Friday Nights with Rabbi Twersky hyd by Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum Rabbi Twersky hyd was brutally murdered on November 18th in an attack on his Synagogue while he was wrapped in Tallis and tefillin and immersed in prayer. His loss is a terrible one for the Jewish people. Rabbi Twersky reigned from two dynasties. On his mother’s side, he was the grandson of Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik, founder of Yeshiva University, and a member of the illustrious Soloveichick family whose teachings and writings on the Talmud and Maimonidies redefined the way Jews analyze texts, taking every law and statement of our Sages to a depth that no one had previously. On his father’s side, he was from the famous Chassidic Twersky dynasty, the grandson of Rabbi Meshullam Twersky, the Tolner rebbe of Boston. Rabbi Twersky brought together these two worlds, the world of Talmudic scholars with the world of Chassidic spirituality, in a way that was harmonious and seamless. When he studied Torah, he carried the breadth of Torah knowledge on the tip of his fingers. During his discourses, he would compare and contrast texts which he would draw from a wide range of sources, sometimes the most obscure places. Rabbi Moshe Twersky was a Jew from another world. He was an angel among men. He was the paradigm of holiness and purity, a tzaddik in every sense of the word. When he would perform mitzvot he would do so with a fire, passion and tremendous joy. Though his tall and broad frame, deep eyes and quiet demeanor often made him a bit intimidating, when he was serving God he would look like a kid in a candy store. I had the privilege of studying under him when I was 18, and was a guest at his home for Shabbos almost every Friday night for three years while I was studying in Jerusalem. After the meal was over, and all of the other guests would leave, I would remain in his home to learn with him until the late hours of the night. Before we would begin, he would bring me some cake and soda (as if I hadn’t been completely satiated by his wifes delicious food, which is famous throughout Jerusalem) while he would go off to a corner to repeat the Shema with intense Kavana, meticulously saying every word. He would return, take off his jacket – it was the only time I saw him that casual – and dive into our learning session. Rabbi Twersky was brilliant. All of his students thought that he knew everything in Torah. He was also well versed in secular subjects – the son of a Harvard professor after all. But when we would learn together, he would treat me as an equal. He would ask me questions and accept my answers. He would make suggestions and retract if I didn’t agree. It is from him I learned that even when teaching students who are not as learned, a teacher must be vulnerable and honest, and include the students in the learning process. After our learning sessions were over, no matter how late it was, we would spend a few minutes discussing some personal things in my life. He would advise me, guide me, or sometimes just listen. When I would finally leave his house, usually long past midnight, sometimes after 2 a.m., I would begin the hour walk back to my yeshiva and digest all of the inspiration. The hour walk felt like 15 minutes. These were the most transformative experiences of my life. May his memory be for a blessing, may his family be comforted, and may we know no more sorrow.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 19:15:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015