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Sislovitz, White Russia, 1900.
Having no home, Aaron thought to perhaps stay in the dormitory of a yeshiva, but first he had to be admitted – an impossible task for a child of 12. But he had little choice.
But Aaron was not impressed. He believed that just as Hashem does not change so too the Torah does not change, and the way of the Torah does not change. Cultures and civilizations rise and fall, but the Torah remains constant. Aaron ignored promises of fame and fortune, and stubbornly continued serving Hashem in the holiest way possible: dedicating his life to the splendor of His Torah.
In those days, all able-bodied young men were forced to serve in the Russian army. No freedom of religion was allowed, and so military service was like unto a death sentence for religious young men. There was, however, a military dispensation if you were an only child with no siblings. So in order to protect himself from the draft, Aaron adopted the family name of an elderly couple in his home town that passed away without any children. This way, he would appear as having no siblings, and be saved from serving in the army.
From that day on, our young Torah scholar was known as Rabbi Aaron Kotler.
[Modern Orthodox] change [our] ways and twist [our]
Rav Aharon taught that no matter people say or believe, there is no force in the world stronger than Torah. One word of the Torah contains more light and strength than all the galaxies put together. Torah is the force with which the entire cosmos was formed.
Light? Sun? Stars?
Every time a little child in 5th grade raises his hand to ask a question on his chumash lesson he ignites the entire universe in a display of flame and fireworks that outshines ten thousand suns!
If the energy of secular America and the energy of Talmidei Chachamim learning Torah do collide, just watch as America gets swept away like dust specs in a hurricane.
If America is a spiritual wasteland incompatible with pure torah, then let Torah shine, and watch as America bows, for the entire universe is subservient to Torah.
Today, BMG boasts over three thousand full time Torah-only students, the largest Yeshiva Klall Yisroel has seen in thousands of years. Literally thousands of new students apply for admission each year, and the number of students accepted is limited only by the physical constraints of available facilities. Dozens of branches of BMG have opened up all over the USA and the world, as far as Australia.
EPILOGUE
1999, New York
EPILOGUE II
“Every single word of newly stated Torah rises straight up to Hashem’s Kisei Hakavod. Hashem Himself embraces it, kisses it, crowns it, and holds it dearly. These single words are the material from which the worlds of the future are made”. – Rav Chaim Volozhen, Nefesh HaChaim 4:20.
“a new economic order”
Previously Torah was never supported by MOFES.
This creates the emphasis on the “spiritual experience” instead of actually having to know what one learned.
Many in the Charedei world put a much greater emphasis on actually knowing what one learns. Mifal HaShas is a strong example.
“the most vehement fighter against Modern Orthodoxy on these shores”
R’Kotler z’tz’l invited Rav Soloveitchik z’tz’l to be the keynote speaker at the first fundaising dinner for Chinuch Atzmai. Some fight.
Charliehall: Unfortunately, one very accurate way to identify a gadol is the extent to which the hamon am co-opt his name for whatever purpose. R’ Aaron zatzal was one of our greatest by this rubric as much as any other.
Itche: Rabbi Soloveitchik’s name has been co-opted to the extent that differing students of his will each claim diametrically opposite opinions in his name!
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