Caution Needed This Bein Hazemanim
Tisha B’Av is here, and the greater a person is, the more keenly he feels the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh. I have seen gedolei Yisroel shed bitter tears on Tisha B’Av, weeping and bemoaning the loss of the Bais Hamikdosh with great passion. Indeed, keeping this grief alive is part of what sustains the Jewish people. Everyone knows the story about the Emperor Napoleon’s reaction upon seeing a large group of Jews sitting on the floor and weeping during this time of year. When he asked about the reason for their distress, they replied simply, “Our temple has been burned.”
“I didn’t hear about a temple being burned,” Napoleon said, puzzled. When the Jews explained that the disaster took place 2000 years earlier, he said in amazement, “A nation that remembers its past for so long is guaranteed to have a future as well.”
Tisha B’Av is a day of mourning, but it is also the dividing line between the summer zeman and bein hazemanim. At this point, it seems that the bein hazemanim of the summer of 5785 will be a difficult time here. The animosity toward bnei Torah in the streets has reached record heights, and certain elements are continuing to fan the flames of hostility and persecution. The truth is that the Israeli public as a whole tends to appreciate and respect the Torah; in fact, since the Simchas Torah massacre, many people have begun to strengthen their religious observance. The polls may not reflect this reality, but it is evident nonetheless. Even soldiers on the front lines have called for the bnei Torah to be left in peace. But the media is controlled by eirev rav and by today’s version of the hands of Eisov, which are making every effort to suppress the voice of Yaakov.
On the subject of the widespread opposition to bnei Torah, I would like to quote Rav Yechezkel Abramsky. Of course, none of us has any doubt about the truth: The Torah is the elixir of life, and the State of Israel, with its efforts to stamp out Torah learning, might very well destroy the bedrock of its very existence. Nevertheless, it’s always good for us to review these principles, even when we know them well.
Rav Yechezkel Abramsky once remarked to his talmidim at the end of a shiur in Slabodka, “You, who learn Torah without involvement in anything else, bring the greatest benefit to Klal Yisroel. The world exists because of you. You provide security to Klal Yisroel, and you are on the highest level in the Jewish people.” Rav Abramsky went on to explain Moshe Rabbeinu’s rebuke to Korach’s co-conspirators, “It is too much for you, sons of Levi,” as follows: “You, the sons of Levi, are the greatest people in Klal Yisroel. Why do you diminish yourselves? Your avodas Hashem as sons of Levi is greater than any other task in the world, even more so than the kehunah. I ask you not to forget this and not to divert your attention from it.”
This year, bnei Torah will have to be more cautious than ever during bein hazemanim, not only because of the enemies who seek to harm us but also on account of the media, which seeks every opportunity to tarnish the chareidi community’s reputation. To make matters worse, the threat of arrest for draft evasion looms over the country’s Torah learners, thanks to the Supreme Court’s orders and the enthusiastic encouragement of the attorney general.
On that note, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has taken many steps to try to prevent the government from making an arrangement to exempt bnei Torah from the draft and thereby prevent an escalating conflict. One of those steps was her effort to prevent the Knesset from applying continuity to the draft law proposed in the previous Knesset. This was a maneuver devised by Prime Minister Netanyahu to expedite the passage of the draft law and to silence its critics. In the 24th Knesset, a draft law passed its first reading with the approval of Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid, and Avigdor Lieberman. The Knesset regulations allow such a law to be revived in a subsequent Knesset if the continuity principle is applied to it, and Netanyahu decided to resurrect the draft law in the 25th Knesset, a law that had previously been supported by his critics. The Supreme Court was petitioned to overturn Netanyahu’s decision, and as anyone could have predicted, the attorney general sided with the petitioners against the government, claiming that the legislative process had been “tainted.”
This court case recently came to a close, as the Supreme Court rejected the petitions and the attorney general’s position. “If there were any deficiencies,” the judges said, “they will be rectified in the remainder of the legislative process.” The judges thus favored the position of the Knesset legal advisor over that of the attorney general and dealt another blow to Baharav-Miara. But that hasn’t stopped Baharav-Miara from continuing to persecute the Torah world; she has ordered the police to detain any bochur whom they encounter who is listed as a draft evader until the military police arrive to take him into custody.
