Hamas Releases Another Three Hostages
Another Shabbos has gone by, and another three hostages have come home. This week saw the return of Sagui Dekel-Chen, Yair Horn, and Sasha Troupanov. Once again, the three hostages were subjected to a degrading ceremony in Gaza before being handed over to Israel, and they even received “parting gifts” from the terrorists. Those “gifts” were actually infuriating; one of the released hostages received an hourglass bearing a picture of another captive and his mother, with the caption “Time is running out!” And once again, the three hostages returned to Israel amid a flurry of deeply distressing chillul Shabbos.
This time, the release of the three men could not be taken for granted in advance, since Hamas announced last week that they considered the hostage deal null and void after Israel violated its commitment to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The significance of humanitarian aid became quite clear this week, when Elon Musk began revealing the massive sums of money that the United States has been funneling into various bodies worldwide in recent years—taken, of course, from the pocket of American taxpayers. The sum amounts to billions of dollars, and it has now been revealed that some of those funds were funneled to organizations that are actively trying to bring down the American government and to terror groups such as Hamas.
Hamas’s assertion that it would not continue releasing hostages evoked the ire of President Trump, who threatened to “open the gates of gehinnom” if the terror group failed to release all the hostages on Shabbos by 12:00. In Israel, Trump promised to give his backing to any move that Israel chose to make. The cabinet convened and decided to demand the release of three captives, and Hamas capitulated, presumably out of fear of Trump, and released three men on Shabbos.
With that, the people of Israel breathed a collective sigh of relief. The demeaning ceremony staged by Hamas grated on everyone who saw it, but the sight of the three hostages reuniting with their families proved to be a breath of fresh air for the entire country. At this time, there is great hope that all the hostages will soon return home. The three newly released captives have gone through unspeakable torment, and everyone hopes that the remaining hostages will soon be freed from their suffering as well.
Freed American Hostage Thanks President Trump
Three weeks ago, one of the hostages released by Hamas was Keith Siegel, an American citizen for whom President Trump personally expressed his concern. Keith’s wife, Aviva, was abducted on October 7 as well and was freed in a previous prisoner exchange deal and benefited from Trump’s concern as well. On Friday, Keith Siegel filmed a message to President Trump. “My name is Keith Siegel, and I am a 65-year-old American citizen,” he said. “Since February 1, I am a newly released Hamas hostage. I am a survivor. I was held for 484 days in unimaginable conditions, and every day felt as if it could be my last. Thanks to you, I have been reunited with my wife, my children, and my grandchildren.”
Even after his release from Hamas’s clutches, Siegel does not consider himself an ordinary person. He is a survivor of Hamas captivity, a status that is perhaps akin to that of a Holocaust survivor. He may have returned home, but he will never be the same.
Siegel went on to issue an appeal to the president while conveying his gratitude as well. “President Trump,” he said, “you are the reason that I am home and that I am alive. Thanks to you, I was reunited with my beloved wife, my four children, and my five grandchildren. Thank you for your ongoing struggle against terror and for your brave leadership, which brought me and many others back to our homes, to our families, to safety and peace. When I was in Gaza, I lived in constant fear. I feared for my life and for my personal safety. I was starved and tortured physically and emotionally. When the war intensified, the terrorists who held me treated me with even greater cruelty. They kicked me, spat on me, and denied me water, light, and air. Mr. President, your leadership, your strength, and your authority are vital to enforce the ceasefire and put an end to the unnecessary daily dangers to the lives of the innocent hostages and civilians. Your leadership and your power will ensure that the agreement will be honored by all the sides. That is what will make it possible for all 76 hostages to return home to their families.
“For 484 days, I was held under unfathomable conditions, and every day felt as if it could be my last,” Siegel concluded. “I trust your strength and leadership, Mr. President. The helpless hostages, who are being held in the dark, cold tunnels of Gaza, trust you as well. Please bring them home.”
Of course, we would add one phrase to Siegel’s statement: “with Hashem’s help!”
