The Telzer Rosh Hayeshivas Shas

It was 1964 when my parents z”l sent  me away from Brooklyn, to study Torah in Telz Yeshiva. Needless to say it was a tremendous sacrifice for them to send away their only 13 year old son, after having survived the Holocust and losing most of their families. They however weren’t ready to take any chances of having their son grow up amongst the gentile population that lived in Boro Park at the time. It was their prayer and hope that up on the secluded hill where the yeshiva was located in Wickliffe, Ohio, surrounded by great Roshei Yeshiva and Torah scholars, their son would develop into a Torah true Jew. All my teenage years were luckily spent in that environment. After graduating high school my father unfortunatley got very sick. I needed to find a way to support myself while in yeshiva. Fortunately an opportunity  presented itself where I was able to secure the monopoly of all binding rights in the yeshiva. Every Thursday evening, anyone who needed their seforim bound would bring them to a designated room in the dormitory. Depending on the condition of the sefer, a repair charge would be  established.

One evening the Rosh Hayeshiva Horav Mordechi Gifter showed up and asked if I could repair his Shas. He had the old golden Shas with the padded cover. It was in shambles and looked very used. I told the Rosh Hayeshiva, it would be my pleasure to try and repair it, but that it would be a big job due to the condition it was in and would take some time. He graciously consented to the terms and price. After weeks of hard work it was finally restored. Was witness to how much hard work must have probably gone into ruining the Shas. The untold thousands of  hours the Rosh Hayeshiva must have spent toiling and trying to understand every word and nuance contained in each page. The sleepless nights he must have spent preparing his magnificent  shiurim.

Will never forget, how happy he was when I returned the Shas to him. He looked it over and then said to me with a big smile, “Yankel, du host mir geratevit mein shas” Yankel, you saved my Shas. He was so overjoyed that all the pages of his precious Shas came together again.

The joy experienced and merit felt at having brought the Rosh Hayesiva this happinnes by restoring his precious Shas will remain with me forever.