Opposing Their Own Law
Anyone should be outraged by the hypocrisy shown by the opposition as a whole and by Yair Lapid in particular. How do they have the gall to denounce a draft exemption law (which they have dubbed the “draft evasion law”) that they authored? As I explained, Netanyahu simply adopted the bill produced under the Lapid-Bennett government with the support of Lieberman and Gantz, which the chareidi parties originally opposed. By resurrecting this bill, he hoped to skip one stage of the legislative process and have it brought directly to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where it would be fairly close to its final reading. Rav Yitzchok Nissim, a former chief rabbi of Israel and Rishon Letzion, once remarked pithily, “Falsehood and hypocrisy married each other, and their child was politics.” Just read Yair Lapid’s comments about the draft law, and you will see the depths of malice and evil that a human being can reach.
Unfortunately for Lapid, the Knesset archives do not forget or forgive. With a little bit of research, anyone can discover that for every word that Lapid has ever uttered, he once said the exact opposite. Indeed, certain news programs in Israel include regular segments dedicated to Lapid’s reversals. But aside from his hypocrisy, he has also demonstrated foolishness; his predictions have turned out to be as worthless as a garlic peel. In September 2023, Lapid announced in a media interview, “Israel is going to go to elections in the year 5784.” Let me point out that we are rapidly approaching the end of the year 5785, and said election has yet to materialize. When Lapid left the office of prime minister in December 2022, after the left was trounced in the election, he left a note for incoming prime minister Netanyahu that read, “Lapid 2024.” In February 2023, Lapid declared pompously, “It might happen even sooner.” At the end of 2024, he decided to “correct” himself by revising it to “Lapid 2025.”
Not long ago, Lapid attacked Netanyahu, accusing him of “losing the Americans.” It didn’t take long for that accusation to turn him into a laughingstock. He has also frequently boasted that he is the only good friend of President Macron of France. This week, we discovered exactly what that friendship is worth when Macron announced his support for a Palestinian state. What happened to their alleged close friendship?
In another piece of diplomatic news, the new Polish ambassador to Israel, Maciej Hunia, presented his credentials to President Yitzchok Herzog last week. The media pointed out that the new ambassador arrived wearing a pin in support of the hostages in Gaza and has visited Nir Oz twice since the massacre on October 7. They also mentioned in passing that Poland hasn’t had a permanent ambassador to Israel in four years; however, they “forgot” to mention the reason for that. A major diplomatic rift between Israel and Poland developed in the year 2021, for which the blame lies with none other than Yair Lapid, who served as foreign minister at the time. I could easily fill entire pages with stories about Lapid’s exploits, his venomous tongue, and the damage he has caused in many areas while achieving nothing resembling success; this is just one example.
Chareidim Hope for a Resolution to the Draft Crisis
I see Yuli Edelstein every day, and my heart aches. He davens Mincha with us in the Knesset shul, sporting a beard in honor of the Three Weeks, and he strikes his chest and davens Tachanun along with the rest of us. I can’t help but wonder what has come over him. How did he have the audacity to thrust the chareidi community into the terrible quagmire in which it is now trapped? Wasn’t he always an ally to the religious community?
A well-known Prisoner of Zion who has worked extensively on behalf of Yuli Edelstein and his comrades recently delivered a fascinating speech that may shed light on Edelstein’s thought processes. At his request, though, I will not quote him. Instead, I will note that we all hope that the draft law will be advanced quickly, this time with provisions that the chareidim can tolerate and with the hope, which may be naïve, that the Supreme Court justices will be less draconian this time around. The chareidim’s departure from the government wasn’t an end in its own right; it was a tool to be used in an effort to resolve the crisis, and everyone hopes that this period will end soon, that an appropriate bill will finally be introduced, and that the chareidim will return to the government. We must hope that Boaz Bismuth, who replaced Edelstein at the helm of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, understands his historic responsibility to protect the country’s Torah learners.
When I read the following news blurb, I wasn’t sure if I should laugh, given that it is the Nine Days: “The chareidim have come crawling back to the coalition: After Milwidsky left his position as deputy Knesset speaker to become the chairman of the Knesset committee, the next person to receive the position is none other than a Knesset member from Shas.” The writer is clearly clueless about the Knesset presidium, which consists of the Knesset speaker and his deputies. The deputy speakers are drawn from every party, with a majority from the coalition, but every party has at least one representative, from Evgeny Sova (Yisroel Beiteinu) to Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid). Chanoch Milwidsky (the writer even spelled his name wrong in Hebrew) and his colleagues Moshe Solomon and Nissim Vaturi are the deputy speakers from the Likud party, and one can expect Milwidsky to be replaced with a different member of his own party. If someone from Shas is about to be installed as a deputy speaker, it is only because Erez Malul, a Shas representative who previously served as a highly accomplished deputy speaker, was forced to leave the Knesset because he had received his seat under the Norwegian Law, and the Shas minister who vacated the seat reclaimed it after stepping down from his position in the government.
