?”
Today, during my Vaad, (יום א' פ' יתרו) I had a Chashuva Yungerman from Lakewood, who was M’karev 150 Jews to Yiddishkeit (during his 20 years in Manalapan) speak at my Vaad. He mentioned how all those non-religious Jews are in awe over us, and secretly wish they could be like us and discard their empty lifestyles. Unfortunately, there is now an 85% intermarriage rate in the USA, and many, many once Jewish communities are non-existent anymore, Rachmana Litzlan.
I am planning to go to San Antonio, Texas for a Shabbos, and try to do something for them. When I asked R' Meir Hershkowitz Zatzal for a Haskama for my plans to do certain types of Kiruv activities, he thought I was crazy. “For this you need a Haskama? It’s Pikuach Nefesh!” The main issue about the war with Hamas, is: How many Yidden are becoming frum because of the situation.
I was asked by R' Yisroel Newman Shlita, Rosh Yeshivas BMG to spread the Hashkafa of R' Ahron Kotler Zatzal, who says that the main thing during Israeli wars is to daven that the Medina should do Teshuva, and that we should also do Teshuva, since this is the Shoresh (root) of all these wars in Eretz Yisroel.
R' Ahron Kreiser Zatzal was the: אַּ רִ י שֶּׁ בְ חַּ ב וּר ה “lion” of the Chabura by the Alter Mirrer Talmidim. R' Nachum Pertzovitz Zatzal said about him: “He’s 10 times bigger than us.” He told me that an “Amolige Yid” would “jump out of his Kever” to do a Zikkui HaRabbim! You may be a Masmid Atzum or a major Kadosh V’tahor who watches himself every inch, or a phenomenal Baal Chesed, or Baal Tzedaka in the millions; these are all major Tzaddikim who are really much greater than you can imagine.
However, a Yid who thinks and cares and talks about Klal Yisroel, is in a much higher category, and his Torah, Avoda, and Gemilus Chasadim are on a totally different Madrega. He is a Moshe Rabeinu type of person. When R' Yisroel Kanarik Zatzal was a Bachur and he came to Radin, the Chofetz Chaim Zatzal talked to him about Prussia (Germany) and the Matzav of Yiddishkeit there. This was his life; i.e., Klal Yisroel’s situation.
