going home ... to yerushalayim
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13 May 2026
The Forgotten Spiritual Center of Israel - Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz
馃槶讘讙诇诇 讻住祝 讬注讝讘讜 诪拽讜专 诪讬诐 讞讬讬诐? 爪驻讜 讘讝注拽讛 讛诪专讟讬讟讛 诪专讗砖 讛讬砖讬讘讛 专讘讬 讞讬讬诐 驻专抓 讘专诪谉 讘讚讬谞专 诇诪注谉 注讜诇诐 讛转讜专讛
专讗砖 讬砖讬讘转 驻讜谞讬讘讝' 讛讙讗讜谉 专讘讬 讞讬讬诐 驻专抓 讘专诪谉 讘讚讬谞专 砖诇 拽专谉 注讜诇诐 讛转讜专讛 讘讘专讝讬诇:
"讬砖 讘讗专抓 讛拽讜讚砖 讗诇驻讬 讘谞讬 讬砖讬讘讜转 砖诇讜诪讚讬诐 诪讞诪砖 讘讘讜拽专 注讚 砖转讬讬诐 讘诇讬诇讛. 注讜诪讚讬诐 注诇讬讛诐 诪讻诇 爪讚, 讛讙讜讬讬诐 诪讘讞讜抓 讜讙诐 诪讘驻谞讬诐. 诪讛 专讜爪讬诐 诪讛诐? 砖讘讙诇诇 讻住祝 讬注讝讘讜 诪拽讜专 诪讬诐 讞讬讬诐?!"
12 May 2026
馃挜诪讛 讬拽专讘 讗讜转谞讜 诇讛拽讘"讛? 爪驻讜 讘诪住专 诪讬讜讞讚 诪诪专谉 专讗砖 讛讬砖讬讘讛 专讘讬 诪砖讛 讛诇诇 讛讬专砖 砖诇讬讟"讗.
Jerusalem Walk 4K | Warm Sunny Streets in April
Special Military Tribunal
The Knesset voted on Monday night to pass a law to establish a special military tribunal to try Palestinian terrorists accused of committing atrocities during the October 7, 2023, invasion, with 93 votes in favor and none opposed.
Submitted jointly by Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, of the coalition, and Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky, of the opposition, the uniquely bipartisan legislation would see the establishment of a special court within the military justice system to try the roughly 300 attackers captured by security forces inside Israel during the invasion and held in detention since.
Under the legislation, the tribunal will be able to charge the assailants with all relevant crimes, including genocide under the terms of Israel’s 1950 Law for the Prevention of Genocide, harming Israeli sovereignty, causing war, assisting an enemy during a time of war, and terror charges under Israel’s 2016 law for combating terrorism.
Those convicted of genocide charges would be liable for the death penalty.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the passage of the legislation “one of the most important moments of the current Knesset. One can feel that we are doing the right thing by finding a way to unite at this moment, even though we are on the eve of elections and despite all the disagreements that exist.”
“This is a historic framework intended to deliver justice and bring to trial the terrorists who carried out the worst massacre in the state’s history,” said Rothman, while Malinovsky proclaimed that “ these will be the trials of the modern-day Nazis, and they will go down in the history books.”
Palestinian Arabs? Who are they? This is for Naturei Karta….
Why the Only Indigenous Palestinian Arabs Are Jewish?
Popular Demand: Expert Explains Palestine Facts YOU Need to Know!
URGENT IMMEDIATE ACTION: NY Children Summer Camp Attendees…..Pass along
URGENT PHONE CALLS NEEDED TODAY TO STOP A DANGEROUS BILL! The vote is scheduled for tomorrow.
If children you care about attend summer camp in New York State, this bill matters for you
Bill S3958a would require all New York State summer camps to only admit campers who are up-to-date on all of their vaccines. This bill will be voted on tomorrow May 12.
Below are the key talking points against this Bill, put together by Children’s Health Defense. Further down is the list of key legislators whom CHD believes are the most critical to contact to stop this bill from passing. Please reach out to your networks and encourage them to call today to these legislators and ask them to vote against Bill S3958a.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to Curtis Cost, who is with Children’s Health Defense: 347-335-6455
For FULL INFORMATION go to https://truth613.substack.com/p/urgent-phone-calls-needed-today-to
11 May 2026
诪讜诇 拽诪驻讬讬谉 讛转专注诇讛: 专讛"讬 讛专讘 砖诇讝讬谞讙专 讬讜爪讗 诪讙讚专讜 讘讛转讬讬讞住讜转 驻讜诪讘讬转 诇讞讝拽 讗转 砖讚"专 讛诪住讚讬专讬诐 讗转 讞讜拽 讛讚讬讞讜讬
拽专讚讬讟 转讬注讜讚: 讬砖讬讘注 讝讜讻注专.
