During a Simchas Beis HaShoevah on Chol Hamoed, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shternbuch surprised the talmidim in his yeshivah when he began speaking about how to act on Simchas Torah at a time of a massacre.
Additionally, according to members of his household and his talmidim, HaRav Shternbuch has been very tense in recent weeks about the future, and when he spoke to a group of American visitors on Erev Sukkos, he warned that the year ahead could be very dangerous, saying: “It’s very dangerous, especially this year, it’s an important year, there can be all sorts of surprises. Many great decisions are being made for us.”
On Chol Hamoed, the Rav told the bochurim: “During the years of the Holocaust, horrible rumors about the terrible massacres that were occurring began filtering in and we began to hear that some of them were burned and some were choked to death, and the bochurim in the yeshivah were crying as they didn’t know about the fate of their relatives. They went to the Rosh Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Schneider, z’tl, and told him that they can’t dance. But HaRav Schneider told them: ‘Hitler can kill us but he won’t uproot even one minhag Yisrael – we’ll sing and dance as usual.’ HaRav Schneider was strong and said that we’ll continue with Hakadosh Baruch Hu until the last breath and until they throw us into the fire. He said – you’ll see that b’ezras Hashem a day will come that they will hear and everyone will see that it’s impossible for a person to understand Hashem Yisbaruch.'”
HaRav Shternbuch continued by saying: “We still don’t know what our future holds. We’re in a difficult situation. We’ll daven to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that He’ll save us in the zechus that we stay far away from reshaim until the end. And Hashem should help us to to endure and to rejoice again בשוב ה’ את עמו ושמחה וששון יהיה במהרה בימינו בקרוב”.
It should be noted that during the visit of the Dushinsky Rebbe to HaRav Shternbuch on Chol Hamoed, to the astonishment of those present, the Rav again began speaking about the proper behavior on Simchas Torah during a time of massacre.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
22 Responses
Amazing how these stories always come out after the fact. It is indeed strange for the Ruv to speak about Simchas Torah & a time of massacre. So why didn’t anyone report about this unusual event when it happened?
& what does him mentioning it matter if it didn’t change anything?
Now tell me based on his “Ruach Hakodesh” the IDF was prepared & stopped this massacre & I’ll become a believer.
With all due respect to YWN, telling people such bubbe maysas does not increase one’s emunah. Mori v’Rebbe, the Satmar Rav זצוקללה”ה, in VaYoel Moshe strongly condemned the practice of fabricating and believing in maysalach about Rebbes. And יבדל”ח Rav Yaakov Hillel שליט”א has written an entire book against it called Faith and Folly.
And if Rebbes truly have ruach hakodesh, why did many of them not foresee the so called “Holocaust?” Something to think about.
It is not after the fact. These recordings are from before simchas torah. Truly scary. There is a recording of Rav Matisyahu Solomon before 9/11 as well talking about things which seemed out of character, but ended up being a prediction of the events of 9/11.
@Yossi Named Edited – “And if Rebbes truly have ruach hakodesh, why did many of them not foresee the so called “Holocaust?” Something to think about.”
1) The Gemorah – OUR Gemora, OUR CHaZa”L says clearly there is Ruach HaKodesh. Ketanim – who are without chet (and reasonably and understandably OUR Gedolim, Tzaduikim, HaOvdim vi’halomdim bi’chol lev uv’chol nevfesh, uv’chol me’od) – possess this.
2) Ruach HaKodesh is NOT something one HAS. Rather it is something which is GIVEN; when/as needed.
3) The recording was clearlay made “at the time” on Chol HaMoed, as while the Rov is wearing a shtreimal a bochur can be seen wearing tefillin.
OUR Gemora speaks of a year on which Shofar is not blown on Rosh HaShannah (i.e. the first day is Shabbos).
4) The Holy Divrei Yoel is INDEED known to have not been fond of “maselach and was known to tell them only twice a year. But he DID tell those for which he had a strong mesorah that they happened. A video if an event which took place just a few days ago, and about which anyone can ask the individuals present would seem to be a pretty strong maaseh.
Let’s be a bit more realistic and use comon sense here.
No one is claiming here that Rav Moshe, is a prophet. And no one is claiming that he actually “knew” what was going to happen.
All that is communicated here is, that Rav Moshe had a inner unexplained feeling of something big and dangerous happening around the corner. And as the evidence of this recording shows, he repeatedly spoke before Yom Tov and during Yom Tov, in very clear words, about us being in a time of great danger, and that we dont know whats waiting for us, and that this year is being a very important year with all sorts of surprises etc.
His words are very “clear” about his thoughts and feelings of what the near future holds, and the Video is proof that he said it before hand. And unfortunately after the fact we see that they were to the point.
Yossi Name Edited:
So you don’t believe in Ruach hakodesh? You’re contradicting Torah!