A Visit from the US Secretary of State
As we near the completion of the first phase of the deal with Hamas, another six hostages are scheduled to be released, three on this coming Shabbos and another three next week. However, thanks to Trump’s backing, Israel is considering demanding the return of all six hostages immediately, and perhaps even insisting on the return of all the remaining captives as well, including those who weren’t included in this phase of the deal. A fierce debate has been raging in Israel over whether the negotiations with Hamas should be renewed after the return of the final six hostages in the first phase, with rigid conditions for the next phase of the deal. There is great concern for the lives of the remaining hostages, especially in light of what we now know about the torturous conditions of their captivity. America seems to be in a key position to influence these events, and the American secretary of state, Marco Rubio, arrived in Israel on motzoei Shabbos for an official visit, his first in his new position. Rubio was here for only two days, but his discussions with Netanyahu have undoubtedly set the stage for Israel’s next moves. We are davening for all the hostages to return home—not in phases and through further negotiations, but immediately. The two officials also discussed the question of what will happen in Gaza after the war ends, although that is a secondary point at this time. Trump’s position is already known: Hamas, if it still exists at all, must not be allowed to remain in control of Gaza.
On Sunday, the Secretary of State spoke with Netanyahu. We do not know what they discussed; the portions of their conversation that were publicized are probably not the important parts. But we do know that a representative of the IDF spokesman’s office planned to show Rubio the video of Hamas atrocities on October 7, which has been screened for many visitors to Israel and has been shown to foreign officials abroad as well. Everyone who has viewed the video has recognized that the Hamas terrorists descended to the level of wild beasts. However, Rubio revealed that he had already seen the video during his term as a senator. The footage was screened for his staff while they waited at the prime minister’s office for Rubio to conclude his meeting with Netanyahu, and they reportedly reacted with extreme emotion.
Netanyahu and Rubio held a joint press conference that afternoon, and the prime minister told the media, “President Trump and I are working with full collaboration; we have a shared strategy. We can’t reveal everything, but I can tell you that the gates of gehinnom will indeed open if Hamas does not release all the hostages. We will bring them all home, and we will make sure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat. The support from America will help us achieve these goals.”
Rubio addressed the media as well: “It is an honor to serve under President Trump, who is a close and ardent supporter of Israel. Regarding the hostages, they must all be brought back home. Iran is the exclusive source of instability in this region. The common denominator behind all the aggression, instability, and lack of peace in this region is Iran. They are behind Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iraq, and the West Bank. As the president said, they cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. They have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes against Israel. Israel is one of our closest allies; if there were other Israels in the region, the world would be a safer place. As long as the president is in the White House and I am in my position, you can count on us.”
Again, I would add the words “with Hashem’s help.”
Sasha Troupanov’s Family Has Become Religious
The three hostages who were released on Shabbos were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Sagui Dekel-Chen returned home to meet his daughter who was born after his abduction. Sagui was aware of her birth, as he had been informed of it by his captors. Of course, their goal was to cause him distress, not to cheer him up with the good news. What they did not tell him was her name, Shachar Mazal, which Sagui discovered only upon being reunited with his family. His reunion with his parents, his wife, and his daughters was deeply touching.
The hostages were transferred by helicopter from the meeting point to a hospital, and Yair Horn was eager for news about the well-being of his brother Eitan, who he knew was abducted on October 7 as well. Sadly, Eitan Horn is still in captivity in Gaza, and no one has any information about his well-being.
After the three hostages returned, Sasha Troupanov followed in the footsteps of Agam Berger and her mother, Meirav, by inspiring the nation. Sasha was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Simchas Torah together with his father, Vitaly; his mother, Yelena; his grandmother, Irena; and his fiancée, Sapir Cohen. Vitaly Troupanov was murdered on Simchas Torah, while Sasha’s mother, grandmother, and fiancée were released in the first prisoner exchange deal in November 2023. Yelena Troupanov related that she had discovered the power of faith in captivity and has been observing mitzvos since then. Since her return from Gaza, she has been davening fervently for her son and organizing events for chizuk; she also launched a tefillin initiative as a zechus for Sasha. The chareidi community has embraced the Troupanovs, gedolei Yisroel have offered encouragement and support, and public figures such as Rav Berel Lazar of Moscow worked hard on Sasha’s behalf. Sasha is also a Russian citizen, and Putin intervened to secure his release.
