No Shame,When Rav Yisroel Zev Gustman ztz”l passed away twenty years ago this week, he was the last living testimony to the great yeshivos of prewar Europe and the venerated Vilna beis din. But the past and future converge as the small yeshivah he created in Jerusalem’s Rechavia neighborhood is being revitalized, bringing back the Rosh Yeshivahs’s special credo: that the yeshivah remain a fortress, while never losing sight of the rights of the neighborhood residents to feel respected.
Here rays of golden dust rain down into streets too narrow to contain their own rich history and buildings built for inhabitants of one world are still servicing the needs of another. And in a grand old building at the corner of Ibn Ezra and Ramban there is a sense of prophecy fulfilled.
The Rosh Yeshivah stood in contemplation a lone figure by the Holy Wall. “Ribono shel Olam’ he said out loud “we know that the Rambam writes ‘Amar Hashem’ at the beginning of his commentary because whatever he writes it’s all from You. The words of the gedolei hador are really Your words Ribono shel Olam. Now I have a dilemma. I can buy a building for the yeshivah in Geulah for forty thousand dollars or one in Rechavia where it’s one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. But Ribono shel Olam the Tchebiner Rav told me to purchase the one in Rechavia so that means that You say so as well correct?”
The Rosh Yeshivah waited a moment before continuing. “Okay shetikah k’hodah.’ So I suppose that means that you Eibeshter will help me find the means to purchase it.”
And with that the Rosh Yeshivah turned and walked away a picture of contentment. And within days he had the money for the building confirming his faith in the Ribono shel Olam.
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