Maran Rosh Yeshiva "Kol Torah" and member of the Council of Torah Elders, ..... Rabbi Schlesinger Shlita, speaks out against the draft decree, and supports the rabbinical emissaries working to regulate the deferral law:
"In politics, what they are doing is very serious. But it must be done, there is a mitzvah to sort it out. Just shouting will not bring about a solution. In our community, there are avrechim, there are those who, if they are not taken care of, do not know what will happen. I have already heard some bad things about this.
Documentation credit: Yeshiva Zukar.
馃敟讛讚专诪讛 讘诪注讜谉 讛诪谞讛讬讙 - 讛讛讻专注讛 注诇 讗讬讱 讬讬专讗讛 讞讜拽 讛住讚专转 诪注诪讚 讘谞讬 讛讬砖讬讘讜转: 讻谞讬住转 讛讞讻讬''诐 诇讛诪谞讛讬讙 讛专讘 诇谞讚讜
诪讛 诪砖谞讛 讗转 讗讜驻讬 讛砖讻讜谞讛? 诪谞讛讬讙 讛讚讜专 讛专讘 诇谞讚讜 讘诪砖讗 诪讬讜讞讚 讘讘讬讛讻谞"住 讛诪专讻讝讬 讘砖讬讻讜谉 讛'
讘砖讬讗讜 砖诇 诪注诪讚 讛谞讞转 讗讘谉 讛驻讬谞讛 诇讘讬转 诪讚专砖 "转驻讗专转 诪谞讞诐", 讛谞讘谞讛 讘转讜讱 讘讬转 讛讻谞住转 讛诪专讻讝讬 讘砖讬讻讜谉 讛' 讘专讗砖讜转 讛讙讗讜谉 专讘讬 诪专讚讻讬 讘讜谞讬诐 讝讬诇讘专讘专讙 砖诇讬讟"讗, 砖谞注专讱 讘诪注诪讚 诪专谞谉 讜专讘谞谉 讙讚讜诇讬 讬砖专讗诇 砖诇讬讟"讗 拽讬讘诇讜 讛诪砖转转驻讬诐 讘讞专讚转 拽讜讚砖 讜讘讬专讗转 讛讻讘讜讚 讗转 诪谞讛讬讙 讛讚讜专 专讘讬谞讜 诪专谉 砖诇讬讟"讗. 专讘讬谞讜 谞砖讗 讗转 讛诪砖讗 讛诪专讻讝讬 讘诪注诪讚, 讜讘讚讘专讬讜 讗诪专: 讘专砖讜转 讛诪专讗 讚讗转专讗 砖诇讬讟״讗 讜讘专砖讜转 讛专讘谞讬诐 讛讙讗讜谞讬诐 砖诇讬讟״讗. 讝讻讬转诐 诇讛专讞讬讘 讜诇砖讻诇诇 讘讬转 诇转讜专讛 讜转驻讬诇讛, 讛讚讘专 讜讚讗讬 诪砖驻讬注 讟讜讘讛 注诇 讻诇 讘谞讬 讛拽讛讬诇讛, 讜诇讗 驻讞讜转 讞砖讜讘 - 诪砖驻讬注 讟讜讘讛 注诇 讻诇 讛住讘讬讘讛 讜讘驻专讟 讘讬转 诪讚专砖 砖诪转拽讬讬诪讬诐 讘讜 住讚专讬 诇讬诪讜讚 专讘讬诐, 讜讘诪讬讜讞讚 讘讬诪讬 砖讬砖讬 讜砖讘转 砖讬砖 讘讛诐 专驻讬讜谉 诪住讜讬讬诐, 讻诇 讛爪讘讬讜谉 讜讛讗讜驻讬 砖诇 讛砖讻讜谞讛 诪转注诇讛 注״讬 诇讜诪讚讬 讛转讜专讛 讜诪转专讜诪诐 讘讝讻讜转 讝讛, 诇讛讬讜转 诪拽讜诐 砖诇 转讜专讛 讜砖诇 讛拽讘״讛. 讛' 讬注讝讜专, 转讝讻讜 诇住讬注转讗 讚砖诪讬讗 诇讛专讘讜转 讻讘讜讚 砖诪讬诐, 讜谞讝讻讛 诇讙讗讜诇讛 砖诇诪讛 讘诪讛专讛 讘讬诪讬谞讜 讗诪谉. 讗讞"讻 诪谞讛讬讙 讛讚讜专 专讘讬谞讜 诪专谉 砖诇讬讟"讗 讬专讛 讗转 讗讘谉 讛驻讬谞讛 讜讞转诐 注诇 诪讙讬诇转 讛讬住讜讚 拽专讚讬讟 转讬注讜讚: 诪谞讞转 讚讘专
Journey to Jacksonville with Rabbi Glatstein:
Rebbi Meir and the Principle That Awarded Us the Torah {Book Signing}
The Miracle of Spanish Moss
Rabbi Weissman: De-HUMAN-izing.....