Sasha Troupanov was released on Shabbos after 498 days in Hamas captivity. On Sunday, he met with Rav Berel Lazar, who was visiting Israel for a family simcha, and put on tefillin with him. Sasha spoke about the emunah that had sustained him in captivity. Yelena Troupanov, for her part, called on Jewish women and girls throughout the world to light Shabbos candles as a source of merit for the hostages. In Rostov, Russia, where Sasha was born, many Jews davened for his release. Sasha immigrated to Israel with his mother at the age of two, but his grandmother, Irena, maintained strong ties to the community and regularly attended shiurim in the shul and Jewish community center in Rostov until she immigrated to Israel in 2022. When Sasha returned home this weekend, he was informed that his father, Vitaly, had been murdered on October 7, and he burst into tears.
Sasha became something of a national symbol during his time as a hostage in Gaza—or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that his mother, Yelena, took on iconic status. In every interview, Yelena stressed the importance of emunah and davening. Before Shabbos, she asked the public to refrain from taking pictures or engaging in chillul Shabbos in any way. Yelena also made the trip on foot from Kfar Hamaccabiah, where the released hostages were initially taken, to Tel Hashomer Hospital, where they were brought after being reunited with their families. We have already learned that Sasha was held in solitude throughout his time in captivity, while the other two released hostages were imprisoned together. And the price of their freedom was steep: The three men were traded for 369 Palestinian prisoners, 36 of whom were serving life sentences—which means that they were convicted of murder!
Kosel Stone on Display at Airport Triggers Letter from Rav Shmuel Rabinovich
Rav Shmuel Rabinovich, the rov of the Kosel, sent a letter to the Knesset speaker this week, with copies to Uri Maklev, the deputy minister of transportation, and to the chairman of the Antiquities Authority and the director-general of the Ministry of Israeli Heritage. His demand was simple: to return a stone that had been taken from the area of the Kosel. “The stones of the Kosel are holy,” he wrote, “and despite the desire to educate others about Jewish history and the heritage of Israel, the stones of the Kosel should not be removed from their location for this purpose. A stone from the Kosel does not belong in the Knesset or anywhere else. Their place is at the Kosel, where they should be stored along with the other stones.”
What prompted this letter was a media report about a stone from the Kosel weighing five tons that had been displayed in the Knesset and was recently transferred to Ben Gurion Airport. The Antiquities Authority, working in collaboration with the Airports Authority and the Ministry of Heritage, had set up an exhibition titled “The Eternity of Israel” at the arrivals terminal in the airport, featuring archaeological findings and pictures that tell the story of the Jewish people’s survival over the course of 3000 years. The stone from the Kosel occupied a place of centrality in the exhibition.
Of course, everyone is troubled by one nagging question: Why did Rav Shmuel Rabinovich wait until now to speak up, rather than objecting to the stone’s presence in the Knesset? The answer is that he was perturbed by the exhibition in the Knesset as well, and he has been working behind the scenes for a long time to see to it that the stone would be returned to its rightful place in a pile of stones at the southern end of the Kosel. His collection of teshuvos, Shaarei Tzion—which recently expanded to include its fifth volume—includes several teshuvos on this very topic. Rav Rabinovich has been working hard to retrieve the stone, and has also discovered that identical stones are being housed in the Israel Museum, in the Kirya in Tel Aviv, and even in the official residence of the president of Israel. In fact, the president who occupied the office when the stone was first placed there, Zalman Shazar, complained about it. “I do not understand why a stone from the Kosel was placed here in the courtyard,” he wrote at the time, expressing his displeasure over the stone’s presence. Rav Rabinovich is demanding that all the displaced stones be returned to their rightful place. In fact, he recently managed to thwart an effort to have one of the Kosel stones moved to an exhibition in Japan. This, too, took place quietly and without fanfare.
Since Rav Rabinovich had thoroughly analyzed the halachos governing the issue, I reached out to him to learn more about the details. Rav Rabinovich explained, “In the past, the chief rabbis of Israel had a difference of opinion on this issue. Rav Nebenzahl, who is my rov, wasn’t especially adamant in earlier years, but he has become very insistent about this issue today. When the idea of moving a stone to Japan was raised, I wrote a teshuvah on the subject and the chairman of the Antiquities Authority backed down. Now that a stone has been moved from the Knesset to Ben Gurion Airport, I decided to demand the return of all the stones.”
“Do the stones have kedushah?” I asked.
