Shraga and Golda Frank 
The Pioneering Heritage
"And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," said Hashem; "My spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed's seed," says Hashem, "now and forever" (Isaiah 59,21).
In every period of great stress, it seems as though the Torah is about to be forgotten; but in keeping with His covenant, G-d dispatches messengers to revive it anew. They appear in the form of various personalities: scribes and prophets, warriors and scholars, merchants and shoemakers, shepherds and simple laborers. The Talmud, the Midrash, and commentaries are replete with references to these Torah pioneers ... and so is our modern history: Raish Lakish said, "When the Torah became forgotten from Israel, Ezra came up from Babylon and revitalized it. Again, when it was about to be forgotten, Hillel came up from Babylon and revitalized it. And later Rabbi Chiya and his sons did the same" (Succah 20a). - Ezra the Scribe, a prophet; Hillel, a laborer ... "If not for the Chashmonaim the Torah and mitzvos would have been forgotten from Israel" (Ramban, Bereishis 49:lO) ... Chashmonaim, both warriors and royalty.
"A Mishnah recorded without a name, Tosefta, Sifra, Sifri, are attributed to ... [various sources, but the opinion in] all of them is according to the views of Rabbi Akiva" (Sanhedrin 86a). Rabbi Akiva, a shepherd.
As is always the case for the Jews, new crises continued to threaten, and new heroes continued to emerge: in the face of the threat of forgetting the Oral Law, Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi compiled the Mishnah; and several centuries later Ravina and Rav Ashi edited the Talmud - could there be a Jewish life today without Mishnah or Gemara?
The same was true in regard to the halls of study: Rav founded a yeshivah in Sura (Persia) which existed for over 800 years, as did Shmuel in Nardo'ah, and Rav Yehudah in Pompedisa. Thus, Rav Hai Gaon, son of Rav Sherira Gaon, was head of a yeshivah in Pompedisa that could trace its beginnings directly to the amora, Shmuel, eight centuries before his time.
Yesterday's Frontiers
Today, many of our yeshivos can trace their beginnings to outstanding personalities of generations ago. After all, Reb Chaim Volozhiner (who used to sign his correspondence, "a melamed in Volozhin") actually founded the first modern yeshivah in Russia in 1803 - a structured institution, instead of the previous informal bais hamidrash where young men would gather to study under the local Rav. Volozhin is thus known as "the mother of yeshivos" ... Reb Yisrael Salanter (1810-1884) launched the Mussar Movement, which was devoted to self- improvement on the basis of Torah ethics. This movement eventually made its mark in almost every Lithuanian and Russian yeshivah ... The Beth Jacob Schools, as well as almost all other religious girls' schools, can look back to Sarah Schenirer's school in Cracow (1920-40) as their source. ... Who can visualize Klal Yisrael today without the yeshivos and Bais Yaakov schools? The debt of gratitude is an oft-spoken one.
There are a great number of yeshivos, however, that owe their existence to two relatively unknown "soldiers of Torah" who had the unusual foresight that left us all richer: They are Reb Shraga Frank and his wife, Golda.
Reb Shraga Frank was one of the wealthiest men in Kovno, Lithuania. He owned a leather factory, a leather goods store, and a great deal of real estate. He was also a talmid chacham and a tzaddik (a learned and righteous man), who was under the influence of the founder of the Mussar Movement, Reb Yisrael Salanter. In the attic of Reb Shraga's house, Reb Yisrael would meet with his disciples Reb Nosson Tzvi Finkel (known later as the "Alter of Slobodka"), Reb Yitzchak Blazer (known as Reb Itzele Peterburger, for he later became Rav of Petersburg, capital of Czarist Russia), and other Mussar giants. In that attic, Reb Yisroel and his disciples would spend the entire month of Elul; there he would say shmuessen (lectures) and elaborate on his new philosophy of Mussar; there, one might say, the nucleus of the Mussar Movement took shape.
Reb Shraga had extended a huge sum of money as a personal loan to a local merchant. His business began to prosper, but he did not repay the loan. The debtor again lost his fortune, and approached the Franks for another loan. Golda refused because she did not consider the man trustworthy. Reb Shraga intervened - it was Elul at the time: "Every year at this time we approach the Ribbono Shel Olam, full of promises and verbal assurances, begging Him to grant us a new year. He does, but we renege on our promises. Nonetheless, next Elul, we again plead and promise, and again He grants us our request, and again ... we repeat the routine. Still, he always takes our word. - Shouldn't we do the same?"
His wife Golda was from a German family, and to her, punctuality was second nature. She simply could not fathom how tenants would fail to pay the rent on time. So Reb Shraga would secretly hand out rent money to his tenants to enable them to make their payment when due. No wonder, when he died at 42 (1887), Reb Yitzchak Elchhonon Spektor, the Kovno Rav, personally participated in his taharah (ritual preparation of the body for burial). Reb Shraga had specified that no eulogies be said at his funeral. "Normally I would ignore such a request," the Kovno Rav said, "but I am afraid to violate Reb Shraga's word." Before his passing, Reb Shraga told his wife that since Heaven did not grant him time to guide his four daughters into marriage, the obligation rested on her, Golda. And he told her that the four men for his four girls must be not only talmidei chachamim, but men of shivti (Shivti is a Mussar term for those who dedicate their life to Torah study and its propagation, based on the passage from Tehillim: "Shivti b'veis HaShem ... May I dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life" (27:4.) Also, that she should spend their every cent on maintaining their children - the shivti sons-in-law, and their subsequent families.
