[By Rabbi Yair Hoffman]
The picture says it all.
Here was a man who embraced every Jew. Who loved them all and cared enough for Hashem’s children to bring tens of thousands of them back to their Father in shamayim.
It is a sad day for the Torah world because of the loss of this great, great man. Rav Meir Schuster zatzal passed away today after a debilitating illness. This man was singlehandedly responsible for bringing more people closer to Avinu sh’bashamayim than entire outreach organizations. Without exaggeration, many tens of thousands of people came to Torah observance because of the actions of this man.
The greatest insight into this man was perhaps a shailah that was presented to Rav Elyashiv zatzal, when Reb Meir had lost his father. According to the Torah, the period of mourning lasts for three days. Chazal extended this period to seven days. Rabbinic extensions of halachos are universally observed in Judaism. Chazal tell us (based on Koheles 10:8) regarding Rabbinic enactments – “Kol HaPoretz Geder yeshacheno nachash – anyone who breaks the fence (on a Rabbinic law) deserves that a snake should bite him.” Yet, here things were different. Every day that Rabbi Meir Schuster was not at the Kosel, the wailing wall, was a day that Jewish people would not get a chance to be brought to Torah-true Judaism. Should he sit three days or seven days?
It was, of course, not even a question. Rav Elyashiv paskened that he may only sit for three days. Rav Elyashiv had never ruled in this manner for anyone else. Rav Meir Schuster was irreplaceable.
What did he do? He set people up for Shabbos. Somehow, every Jew has that pintile yid within him to bring him back to the holiest place on this earth. Rabbi Meir Schuster, a man whose heart burst with love for others would speak to them. He approached them, lovingly, with earnestness and kindness. He was their first contact. He had lists and lists of people that worked with him. He advised, and was an uncanny shadchan of people.
He brought them to the Heritage House. And soon after his contact, Jews from all walks of life who had just come to visit in Jerusalem now made the decision to stay the year. One year turned to two years.
Children estranged from their Father, were brought back to him.
Now, many of these students, those who were touched by Reb Meir Schuster are teachers of Torah in their own right. They are pillars of Jewish communities in Eretz Yisroel, throughout America, in Australia, London, New Zealand, and Holland. They, their children and their grandchildren are Talmidim in BMG in Lakewood.
How did he do it? Mostly it was the genuineness of his love, but he was very down-to-earth as well. When he was younger he made bets on, of all things, who would win an arm-wrestle. “If I win, you stay in Yeshiva for a year – if I lose you can go back.” He was a small wiry figure, the college buffs thought he didn’t stand a chance against them. They were wrong. Harrys became Chaims. Jakes became Yaakovs, and eventually Reb Yaakovs.
It was not just Kiruv, however. If there were lone Yeshiva bochurim with no place for a Shabbos or a Yom Tov meal, he would set them up too.
The world is now a different place without him. We are bereft without his loving embrace and warmth. His legacy is twofold. The first is the tens of thousands of Torah yidden that he had created. The second? A shining example of what one man, one person can do.
Every year the families of those rescued by Oskar Schindler gather together to remember him. If the same were to be done by those who were touched by Reb Meir Schuster, the seats in Madison Square Garden and CitiField would not be enough.
May he be a mailetz yosher to all of Klal Yisroel and may his memory inspire us all to do more to bring our fellow Jews back to Avinu shebashamayim.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
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4 Responses
Thanks for the beautiful story.
-In the early 1980’s, I had the zchus to go to Rabbi Schuster’s house for Shabbos. Rabbi Schuster ate quickly, then left for the Kotel. A couple of years later, I worked for him at a “tourist information” office on the square in the Old City. It was actually a front for kiruv. Although this was at the time of the Gulf War and tourism had slowed up, there were students and tourists whom Rabbi Schuster “shlepped ” to yeshiva. I remember one rainy day. and Looking out the window of the office, I spotted two girls with knapsacks. I pointed them out to Rabbi Schuster – and one of them , within three weeks, was dressing modestly and benching (and attending Neve Yerushalim). Today she is frum, with a family, Boruch Hashem!
As reported today in the Hamodia while Rav Eliashiv zl said that he should be able to sit only 3 days it would be a “milsa d’teima” to only sit 3 days and it seems that he didn’t allow him to do that. Also, it was shiva for his 11 year old daughter killed by an Arab motorist.
A giant amongst men. His illness in the latter years surely meant he left this world bli chet. May be be a meletz yosher.