A solo portrait would have captured the gadol hador’s visage— but this one captured his essence
Afew weeks ago, well-known videographer Psachya Skaist was sifting through a pile of papers and miscellaneous items when he came across an old negative he hadn’t seen in years. It evoked a wonderful memory from his yeshivah days. Back in the ’90s, he was a student in Yeshivas Bais Yisroel in Yerushalayim. One day, his rebbi, Rav Chusid, said to the class: “Rav Shach is giving a shmuess in Ponevezh today. He is not getting any younger. Take advantage of the opportunity and go hear him speak.”
The whole class boarded a bus and traveled to Bnei Brak. After a quick visit with Rav Chaim Kanievsky, they proceeded to Ponevezh where they listened to Rav Shach’s shmuess, enraptured by the sanctity infused in every word. After the shmuess, Psachya exited the beis medrash, determined to capture a solo portrait of the gadol hador. But alas, this wouldn’t be. Rav Shach was encircled by a throng of talmidim, who showed no signs of dispersing.
And so Psachya took the picture as it was: the rosh yeshivah of Ponevezh in conversation with his loving students.
Looking back, Psachya has no regrets. A solo portrait would have captured the gadol hador’s visage — but this one captured his essence.
Create a free account to keep reading.
