Lijensker Chanukas Habayis And Hachnassas Sefer Torah
Hachnassas Sefer Torah
Rabbi Elimelech Weissblum, zt"l (1717-1787), Lijensker (Lizajsk, Lizhensk) Rebbe and author of Noam Elimelech, engineered the blossoming of chassidism in Poland/Galicia. As a leading disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber Mezeritch, zt"l (1700-1772), the Noam Elimelech had the prestige and influence to introduce chassidism beyond its limited original borders. Disciples of the Noam Elimelech such as Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok of Lublin, zt"l (1745-1815), known as the Chozeh, Rabbi Yisroel Hopsztain, zt"l (1737-1814), Magid of Koznitz, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, zt"l (1745-1815), launched chassidism throughout Jewish Poland.
The memory of the Noam Elimelech burns brightly to this day. On his yahrzeit, Adar 21, thousands of chassidim come from all corners of the world to meditate and pray in the ohel on his gravesite.
In Boro Park, the Lijensker Beis Medrash Noam Elimelech, originally established in 1989, is led by Rabbi Meir Leifer, Lijensker Rebbe; son of Rabbi Yesochor Ber Leifer, zt"l, Nadvorna-Banya-Hermanshtat Rebbe of Boro Park and author of Divrei Emes; son of Rabbi Dovid Leifer, zt"l Hy"d (d. 1944), Banya Rebbe and author of Ohev Chesed; son of Rabbi Yesochor Ber Bertche Leifer, zt"l (1845-1906), Bochnia-Seilish-Satmar Rebbe and author of Oros Hameirim; son of Rabbi Mordechai Leifer, zt"l (1824-1894), Nadvorner Rebbe and author of Maamar Mordechai; son of Rabbi Yesochor Bertche Leifer, zt"l (d. 1848), founding Nadvorner Rebbe and author of Sisrei Torah. The Lijensker Rebbe of Boro Park is the son-in-law of Rabbi Tzadok Adler, zt"l, who was rav of Khal Yechiel Meir Halevi in Flatush.
Rabbi Yesochor Ber Leifer, zt"l, Nadvorna-Banya-Hermanshtat Rebbe of Boro Park, was a son-in-law of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Leifer, zt"l (1875-1962), Arad Haifa Rebbe; son-in-law of Rabbi Meir Weissblum, zt"l. The Rebbetzin of the Arad Haifa Rebbe was a direct descendent of the Noam Elimelech and grandmother of the Lijensker Rebbe of Boro Park. She invested her grandson with the mission of glorifying the memory of her antecedent, the holy Noam Elimelech.
On Sunday, first day of Selichos, September 25, thousands participated in special events that celebrated the completion of expansion and the birth of a new sefer Torah at the Lijensker Beis Medrash in Boro Park.
Hachnassas Sefer Torah in front of the shul.
Rebbe dancing with the Torah.
The simcha actually began Thursday evening, when letters were inscribed on the nearly finished Torah scroll. The sefer Torah was dedicated to the memory of the parents of the Lijensker Rebbe of Boro Park. Throughout the evening men came through the shul's doors to acquire a letter and own a share in the mitzvah of writing asefer Torah (mitzvah number 613).
Each selected a letter corresponding to the initial of his name. Some had several letters inscribed for their wives and children. Men and boys watched as the letters filled the last column, bringing the sefer Torah closer to completion. Late in the evening, a halt to the writing had to be called so that letters could be written on Sunday when the sefer Torah would be formally completed and ceremoniously brought to its permanent place in the new Aron Hakodesh.
The entire Shabbos was electric. Feelings of joy were contagious. The beis medrash was complete except for minor detailing, ornaments and decorative items.
On Sunday afternoon the streets leading to the beis medrash were filled with people waiting for the event. A beautifully decorated chuppah stood outside the beis medrash. A live band and the renowned Mizamrim Singers enveloped the surroundings of the beis medrash in music and song. Inside, the final letters were being written.
Finally, the Lijensker Rebbe, adorned in his resplendent Shabbos attire, sat down to write the final letter. He recited the necessary prayer with thoughts of his parents, to whom he was dedicating the mitzvah of sefer Torah. Everyone watched attentively as the Rebbe carefully held the feather in his hand and gave the 304,805th letter of the scroll its proper form, thus transforming it into a holy sefer Torah.