“Presumably,” Rav Rabinovich replied. “I found a teshuvah written by Rav Avrohom Shapiro during his tenure as chief rabbi, in which he discussed whether the stones require genizah. There was a case brought before the Supreme Court on this subject, which led him to submit his opinion. His fellow chief rabbi, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, signed the letter as well. The stones have kedushah, possibly even greater kedushah, since it is unclear if they are from the Kosel or from the Bais Hamikdash.”
“Where were the stones taken from?” I asked.
“These are stones that fell. They were not removed from the Kosel. There is a pile of stones on the southern end of the Kosel that fell over the course of many years, and no one knows the origin of each individual stone. If these stones were part of the Bais Hamikdash, then my demand becomes even more pressing.”
“What is your exact demand?” I questioned him.
“The stones must be returned to the pile from which they were taken,” Rav Rabinovich said firmly. “That is the place of genizah for the fallen stones.”
Double Standard on Display
I mentioned last week that the Knesset speaker decided to boycott the inauguration ceremony for the new chief justice of the Supreme Court, Yitzchok Amit, in the president’s residence. Knesset speaker Ochana wasn’t the only government official to skip the ceremony; the move was echoed by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin as well, but their thunderous absence did not make a dent in the court’s aggressive attitude, and the ceremony was held despite the overt opposition of much of the government. This was an unprecedented episode in the history of Israel. There is no doubt that Justice Amit is viewed as an illegitimate chief justice in the eyes of at least half of the country’s populace. It should therefore come as no surprise that the government is staunchly opposed to the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, which is required by law to be appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. How could anyone agree to have Amit appoint the members of an investigative commission when no one has even an ounce of trust in Amit himself?
I mentioned to you that Mrs. Sara Netanyahu would be returning to Israel straight into the jaws of a criminal investigation launched in response to a report that appeared in the media. This has led to a wave of outrage, since there have been countless media reports into misconduct on the part of left-wing figures that did not elicit a police investigation in response. Prime Minister Netanyahu even called attention to the blatant double standard and mentioned specific cases as evidence. In the interim, another criminal case is brewing against individuals in Netanyahu’s orbit: The prime minister’s advisors—the famous Eli Feldstein, as well as Jonathan Urich and Yisroel Einhorn—will be summoned for questioning, this time by the Shin Bet, in response to a request from two Knesset members in the opposition. This, too, was prompted by a report from an investigative journalist—of course—who exposed the apparent ties between one of Netanyahu’s advisors and the government of Qatar. At the very least, this would represent a conflict of interest. The report was sent to the Shin Bet, which responded with a letter confirming that they were opening an investigation. Once again, the decision evoked widespread outrage.
Meanwhile, here is another item connected to the police, the prosecution, and the prime minister. Two of the state witnesses in the criminal case against Netanyahu—the very same trial that has utterly nauseated the public—have filed a lawsuit against the state for huge sums of money. The two claimants are Shlomo Filber, a former director-general of the Ministry of Communications, and Nir Chefetz, a former spokesman for Netanyahu. Both men claim that they were subjected to brutal interrogations and that multiple crimes were committed against them by the authorities, aside from the fact that their own confessions were collected in an illegal and unethical fashion. Their allegations against the government are utterly hair-raising.
I also mentioned last week that there has been a series of terror attacks and attempted murders of soldiers on army bases and Jews on the streets of Israel. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is continuing. A Jew was recently saved from a near-lynch in the Arab neighborhood of Issawiya; footage collected from security cameras in the area shows that his survival was purely miraculous. As his car was pelted with stones by the local residents, the man managed to reach the police station moments before the attack turned fatal. In another case, a terrorist was caught assaulting a Jewish resident of Gan Ner. And in a third case, an Arab was arrested for transporting the terrorists who committed another recent terror attack. The car used for that purpose bore a sign expressing support for the hostages, in a deliberate effort to confuse the Israeli security forces.
A Foolish Argument Against Chareidi MKs
This week, I read that a bookstore owner in East Yerushalayim had been accused of selling books containing incitement to terrorism, such as a coloring book for children titled From the Jordan to the Sea. It was reported that the police shut down the bookstore and detained its owners. If I might be permitted to enlighten the police, I would very much like to inform them that incitement is alive and well in other parts of the country as well. In fact, there are Hebrew newspapers printed in Tel Aviv that are filled with incitement every day—incitement against the chareidi community, I might add.
