Sholom Mordechai Hakohen Schwadron ( he, הרב שלום מרדכי הכהן שבדרון) (1912–21 December 1997) was a
Haredi
Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
and orator. He was known as the "
Maggid
A maggid ( he, מַגִּיד), also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a '' darshan'' (). The title of '' ...
of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
" for his fiery, inspirational
mussar talks. Some of the stories he told about the character and conduct of
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
leaders and
tzadik
Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...
im of previous generations were incorporated in the ''"Maggid"'' series of books by Rabbi
Paysach Krohn
Paysach J. Krohn (born January 29, 1945) is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, ''mohel'' (practitioner of ritual Jewish circumcision), author, and lecturer on topics related to ethics and spiritual growth. He is the author of the ''"Maggid"'' series of bo ...
, whom Rabbi Schwadron mentored.
Early life
Rabbi Schwadron was born in the
Beit Yisrael
Beit Yisrael ( he, בית ישראל, lit. ) is a predominantly Haredi neighborhood in central Jerusalem. It is located just north of Mea Shearim on Ha-Rav Zonenfeld St 13.
The name Beit Yisrael is taken from the verse in Ezekiel , in which E ...
neighborhood of Jerusalem to Rabbi Yitzchak and Freida Schwadron. His father was formerly the ''
av beis din
The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...
'' (head of the rabbinical court) of
Khotymyr. He was the son of Rabbi
Sholom Mordechai Schwadron
Sholom Mordechai Schwadron (1835 – 1911) (Hebrew: שלום מרדכי בן משה הכהן שוודרן), known by his acronym Maharsham, was a rabbi and foremost halachic authority. His main works "Shailos Uteshuvos Maharsham" and "Daas Torah" ...
, a leading
halachic
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
authority known by the Hebrew acronym ''Maharsham''.
This was his father's second marriage. Rabbi Yitzchak Schwadron was widowed of his first wife, Chaya Leah, in 1898, leaving him with nine children. In 1903 he immigrated to
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
with four of his children and remarried Freida, who raised the orphans as her own.
Yitzchak and Freida Schwadron had six more children together.
[Lazewnik (2000), p. 91.] Their son Sholom, born a year and a half after the death of the Maharsham, was named after his illustrious grandfather.
Rabbi Yitzchak Schwadron died at the age of 63, leaving Freida a widow at the age of 35 and young Sholom an orphan at the age of 7.
Freida struggled to support her young children, as well as her sickly brother who lived with her, by selling bread door to door. At night she found time to recite
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
, and share with her children their father's Torah legacy.
[Lazewnik (2000), pp. 92–93.] Schwadron later published some of his father's Torah thoughts in the introductions to his books, ''Oholei Shem'' and ''Daas Torah Maharsham'' (Part II).
For a few years, Sholom was forced to live at the
Diskin Orphanage
The Diskin Orphanage was an orphanage in the Old City of Jerusalem, established
in 1881 by Yehoshua Leib Diskin. From the Jewish Quarter, it moved to Street of the Prophets outside the walls of the Old City. In 1927, it moved to a new buildin ...
in Jerusalem.
At the age of 12 he entered Yeshivat Tzion under Rabbi Yaakov Katzenelenbogen. At the age of 15 he entered the Lomza Yeshiva in
Petach Tikva
Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Jews of the Old Yishuv, and became a permanent set ...
under Rabbi Eliyahu Dushnitzer.
Despite his family privation, Rabbi Schwadron developed into a Torah scholar of note. By the age of 18 he was learning 700 pages of
Gemara
The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah w ...
every semester at the
Hebron yeshiva
Hebron Yeshiva, also known as ''Yeshivas Hevron'', or Knesses Yisroel, is a yeshiva devoted to high-level study of the Talmud. It originated in 1924 when the roshei yeshiva and 150 students of the Slabodka Yeshiva, known colloquially as the "mother ...
,
which had relocated to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
after the
1929 Hebron massacre
The Hebron massacre refers to the killing of sixty-seven or sixty-nine Jews on 24 August 1929 in Hebron, then part of Mandatory Palestine, by Arabs incited to violence by rumors that Jews were planning to seize control of the Temple Mount in ...