For holocaust, listen the Biderman story at viznitz rebbe as he calls you the rebbe to dance mitzvah dance!
@Yossi Name Edited
Your message was bang on except for the last sentence which is ignorant of facts, and yiddishkeit.
First of all, (most important to a believing Jew), we don’t ask such questions, it is borderline kefira.
Besides, enough Rebbe’s did talk about it, from the Holy Kedushas Tzion of Bobov, the Satmar Rav (who famously was koveya a fast day due to this), the Gerer Rebbe , Kedushas Yom Tov (Satmar Rav’s father) of Sighet, and many more.
@shuali,
you are right, but just one point, many (all?) ashkenazim were tefillin on chol hamoed.
shuali – you can quote me a single line of Gemara? WOW, YOUR REBBE MUST BE SO PROUD OF YOU!! I’m sure he’ll give you an extra gold star for being such a talmid chacham!!
Well let me quote YOU the Gemara at the end of Maseches Sotah that states that after the destruction of the Second Beis Hamikdash, nevuah was taken away from prophets and given to fools. So there!
But all kidding aside, since we are past the fifth grade, you cannot base your military policy and world hashkafa on some isolated maamar Chazal, Kabbalah, or maysaleh.
Your other points may be true, but irrelevant. An anecdote about a rebbi or a Godol is one thing, but posturing it as “ruach hakodesh” unfortunately gives the impression that haredim are just a bunch of naive, gullible knuckleheads ח”ו and makes a mockery of Torah Yiddishkeit, almost as much as the Zionists do ר”ל.
I dont really believe these kinds of stories but watching that was very chilling. I have not heard R’ Shternbach speak before. Perhaps his style is always doom and gloom?
or those asking, who knows how many people were inspired by the Rav’s words to do tefila, tshiva, and tzeduka, and how many lived on Simchas Torah were saved by those actions
Wasn’t like he didn’t have something to say it was ruach hakodesh what he was talking before anything happened some people are holy
To Anon 34:
Thank you for your comment.
You spoke very nicely about Rav Shternbuch and you explained the article in a positive way.
Thank you for judging another Yid in a positive manner.
THE FIRST WORDS OF THE ARTICLE ARE-
1 During a Simchas Beis HaShoevah on CHOL HAMOED,
2 HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shternbuch surprised the talmidim in his yeshivah
when he began speaking about
3 how to act on Simchas Torah at a time of a massacre.
READ 1 AGAIN, IT MEANS BEFORE SIMHAS TORAH
Yossi name edited obviously doesn’t know the difference between רוח הקודש and נבואה
@KUVULT and YOSSI
SO, sometimes a rav can talk about a sugya, and although it isnt THE usual, is not UNUSUAL.
There is a sugya of Simchas Torah under duress, and while its not what one would think of first to share during a visit, is still a valid sugya. SO while interesting, no alarms raised.
Only after something actually occurs, does one begin to realize that there may be more to whats going on!
Another point is there are levels of ruach hakodesh, and while the ‘real thing’ is an undoubted interaction with the RBSHO, there are watered down levels.
The gemara talks about certain times when “mazlei yada”. And someone higher on the spiritual realms would have more of that connection.
So while he may not have foreseen the exact events, its entirely conceivable that he had some sort of authentic premonition of it.
coffee addict – as if bubbe maysas are worthy of lumdishe chakiras and chilukim between one maysa and another.
yossi name edited: the mesech chachma wrote about the holocoust, the chazon ish is known to have said that in shamayim they kept it from him what was gonig on in europe. the ruch hakodosh mean they have a sensitivity for things that are good or bad but it doesn’t mean they know what it is.
All idiot comments aside,
instead of this hippy chizuk style talk,
let me tell you something chilling that happened in England, which is a REAL point of view from a Gadol:
HaRav Eliyakin Shleizinger שליט”א, Zaken Rosh Hayeshivot and Rosh Hayeshiva HaRama was asked by a grandchild if he thinks it is a good idea for him to travel to E. Y. for Yom Tov, to which the Rosh Yeshiva replied, “After the story with the mechitzah in Tel Aviv, it is a tremendous Sakana to travel there, don’t go.”
He didn’t just “talk” about it, or recieve some “prophecy”, he spoke with da’as torah in evaluating the situation from a torah standpoint view – החכם עדיף מנביא.
pure yiddishkeit:
Thank you for mentioning this from Rav Shlesinger.
Shuali, You mention that the gemore speaks about a year that shofer isn’t blown and you add i.e. the first day is shabbis. I would refer you to Toisfis on the spot which says that the gemore isn’t referring to a year that the first day is on shabbis. See Misechtes Rosh Hashono daf 16 umud 2 dibur hamaschil SHEEIN.
maran rav itche meir morgenstern hoshana raba at his tish said that tmrw war is starting cried and recited krias shema few times for hamtukas hadinim