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The shiur in English
The Yanuka’s own words in this shiur, translated into English by Lehallel · 2,757 words · 14:23. Press a time to hear it said.
0:00 You were my neighbor in Ge'ulim, I would see you praying on the roof in Holon. - Ge'ulim? - In Ge'ulim, yes, on Ge'ulim Street. I would see him every night, sitting on the roof. I was just a kid... Do you remember me as a child? - Yes. - Oh, you're making me emotional. Yes, I would see you every night. I would go up to the roof, and I'd see you praying in solitude. I have to tell you this, I would see you praying alone at night, at 10:30 you'd go out, and you'd continue your devotions until 11:30.
0:26 I would watch you. - How old was the Rav then? - The Rav is my age more or less. And I would see him... about twenty years ago, something like that, when you lived in Ge'ulim. I would see you at night. I'd go up to the roof, our roofs were parallel, yours and mine, and I would see you in deep solitary prayer. I didn't really understand, but I... I knew it was something extraordinary... I knew it was something extraordinary... - I thought no one else was watching me, that you...
0:52 I've known the Rav since he was about fourteen, fourteen and a half, from the Sinai Synagogue. My brother, uncle, and I used to study with him — [he told us] stories of the Baal Shem Tov on Motza'ei Shabbos. I built him a mikveh, at the Sinai Synagogue in Holon, my childhood neighborhood. He was already delivering writings and sermons for Shabbos evening.
1:19 And he asked me to build him a mikveh. I built it for him in the place where we used to do Tashlich. I built a mikveh there for him. The Rav had a practice of immersing, winter, summer, fall, spring — in the mikveh I had built for him. It was just a little mikveh, like this... and he would immerse in it in the bitter cold, the Rav would be freezing, and he'd come wearing a buttoned shirt — a plain white button-down, I remember — in the cold. I'm telling you, the water was like ice.
1:47 The Rav would immerse there, without a shower, nothing at all. We... my brother and I made him a little place there, somewhere to hang his clothes. And Aryeh, the synagogue's gabbai, was very close to him, truly close. He witnessed things that were truly frightening. When he spoke about the Baal Shem Tov, you could see — like flames emanating from him. Baruch Hashem, I am blessed to know the Rav since I was twelve or thirteen. I was living in Holon back then.
2:13 Every time I saw the Rav, he always had a book of Zohar with him, Tehillim, all sorts of sacred books. He was always walking off to be alone in personal prayer. We, as kids, would be sitting around in the parks, and he would pass by, back and forth, back and forth — always in his private devotions. From a young age, that's how I remember him. It was something beyond description. He would grab my hand, even as kids — he was my own age — he would hold my hand, and I'd say something, and he would bless me, as a child. And I'd wonder, "What is this, that he's blessing me like this as a kid...?"
Read the whole shiur in English (26 more parts)
2:44 It's something you can't put into words. Baruch Hashem, we were privileged [to know him]. Since childhood, he would always be praying prayers of his own with a book in front of his face, as if detached from the whole world — and with Hashem only. Words cannot describe. There's a synagogue in Rehovot called "Tefillah L'Shlomo," named after his (the Yanuka's) grandfather. That synagogue was donated by the Rav's grandmother.
3:10 And every year they would come to hold a memorial service in that synagogue. The Rav himself, the Yanuka, came there a few times. He came more than once. And the Rav would walk in — he was dressed like... he already looked like a yeshiva student, with a long coat at that age... He would always stand for a few minutes, then walk over to a corner, take some Mishnayos, and start learning.
3:34 I remember... He was always learning, the whole time they were there. He looked so much like a regular kid... yet no one really knew what he was all about. These are the things I... that I remember. I was blessed to know the Rav when he was very young. He would come to our Kollel, on Independence Street in Holon. The Rav would come with pictures of tzaddikim, and talk a lot about the various tzaddikim. He really loved the tzaddikim. He would come with books, full of pictures of tzaddikim, he loved them dearly, all the time...
3:59 He welcomed everyone warmly. Whoever he saw, he would stop for them, shake their hand, and bless them. Always with a smile on his face. He would press our hands warmly; his whole being was full of light, even as a child. It's something that can't be described. We would sit around as kids, hanging out in the neighborhood parks, and he would always pass by, with a book in hand, lost in his personal devotions. And he would always tell us... That's what made him special. I've known the Rav since he was born.