On that note, the media recently reported that one of the hostages in Gaza, Shlomo Mantzur, had been murdered. Yair Golan wrote the following: “Shlomo Mantzur did not survive captivity. He did not live out his life alongside his children and grandchildren. He did not close his eyes for the last time facing the beautiful scenery of the kibbutz that he loved so much. Shlomo Mantzur was murdered in captivity, but Shlomo Mantzur could have been brought back to us long ago.” The thrust of these comments is that Prime Minister Netanyahu was responsible for Mantzur’s death due to his failure to complete a hostage deal with Hamas in time for Mantzur to be brought home. The problem with this depiction of the events is that Shlomo Mantzur was actually murdered on the day of the Hamas invasion; no hostage arranged after the fact would have saved him. But when someone is interested in waging a campaign of incitement, the truth doesn’t matter.
One more point on the same subject: We have all grown used to the media’s sly efforts to shape our perspective through the use of biased language. There is a reason for the media’s repeated references to the “draft evasion law” and the “draft dodging coalition.” This week, I came across an opinion piece in an Israeli newspaper that expressed an argument that was about as insane as it was innovative: “Why aren’t the chareidi Knesset members prohibited from voting on the draft evasion law? Sorry for asking, but why isn’t this egotistical, highly personal backroom deal considered a conflict of interest?” The article concludes by asking, “Why are the Knesset members of Shas and UTJ permitted to vote for a law that exempts their children, their nephews, their neighbors, and their friends’ children from endangering themselves in the war to which they are sending all of us? Are they exempt from a conflict of interest?” This thesis could easily be expanded to include any member of the Knesset, even a chiloni, who has a friend or relative who is a ben Torah. And if we take the reasoning further, it should not be acceptable for the cabinet, the Knesset committees, or the Knesset itself to make any decisions about the war. In fact, how can the Knesset ever vote on a law about something as prosaic as refunds for canceled flights, when the law might very well benefit the siblings or children of the Knesset members? And how can the Knesset vote to increase senior citizens’ stipends, which is bound to benefit the parents of the secular Knesset members? No one thought to ask these questions about this ludicrous argument.
Praise for the Health Basket Committee
The health basket committee recently completed its work and publicized its decisions, and Health Minister Uriel Bosso received accolades for the results. This committee determines which medications will be included in the basket of drugs subsidized by the government, which has major bearing on every patient in Israel, every type of illness or medical condition, and every drug manufacturer as well. Any medication included in the government’s health basket is provided at a nominal cost to anyone with a prescription for that drug from a doctor in his or her health fund. These drugs can easily cost hundreds of shekels, but the health funds are required to sell them to their patients for the low price of 18 shekels per box. A medication that is not included in the health basket, on the other hand, is practically impossible for the average citizen to obtain. For that reason, the country waits tensely every year to receive the list of new drugs added to the list of subsidized medications. But the committee’s work this year received an interesting assortment of reviews in the press.
Yediot Acharonot ran a story with the headline “The Cancer Patients Left Out of the Health Basket.” This dramatic-sounding title was followed by a few words of explanation: “Sixty cancer drugs were submitted to the health basket committee for review, and only eight were approved.” This sounds quite bad, but the headline on the front page of Haaretz had a very different tone: “New to the Medication Basket: Early Warning Tests, Vaccines, and Cancer Treatments.” The body of the article reported, “Out of the 650 million shekels added to the health basket, about one quarter of the funds, or 160 million shekels, has been earmarked for additional vaccines and tests for early detection of medical conditions…. New and expensive oncological treatments are also a substantial part of the additions to the basket.” This article seems to frame the committee’s decisions as good news for cancer sufferers. Yisrael HaYom, on the other hand, framed it as bad news: “More Vaccines, Less for Cancer.” This makes it sound as if cancer patients have been left out in the cold. Maariv, on the other hand, touted the “good news” of “advanced treatments for cancer patients.”
To make a long story short, it would be a mistake to rely on the media for an accurate picture of most situations.
For a more realistic assessment, consider the following: The health basket committee is chaired by Professor Dina Ben-Yehuda, who reported, “This year, we placed special emphasis on early detection of illness, preventive care, constant medical monitoring, and vaccinations.” Professor Ben-Yehuda is a world-renowned expert on hematology, the dean of the medical school at Hebrew University, and the director of the hematology department at Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Har Hatzofim. When I spoke to a patient whom she treated, I heard incredible things about her. The medical team at Machon Sharett, which is under her aegis, is also known for its professionalism and its compassion. Dr. Revital Saban, for instance, is a physician of outstanding character who works in the hematology outpatient clinic. Professor Ben-Yehuda is therefore the last person who might be suspected of apathy toward the plight of cancer patients. Which makes it easy to surmise which of the newspapers are painting an accurate picture of the committee’s work.