The Dreaded Shidduch R茅sum茅, If Shidduch Profiles Were Honest, and recent anecdotes
In 2018, before I was banned by the Times of Israel for writing against the perversity movement, I published a lengthy article called “An End to Shidduch R茅sum茅s”. It begins as follows:
When I was growing up, which wasn’t that long ago, there was no such thing as shidduch r茅sum茅s or profiles. Proponents of the “shidduch system” will one day argue that it was always done this way, dating back to the idyllic shtetls in Europe, where the Torah was given to the Jewish people and our traditions officially began. This is the way Jews always got married, we will be told. This is the way it is, this is the way it always was, and this is the way it must always be
.
My memory serves me correctly. I did an online search, and shidduch r茅sum茅s did not become widely used until 2004. Prior to 2004 there is nary a single online result to the term “shidduch r茅sum茅” or “shidduch profile.” If shidduchim were always conducted this way — as so many proponents of the “system” would have us believe — one can only wonder why shidduch r茅sum茅s didn’t exist 30 years ago, let alone 3000. They had paper back then, too.
The outbreak of the shidduch r茅sum茅 virus began a mere 14 years ago, but it has spread like wildfire ever since, and has overtaken virtually the entire Orthodox Jewish world. Whoever says the shidduch world cannot change is clearly proven wrong. It has undergone an extremely radical change (with shidduch r茅sum茅s being only one part of that), in a relatively short span of time.
Virtually no parent of marriageable-age children used a shidduch r茅sum茅 themselves. Those who pay lip service to “Da’as Torah” to stifle criticism of the “system” must acknowledge that no Rosh Yeshiva or Gadol has ever used one. The introduction of shidduch r茅sum茅s into the “system” is actually more recent than my creating EndTheMadness to bring sanity and true Torah values back to the shidduch world. When I first began writing and speaking out about the shidduch world, shidduch r茅sum茅s were almost entirely unheard of, if they even existed at all!
A mere 14 years later and you will be hard-pressed to find any Orthodox singles who do not have one. An entire generation is being taught that they must have a shidduch r茅sum茅, and anyone who doesn’t might as well take a lifetime lease on a bachelor pad. Singles today under the age of 30 do not even remember a world without shidduch r茅sum茅s. It is all they know and the only option ever presented to them.
Fourteen years represents a generation of singles, and it is ample time to determine the results of a social experiment of this magnitude. It is time to lay it all on the table and decide if shidduch r茅sum茅s help the situation or hurt the situation — and if they should continue to be used, or eliminated.
The rest of the article is available here.
The rest of this post is available HERE and much more.