The Choices
FIRST: Reb Moshe Mordechai Epstein: Slobodka, Chevron, Jerusalem
The first son-in-law to be chosen was Reb Moishe Mordechai Epstein from the small town of Baksht. To appreciate the significance of this choice, some background is needed:
At that time, there was a yeshivah in Slobodka, a suburb of Kovno, called Knesses Beis Yitzchak after the Rav, Reb Yitzchak Elchonon. Many of the b'nei Torah, as well as some scholarly ba'alei battim, opposed the Mashgiach, Reb Nosson Tzvi Finkel (the disciple of Reb Yisrael Salanter) for attempting to enforce the study of Mussar in the yeshivah. Mussar was frowned upon by many as an unauthorized and unwarranted innovation in yeshivah life, and to some it seemed to offer an easy means for avoiding total involvement in Torah study.
When Reb Nosson Tzvi found himself bucking this opposition, he left Knesses Beis Yitzchak for the "New Beis Midrash" of Slobodka to open the Yeshivah Knesses Yisrael, named after Reb Yisrael Salanter, his Mussar Rebbe. In need of a Rosh Yeshivah, he asked Reb Shraga Franks son-in-law, Reb Moshe Mordechai Epstein, to say the shiur. Under those two Torah giants, the yeshivah grew to become the "mother" of Gedolim, who became leading Roshei Yeshivah.
Among those who studied there was Reb Reuvain Grozovsky (who later became the son-in-law of Reb Baruch Ber) then known as Reuvain Minsker. Once, when Reb Reuvain was visiting his hometown, he heard of a young fellow in nearby Sislowitz as being an ilui - an exceptionally gifted boy. He brought him to Slobodka. The little fifteen-year-old, Arke Sislowitzer, would stand up on the bench to challenge the Rosh Yeshivah, Reb Moshe Mordechai Epstein, in the middle of the shiur with his questions. "Arke" was later to be known as Reb Aharon Kotler ... It was while in the yeshivah that Reb Moshe Mordechai began work on his monumental nine-volume L'vush Mordechai.
When Jews began to return to Eretz Yisrael in great numbers, Reb Moshe Mordechai and the Alter Reb Nosson Tzvi Finkel decided that the Torah, too, must return together with Klal Yisrael, so they moved to Chevron where they established a yeshivah. After the infamous Arab pogrom in 1929, in which some thirty yeshivah students were killed, they moved the yeshivah to Jerusalem. After his death, the yeshivah was directed by his two sons-in-law, Reb Yecheskel Sarna, and Yebadel L'chaim, Reb Moshe Chevroni, Shlita. Today, the institution is known as the Yeshivah of Chevron, and it prospers to this very day.
SECOND: Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer: Slutsk, Kletzk, Jerusalem, Lakewood
Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer was Golda's choice for her second daughter, upon the recommendation of her first son-in-law, Reb Moshe Mordechai. There was one thing wrong, however. The young man began suffering from a lung ailment. In those days, the disease was a deadly killer with no known cure or medicinal relief. In addition, Reb Isser Zalman also had severe stomach problems. Golda went to the Chofetz Chaim for advice. The Chofetz Chaim replied: "Some people have health: others have arichas yamim" (long life). The wedding took place and arichas yamim was apparently his, for in spite of his illness, Reb Isser Zalman lived to eighty-three - thanks to his wife's protective care.
After a time dedicated fully to Torah-study, living solely on Golda's support, he became Rosh Yeshivah in Slutsk, a large city in White Russia, using one-fifth of his dowry as an investment in the yeshivah. His wife stayed in Kovno, managing their business and sending him food - for he refused to even take meals from the yeshivah.
Once, during one of her visits to Slutsk for Yom Tov, she found out that their entire stock was stolen, leaving them deeply in debt. She never breathed a word of this to him until the day he was offered the rabbanus of Slutsk. Then she felt he should know, so as to take their financial plight into consideration when deciding.
At that time, the Rav in Slutsk was Reb Yaakov Dovid Vilovski, known as the Ridbaz. The Ridbaz left Slutsk to raise funds in America for the publication of his famous commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi, and became Chief Rabbi of Chicago.1 Slutsk did not have to search far for a replacement, and in 1902 crowned their Rosh Yeshivah Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer as their Rav.
The combined burden was too much for the frail man - Rav of a large city, Rosh Yeshivah, plus the writing of his eight-volume commentary Even Ha'ozel - so he planned to resign from the rabbinate. Reb Isser Zalman went to Brisk to ask his Rebbe, Reb Chaim Soloveitchik, for advice. Reb Chaim told him: "Perhaps you're right, and all your considerations are valid. Still, it would not be the right p'sak (halachic decision) to leave." So Reb Isser Zalman stayed on.