. In the seven years that he studied at Hebron yeshiva, he became the ''talmid muvhak'' (close student) of the
mashgiach ruchani
A mashgiach ruchani ( he, משגיח רוחני; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im'') or mashgicha ruchani – sometimes mashgiach/mashgicha for short – is a spiritual supervisor or guide. He or she is usually a rabbi who has an official position wit ...
, Rabbi
Leib Chasman.
[Krohn (1987), p. 20.] He also studied under Rabbi
Elya Lopian
Eliyahu Lopian (1876 – 21 September 1970), known as Reb Elyah, was a leading rabbi of the Mussar Movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strictness with respect to order and self-control.
Biography
Elya ...
, Rabbi
Yechezkel Levenstein
Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein (Rav Yechezkel HaLevi Levenstein), known as Reb Chatzkel, (1885 – 18 Adar 1974), was the mashgiach ruchani of the Mir yeshiva, in Mir, Belarus and during the yeshiva's flight to Lithuania and on to Shanghai due to the ...
,
and Rabbi
Meir Chodosh
Meir ( he, מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by cu ...
.
[Lazewnik (2000), p. 387.]
Marriage
On the Friday of
Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...
1936, Rabbi Schwadron married Leah Auerbach, daughter of Rabbi
Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach
Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach (1883 – 26 September 1954) was a Haredi rabbi and roshei yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, a landmark Jerusalem institution specializing in Talmudic and kabbalah studies for Ashkenazi scholars that he helped found in ...
,
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
of
Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva
Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת שער השמים, lit., "Gate of Heaven") is an Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi yeshiva in Jerusalem dedicated to the study of the kabbalah, kabbalistic teachings of the Rabbi Isaac Luria, Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Lu ...
. Rabbi Auerbach was a well-known Jerusalem personality whose extreme poverty was only matched by his love of Torah and Torah scholars.
A story from the early days of Rabbi Schwadron's marriage illustrates the dire poverty found in the Auerbach household. As part of the dowry agreement, Rabbi Auerbach and his wife committed to supporting their son-in-law for the first three years of his marriage. On the first day, he came to eat breakfast and was served black bread, cream, a cup of coffee and
halva
Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...
by his mother-in-law. Rabbi Schwadron ate the meal, thanked his mother-in-law, and went to learn. The next morning, he realized that his wife hadn't joined him and asked where she was. "Oh, she had to go somewhere," Rebbetzin Auerbach replied. On the third morning, when his wife still didn't join him, Rabbi Schwadron became worried and demanded to know what was going on. His mother-in-law tearfully admitted that they had agreed to support ''him'', but had no money to support ''her'' too. Rabbi Schwadron's wife would come in after he left and make do with bread and water for breakfast.
Rabbi Schwadron founded his own home on simplicity and lack of luxury. He and his family lived in a small, two-room apartment in the
Sha'arei Hesed
Sha'arei Hesed (also Sha'arei Chessed) ( he, שערי חסד, lit. ''Gates of Loving-kindness'') is a neighborhood in central Jerusalem, bordering Rehavia, Nahlaot and Kiryat Wolfson.
History
One of the founders of the neighborhood was Yoel Moshe ...
neighborhood of Jerusalem, which lacked a refrigerator, a bathtub, a washing machine or running water. Water was drawn from a nearby well. The kitchen, located in the courtyard, was so small that it did not fulfill the
halachic
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
requirement for a
mezuzah
A ''mezuzah'' ( he, מְזוּזָה "doorpost"; plural: ''mezuzot'') is a piece of parchment, known as a ''klaf'', contained in a decorative case and inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah ( and ). These verses consist of the J ...
. Yet despite the lack of space and conveniences, the family was known for sharing everything it had with drop-in visitors and indigent guests.
Rabbi Schwadron was the first son-in-law of Rabbi Auerbach.
He was the brother-in-law of Rabbi
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ( he, שלמה זלמן אויערבאך; July 20, 1910 – February 20, 1995) was a renowned Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem neighborhood Ramat Shlomo i ...
, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat
Kol Torah
Kol Torah is a yeshiva in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Jerusalem. History
Yeshivas Kol Torah was founded in 1939 by Yechiel Michel Schlesinger (1898–1948), born in Hamburg, Germany and Boruch Kunstadt, a dayan from Fulda, Germany. It wa ...
in
Bayit Vegan
Bayit VeGan ( he, בית וגן, lit. ''House and Garden'') is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem. Bayit VeGan is located to the east of Mount Herzl and borders the neighborhoods of Kiryat HaYovel and Givat Mordechai.
History Bronze Age
A 4,0 ...
, with whom he enjoyed a long and productive relationship as learning partners and friends, and Rabbi
Simcha Bunim Leizerson, founding president of the
Chinuch Atzmai
Jewish education ( he, חינוך, ''Chinuch'') is the transmission of the tenets, principles, and religious laws of Judaism. Known as the "people of the book", Jews value education, and the value of education is strongly embedded in Jewish cu ...
school system.
[Donn, Yochonon. "The Maggid of Jerusalem: 10 Years Since His Passing". '']Hamodia
''Hamodia'' ( he, המודיע – "''the Informer''") is a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in Jerusalem. A daily English-language edition is also published in the United States, and weekly English-language editions in England and Israe ...
'', 13 December 2007, pp. C6-C7.
Following his marriage, Rabbi Schwadron joined the Ohel Torah
kollel
A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...
, where he learned alongside future Torah leaders such as Rabbi
Shmuel Wosner
Shmuel HaLevi Wosner ( he, שמואל הלוי ואזנר, 4 September 1913 – 3 April 2015) was a prominent Haredi rabbi and posek ("decisor of Jewish law") living in Bnei Brak, Israel. He was known as the ''Shevet HaLevi'' after his major w ...
, Rabbi
Eliezer Waldenberg
Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg ( he, הרב אליעזר יהודה וולדנברג; December 10, 1915 – November 21, 2006) was a rabbi, posek, and dayan in Jerusalem. He is known as a leading authority on medicine and Jewish law and referred to as ...
, and Rabbi
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ( he, יוסף שלום אלישיב; 10 April 1910 – 18 July 2012) was a Haredi Rabbi and ''posek'' (arbiter of Jewish law) who lived in Jerusalem. Until his death at the age of 102, Rav Elyashiv was the paramount lead ...
. He also taught an evening
Gemara
The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah w ...
class to residents of Shaarei Chesed, the neighborhood in which he now lived, and learned each night with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. In 1937, he was asked to deliver a more advanced evening Gemara
shiur
Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any Torah topic, such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), Tanakh (Bible), etc.
History
The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Jud ...
in Shaarei Chesed, a class he taught for the next 25 years.
In 1943, he became
mashgiach ruchani
A mashgiach ruchani ( he, משגיח רוחני; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im'') or mashgicha ruchani – sometimes mashgiach/mashgicha for short – is a spiritual supervisor or guide. He or she is usually a rabbi who has an official position wit ...
at
Yeshivat Tiferet Tzvi for young teens. The talks he gave to the students, as well as his personal example of total concentration in his own learning, made a lasting impression on these boys. Rabbi Schwadron exerted a similar positive influence on
Sephardi
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
students at
Mekor Chaim Yeshiva, where he served as rosh yeshiva from 1950 to 1960. He taught the highest
shiur
Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any Torah topic, such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), Tanakh (Bible), etc.
History
The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Jud ...
, establishing personal relationships with students that often lasted three or four decades.
At the urging of the
Brisker Rav, Rabbi Schwadron became a spokesman for the
Peylim organization, which promoted the spiritual rescue of Jewish children who had emigrated from
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and were being housed in
absorption camps.
Maggid of Jerusalem
In 1952, Rabbi Schwadron began giving a Friday-night lecture to the public at the
Zikhron Moshe
Zikhron Moshe ( he, זיכרון משה, lit. ''Memorial for Moses'') is a Haredi neighborhood in central Jerusalem. The neighborhood is bordered by Geula to the north, Mekor Baruch to the west, David Yellin Street to the south, and Mea Shearim to ...
shtiebel near the
Geula
Geula ( he, גאולה lit. ''Redemption'') is a neighborhood in the center of Jerusalem, populated mainly by Haredi Jews. Geula is bordered by Zikhron Moshe and Mekor Baruch on the west, the Bukharim neighborhood on the north, Mea Shearim on th ...
neighborhood of Jerusalem. It was this lecture, which continued for the next 40 years, that earned Schwadron the title of "Maggid of Jerusalem."
