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Quality Merchandise

A story ofRav Elchonon Bunim Wassermanהרב אלחנן בונים וסרמןProfile ›

When Rav Shlomo Heiman first became a rosh yeshivah at Torah Vodaath, Rav Elchonon was upset, believing that Rav Shlomo would do better to devote his strength to the bnei yeshivah of Europe. Then he came to America and visited Torah Vodaath. After shiur he watched Rav Shlomo’s talmidim crowd around their rebbi, discussing the sugya with great zest, and then escort him home, so absorbed in the conversation that they paid no attention to the cars and trolleys beside them. “Ahh,” said Rav Elchonon with pride, “Rav Shlomo hut yeh ibergekert America. Rav Shlomo has overturned America.”

Another time, at Torah Vodaath’s Camp Mesivta in upstate New York, the Rosh Yeshiva of Baranovitch was asked to honor the boys with a shiur, and it drew a sharp exchange of Talmudic analysis. “I can see that the American bochurim are also capable of analytical learning,” he said. “You have some gutteh schoirah, some quality merchandise.”

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