He later explained Reb Chaim's p'sak in the following manner:
We learn the Torah attitude toward the conditions of leadership from Moshe's appointment of Yehoshua as his successor (Bamidbar 27:19). "And he set him before Elazar the Kohen, and before a11 the congregation; and he charged him in their presence. "Rashi explains: "And he charged him in regard to governing Israel: Know that they are troublesome, that they are rebellious; [you must accept your office] on the condition that you accept these burdens upon yourself." This, the Ramban adds, was Yehoshua's induction into leadership.
So appointment to royalty among Jews obtains even under the worst circumstances - in other words, it is beyond conditions. And, as a result, one may not even take leave because of extenuating circumstances... The Rambam says that the rules of perpetuation and tenure associated with royalty (such as inheritance to children) apply to all positions of leadership (Hilchos Melachim, I , 7). In other words, Reb Chaim meant that one cannot divest oneself from office of leadership because "if is too difficult" - only if it is to advance to a higher office. ("Ma'alin Bekodesh - one moves higher in sacred categories, but not lower.")2
Reb Isser Zalman remained the Rav and Rosh Yeshivah of Slutsk until the Bolshevik Revolution, when he and his son-in-law, Reb Aharon Kotler, crossed the border to Poland. Not far from the Russian border, Reb Aharon established his famous yeshivah in Kletzk. Reb Isser Zalman moved on to Jerusalem where he became the Rosh Yeshivah of the Yeshivah Eitz Chaim.
Reb Isser Zalman was instrumental in introducing the Lithuanian yeshivah system and its analytical approach in Talmudic study to the yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael. He became chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages) of Agudath Israel in Israel. His wife continued to protect his health and general composure... She hand copied the manuscripts of seven volumes of his Even Ha'ozel for printing, and personally checked the galleys.3
During the Second World War, the Rabbi of Lakewood, New Jersey, was a former student of Mirrer Yeshivah, Rabbi Nisson Waxman. He persuaded a wealthy Jew to donate his mansion for a yeshivah, and then set out searching for a Rosh Yeshivah and a student body. First he invited his former Rebbe the Rosh Yeshivah of Mir, Reb Eliezer Yehudah Finkel (son of the Alter of Slobodka), to come to Lakewood. Reb Leizer Yudel replied that his heart and mind were set on remaining in Yerushalayim - where indeed he established the Mirrer Yeshivah in Jerusalem. The Lomza Rosh Yeshivah, Reb Yechiel Mordechai Gordon, also refused. Rabbi Waxman then approached Reb Aharon Kotler with the same offer. After several visits to Lakewood, and some deliberations, Reb Aharon accepted the offer. As the fruits of their negotiations, we now have the flourishing Torah Center of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, which Reb Aharon headed for exactly nineteen years, seven months and one day, until his passing on 2 Kislev 5722 (1962). Reb Aharon's son and successor, the late Reb Shneur, also served as Rosh Yeshivah in Beth Medrash Govoha for exactly nineteen years, seven months and one day, until he was taken from us on 3 Tammuz 5742 (1982).
THIRD AND FOURTH:
Reb Baruch Hurwitz: Alexot
Reb Sheftel Kramer: Slutsk, New Haven, Baltimore
The third daughter married Reb Baruch Hurwitz, Rav in Alexot, Lithuania, and Rosh Yeshivah in Slobodka. Reb Baruch was also Chairman of the Agudath Israel in Lithuania; and later succeeded his brother-in-law, Reb Moshe Mordechai, to the presidency of the Agudas HaRabbonim of Lithuania.
The fourth married Reb Sheftel Kramer, Rosh Yeshivah in Slutsk. Reb Sheftel left Slutsk, and joined Reb Yehuda Heschel Levenberg in his yeshivah in New Haven, Connecticut, (the first yeshivah in the United States outside of New York City) as Mashgiach. Reb Sheftel's oldest son-in-law, Reb Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, also joined the yeshivah in the early thirties, then moved on to Baltimore, Maryland, where he established the Yeshivah Ner Israel, which he still heads as Rosh Yeshivah. Reb Sheftel's youngest son-in-law, Reb Naftali Neuberger, is menahel of Ner Israel.
Stars in Daniel's Firmament
Can one imagine Klal Yisrael without the Yeshivah of Chevron? - without Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood? - without Ner Israel in Baltimore? - without Reb Isser Zalman's imprint on the yeshivas of Jerusalem?
It is of people like Shraga and Golda Frank that Daniel spoke: "And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and the matzdikei horabbim - they that turn the many to righteousness - as the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). "Matzdikei horabbim - this refers to the teachers of the young" (Babba Basra 8b).
1. After three years in Chicago, he moved to Tzfas. [return to text]
2. This was recorded in an article in Hapardes by Rabbi Nisson Waxman. [return to text]
3. People in Yerushalayim would say "Reb lsser Zalman's Rebbetzin wrote his sefarim," and some would take this literally, for - like her sisters - she knew Tanach by heart. She would quote passages extensively, explaining them according to the Malbim ... At 86, when lying ill in bed, she recited chapters from Iyov without a text, with Malbim...[return to text]