Episode 139: Chava Devorah

00:01 For more than forty years, Tevel and his wife, Chava Devorah, supported the yeshiva in Pinsk, but gave in secret, without anyone knowing. As we related, Rabbi Naftali Hertz of Pozna headed the yeshiva. When he learned the extent of Tevel and his wife’s generosity, he insisted that their great deeds be made public. Rabbi Naftali also began investigating Tevel and Chava Devorah’s family backgrounds. He discovered that Chava Devorah’s father, who had died when she was young, had been a hidden tzaddik, as had Tevel’s father. He approached them and said, “You are both generous benefactors and people of distinguished lineage. The public should know about you and learn from your example.” Tevel and Chava Devorah, who were already advanced in years, agreed that he could reveal this on condition that they leave the area immediately afterward. So they sold their estate and decided to move to Krakow. Before they left, Rabbi Naftali called a gathering in the yeshiva building and announced that the yeshiva, which by then had gained a worldwide reputation, had been supported all those years by Tevel and his wife. At that gathering, it was decided that the yeshiva would henceforth be named for Tevel and Chava Devorah. That is how a yeshiva bearing this unusual name came to exist in Pinsk. The second yeshiva in Pinsk that we will discuss was named for Rabbi Shimon, known as the “Owner of the Treasure.” Rabbi Shimon was the brother—he was the nephew, not the brother, the nephew—of the Maharshal, Rabbi Shlomo Luria. Rabbi Shimon’s father, Rabbi Yisroel, was a wealthy, learned, and charitable man who sent his son to the Maharshal’s yeshiva. Rabbi Shimon, however, did not have exceptional abilities, so his family connection to his great uncle, the Maharshal, did not help him in his studies. On the other hand, he excelled in yiras Shamayim and good character. From his youth, Rabbi Shimon had a special inclination to support Torah study. Even as a child, he would save every penny he earned and give it

02:40 to Torah institutions. When he reached marriageable age, a match was arranged for him with a wealthy, distinguished family in Pinsk. His father-in-law’s name was Zalman Boruch, and he held the lease on the taxes on salt and candles. At Rabbi Shimon’s wedding, one notable fact, of course, was that the Maharshal was among the principal members of the wedding party. Although he had been promised support at his father-in-law’s table, Rabbi Shimon preferred to engage in commerce. He traded in silver and gold jewelry, diamonds, and precious stones, a trade he had learned from his father. He would bring his wares to the estates of noblemen and earn large sums. Rabbi Shimon became renowned as a trustworthy man of good character, and everyone took a liking to him. Rabbi Shimon decided to make use of the fact that he was supported by his father-in-law in an unusual way: since he had no financial worries, he would devote all his profits from trade to charity. He divided his charitable giving this way: thirty percent to support existing yeshivas, sixty percent to establish new yeshivas, and ten percent to other charitable causes not necessarily connected with spreading Torah study. The Maharshal, his uncle, had a close student named Shimon, who was also a relative. Rabbi Shimon proposed that he move to Pinsk and establish a yeshiva that Rabbi Shimon himself would support. Naturally, he promised to provide for all of Rabbi Eliezer Shmuel’s needs himself. Rabbi Eliezer Shmuel Shimon agreed, and moved to Pinsk, where he established a new yeshiva that immediately attracted fine, learned young men. This yeshiva was named for Rabbi Shimon. At that time, people began calling the yeshiva of Tevel and Chava Devorah “the old yeshiva,” to distinguish it from the new yeshiva established by Rabbi Shimon. Both yeshivas were run in the spirit of those who were distant from the path of Kabbalah. Because the two yeshivas had a great influence on the Pinsk community, this led