Indeed, it is unfortunate that Erez Malul and his colleague Simon Moshiashvili were forced to leave the Knesset with no advance notice. It wasn’t easy for them to pack their bags and vacate their offices, and it was also difficult to bid goodbye to Yitzchok Pindrus, Eliyohu Bruchi, and Moshe Roth of United Torah Judaism. Another MK who will be sorely missed is Avrohom Betzalel, who racked up numerous accomplishments during his time in the Knesset. And it is also saddening to see several government ministers becoming ordinary members of the Knesset. The rest of us, who have never had this experience, will never appreciate what it means to suddenly become a former government minister rather than a current one. But there is no doubt that they carried out the demands of daas Torah with joy and with the hope that their resignations will accelerate the passage of the draft exemption law, which is of paramount importance to everyone.
More Tragic Deaths Reported in Gaza
The words “hutar l’pirsum” (cleared for publication) have taken on a tragic overtone in Eretz Yisroel. This phrase is invariably used on the radio to introduce the bitter news of the death of a soldier in Gaza. The media is not allowed to report a soldier’s death until after the family has been notified; hence, any such report must be “cleared for publication” before it hits the airwaves. The IDF does not report a soldier’s death even without identifying his name until his family has been notified; otherwise, every family with a member in Gaza would be gripped by worry bordering on panic as soon as they hear about a death. Nevertheless, news spreads quickly through other channels in a country this small, and thousands of families tend to learn about every death even before it is reported in the media, which often leaves them consumed with anxiety over their loved ones’ well-being until the victim’s actual identity is reported.
On Motzoei Shabbos, the media reported another death that had been cleared for publication. The victim in this case was Betzalel Yehoshua Mosbacher, a 32-year-old soldier who succumbed to his injuries after being seriously injured in Gaza on July 19. That incident took place when an explosive device was detonated near an IDF engineering vehicle, leaving Mosbacher mortally wounded and seriously injuring another soldier as well. Mosbacher was hospitalized in critical condition since that time; on Shabbos, his condition deteriorated, and he passed away.
A few hours later, the dreaded words “cleared for publication” were heard again. This time, the media reported that two soldiers from the Golani Brigade were killed on Shabbos by a powerful explosive device that detonated near their armored personnel carrier. A third soldier was seriously wounded in the explosion as well. The victims were Captain Amir Saad, 22, of Yanuch-Jat in northern Israel, and Sergeant Yinon Nuriel Vana, 20, of Kiryat Tivon. This brought the IDF’s total death toll since the beginning of the war to 898.
Perhaps I should mention that the number of fatalities among soldiers in the religious Zionist community has been exceptionally high, making for a much higher percentage than in other sectors. Of course, this hasn’t even made the slightest dent in the hatred for the “settlers” on the part of the political left. At the same time, it engenders significant animosity toward the chareidi community within the religious Zionist sector. The chareidi representatives have recently spoken out harshly against the religious Zionist community for their incitement and harassment of bnei Torah, which is partly fueled by their smoldering resentment. And while the criticism was justified, it is always important to choose one’s words carefully, and one particular chareidi politician failed to do so in an interview with a secular newspaper last week. When the interviewer questioned him about the pain experienced by the national religious community, he said, “Their pain will remain with them, and ours will remain with us. Don’t try to transfer your pain to me. Let us agree that everyone has his own burden to deal with.” This statement angered many people, and former MK Yitzchok Pindrus tried to set the record straight on the radio last Friday. “It’s the most elementary thing in the world to identify with another person’s pain even when we have ideological disputes, and even when there are legitimate discussions to be had,” he said. “I am not prepared to accept these words [of the other chareidi official]. The chareidi community is not willing to accept this; this community feels the pain of others and expresses gratitude to all the families and soldiers for their contribution.” Rumor has it that Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch instructed Pindrus to make these comments in an effort to minimize the damage caused by the other official. Of course, that official apologized on Sunday and attempted to explain himself, forcefully speaking out against the newspaper that carried the original interview and stressing that all the fallen soldiers are kedoshim.
