Rav Shach was the zakein par excellence. He filled the role of Klal Yisrael’s Elder for decades using the arichas yamim he was granted to be our link to greatness.
As usual Rav Shach ztz”l said it best himself.
In his eulogy of the Satmar Rebbe ztz”l in 5739 (1979) Rav Shach noted that the prophet Yeshayahu (3:5) could imagine no worse curse on Israel than that “a youth will be arrogant toward an elder.” This judgment was made after food and water were removed from the exhausted people and after Klal Yisrael had lost its “warriors judges and prophets.” Chazal interpret each of the losses as spiritual disasters. The nation lost its experts in Scripture Mishnah Halachah and Aggadah. Why was disdain toward the zkeinim — the elders — the worse curse of all? Rav Shach answered that when the nation’s reverence for its sages breaks down its connection to the past is ruptured. That scourge taught the great Rosh Yeshivah is the greatest calamity of all.
Rav Shach was the zakein par excellence. He filled the role of Klal Yisrael’s Elder for decades using the arichas yamim he was granted to be our link to greatness. He embodied our direct line to Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer the Alter of Slabodka Rav Itzel of Ponovezh Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky and countless other luminaries. The Rosh Yeshivah would often preface his words of admonition to someone with the words “Please remember that an old man stands before you informing you that this not the Torah way. I do not know if I will be alive tomorrow or if I will be standing here next year. All I know is that I am obligated to tell you the truth as it is. Please remember my words.”
One of the great lessons he taught us is the great joy of learning Torah. He was spotted dancing in the unusually snowy streets of Jerusalem after hearing a beautiful interpretation by the Brisker Rav. Thinking that in the impassable streets no one would see him he allowed himself the luxury of expressing his rapture in an ecstatic dance of Torah joy. His fortunate students were privileged to witness this buoyant bliss on his radiant face on a daily basis. The image of the zakein hador literally shining with an ethereal Torah light was part of his gift to our generation.
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