In Memory of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, ob”m

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, ob”m when I waked into shul today for Mincha. Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel was the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalaim, the largest yeshiva in Israel, and one of the largest yeshivot ever, with over six-thousand students. The Mirrer Yeshiva, amongst so many other yeshivot, was one of the great yeshivot in pre-holocaust Europe, unlike most of them however, the Mirrer Yeshiva still exists today, not only in Yerushalaim, but also in Brooklyn, NY and in branches throughout Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel was an American born Rosh Yeshiva, a scion of an illustrious family of Torah giants. He is named for Rav Nosson (Nota) Tzvi Finkel (1849-1927), who was known as the Alter of Slabodba, or “Elder of Slabodka”, the founder the Slabodka Yeshiva, one of the great mussar yeshivot. Though Rav Finkel grew up to become the head of Mirrer Yeshiva, his formative years were spent in Chicago, far away from the yeshiva, which he would one-day lead for over twenty years. As matter of fact, one could say that his childhood years were spent about as far away as one could imagine from one of the most prestigious institutions in the yeshiva word today.

Although I never had the privilege of personally meeting Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, I did hear him speak on more than one occasion. Twice I heard him address the NCSY Summer Kollel- once when I was a camper and once as a madrich. On a third occasion, I had the opportunity to hear a parsha shiur from him on erev shabbat in his home.

Since Rav Finkel had Parkinson’s disease and it was difficult for him to travel, our entire camp loaded onto busses and made the trip to a banquet hall in Yerushalaim, where he addressed us. On one occasion, Rav Finkel began by asking the boys who amongst them was from Chicago; immediately, a whole bunch of hands shot up into the air. Next, he asked them who attended Ida Crown Jewish Academy, again, a handful of boys raised their hands, though fewer than the time before. He then asked them who went Ida Crown and played forward for the Aces, Ida Crown’s basketball team; this time only one hand went up- his own.

The Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel I saw when I was a teenager, was far from the boy I imagined growing up in Chicago. He was tall though, tall enough to be a forward, and I could see him towering over his opponents, but the man I saw in front of me was frail, his body was ravaged by a debilitating disease, which made it difficult for him to speak or even sit comfortably in a chair. I remember him clutching his hands and thrusting them between his knees, which was all he could do to keep them from flailing uncontrollably by his sides. I have been told that although his symptoms were quite severe, Rav Finkel’s condition could have been alleviated greatly, by medicines which were readily available. Apparently there were stronger medications, which would help lessen his pain and discomfort, but he refused to take them because he was concerned that taking them would prevent him from thinking clearly, and would negatively impact his learning and his ability to continue giving shiurim in the yeshiva.

As he was trying to give us an appreciation for who Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel was, one of our camp rabbeim pointed out that many of the great Jewish leaders, both past and present, had distinguished themselves in different areas. Some roshei yeshiva were gedolim in Torah, some were gedolim in chessed, some were tzaddikim and gedolim in ahavat yisroel or middot tovot, but Rav Finkel was a godol b’yessurim- great because of the challenges and difficulties he lived with. He was an effective leader and maggid shiur, rebbe and rosh yeshiva, despite the obvious pain he had to put up with to simply hold a pen in his hand. He was great.

Though I must honestly admit that I do not remember most of what he spoke about when I was a camper, I do remember one thing- he spoke about faith in Hashem, and as he was concluding his speech he asked all of us to recite Shema together in unison, we did, but one voice towered over all the rest- his own.