Ramming Attack in Kfar Yonah, Shooting in Binyomin
The terrorists who hate us haven’t given up their efforts to murder Israeli civilians within the country. As I have mentioned in the past, the media does not report the large number of terror attacks that are thwarted before they can be carried out, but there are many such incidents. Unfortunately, it seems that there are times when a decree is sealed in Shomayim and the terrorists manage to evade Israel’s security forces. Last Thursday, a car ramming attack took place at the entrance to the settlement of Kfar Yonah, near Chadera. Nine people were injured, some of whom were transferred to Laniado Hospital in Netanya. Most of the victims were listed as lightly wounded. The terrorist, who was driving a white Toyota with an Israeli license plate, abandoned his car and escaped from the scene on foot. The police launched a manhunt, aided by a helicopter, and roadblocks were quickly assembled in the area. As you may have imagined, the terrorist was an Arab citizen of Israel!
The news of the terrorist’s escape sowed panic in the surrounding communities. A murderer was on the loose, and it was impossible for anyone to know when or where he would suddenly appear and make another attempt to murder Jews. Thousands of people lived with dread until the terrorist was captured on Shabbos, after three days of searching. In the end, he was apprehended at a construction site, where he was hiding at the top of a crane. The search was conducted by thousands of people, including IDF soldiers, Border Guard officers, and even volunteers. Special means were used to locate him, including helicopters, dogs, and advanced technology. The residents of Kfar Yonah and the surrounding area heaved a sigh of relief when he was captured. Some also criticized the police for spending three days searching for a terrorist who was essentially under their noses.
Meanwhile, a shooting attack in Binyomin miraculously ended without fatalities. On Friday night, an armed terrorist infiltrated the community of Givat Or Nachman near Gush Shiloh and opened fire from a range of several dozen meters on a group of youths sitting on a porch. The young men thought that the sound of gunfire was coming from a distance, as there had been frequent gunfire from a nearby hilltop over the past couple of months, but one youth who went outside to locate the source of the fire encountered an additional hail of bullets at close range. He ran for cover along with his friends, and the terrorist fired another volley in their direction while they ran, which miraculously failed to injure them. After the incident, a large group of Israeli forces began canvassing the area, but the terrorist has yet to be found. A local activist reported, “We experienced a serious incident this Shabbos, which miraculously ended without injuries. We could easily have been attending funerals tonight.”
This isn’t the only such incident that has occurred in the area; the media simply doesn’t report on the numerous terror attacks occurring in the area of Binyomin and the Shomron. Even in Givat Or Nachman itself, there have been over 15 incidents of gunfire directed at the community from nearby villages in the past few months alone.
Netanyahu’s Opponents Make an About-Face
There is much more that I could write about this week. For instance, the situation in Syria is completely unnatural. Just a few months ago, no one would have imagined that an Israeli government minister and a Syrian official would meet openly, but that is exactly what happened last Thursday, when Ron Dermer, the closest minister to Netanyahu, met with Syrian foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaiban together with U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack. Syria reported that the meeting dealt with efforts to reach a civilian security arrangement in the regions of Daraa and Suweida in southern Syria. At the end of their meeting, an outline for an agreement was developed that seems to mark an unprecedented diplomatic accomplishment, with the intensive involvement of the United States. Trump can now check off another item on his list of accomplishments.
But let’s move on to the issue of the hostages in Gaza, which remains perennially on the agenda, and for good reason. As of Sunday evening, the hostage talks had hit a dead end. Of course, many in Israel are blaming Netanyahu, accusing him of apathy toward the hostages and having an interest in perpetuating the war. However, Trump and his staff know the truth, and they have already said it openly: “Hamas doesn’t seem to want a deal.” Trump put it most succinctly when he said, “They know that on the day after they return the last hostage, they will be in bad shape.” That is the absolute truth. Hamas has every reason in the world to hold on to the hostages, or at least some of them. And this brings us to one of the greatest displays of hypocrisy on the part of the left: When Netanyahu and some of the hostages’ parents (such as Tzvika Mor, the father of Eitan Mor) were opposed to a hostage deal in stages and demanded the immediate release of all the hostages, the Kaplan protestors denounced him as a murderer, insisting that he would cause the deaths of hostages. They even accused Tzvika Mor of having no compassion for his own son. But now the Kaplan protestors themselves are demanding a deal that will free all the hostages. Suddenly, this demand has become acceptable to them.