4:24 He would sit in our synagogue, studying Torah, all by himself. My aunts and my mother made sure he had food all day long. He was given a key by my father, so he could study Torah from morning till evening. He even taught others to study and analyze the texts. Even then, he was already something truly extraordinary. He really loved G-d.
4:49 At first they thought he was a bit... not — but you could see from his devotion and love for Hashem where he has reached. And that's how he grew, until he got married. - How old was the Rav when you first met him? - Since he was born. From the years when he was very little. Since he was a child. We grew up together in the neighborhood. He grew up in Rabbi Chaim Tsuberi's synagogue.
5:16 He was always a quiet, introverted child, unlike all the other kids. He didn't like to play or be with friends much. He was modest, reserved, never scheming or competing with others... he accepted everything with love. It was something special.
5:45 And that's how he grew up, and the results we see now are proof. So it calls out to be explained — he came from a line of tzaddikim. And I'm happy to hear he reached this level. — I get emotional talking to you — [I'm happy] he reached this level. I knew the Rav from a very young age, around 17 years ago, roughly, I don't remember exactly.
6:13 We were a group of baalei teshuvah, and we would go to his shiurim. There were shiurim in Netanya, Rishon, Bat Yam... He would write us prayers. We would witness real miracles through these prayers, and everyone grew spiritually. He spoke about shemiras habris (keeping the covenant), about Chassidim... and gradually we saw it blossom. He would sit and learn, and light would literally radiate from him. I'm telling you, it was like light... something unbelievable. It was as if... He would take me on walks on Friday evenings, and tell me, "Lower your eyes, don't look at the desecration of Shabbos."
6:42 He would walk me kilometers across Holon, telling me only stories about the Chassidim, about the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Nachman, Rabbi Noam Elimelech of Lizhensk, Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz, all the tzaddikim. All the tzaddikim. It was like fire was blazing from him. Like flames emanating from the Rav. I was at the age of... this was 15, almost 20 years ago.
7:10 And look what the Rav became — it's remarkable... I remember he would speak about the Baal Shem Tov — astonishing things — about the holy Baal Shem Tov in particular. And since then, we have adopted the Rav's custom of telling a story about the Baal Shem Tov each Motza'ei Shabbos. It was astonishing. And you know, we were not ultra-Orthodox... We were just... you know... regular people, simple folk, as they say. It was frightening to witness, really frightening.
7:39 We would wait eagerly for the end of Shabbos to hear his stories... I've known the Rav since he was quite young. - What age? - Quite young, 13–14. And I'll tell you one story: After the Tikkun of Shavuos, until 6:00 in the morning, he had a small black book with pictures of all the rabbis.
8:04 All the rabbis. The Rav would open it and show each tzaddik and tell you who they were and how they lived. He would tell stories. We sat with the Rav until 6:30, maybe 7 in the morning, if I'm not mistaken. And we didn't want him to... We honestly didn't let him go, so he would continue speaking and telling more and more stories. The Rav... all his books, are not books from the current era; he owns antique books from 200, 300 years ago.
8:30 He sought out these books intentionally. Books that the Admorim and tzaddikim studied in, yes. He traveled to Spain, as his father worked there. He had business in Spain. He went to Spain with his father. Then he returned around the age of bar mitzvah, and he... He also inherited from his father... His father, when he was young, would blow the shofar in the synagogue... His grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo, is my grandfather's brother on my mother's side. His mother is my father's cousin.
9:02 And his father was a man who performed acts of kindness in secret. He suffered — he suffered from kidney failure. He needed a kidney transplant, which he waited for many years. He eventually returned to Israel. He was abroad, waiting for a kidney transplant. He eventually returned to Israel and received a kidney transplant here, regaining his health. And G-d willed that as he performed an act of kindness — he had extra food left that he went to give to his daughter, not to throw it away — he had a car accident and passed away.
9:35 He would just be there from morning, and all day he would sit and study Torah. My father did not want to sit by him all the time and supervise him. He trusted him and gave him the key so he could sit and study, because he could not supervise him. He was always busy with other matters. He also worked at the municipality, so during working hours he gave him the key. He studied with my son, taught him.
