Rabbi Aaron Fink shares a special moment with his Rebbi, Rav Yaakov Weinberg, that remains a guiding influence on him and the school he leads.
M
y rebbi, Rav Yaakov Weinberg, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, was the pivotal figure in shaping my life and goals and helping me grow into the person I am today. Like so many others, I live with his inspiration daily.
A man of deep intellect and penetrating, all-encompassing vision, he possessed an uncanny ability to see beyond the surface and react and prepare for the geometrical outcomes of any decision. His clear grasp of hashkafas haTorah and its relevance to everyday life gave us a means of connecting contemporary issues with age-old wisdom.
But like all great rebbeim, it wasn’t just genius, but rather how he transmitted his passion — caring for us, encouraging us, pouring his neshamah into each talmid. He made each of us feel important and helped us to locate our personal strengths so that we could find the best path to serve our Maker. But there is a particular incident that remains with me, a memory I cherish because it guides me each day as a mechanech.
Before being admitted to Rav Weinberg’s shiur, he “interviewed” each of the bochurim who wanted to attend. Rebbi wanted to get to know us and learn what made us tick. We spoke in learning, and then he asked if I had a plan for the future. I responded that I hoped to enter the field of chinuch and/or kiruv. “Why?” he asked me. I proudly and confidently responded that having gone through certain life experiences, growing in my learning, and gaining clarity in so many issues, I wanted to help youngsters develop and to provide them with the answers to the questions they were facing. He smiled at me and burst my bubble. “Halevai, but you must remember that though the questions may be the same, the answers will be different for each one. Each person experiences the world differently.”
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