馃幖诪讛 专讬讙砖 讗转 讛诪谞讛讬讙? 爪驻讜 讘转讬注讜讚 讛诪专转拽 砖诇 讛诪谞讛讬讙 讛专讘 诇谞讚讜 讘讜讞谉 讗转 讛讬诇讚讬诐, 诪讚专讬讻诐, 讜诪讗讝讬谉 诇谞讬讙讜谉 讛诪讬讜讞讚
讬诇讚讬 转"转 讘专讗砖讜转 讛专讛"讙 专讘讬 讗诇讬注讝专 讝讬讬爪'讬拽 砖诇讬讟"讗 讘拽专讬转 讛专爪讜讙, 谞讻谞住讜 讬讞讚 注诐 讛讙讗讜谉 专讘讬 诪砖讛 砖讟讬讬谉 砖诇讬讟"讗 专讘 拽讛诇 讞住讬讚讬诐 讘拽专讬转 讛专爪讜讙 讜讛讘讜讞谉 讘转"转, 讜讛诪谞讛诇 讜讛诪诇诪讚讬诐. 诇诪讘讞谉 注诇 讛谞诇诪讚 诪诪谞讛讬讙 讛讚讜专 专讘讬谞讜 诪专谉 砖诇讬讟"讗, 讜拽讘诇转 讚讘专讬 讞讬讝讜拽 讜讘专讻讛. 专讘讬谞讜 讘讞谞诐 注诇 讛谞诇诪讚 讜讛讘讬注 讛谞讗转讜 诪讬讚讬注转诐, 讜讞讬讝拽诐: 讗转诐 讬讜讚注讬诐 讟讜讘 讗转诐 诇讜诪讚讬诐 转爪诇讬讞讜 转砖诪注讜 诇诪讛 砖诪诇诪讚讬诐 讗转讻诐. 转讛讬讜 谞讞转 诇讗诇讛 砖专讜爪讬诐 讘讟讜讘转讻诐 讻讜诇诐 专讜爪讬诐, 转诇诪讚讜 讜转讛讬讜 转诇诪讬讚讬 讞讻诪讬诐. 诇专讘谞讬诐 讬讛讬讛 讘专讻讛 砖诇 讞讝"诇 讬专讘讛 讙讘讜诇诐 讘转诇诪讬讚讬诐 讛讙讜谞讬诐, 转诇诪讜讚 转讜专讛 讝讛 讛讗讜砖专 讛讻讬 讙讚讜诇, 讚讘专 讛讻讬 讟讜讘. 专讘讬谞讜 讛讗讝讬谉 讘讛谞讗讛 诇谞讬讙讜谉 讛诪讬讜讞讚 讛诪讘讬讗 诇讞砖拽转 讛转讜专讛 诇诇诪讜讚 讘注讬讜谉 讗转 讛讙诪专讗 砖砖专讜 讛讬诇讚讬诐 讘专讙砖 专讘, 讜讗诪专 砖讝讛 砖讬专讬诐 讬驻讬诐, 讜住讬讬诐 讘讛讚专讻讛 讜讘专讻讛: 讗砖专讬讻诐 砖讗转诐 诇讜诪讚讬诐 转讜专讛 转诇诪讚讜 讟讜讘 讜转砖诪注讜 诇诪讛 砖诪诇诪讚讬诐 讗转讻诐, 转砖诪注讜 诇诪讛 砖诪讚专讬讻讬诐 讗转讻诐 转诇诪讚讜 讟讜讘 讜转讗讛讘讜 讗讞讚 讗转 讛砖谞讬, 诇讛转谞讛讙 讬驻讛 注诐 讛砖谞讬, 注诐 讛讞讘专, 讻诇诇 讙讚讜诇 讘转讜专讛 讜讗讛讘转 诇专注讱 讻诪讜讱, 讝讛 诪讛 砖拽讜专讗讬诐 讻注转. 讛' 讬注讝讜专 转讛讬讜 转转注诇讜. 讗讜诪专 诇专讘谞讬诐 讗砖专讬讻诐 讛' 讬转谉 转讝讻讜 注讜讚 讜注讜讚 砖讬讛讬讛 诇讻诐 转诇诪讬讚讬诐 讛讙讜谞讬诐 讻诇砖讜谉 讞讝"诇 讜谞专讘讛 讻讜诇谞讜 讻讘讜讚 砖诪讬讬诐 讻讬 讝讛 讛注讬拽专. 拽专讚讬讟 转讬注讜讚: 诪谞讞转 讚讘专. *谞讛谞转诐 诪讛住专讟讜谉? 转谞讜 诇讬讬拽 讜讛专砖诪讜 讻诪谞讜讬 讜转转谞讜 诇谞讜 讗转 讛讻讜讞 诇讛诪砖讬讱................* 爪讜驻讬诐 讬拽专讬诐: 讛拽诇讬拽讜 "讛讬专砖诐 讻诪谞讜讬" 讜讗讞专 讻讱 诇讞爪讜 注诇 讛驻注诪讜谉, 讜讗讝 转讛讬讜 讛诪注讜讚讻谞讬诐 讛专讗砖讜谞讬诐 讘讻诇 住专讟讜谉 讞讚砖 砖注讜诇讛 诇讬讜讟讬讜讘 ! 谞讜, 诇讗 讻讚讗讬 诇讛讬专砖诐 ? *讬砖 诇讻诐 转讬注讜讚 讜讬讚讗讜 诪注讜诇诐 讛转讜专讛 诇驻专住讜诐? 砖诇讞讜 讗诇讬谞讜 诪讬讬诇 6701822@gmail.com* *讛诪注专讻转 诪讻讘讚转 讝讻讜讬讜转 讬讜爪专讬诐*
Bechukosai: Ohr Gedalia: Nature of Reality, Miracle of Creation, Spiritual to Physical Blessings
Arrived late
Another Message From Shamayim
HaRav Dovid Yosef Urges Netanyahu, Herzog To Join Trump’s Call To Observe Shabbos
10 May 2026
My Take on the Trump Bamidbar Shabbos
TO BRING THE GEULAH
And the Chief Rabbi of Israel is
Asking Netanyahu
to declare
Shabbat Bamidbar
Encumbent on All Israelis to
Keep this Shabbos
TOGETHER WITH ALL JEWS ON PLANET EARTH!
