On this past motzei Shabbos HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita shared some insights on life, one’s derech, with those close to him after making havdalah, Kikar Shabbat reports.
Among the things addressed by the Gadol Hador, he spoke of the late father of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Prof. Bentzion Netanyahu z”l and the prime minister’s late father-in-law Shmuel Ben-Artzi, both niftar in recent years at advanced ages.
The Gadol Hador is quoted saying that Maran Rav Elyashiv ZT”L died at the age of 102, leaving over 1,000 descendants blei ayin hora, while Prof. Netanyahu left about a minyan of grandchildren. Rav Shteinman reportedly explained the difference in life values of one living a Torah lifestyle as opposed to one who is not.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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19 Responses
The Satmar Rav and the Lubavitcher Rebbe were both childless. Children are not within our control. HaGaon HaRav Shteinman’s comments are not at all clear.
Well said. Not that Moreinu HaGaon HaTzadik HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman shlit”a c’v needs my haskama. But we should all take the Gaon’s words to heed. They are well worth listening too.
Yasher Koach
arizona,
Both the Rebbe and the Satmar Rov have multitudes of children – their talmidim!
#1 — The Satmar Rebbe was NOT childless. The Nazis ym’s murdered all his children al kiddush Hashem.
Furthermore, Rav Shteinman is NOT talking about anyone who didn’t have children through no choice of their own.
The arabs happen to have a lot of children. Even here in America.
Genghis Khan had many descendents was he also a torah Jew
Arizona. Your comment is unclear-r shteinman was pointing out that the secular world views children as a burden and don’t see the beauty and zchus of having children.
There is very little written here to capture the full understanding of what R Steinman is saying. In hakdama yud aleph in shaar gilgulim R Chaim brings down that if someone completed a task in a prior life than it doesn’t have to be repeated in this one- this can apply to the mitzvah or pru urvu- obviously none of us know this or any reason why things do or don’t happen and we all have to do our hishtadlus- the point is that we don’t know the reasons why things happen or dont- and that’s why there is too little here to understand what R shteinman was saying
if I am not mistaken, bibi’s father was observant, perhaps not charadi, but he did observe mitzvot.
Can someone explain what he means? Or is this little snippet a little sniper shot taken out of context to take a potshot . Because unless you’re a KoolAid drinking puppet , this makes no sense.
It would’ve been helpful if this obviously sycophant writer had given the full statement, instead of leaving us with a seemingly gratuitous inflammatory shot across the bow.
This seems to be a very shallow interpretation. Avraham Avinu had very few descendants when he died. Same for Moshe Rabbeinu. But later generations more than compensated.
HaRav Shteinman’s words need more context in order to understand them.
Arizona,
Yours is truly an enlightening comment. I am sure that Maran was completely clueless to that fact.
However, it seems to me that there may be a slight difference between someone who, nebach, had no children at all and cultures where many generations had very very small families. Perhaps, since you are apparently smarter than R AL Shteinman, can understand that.
Arizona, you mean to say the reason why PM Netanyahu’s father and father-in-law had so few descendants is because it was not in their control? It just worked out that way?
onlylettuce
It only makes no sense to you because of all the nevala in your head. It takes away peoples ability to think clearly and understand concepts.
Ben Torah. The Samar Rebes kids were not killed by the Nazis. 2 died before WW2 and one did after.
Nothing with this discussion, just a btw.
#15 WIY****** I’m actually flattered that you’re responding to me. I think you understand what I meant…wink, wink..
Honestly ! You made my day.
r shteinman was pointing out that the secular world views children as a burden and don’t see the beauty and zchus of having children. –
This past week TIME magazine had its cover story about marriage WITHOUT children and its merits. Quite chilling for Torah observant readers. The secular & traditional families in Israel are much appreciative of children and many have larger than ‘global’ normative rates. Families living in Yehuda & Shomron who are Torah observant rank up there with Charedi/Chassidish numbers.
It isn’t so difficult to understand.
Rav Shteinman is saying that HaRav Eliashev zatzal was machshuv Torah, and the Torah tells us Pru U’rvu, and Rav Eliashev fulfilled that to the fullest and did not place any impediments in front of that command from the Torah to reduce his output in any way whatsoever.
OTOH, the secularist parents and in-laws of Netanyahu, who do not value Torah nor follow it — much as their son/son-in-law — discarded that Mitzvah/command from the Torah. They placed impediments in front of it. And they reduced their output.
HaRav Shteinman is simply telling us follow HaRav Eliashev’s example. Be fruitful and multiply. Leave a thousand einekelech, ur-einekelech and ur-ur-einekelech by time you take your leave. That is the Torah way. that is what the Torah commands us to do. Do not stand in the way of the Torah. Do not reduce your output.