A Mattress and a Great Man
I will conclude this week’s column with a few words in honor of the first yahrtzeit of Rav Boruch Weisbecker, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Bais Mattisyohu in Bnei Brak (and of Yeshivas Maor Yitzchok on Moshav Chemed). This motzoei Shabbos, there will be a large gathering of former talmidim of the yeshiva, and I intend to be present for it. While I was never personally a talmid in the yeshiva, I have two sons who learned there and gained immeasurably from the experience, and one son who is currently a talmid in the yeshiva. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to Rav Boruch, who was also a close friend of my father. In honor of his yahrtzeit, a sefer was published containing the hespedim delivered after his passing, during the shiva, and at the shloshim, along with articles written by many illustrious roshei yeshivos—Rav Dov Landau, Rav Berel Povarsky, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rav Don Segal, Rav Dovid Cohen, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Gedaliah Finkel, Rav Aviezer Piltz, Rav Naftoli Kaplan, Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Kook, and others. The contributors also include a long list of marbitzei Torah who are former talmidim of the yeshiva and the current members of the yeshiva’s faculty, especially Rav Boruch’s two sons, Rav Tzvi and Rav Yehuda, who succeeded him as the roshei yeshiva. The sefer contains a rich collection of stories attesting to Rav Boruch’s outstanding personality—his inestimable hasmodah, his powerful tefillos, his indescribable tzidkus, and, above all, his profound dedication to every individual talmid.
One noteworthy story was told by the yeshiva’s custodian, who related that the rebbetzin once called him to her home and asked him to cut off the tips of the springs in the rosh yeshiva’s mattress. The sharp metal tips were protruding through the mattress’s surface, making it impossible for Rav Boruch to lie on the mattress without his skin being pierced by the springs. The man took one look at the mattress and said, “Rebbetzin, a mattress in this condition should be thrown out and replaced with a new one.”
The rebbetzin replied, “That’s exactly what I told the rosh yeshiva, but he said that he sleeps for so few hours every day that it would be a shame to invest in a new mattress.”
I would also like to quote an article written by Rav Chaim Min-Hahar, the rosh yeshiva of a large yeshiva in the city of Beitar Illit, who is apparently another former talmid of Bais Mattisyohu. Rav Chaim attested that he received significant assistance from Rav Boruch when he first opened his yeshiva (an account that was echoed by other young roshei yeshivos as well). He also recalled that Rav Boruch worked hard to provide for the needs of every individual bochur, and he remembered hearing Rav Weisbecker on his sickbed, while he was racked with pain, speaking to a bochur’s father on the phone and urging him to ensure that his son would come to davening on time. After he finished his conversation, Rav Boruch commented, “That father is a major donor to the yeshiva, and it’s possible that he took offense at what I had to say, but I had no choice. This was my obligation.”
Rav Chaim Min-Hahar added that Rav Weisbecker often quoted Rabbeinu Yonah’s teaching that a person must view himself like a servant who has been sent to a foreign country on a mission for the king. When he described Rav Boruch’s unparalleled devotion to his talmidim, Rav Chaim added, “A bochur in our yeshiva was once offered a shidduch, and since Rav Boruch knew the girl’s family very well, I decided to call him and ask about the suggestion. He answered all my questions and then added, ‘Based on the way you are describing the bochur, it sounds very suitable. You can trust me, since I am very closely acquainted with the family.’
“‘How does the rosh yeshiva know them so well?’ I asked.
“Rav Boruch seemed surprised by the question. ‘One of their sons is a talmid in my yeshiva!’ he replied.
“Rav Boruch’s dedication to his talmidim was reminiscent of Rav Elya Lopian,” Rav Chaim added. “Rav Elya once underwent surgery in America, and while he was recuperating there, he called a talmid and exhorted him to remain dedicated to a kabbalah he had undertaken the previous month. In the midst of his own medical crisis and arduous recovery, his thoughts were with his talmid. This type of superhuman dedication was exhibited by Rav Weisbecker as well.”