However, let’s put aside their hypocrisy for now and focus on what seems to be in store.
Last weekend, it seemed that we were heading into the final stretch of the negotiations over a deal to free some of the hostages; however, Hamas backtracked on the deal at the end of the week, and both the Israeli and American delegations left Qatar. Israel has been feeling helpless, especially as it faces international accusations that the government is starving the children of Gaza (a narrative fueled by Hamas propaganda that has already been proven false). Netanyahu has been keeping the IDF operations on a low flame, but the question is what will happen next. Even if Israel accepts all of Hamas’s demands (which actually happened last week), will they agree to release all the hostages? It seems that Trump is right: Hamas is afraid to lose its bargaining chips. On the other hand, the ministers of the right will also object to ending the fighting if Israel accepts that demand.
A Mother’s Example
Last Friday, I heard an interesting story from Rav Boruch Shapiro, who was sitting shiva with his children for his rebbetzin, the righteous educator Rebbetzin Esther Shapiro. Rav Boruch is a well-known mechanech and marbitz Torah in Eretz Yisroel, and he had many stories to share from his personal encounters with gedolei Yisroel, many of which occurred when he served as the director of Lev L’Achim. He was visited by hundreds of talmidim from Kol Yaakov, Tiferes Yaakov, Daas Moshe, and other yeshivos, as well as numerous yungeleit, mechanchim, and kiruv activists who view him as their rebbi, and baalei teshuvah whom he guided and taught.
The mourners spoke highly of Rebetzin Schapiro’s many wonderful qualities, including her davening. Rav Boruch quoted the Maharsha’s comment that when Chana declared to Eli Hakohen that “I davened for this child,” it meant that her tefillos transformed his very essence. Rav Shmuel Auerbach once related that Rav Shach had presided over a din Torah between the mother of a young man who died from illness and the rabbeim in his yeshiva, who had hidden her son’s condition from her. They claimed that they had wanted to spare her from anguish, but she insisted that she would have davened for his recovery had she been aware of it. Rav Shach ruled that the mother was correct!
The family also mentioned that the rebbetzin was a full partner in all of her husband’s endeavors, and while she was blessed with copious wisdom, she didn’t frequently express her opinion. Rav Boruch quoted the Tanna Devei Eliyohu’s statement, “Who is a worthy wife? One who does her husband’s will.” As an example of this principle, Chazal cite the case of Yael, who was wise and powerful (and killed Sisera) but remained subservient to her husband.
Rav Boruch also shared a chilling story: He once had an appointment with a senior doctor in Ichilov Hospital who was an expert on strokes. During their conversation, as was his habit, Rav Boruch shared a few mussar thoughts, and the doctor suddenly began to shout, “Rabbi Shapiro, that’s enough! No more!” Two days later, the doctor suffered a sudden stroke in the parking lot outside his clinic and passed away. “A short time later, I met a famous chareidi doctor who said to me, ‘I am afraid to see you as a patient!’” Rav Boruch added.
What Are “Alternative Possibilities”?
Many have been struggling to figure out exactly what Secretary of State Marco Rubio had in mind when he told the hostages’ families that “we need to do some serious rethinking” in light of the current situation in Gaza. President Trump has similarly been hinting that new measures might be inevitable, and special envoy Steve Witkoff has spoken about “alternative possibilities.” This leaves us with the question of what, exactly, they have in mind. Netanyahu, for his part, commented after a recent cabinet meeting, “If there is no hostage deal, we will have to place a siege on Gaza.” But what does that mean?
There seem to be multiple possibilities at this point. One option is for Israel to increase the military pressure on Hamas, which might cause the terror group to collapse once and for all, but might also endanger the hostages. Alternatively, the humanitarian aid can be increased, in the hope that it will soften Hamas’ stance. Another possibility is a permanent ceasefire, an idea that America supports but Israel rejects. Israel might also opt for daring military operations to rescue the hostages, which would be an extremely risky move. Many hope that the American pressure on Israel and Hamas will bear fruit, and some believe that the purpose of the recent comments from Trump, Rubio, and Witkoff was to ramp up that pressure. America can place significant pressure on Hamas by demanding that other Arab countries (Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey) expel the Hamas leadership and even by giving Israel the green light to assassinate Hamas leaders abroad. Experience has shown that such pressure was effective in the past. In the interim, the mediators are working hard to force both sides to come to an agreement. The United States has sent a threatening message to Hamas, warning them that they must return the hostages immediately or face America’s wrath.