When the Rebbe lifted his hand, the writing was complete. Joyous and intense song erupted. When the ink of the last letter dried, the Torah was lifted in Hagbah, and then clothed with its special gartel, mantel, silver breastplate, and silver crown.
The Torah was lifted in song and dance and brought outside and under the chuppah. When the sefer Torah was brought to the doors of the beis medrash, it met with the other sifrei Torah that were brought out to greet the new addition. The singing and dancing intensified as the Torah was brought through the doors.
As the sefer Torah was placed into the Aron HaKodesh, the aura of holiness was palpable to all in attendance.
Rabbi Menashe Klein (1924-2011), Ungvarer Rav
Ungvarer Rav, zt"l
In Jerusalem on Tuesday night, the 28th of Elul, the soul of Rabbi Menashe Klein was recalled to Heaven. He served as Ungvarer Rav and Rosh Yeshiva Beis Shearen. Prolific, he authored 17 volumes of Responsa Mishnah Halachos, five volumes of Maged Mishnah, two volumes of Mitzvos Melech, and much more.
In his early youth he was a student of Rabbi Yosef Elimelech Kahane, zt"l Hy"d (d. 1944), Ungvarer Rav. Miraculously, against all odds, he survived Birkenau, Auschwitz, and the Buna-Manowitz labor camp. In the camps, Rabbi Klein befriended Eli Wiesel, the renowned Holocaust author.
After the Holocaust, in the Fohrenwald displaced persons (DP) camp, he became a disciple of Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, zt"l (1905-1994), Klausenberger Rebbe and author of Shefa Chaim, who survived the Holocaust but lost his wife and eleven children. After the war, he established yeshivas for boys and girls in nearly two dozen DP camps.
As a yeshiva student in Europe, the young Rabbi Klein set about teaching Torah. Among his students was Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, later Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel. An exceptionally industrious and intensive student, Rabbi Klein became chief assistant to the Klausenberger Rebbe and menahel of the yeshiva. Representing the Rebbe, Rabbi Klein presented a silver menorah to President Eisenhower at the White House. At a relatively young age, Rabbi Klein, who had already exchanged voluminous halachic correspondence with the Gedolim of that era, was elected to the pulpit of Congregation Liadi Nusach Ari on Hooper Street in Williamsburg.
The young Ungvarer Rav, zt"l, with the Klausenberger Rebbe, zt"l.
The first edition of his Responsa Mishnah Torah was published in 1958 and had the approbations of the day's Torah giants. The Ungvarer Rav's towering Torah scholarship is evident in the thousands of citations of his works in contemporary halachic seforim. He served as chairman of the Vaad Halacha of the Igud Horabbonim and gave guest shiurim in yeshivas throughout the world. He was the key halachic authority in the pro-eruv efforts in Boro Park and elsewhere.
After moving to Boro Park in the 1960s, the Ungvarer Rav established Yeshiva Beis Shearim, the Ungvarer Kehilla, as well as Kiryas Ungvar in Ramot, Jerusalem. Increasingly, he spent more and more time in Israel. Whenever there, he would visit Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, and other Torah leaders. Two years ago the Ungvarer Rav made Kiryat Ungvar his permanent home. In January of this year he appointed his son Rabbi Amram as rav of the Ungvarer Kehilla in America.
The Ungvarer Rav's funeral was held Erev Rosh Hashanah in Kiryas Ungvar. Thousands gathered to express their recognition of the greatness he achieved. In his shul in Boro Park, on 16th Avenue at 53rd Street, Slichos was conducted at 12:45 a.m., followed by a live hookup of the funeral eulogies.
The Ungvarer Rav is survived by his rebbetzin; sons Rabbi Dovid Shlomo Klein, Ungvar Rosh Yeshivaand son-in-law of the Modzitzer Rebbe zt"l, Rav Amram Klein, rav of the Ungvarer Kehillah of Boro Park and son-in-law of the Alexander Rebbe, and Rav Moshe Klein; and daughters Rebbetzin Biderman, wife of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Biderman, Lelover Rebbe of Boro Park, Rebbetzin Hager, wife of Rabbi Zvi Hager, Rav of Mukatch-London, and Rebbetzin Weinberg, wife of Rabbi Yehoshua Weinberg, mashgiach Yeshivas Slonim.