Shalom Pollack: Special Tiyul – Tuesday, June 16.
Tuesday, June 16.
The great return is underway, BH!
The biblical northern Shomron was declared "Judenrein" by the Israeli government in 2005 as four Jewish villages were razed to the ground.
The large, empty Northern Shomron, home to four flourishing Jewish villages, with few Arab neighbors, met the same fate at the time as the larger Jewish settlement area in Gaza.
Sharon never explained why he "threw it in " along with Gaza as a further gift to our enemies, but he was determined.
Chomesh saw the first heart-wrenching destruction and expulsion in 2005.
They were the first Jews to return last year, and once a thriving community
Our group had the honor of being one of the first visitors to that restored village in Shomron.
It is an experience not to be forgotten
Recently, its neighbor up the road is welcoming its people back, too.
The ruins of Sanur are being rebuilt by the enthusiastic pioneers who never stopped dreaming of a return.
We will, please God, be the first English-speaking group to visit these special Jews and celebrate with them in the midst of the rebuilding.
(Hopefully, we will do the same for the remaining two)
Not far from these villages is the biblical Mount Eval and the altar of Joshua overlooking Shechem.
The connection between Joshua's entrance into the promised land to reaffirm the covenant, and the pioneers of today in the same area is clear and enthralling.
There are plans to build a museum around this unique biblical site.
Hopefully, future VIPs will be brought there and not whisked off to "Yad Vashem" to gain pity.
Joshua will provide the original and correct understanding as to why we returned to our land and will never leave again.
We will have a local English-speaking guide from the Shomron field school.
We will travel to and from Yerushalayim in a (costly) bulletproof bus.
This tour requires military coordination and accompaniment, and so there is a theoretical chance for late cancellation due to security considerations on their part.
We will meet at the Inbal hotel at 9:00. Return approx 6:00
320 shekels
Bring lunch
Limited seating.
shalompollack613@gmail.com
Not The Exercise or Omega 3 - R' Daniel Glatstein
09 May 2026
We Love Israel - AKA: Aliyah Snob Syndrome
Rebbetzen Tziporah: Meron and Volozhin
Dear friends,
There used to be tzadik stickers. Kids collected them, pasted them into albums, and traded them. I once saw the Trade of the Century.
The kids were on the living room floor. The cards were scattered, and the intensity would have put Wall Street to shame. I heard one of them say, “Okay, I’ll give you 15.” There was awed silence as the little boy across from him slowly counted out 10 Chofetz Chaim stickers. “No!” “Chofetz Chaim is ‘pusht’ (ordinary).” “15 or no trade.” A slight nod was his answer as he held out the card that was the most “yakar” (expensive) of his whole collection. It was my dear brother-in-law, Rav Moshe Pindrus, a highly esteemed maggid shiur at… Ohr Sameach. The Chofetz Chaim was famous, so there were many pictures of this gadol. Moshe Pindrus is rare, the ultimate big ticket.
THIS YEAR’S LESSON: SMALL CAN BE BIGGER THAN BIG IF THAT’S WHAT HASHEM WANTS
This Lag’Omer was so different. The decision to try to get to Meiron or not was taken out of our hands. The security issue involved both fear of what could be done to adequately get 200,000 into shelters in less than 3 minutes, plus the pseudo secret that Mount Meiron (Israel’s highest mountain) is a military target, added salt to the stew.