05:16 to the city becoming a city of opponents of Kabbalah. The situation was different in Karlin, across the Pina River from Pinsk. The Jews of Karlin were, in fact, influenced by the kabbalists and the hidden tzaddikim. This was mainly because a number of Jewish families expelled from Spain and Portugal had settled there, and they did follow the path of Kabbalah. Rabbi Shimon continued working to establish the yeshiva named for him. Meanwhile, his business expanded and his wealth grew day by day. Alongside their work to spread Torah study, Rabbi Shimon and his wife devoted themselves to the mitzvah of hospitality. Their home was wide open to guests, Torah scholars and ordinary visitors alike. Anyone who entered Rabbi Shimon’s home was always greeted warmly. Still, they saw their main purpose in life as helping yeshivas, both by supporting existing Torah institutions and by establishing new yeshivas in various cities and countries. By the time Rabbi Shimon’s years of support in his father-in-law’s home came to an end, he was immensely wealthy in his own right. He brought in a master craftsman from far away to make various pieces of jewelry for him, and his trade and profits expanded greatly. His name became known in many lands. For his business, Rabbi Shimon traveled to many countries. Everywhere he went, he visited the local yeshivas and left large sums of money. Once, Rabbi Shimon made an extended journey through the Jewish communities of Poland and Lithuania and saw the poverty prevailing in their many cities and towns. When he returned home, he told his wife about it. He told her that the Jews of Poland and Lithuania thirsted for Torah, but had no money to establish and support yeshivas. “Do you know what occurred to me?” his wife said. “We are wealthy, boruch Hashem, and our business is doing well. Let’s donate all the money we’ve accumulated until now to establish yeshivas in those places.” Rabbi Shimon agreed, and yeshivas immediately began opening in Poland and Lithuania. But the more Rabbi

08:00 Shimon and his wife gave of their money to Torah, the greater their profits grew. And the more they donated, the stronger their desire became to give even more. When Rabbi Shimon and his wife reached old age, they purchased burial plots for themselves in the cemetery. They made it their custom to visit those plots every year on Rabbi Shimon’s birthday, which fell in the summer. For them, that day was a time for soul-searching. When they reached the cemetery, they reflected on the fact that they would be buried in those plots when their time came. This put them in a serious frame of mind and stirred thoughts of teshuvah. The Pinsk cemetery was about a mile from the city, and the road there passed through a small forest. Once, on Rabbi Shimon’s birthday, the couple were walking through the forest on their way back from the cemetery. Suddenly they noticed an animal digging in the ground. Looking closely at the hole it had made, they saw a vessel protruding from the earth. They went over and, out of curiosity, began digging around it. A clay jar filled with gold coins came into view. They kept digging, and before their eyes a row of many clay vessels appeared, filled with more gold. They realized they had found a great treasure. “Do you see?” Rabbi Shimon said to his astonished wife. “Hakadosh Boruch Hu has sent us a treasure. Don’t you think,” he asked her, “that He gave it to us for a particular purpose? Surely Hakadosh Boruch Hu does not intend to make us richer than we already are, for we were blessed with wealth before this.” “You are right, my husband,” she answered. “We must devote the entire treasure to Torah.” Rabbi Shimon agreed. They brought the treasure home and immediately went to the city’s rabbi, where they signed a document dedicating the entire treasure to spreading Torah study. From then on, everyone called Rabbi Shimon the “Owner of the Treasure.” Hundreds of yeshivas benefited from that treasure, and as a result, found

10:31 Torah study had taken a firm hold in many communities and many countries. Besides the two yeshivos we spoke about—the yeshiva of Tevel and Chava Devorah, and the yeshiva of Rabbi Shimon Baal HaOtzar—there was a third yeshiva in Pinsk. It was named for the righteous woman Golda Leah. Golda Leah was truly an extraordinary woman. People called her Golda Leah the midwife, Grandma Golda Leah, or Golda Leah the mikveh attendant. Her husband was Zalman Hirsch the tailor. His tailoring did not bring in enough to support them, so Golda Leah helped provide for the household. She was a midwife, and many of the townspeople—men and women, young and old—called her Grandma because she had delivered them herself. Her other work, assisting women at the mikveh, was unpaid. She guided and helped women immerse according to halachah. Golda Leah devoted herself to another mitzvah, also for the sake of Heaven: visiting the sick. In this mitzvah she helped her husband. Together they devoted themselves to visiting poor people who were ill. They did not stop at a visit and an inquiry after the patient’s health; they cared for the patient according to what was needed. Sometimes Golda Leah cooked a hot meal to restore a patient’s strength. Sometimes they lit the stove to warm the house, and sometimes they cleaned and tidied it. When the sick person was the homemaker, Golda Leah took care of all the household needs. She prepared food for the husband and children, washed and dressed the little ones and took them to cheder. When a sock needed mending, she did it herself; when a garment needed patching, Zalman Hirsch took care of it. When the sick person was the family breadwinner, Golda’le made sure the household had everything it needed. Of course, she also saw to it that the patient had the necessary medicines. Whatever Golda’le could not provide through her own work or her husband’s, she collected from others. And so Golda’le and her husband became a source of help and support for all the poor who were ill. They knew that this couple would not let them

