Rosh HaShana
Beginning Rosh HaShana night and continuing throughout the Aseres Yomei Teshuva, we add the words “zochreinu l’chaim—remember us for life” to the first bracha of the Shemoneh Esrei. I would like to share some stories about the customs of three Gedolim named Chaim, in the hopes that “remembering” these “Chaims” and emulating them in our own way, will give us the merit to be written in the Sefer HaChaim.
It was time for Tekias Shofar, and Rav Chaim Sanzer, ztz”l (d.1876), had not yet exited from his study to take his place in the Bais Medrash. After waiting for quite some time, his Gabai slowly opened the door to the study to find the Rebbe deeply engrossed in the words of the sefer opened before him. Assuming that the sefer would have been a kabbalistic work on the deepest kavanos of Tekias Shofar, the Gabai was surprised to see that the Rebbe had been working through a complicated piece in the Ketzos HaChoshen, a lomdish sefer on Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat. Evidently the Rebbe felt that the best preparation for Tekias Shofar was learning Gemara in-depth.
Rav Chaim Brisker, ztz”l, (d. 1918) whose approach to limud Gemara has defined its study for the last 125 years, spent his Rosh Hashana reciting Tehillim. His reason was that on the day that we are asking for life, the biggest mistake would be wasting time. If he was to learn, then he was afraid that if he rose from his shtender to retrieve a sefer, he might take his mind off his learning for a few moments and be guilty of wasting time. Better to say Tehillim where there would be no potential for distraction.
(The irony of a great Chassidishe Rebbe learning Ketzos and a great Litvishe Rosh Yeshiva saying Tehillim should not be lost on us.)
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, ztz”l (d. 1979) observed the custom mentioned by the poskim of visiting cemeteries on Erev Rosh HaShana. He went first to the kever of Rochel Imeinu where he famously said, “Mamma, even though HaShem said, ‘Hold back your voice from tears,’ I, your son, Chaim, beg you, go before HaShem and cry, Mamma cry—your children need your tears.” He then went to the Yad Avshalom, the monument over the grave of Avshalom, Dovid HaMelech’s rebellious and wayward son. Here Rav Chaim said, “HaShem, Avshalom waged a rebellion against his father, Dovid, but as You know Dovid, his father, forgave him. If Dovid, who was only flesh and blood could forgive his rebellious son, surely You, Hashem, can forgive Your rebellious children.” Then he went to Har Hazeisim, to the grave of the Ohr HaChaim Hakodesh (another Chaim!). Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz was the individual most responsible for the resurgence in the Yeshiva world of the study of the commentary of the Ohr HaChaim on chumash. He went to the grave to ask mechila from the Rebbe in case he had not transmitted the Ohr HaChaim Hakodesh’s teachings accurately.
By remembering the examples of how these great Chaim’s approached life on the day when the three great Sefarim are opened in Shomyaim: with in-depth Torah learning, by using life to its fullest, and through realizing our responsibility to be faithful to the Jewish People, may we all be inscribed where we all want to be written, in the Sefer HaChaim—l’maancha Elokim Chaim!
Kesiva Vechasim Tova to us all,
Rabbi Goldberg