10:01 He studied with his brother – with Oren. Oren today is a sofer STaM (religious scribe); he writes mezuzos, a tzaddik. The Rav was a prodigy from a young age. He always prayed. His prayers would take a long time. People would ask, "Why does it take so long to pray?" But apparently he felt his destiny. A lofty soul. His grandmother — I think she deserves merit... He has much merit because of his grandmother... His soul descended here because of his grandmother. She was righteous. She had such faith.
10:31 Faith like that is rare. She lost three children in her lifetime. By the last daughter, in the cemetery — I can't forget, she told me — "G-d gave her to me, I prayed that He would save her" — she had cancer, [the Yanuka's] aunt, Mazal — She said, "I prayed to G-d that Hashem would protect her, but He took what was His, what is His is His. She belongs to Him." She did not shed a tear at the funeral, even after losing three children. She lost the first son in the year 1960-something. He was a soldier, and his parachute didn't open.
11:04 The eldest daughter, Rachel, died of cancer. Then Mazal died of cancer. She mourned for three children and remained faithful to G-d until the end of her life. - How old was the Rav when you met him? - 15 years old. He used to pray with us, and I would take him to the mikveh with Aryeh, our gabbai. I would give shiurim about the Baal Shem Tov every Motza'ei Shabbos. Then the Rav would be shy. He would say to me, "Wait, I'll go immerse before Maariv." He would go immerse before Maariv, also after Maariv. Later, when he came to the shiur, he would immerse.
11:38 I would ask him (to tell Baal Shem Tov stories in my place). He was shy. I would tell him: "I'll give you the book. Tell stories about the Baal Shem Tov." I had told stories for years. - And you asked him to share. - I asked him to share. And I would take him to the mikveh on Motza'ei Shabbos. He frequented our mikveh at the synagogue too, at Sinai Synagogue. He was humble and simple, and always said "Who am I, what am I..." I would tell him: "Rav, tell the stories, I'll give you the chance. Tell stories about the Baal Shem Tov, don't be shy." I told him I'd give him confidence. I would give him confidence.
12:02 Because he kept avoiding it. He concealed (his greatness)... We would pray, and see him. We would go to open the synagogue, and see him studying upstairs. The gabbai and I. He always sat in a corner in the women's section and study until 2 or 3 a.m. He would keep his head down... not lift his head, not eat nor drink, uninterested in the world. And he would sit for hours. Sometimes Aryeh the gabbai would come to the synagogue, and from morning till the next morning he would see the Rav upstairs learning. He wanted to remain hidden, didn't want anyone to recognize him. He wasn't a person like that [who seeks honor]... he hid himself.
12:30 He sat in a corner and studied where people wouldn't see him. [And if someone came he would] quickly go downstairs and hide in another corner. He didn't want people to see him studying upstairs. He would take books — two or three books in his hands — and he would study. - From morning till evening? - From morning... He almost didn't have a night. Sometimes, I tell you, at 2 or 3 a.m. our gabbai would come — our synagogue is open 24/7 — 3, 4, 5 a.m.
12:55 The gabbai would come to open the synagogue and see him there... He would say he was going to immerse or sit and learn. He thought he went, but he was hiding behind the benches. Especially Motza'ei Shabbos, he would read all the Chassidic books: Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the Baal Shem Tov, Berditchev, all those books... When we taught stories of the tzaddikim on Motza'ei Shabbos, I would tell stories. Then I would say to him, "Rav, you tell [stories]." He would say, "I can't, I'm shy." I would say, "No, there's no place for shyness."
13:19 "The shy don't learn, the strict don't teach." He was ascetic, no food, no drink, almost nothing, hardly wanted to eat, didn't want to drink. You would never see him eat. I never saw him drink. They would bring him a drink, and he would take a small cup, some tea or something on the side, and that was it. abstaining from food, from drink. You would see his eyes red from crying while learning, he had tears running down [his face]. Completely soaked. Wet, like I am now. He had love for Israel, he had... love for every person, everyone. He would walk on the street without looking, without lifting his head. His head was always down. You would see him like this...
13:48 Eyes closed... People would ask, "Is Rabbi Shlomo here?" Even his mother would come, we would say "Shlomo..." He didn't want anyone to know he was there. He would hide somewhere to study. He was truly ascetic even as a small child. His humility and simplicity. And the books... suddenly we would see the books up in the women's section. We would see the number of books that were there: Books of tzaddikim and Chassidim. He would finish books like Rabbi Ovadia. He would really read books.
14:19 There were dozens of books on the table.
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