המנצחים והמפסידים: מאחורי הקלעים של פסגת השלום ההיסטורית
לאחר כשמונה שנים של נתק בין מנהיג הציבור הליטאי למנהיג חסידות גור, הגיע הערב הגראי"ל שטיינמן לחתונת גור והביא לפיוס היסטורי. "בחדרי חרדים" משרטט את המהלכים מאחורי הקלעים שהביאו למפגש הפסגה, איך זה ישפיע על הזירה הפוליטית ומי המפסידים הגדולים מהמהלך
דרמה היסטורית והתרגשות הערב בירושלים. לאחר כמעט שמונה שנים של נתק בין מנהיגי היהדות החרדית, ראש הישיבה הגראי"ל שטיינמן הפתיע והגיע הערב (שלישי) לחתונת נכד כ"ק האדמו"ר מגור ובכך שם סוף לנתק הממושך שהיה בין גדולי הדור.
דבר הגעתו של ראש הישיבה לחתונת נכד האדמו"ר מגור נשמר בחשאיות רבה, ומלבד אי אלו שמועות שצפו בתקופה האחרונה - רק הערב, מעט לאחר השעה 19:20 – הידיעה על בואו של הגראי"ל החלה להתפשט כאש בשדה קוצים.
ואכן, סמוך לשעה 20:00 בערב, נכנס ראש הישיבה לאולם השמחה של חסידות גור, לקול שירת האלפים שהרעידו את האולם. מיד עם בואו - האדמו"ר מגור קם על רגליו כשהוא מכבד את ראש הישיבה לשבת בסמוך אליו. תוך כדי שירת האלפים האדירה, לחץ ראש הישיבה את ידו של שר הבריאות יעקב ליצמן.
ל"בחדרי חרדים" נודע כי המהלך החל כבר אתמול כאשר בנו של הרבי מגור הגיע למעונו של הרב שטיינמן ברחוב חזון איש 5 בבני ברק והזמינו לחתונה. כאמור, דבר הגעתו של הרב שטיינמן לשמחה נשמר בחשאיות, ורק סמוך לכניסתו לאולם הדבר פורסם.
בגור נערכו להגעת הגראי"ל שטיינמן, מחסומים נפרסו ודרך מיוחדת נפתחה לרכב עד לתוך בית המדרש ממש, מרחק צעדים מהבמה. האדמו"ר מגור יצא לקראתו למדרגות של הבמה וסידר מקום לצידו.
ראש הישיבה שהה בשמחה כ-20 דקות, במהלכן אף נעמד, על 103 שנות חייו, ורקד יחד עם האדמו"ר, יד ביד. ל"בחדרי חרדים" נודע כי לאחר מכן הגיע ראש הישיבה אל בית חתנו הגאון רבי דב שפירא בעזרת תורה בירושלים, שם התפלל תפילת ערבית.[...]
I never knew we were at war! I must have not gotten the memo.
ReplyDeleteDitto!
ReplyDeleteHow about reconciliation between them and the R' Shmuel Auerbach faction? That would be a nice step before Rosh Hashana.
ReplyDeletethis would be more difficult, since Litvish and Hassidim are not fighting for the same halacha or Kehilla, so they can remain different groups and respectfully disagree. Not so litvak vs litvak.
ReplyDeleteWADR to the rabbis, Nixon-Brezhnev, Rabin-Arafat, de Klerk-Mandela were historic. This is interesting, that's it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it would require certain people to give up on the idea that there is some sort of Litvish analogue to a pope, whose pronouncements must be followed blindly by all in that camp.
ReplyDelete1) For it's own political reasons, Ger had chosen to have the mayoral position in Jerusalem leave from the Frum and go to the secular. They were unhappy with Meir Porush, so they did everything in their power - both legitimate and .... - to have Barkat elected. They remain proud of their show of might.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the Frum world was rightfully upset with them, and quietly carried that with them. Watching how the general Kedusha and state of affairs have been negatively affected by not having a Frum mayor has certainly kept that feeling alive underneath.
2) The Gerer Rebbe and his family are involved in their own internal politics. Rav Shaul Alter is clearly one of the top five Chassiddish Talmidei Chachmoim in the world. Observers note that for many years the Rebbe and his family have moved to marginalize RSA in many ways. He was THE Rosh Yeshiva in Ger, which was always a Chassidus that valued real learning. The Rebbe restructured their whole learning program, which clearly marginalized RSA. (I do not claim to understand the Rebbe's motivation, I am mentioning a fact of what happened.)
3) Recently the Gerer Rebbe shuttered the Gerer Yeshiva in NY. For many years it had been the practice that Gerer boys went to learn in Israel. When the Rebbe restructured their learning program (which had also marginalized RSA), he also insisted that American boys do not come to learn in Israel. Period. If they need to learn out-of-town, they should go to London. Now the Gerer Rebbe is insisting that all American boys should come to Israel to learn. Why? Why is he changing his policy that he himself instituted? Rumor has it that he felt that the American Gerer Roshei Yeshiva were too respectful or faithful of Rav Shaul Alter. So after marginalizing RSA in Israel, the American Gerers are being given their new Israeli flavor, free of RSA's influence.
________
Many Gerers are upset about the Gerer position in the mayoral elections. The recordings of the Gerer Rebbe's son-in-law are certainly part of it.
Many people also do not see the Rebbe's sons or sons-in-law as potential leadership material of a big chassiduss. On the other hand, everywhere other than in Ger, RSA is treated with the respect he deserves. He is viewed as a true Talmud Chochom who is Rocco k'baro. His father, the Pnei Menachem, remains highly respected throughout the world as a pious Ish emes who had signs of gaonus.
(The current Gerer Rebbe went to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1989. He was not yet rebbe at that point. They had a private meeting - "yechidus" - for about a hour. R. Leibel Groner who was the LR's secretary claims that the LR told him after the meeting that he thought the Alter family had a reputation of being Geronim, but that he ......)
Is the reconciliation that Ger is now making with the world part of internal Ger politics? Is this in order to show that the Rebbe's son is respected in the Torah world? Is this similar optics - though for a very different reason - to the RSK picture campaign? I do not know.
I apologize for my cynical take on this news item, but it is one way to see it. This reconciliation may have a lot more to do with the internal Ger politics than with anything else.
Litvish analogue? They are already mostly structured as chassidim. They even have rebbes fighting. Only difference is xcessive reliance on meshorsim, gabbaim, shamasim, askanim, assistants gatekeepers. Much more than chassidic rebbes.
ReplyDeleteThe Gerrers were not the only chareidim that didn't like porush.
ReplyDeleteleaders squabble while rome burns
ReplyDeleteIt's not a matter of like. Which other Chareidim were active in making sure that he does not become mayor? Which other Chareidim had a preference for Barkat?
ReplyDeleteI voted for Barkat simply because I don't like porush
ReplyDeleteGood for you. How is this relevant to this discussion?
ReplyDeleteI cannot verify your facts either way, I know that some of what you are claiming is true.
ReplyDeleteWhat is definitely fiction is the part about the Lubavitcher speaking negatively about any Jew, let alone the Lev Simcha's son. In fact, it was reported that the LR escorted him outside until the car, an honor that was rarely accorded to vising dignitaries...
He walked him to the door.http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/263346/jewish/Gerrer-Visit.htm
ReplyDeleteI quoted his secretary, R LG. Any assumptions should be directed to him.