By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

There are new hashkafa shiurim out there attracting communities from Lakewood to Teaneck, to the Five Towns.  People from the entire spectrum of the Jewish community, from Modox to Yeshivesh Chareidi are listening to the shiurim of a Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva, a son-in-law of Rav Schnuer Kotler zt”l.

We kid you not.

And if you don’t believe it, check it out yourself –  RebGershonRibner.com.  The last this author heard the daily downloads are an astounding 2000 plus a day.  And, to quote a cliché, there’s an App for that.

RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN NOW WRITES A WEEKLY PARSHA SHEET ON THE TOPIC OF EMES.  To SUBSCRIBE AT NO CHARGE – PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO [email protected]

The shiurim range from 4 minutes to 30 minutes and the topics are, pretty eclectic and wide-ranging – from parenting advice to deep explorations of halacha and Jewish history.  What do you do if your son has hives and is terribly embarrassed to go to Yeshiva, Cheder, or day school?    What were Rav Elyashivs three concerns about translating Shas into Russian?  (One of them was, are there enough talmidei chachomim proficient in Russian nowadays to catch any mistakes?)

https://rebgershonribner.com/how-a-responsible-rav-took-the-initiative-to-restore-shalom-bais

https://rebgershonribner.com/concerns-gedolei-yisroel-voiced-regarding-translation-of-the-talmud

https://rebgershonribner.com/clashing-with-an-anti-vax-spouse

https://rebgershonribner.com/the-primary-factor-in-driving-youngerliet-out-of-kollel

A LEADING GADOL

Rav Ribner shlita has also authored numerous seforim with profound shiurim and chiddushim in sugyas throughout Shas.  They are not just regular seforim written by a talmid chochom.  Anyone who has learned from his seforim will clearly see that they were written by a leading Rosh Yeshiva and master Torah pedagogue bringing his Talmidim into the inner depth of the sugios in the mesechta.  They, (the ones on the Bava Mesechtos), are aptly named Pischa d’Bava because his approach is truly a doorway into understanding the depth of these three mesechtos.  Rabbi Ribner shlita is also extremely prolific having written dozens of seforim – each with an uncanny level of depth and profundity.

Rav Shneur Kotler zt”l was once walking through the Beis Midrash in BMG and chanced upon the open notebook of Rav Uren Reich shlita and saw the profundity of the chiddushim in Rav Uren’s notebook.  He asked around about Rav Uren and decided to explore the possibility of a shidduch between this Talmid and his own daughter.

Rav Ribner got married to Rav Shneur’s daughter after Rav Shneur had passed away in 1982.  But Hashem, who is mezaveg zivuggim, clearly did not abandon Rav Shneur zatzal and provided his daughter with a leading Gadol as well.

A QUESTION

Which brings us to a question.  Why would a gadol baTorah at this level of profundity, come out with such fascinating popular shiurim – every day?  Granted that they are fascinating and provide people with unprecedented Torah guidance and hashkafa – but won’t this detract from a reputation as one of the leading Gedolei Torah and maggidei shiur?

The same question could be asked of Rav Henkin zt”l.  There is no question that he was the leading Gadol HaDor in the United States for several decades.  Yet, he decided to dedicate his life to the Ezras Torah organization – where he would actually go around collecting funds for Torah scholars.  Why would he have done so?  He could have written the most profound and brilliant seforim, and have taught the leading Talmidei Chachomim of the next generation.

The answer that most people have to the Rav Henkin question is that he saw the extensive need – especially after the holocaust and made a remarkable self sacrifice.

This author would like to suggest an answer.  Our generation is so orphaned and lacking in hashkafa that there is an extensive need here too. His melahech in giving over hashkafa, but in a fascinating and no pressure type of way. We are all in dire need of true Torah hashkafa and it seems that Rav Ribner sees this need. Like Rav Henkin of a generation ago, he has sacrificed his labors of love in order to give us these sorely needed lessons in hashkafah.

Rav Ribner also gives shiurim in Chumash.  The numbers for the shiurim call-in is 516.387.8351 and 732.863.2166.  Hashkafa Q & A is on Monday nights 7:20 pm, with replays later, Chumash is Friday 1:10 pm (during the summer months), with a replay later. Full schedule is announced on the line when you try the number.

RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN NOW WRITES A WEEKLY PARSHA SHEET ON THE TOPIC OF EMES.  To SUBSCRIBE AT NO CHARGE – PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO [email protected]

The author can be reached at [email protected]

RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN NOW WRITES A WEEKLY PARSHA SHEET ON THE TOPIC OF EMES.  To SUBSCRIBE AT NO CHARGE – PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO [email protected]