13:02 fall, G-d forbid, in their time of trouble. “Hakadosh Boruch Hu above, and Golda’le and her husband below, are helping them”—that was a common saying among all those in distress. However busy Golda’le was, as soon as she heard that a poor person had fallen ill, she hurried to their home. She would pull her husband along, taking Zalman Hirsch away from his work and telling him, “The work can wait, but the patient cannot.” When she assisted women at the mikveh, she did not confine herself to the immersion. She told them stories about the holy Matriarchs and other righteous women in Jewish history, and in this way inspired them to conduct themselves as the Torah requires. She taught the women good character traits and guided them in how to behave toward their husbands, their children, their neighbors, and people in the marketplace. She placed special emphasis on staying away from quarrels and speaking ill of others. “Watch your tongues,” she would repeat to the women. “Don’t curse. Speak calmly, carefully, and kindly.” Thanks to Golda’le, the mikveh took on the character of a beis midrash. Instead of engaging in lashon hara, gossip, and arguments there, the women listened to Golda’le’s teachings and guidance. When a woman left the mikveh, she received Golda’le’s blessings. Over the years, the women came to believe that Grandma’s blessings came true, and so everyone longed to receive one. Her blessings for healthy, successful children were especially effective. Women who had previously miscarried, or whose children had not survived, were blessed with children who lived, thanks to Golda’le’s blessings. Golda’le became renowned throughout Pinsk and the surrounding area. Women came from near and far to receive her blessing. Childless women also came for her blessings, and they were indeed blessed with thriving children. The women would bring her large sums of money. Despite their repeated pleas, Golda’le refused to accept even a penny. They begged her to make them happy by taking it, but Golda’le refused.

15:39 She would say that the fulfillment of their heartfelt wishes came from the open, generous hand of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and that He was the one they needed to thank, not her. So some clever women would press coins into her hand and say, “Then take it for Hakadosh Boruch Hu.” In such cases, she gave the money to charity to provide for the needs of the sick. Golda’le passed on much of the money that accumulated with her for charity to support the new yeshiva established in Pinsk. The previous two yeshivos were intended mainly for married young men who had left their homes to study, or who were supported by their fathers-in-law. The new yeshiva was intended for unmarried students. Because it was new, it had no source of support. Golda’le appeared like a saving angel to sustain it. Meanwhile, the sums of money people gave Golda’le grew. As her fame spread, the donations she received increased. Golda’le did not use even a penny of the considerable money that came to her. She ran her own household very frugally on her modest earnings as a midwife and her husband’s income as a tailor. As a midwife, she charged only those who could afford to pay; she took nothing at all from the poor. Because she passed on most of the donations to the yeshiva, it developed day by day, growing in both quality and size, until it held a respected place among the yeshivos. People began calling it by the name of the righteous woman who supported it: Grandma Golda’le’s yeshiva. In the year 5375, the great Torah scholar Rabbi Zundel was appointed head of Grandma Golda’le’s yeshiva. Rabbi Zundel opposed Kabbalah and the approach of the hidden tzaddikim. In this he was like the leaders of Pinsk’s other yeshivos, and Pinsk became a center of opposition to the study of Kabbalah and to the hidden tzaddikim, influencing other cities as well. Pinsk was a major Jewish city, and its three large yeshivos, which we have discussed, produced young scholars who spread throughout the surrounding area and other Jewish communities. Its influence grew day by day. Yeshivos have always held an important place in the life of the Jewish people,

18:19 and when two or three yeshivos following the same approach were concentrated in one city, that community gained considerable power to spread its approach. In the case before us, this spread and strengthened opposition to the study of Kabbalah. The Kabbalists and hidden tzaddikim saw that Pinsk posed a serious obstacle to the spread of their holy path. To overcome the opposition, they would have to overcome Pinsk. The period we are speaking about now, when the three yeshivos in Pinsk held a central and influential position, was the time when Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem of Worms lived and worked. As we remember, he was first in Worms and later moved to Prague. He was, in fact, the founder of the movement of Kabbalists and hidden tzaddikim. Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem therefore concluded that for the path of Kabbalah to gain a foothold in Lithuania and Poland, he first needed to win over Pinsk and its yeshivos. This was no easy task. The yeshivos were under the influence of great and renowned Torah scholars who steadfastly opposed the teachings of Kabbalah. Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem therefore decided to come to Pinsk in person.