Thousands participated tonight (Monday) in a gathering of the Lev La'achim (Heart for Brothers) organization at Armonot Chen, which is held annually in Bnei Brak, in preparation for the "Summer Season," with the participation of Jewish elders.
The event opened with a panel of topical questions and answers on distant topics of rapprochement. After that, the rabbi, Rabbi Hezkiyahu Mishkovsky, spoke.
The Grand Master Steinman and Grand Master Kanievsky entered the stage of honor at the gathering to the sound of the song "Yamim".
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Among the great Jewish leaders who participated in the gathering were the Grail Steinman, the Grach Kanievsky, the Grach Cohen, the Grach Edelstein, the Grav Povarsky - heads of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, the Mashgih Grav Yaffe, the Grav Ezrachi Rosh Yeshiva of Ateret Yisrael, the Gramtz Bergman, the Grav Edelstein, the Grav Cohen, heads of the Mir Yeshiva and more.
The head of the Ponivez Yeshiva, Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, spoke about the virtue of bringing distant people closer.
After him, HaGar's Cohen was invited - with the title of "Maran Rosh Yeshiva Porat Yosef" - to deliver words of encouragement. The new president of the Council of Sages was received at the gathering with great respect, by the rabbis and activists who participated in the event.
Rabbi Steinman delivered the keynote speech at the conference. Here are his words:
My teachers and gentlemen, a large part of the Pentateuch of Genesis speaks of Jacob and Joseph. It is also written there that after Joseph had already taken Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, two sons were born to him. He named the first Manasseh, for God has made all my labors bear fruit, and the second Ephraim, for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
And in the Tosafot there are other reasons why he called him Ephraim, and he says two things: 1. Because our forefather Abraham said, "I am dust and ashes," 2. Because Isaac's ashes were as if they were gathered on the altar, because at the time of the Akedah it was as if he was burned and his ashes were gathered on the altar, even though in reality this was not the case, but God, blessed be He, considers it as if his ashes were gathered on the altar.
In the Tosafot, it is written that a person should think about who his ancestors were - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our father Abraham said, "I am dust and ashes," and Isaac, as if his ashes were piled on the altar. Heist das - that is, a person should always think with such a conclusion, he should be dust and ashes, and he should also be willing to be self-sacrificing! Ashes piled on the altar.
Two things are written here, and indeed there are other things for a Jew, but these are the main things a person needs to live in the world, he cannot live just like that... but must think that he is ready to be ashes piled up on the altar, and also that he is dust and ashes.
A person lives with these two conclusions, this is how one should think, this is how one should live, he is willing to consecrate himself for the sake of Heaven, to have his ashes gathered on the altar, and also that he is actually "dust and ashes" - this is what we need.
And this is what the righteous Joseph did, while he was already in good shape, he was already king, and before that he had been through so many difficult situations, they really wanted to kill him, everyone knows what is written in the parasha, and now that he has reached kingship, he needs to know what his life is like, this is how a Jew should live, he needs to think that he is dust and ashes and that he is ready to sanctify God.
And this is what we learn from the righteous Joseph, even though his situation was already good now, but that's how it should be, Joseph wanted not to forget, so he named his son "Ephraim." He wanted to do something he wouldn't forget, he wouldn't forget his son, he would always think, what is he? Dust and ashes, and he had to be willing to have his ashes piled up on the altar.
May God help each and every one of you to act in this way, to think about your life, that it is not by chance that you were born by chance, that you came from the throne of glory, every soul of a Jew is from the throne of glory, so why did you come, to eat and drink and sleep? Is that the purpose? For this reason, you were sent from the throne of glory, what is your purpose - to be ready to sanctify the name of God, and that you are actually dust and ashes.
And a person needs to think to the point that when a son is born to him, he gives him a name that will constantly remind him of his life. The essence of his life is to sanctify the name of Heaven, and not think that he is anything but dust and ashes.
May God help us to learn to think like this. A human being in this world is not born for just things, not like distinguishing Gentiles who are not like that, but the whole of Israel, their purpose is to think of sanctifying the name of Heaven, and that he is actually dust and ashes. And this is what we need to repeat and repeat, to the point that he called his child who was born, who he certainly will not forget, in order to always think of this purpose.
May God help us all rise to such a level that this was the life of the Jew, dust and ashes, and to sanctify the name of Heaven. May God help us all to merit this.