My initial plans included walking around Har Nof and watching the 14-year-old pyromaniacs play with fire while singing Bar Yochai off tune, or watching Meiron of yesteryear online. Then the reports began to come in. There would be bonfires in Beit Shemesh, in Beitar, in the heart of the chassidic shopping paradise, Shefa. And more. At Shimon HaTzadik, Shmuel HaNavi Street, and still more. And yes, there were those who managed to go through the forest to Meiron, eluding the security authorities. Not the unmanageable hundreds of thousands, but about a thousand or two, enough to feel the intense joy. This made me think of the yeshiva of Volozhin.
This is a bit of a jump, since the heavy-duty Litvish are usually happy to leave Lag B’Omer to the chassidim, sefaradim, and Various Others (although in recent years there has been a bit of a defrost in that regard). Still, between Meiron and Volozhin was a common thread.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CLOSURE
In Meiron, it was the birth of many mini-Meirons. In Volozhin, the story was more complex. What was there before Volozhin?
Volozhin was the first time a yeshiva as we know it (3 sedarim, dormitory, financial responsibility for a building, and more) came into being. Around 1803 (some date it to 1802), Rav Chaim Volozhiner founded what came to be known as the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Volozhin (in present-day Belarus). This was something entirely new.
And most importantly, it was built on an idea: that Torah learning is not simply one value among many – it is the central, defining, occupation of life for those who enter it.
Rav Chaim himself was, of course, the first Rosh Yeshiva.
But more than that, he set a tone: depth, intellectual honesty, independence in thinking, and a certain seriousness about Torah that would shape generations.
AFTER RAV CHAIM
Rav Chaim passed away in 1821.
He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Yitzchak of Volozhin (often called Rav Itzele), who led the yeshiva for many years. Under him, the yeshiva not only continued but expanded its influence.
After Rav Itzele, leadership eventually passed to his son-in-law, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv) – a figure of enormous depth, whose warmth and breadth gave the yeshiva a somewhat different tone. Alongside him, toward the later years, was also Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (the Beis HaLevi), who served as a Rosh Yeshiva there as well.
Already, you can begin to see something important: even within Volozhin, there was not one single expression. Different personalities, different emphases – but one core.
THE CLOSURE – EXACT AND PAINFUL
And then came the breaking point.
The Russian government, in its efforts to reshape and “modernize” Jewish life, demanded that the yeshiva introduce secular studies into its curriculum – not as an optional addition, but as a structured, enforced component, with government oversight.
For the Netziv, this was not a small adjustment. It was a change that would alter the very Neshama of the yeshiva.
He refused.
And so, in January 1892 (often given as January 21, 1892), the authorities forced the yeshiva to close.
Try to sit with that for a moment.
Nearly ninety years of uninterrupted Torah learning. Generations shaped. A world centered there.
Closed.
Not because it failed – but because it would not bend.
And then… what happened next?
If the story ended there, it would simply be tragic.
But it didn’t.
The talmidim did not disappear. The ruach did not disappear.
It spread.
In the decades that followed, the great yeshivot we think of as pillars began to rise – Mir, Grodno, Slabodka (which later gave rise to Chevron in Eretz Yisrael), Ponevezh, and others. Each one, in some way, a continuation – but not a copy.
Mir developed a certain expansiveness and warmth in its learning environment.
Grodno became known for depth and analytical sharpness.
Slabodka emphasized gadlus ha’adam – human greatness – and from it emerged Chevron, carrying that dignity into Eretz Yisrael.
Ponevezh, later, would embody rebuilding after destruction, almost carrying the memory of what had been lost in Europe.
Would they have emerged as they did if Volozhin had remained the singular center?
It is very hard to imagine.
The closing did not end the world of Torah – it multiplied it.
And the same pattern, again and again
When Chassidus emerged, it did not remain one derech.
There were paths of fiery joy and emotional closeness, paths of deep intellectual contemplation, paths of simple, unembellished sincerity. Different neshamos, different openings.
When Mussar developed, it too unfolded into distinct streams:
Kelm – structured, measured, almost architectural in its precision.
Slabodka – uplifting, focused on the greatness and dignity of the adam.
Novardok – intense, breaking illusions, demanding radical honesty.
All emes. All needed.
And all, in some sense, emerging from challenge – from moments where something had to be rethought, rebuilt, or rescued.
So what are we meant to hear this year?
Maybe something very quiet, but very demanding.
When one great fire is not accessible, we are not meant only to mourn it.
We are being asked: what will you build instead?
Love,
Tziporah