In Israel, disappointment is the prevailing sentiment. Hamas’ withdrawal from a potential deal has been chalked up to differences of opinion within the organization. The Israelis feel that they have offered significant concessions and that Hamas is not ready to make a deal. For our part, all we can do is daven. Unfortunately, the public demonstrations in Israel seem to be encouraging Hamas to harden its position.
This week, a mass tefillah for the hostages was organized in the Knesset. The deeply stirring event was attended by many people who are rarely seen in the Knesset shul. After Mincha, we recited two perokim of Tehillim, and Kobi Kalfon, the father of hostage Segev Kalfon, led the group in reciting a special tefillah for the hostages to return to their families safe and sound.
Why Did Rav Elyashiv Come to Telz Stone?
Last week, I wrote an article about Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv in honor of his 13th yahrtzeit. I would like to share an additional story with you that wasn’t mentioned there.
Twenty-nine years ago, I celebrated the birth of a son, and we arranged with Rav Elyashiv’s family for him to serve as sandak at the bris. At 8:00 in the morning, I received a telephone call from Rav Elyashiv’s devoted driver, Chaim Cohen, who informed me, “The rov isn’t feeling well this morning, and we don’t know exactly what time he will get up. Please arrange an alternative sandak.” Of course, as we all know, Rav Elyashiv began his day at 2:00 in the morning, when he began a learning seder that continued until Shacharis. He generally napped for a short time after davening and then attended any brisos to which he was invited. On that particular day, he had been examined by his doctor and wasn’t feeling well, and Chaim Cohen suspected that he might wake up later than usual.
Rav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg agreed to attend the bris and serve as sandak if Rav Elyashiv didn’t make it, with the understanding that Rav Elyashiv would receive the honor if he came. In the end, Rav Elyashiv was not able to come and Rav Scheinberg received the kibbud. Chaim Cohen and Rav Yosef Efrati attended as well and informed us that Rav Elyashiv was too weak to attend the simcha. “He asked to be informed before the bris of your next son,” they said.
When my next son was born, I dutifully informed Chaim Cohen that the bris would be held in the mother-baby convalescent home in Telz Stone. “Telz Stone?” he exclaimed. “There isn’t a chance that Rav Elyashiv will come. For the past two years, he hasn’t attended a single bris outside Yerushalayim.” I reminded him of Rav Elyashiv’s promise to attend my next son’s bris, and he agreed to relay the request. Rav Elyashiv’s family was amazed when he made the trip to Telz Stone to serve as sandak at the bris, out of determination to keep his word.
Let me share another story concerning the illustrious posek. With his brilliant mind and encyclopedic knowledge, Rav Elyashiv used to pasken on shailos instantly, drawing the answers out of his vast mental repository of wisdom on a moment’s notice. It’s reported that he anticipated potential future shailos as he learned every sugya, preparing his answers to a wide variety of questions well in advance. The posek hador, Rav Moshe Sternbuch, was recently asked in which brocha in the Shemoneh Esrei one should include a tefillah for the hostages. “In Shema Koleinu, or perhaps the brocha of Refa’einu?” the questioner asked. Neatly sidestepping that assumption, he replied, “In the brocha of mekabeitz nidchei amo Yisroel.” This reminded me of an incident involving Rav Elyashiv: Someone once asked him where to daven for a person who does not feel the desire to learn Torah. “Should it be in Shema Koleinu or in the brocha of Hashiveinu, where we ask Hashem to help us do teshuvah?” the questioner said. Rav Elyashiv replied, “In Atah Chonein, the brocha in which we ask Hashem for wisdom!”
This week, I discovered that Rav Elyashiv’s psak seems to be reflected in Rashi’s commentary on the Gemara. The Gemara states (Avodah Zarah 8a), “Even though a person should request his needs in Shomeia Tefillah, if he wishes to add something at the end of every brocha on the topic of that brocha, he may do so.” Rashi comments on those words, “If he forgets his learning, he can add to [the brocha of] chonen hadaas.”
