The 14th of Sivan is the yahrzeit of Rav Naftali Hertz Halevi Weidenbaum (1852-1902). Born in Bialystok, he had health problems due to the harsh Russian weather, and his physicians suggested he move to a warmer climate. He moved to Yerushalayim and opened a yeshiva. Two years later, with the establishment of an Ashkenazic community in Yaffo, he was asked by Rav Shmuel Salant and Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin to take on the role of rav of Yaffo. He saw his role as focusing on strengthening the level of Torah observance among the inhabitants of Yaffo, especially with regards to the agricultural mitzvos that apply in Eretz Yisroel. He also helped to establish a local yeshiva and hospital.
In 1891 the Sephardic community of Yaffo decided to unite with the Ashkenazic and have only one rabbi. Under the direction of the rabbis of Yerushalayim who had appointed him, Rav Naftali Hertz fought against the secular immigrants from Russia who had brought in a new secular spirit that he did not find in keeping with the atmosphere that had existed prior to their arrival. Rav Naftali Hertz would not allow them to join the city council or to take sits on any committees focused on local education or health. He fought against blatant Shabbos desecration, mixed dancing and the opening of a theater. At one point he refused to officiate at a wedding unless the couple promised they would not permit their future children to engage in mixed dancing. The secular Jews viewed him as an implacable radical.
Although he was initially opposed to the Heter Mechirah, the selling of land to Arabs to permit agricultural activity during Shemittah, he permitted it when he saw the absolute economic need.
Rav Naftali Hertz is primarily known for his kabbalistic works. While he has in many ways a unique understanding of certain concepts, he is one of the easiest to understand kabbalistic author. He was responsible for the publication of Yahel Ohr, a commentary on the Zohar by the author of the Yesod VShoresh Ha’Avodah, as well as other ancient kabbalistic commentaries. Included in the Siddur HaGra that he published are a commentary he anthologized from other kabbalistic sources, as well as his own commentary. Recently, his commentary on part of Mishnas Chasidim has been published He also wrote on a large portion of Bris Olam, an esoteric work on the Hebrew letters.
His great-great-grandson Aryeh Levi did not know anything about him. He was a traveling religious-book salesman in Israel and one day in 1985 met a man in Maaleh Adumim all dressed in khaki with a long beard. The man invited him in and told his wife to greet their guest from Bialystok. Seeing Aryeh’s confusion, he asked him if he knew of Rav Naftali Hertz Halevi from Bialystok, he responded that the only Naftali Hertz he knew was his grandfather, who was still alive, and who had never been in Bialystok. The stranger told him about Rav Naftali Hertz’s commentary on the Bris Olam and informed him that he would publish the entire Bris Olam, including the first part on which Rav Haftali Hertz had not written commentary. Aryeh had never heard of the sefer and had no idea where to find it, but the man assured him not to worry.
The man was Rav Baruch Shapiro, someone who Rav Mordechai Eliyahu described as one of the lamed vav tzaddikim. He had been a chavrusa of the Steipler Gaon in his youth and was fully conversant in the entire Talmud as well as in kabbalah. Aryeh subsequently visited his grandfather, who told him about his own grandfather and showed him a copy of the second volume of Bris Olam upon which Rav Naftali Hertz had written his commentary. His grandfather had no idea where to find the first volume. Following up on a lead he searched in the National Library in Yerushalayim and someone there showed him a copy published in blue in 1820. After his grandfather died, Aryeh inherited the copy of the Bris Olam as well as a photo of Rav Nfatali Hertz Halevi and had them printed in blue.
When the sefer had originally been printed one page from the manuscript was missing. Apparently, while living in Yerushalayim, Rav Naftali Hertz had lent it to someone who returned it missing a page. Not realizing that, when he gave it to the printers it was printed without that page. It turned out, however, that years before Rav Naftali Hertz had given a copy of his manuscript to someone who eventually ended up in Los Angeles. His descendants were able to access the copy and publish the missing page along with the rest of his commentary.
* * *
The nineteenth of Sivan is the yahrzeit of Rav Shmuel Hominer, the second (1913-1977). His grandfather, also named Shmuel (whose yahrzeit was the eighth of Sivan) arrived in Yerushalayim in 1871. He brought to Yerushalaim a large personal library and lived in the Old City. In 1874 he built the first home in Meah Shearim and moved there, initially only with his children as his wife was afraid that it was unsafe. His son Mordechai Zev taught in Yeshiva Etz Chaim and named his son Shmuel, after his father.
The second Shmuel learned in Etz Chaim and was a close student of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. His first sefer was an abridgement of sefer Chofetz Chaim and received a haskama from Rav Isser Zalman. Rav Chatzkel Levenstein referred to him as a true eved Hashem. He also wrote on the topic of bitachon and a number of other areas of halacha and mussar.
