Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Great Story from Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author’s American trip
Due to all that I have been writing recently about the Rav Itamar Shwartz’s visit to the United States and the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim, I have been zoche to be contacted by several people who have been at various shiurim that Rav Shwartz has given. I want to share one story that personifies the unification that Rav Shwartz is revealing in the different darchei avodah.
Rav Shwartz spoke at the Belzer Kollel in Monsey, NY. His drasha was filled with the guidance and words of the Baal Shem Tov and the Talmidei Baal Shem Tov (english translation). From what I heard, the chevrah there were really lit on fire from his words and were inspired to deepen and internalize the message of Kirvas Hashem.
I was told that two of the Chassidim were talking after the shiur and one of them asked the other one, “So what kind of Chossid is he?” And the other one answered, “An emesdikeh Chossid!”
The second story took place in a mostly Litvish yeshiva, Shor Yoshuv, in Far Rockaway, NY. There, Rav Shwartz gave over his message with teachings from the GR”A, the Talmidei haGR”A, the Mashgiach from Ponovicz, and the like.
I heard that one of the top talmidim there was heard to have said, “Now that’s a true Litvak!”
When these two stories were told over to Rav Shwartz and his translator/gabai, Ofer, he (Ofer) responded,
“Now you understand who the Rav is.”
May we be zocheh to see and understand the oneness and unification that underlies all flavors of Darchei Avodah!