[Lazewnik (2000), p. 395.]
He opened each talk with
halacha
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
and ended with fiery
mussar, penetrating his listeners' hearts and inspiring them to self-improvement.
A master at storytelling, Rabbi Schwadron was able to draw out his audience's emotions using sing-song, witty remarks, and exaggerated mannerisms before delivering the "punch line" of his call to change. Often he punctuated the irony of human foibles with a booming laugh and the words, "''Pilei ployim, hafla vafelle''! (Wonder of wonders! Amazing!)"
Following is the description of one speech delivered in the Hebrew month of
Elul
Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August ...
, as Rabbi Schwadron prepared his listeners to undertake serious contemplation and ''
teshuvah
Repentance ( he, תשובה, literally, "return", pronounced ''tshuva'' or ''teshuva'') is one element of atoning for sin in Judaism. Judaism recognizes that everybody sins on occasion, but that people can stop or minimize those occasions in the ...
'' before
Rosh Hashana
Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...
and
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...
:
"Imagine that the inhabitants of the local cemetery were given the opportunity by the Heavenly Court to return to this world for just one hour. Just one hour, just one hour," he sang in a mournful tone of voice.
"Look at the door!" he startled the audience. "There is the ''elte bubbe'' (great- grandmother) and the old rabbi who passed away last year! And there is Berel and Yankel and Yossel! They're all coming in!"
The listeners spun around, actually expecting to see the long departed members of their community walk through the ornate doorway. The vivid descriptions portrayed by the orator transported the crowded shul members into a dizzying whirl as they pictured the town filled up by the departed.
"Move over," continued the speaker relentlessly. "'Make place for me,' the former departed are screaming. 'We have just one hour!' Just one hour, just one hour," he intoned in that special tone unique to maggids.
The mournful tones and mannerisms employed by the maggid played on the listeners' emotions, putting his audience exactly where he wanted it to be: with thoughts of God's greatness, man's mortality, and the ''teshuvah'' period.
In the course of his talks, Rabbi Schwadron publicized many stories about leading rabbis and
tzadik
Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...
im of previous generations.
Some of these stories were included in Rabbi Paysach Krohn's books, ''The Maggid Speaks'' (on which Schwadron collaborated) and ''Echoes of the Maggid'' (published after Rabbi Schwadron's death).
Just as he exhorted others to change and improve, Rabbi Schwadron constantly worked on improving himself. From the time of his marriage until into his eighties, he made a ''ta’anit dibbur'' (, abstention from speaking) every Monday and Thursday, as well as during the 40-day period from the first day of the month of
Elul
Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August ...
until
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...
.
Relationship with the Krohns
Rabbi Schwadron traveled abroad frequently to raise money for the institutions with which he was involved. During his months-long stays, he would address congregations, conventions, and other assemblies, solidifying his title of "Maggid".
It was on one of these trips, in late 1964, that he was invited by Rabbi Avrohom Zelig Krohn, father of Rabbi
Paysach Krohn
Paysach J. Krohn (born January 29, 1945) is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, ''mohel'' (practitioner of ritual Jewish circumcision), author, and lecturer on topics related to ethics and spiritual growth. He is the author of the ''"Maggid"'' series of bo ...
, to stay at his home in New York, even though Rabbi Schwadron didn't know him or his family personally. Rabbi Schwadron insisted on paying rent, which Rabbi Krohn agreed to reluctantly. During the five months that Rabbi Schwadron resided with the Krohns, a close bond formed between him and the family. When Rabbi Schwadron announced that he was leaving after
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar, He ...
1965 to travel back to Israel by boat, the entire family saw him off at the pier. Then Rabbi Krohn handed Rabbi Schwadron an envelope containing all the "rent money" he had paid, as he had never intended to keep it.
A few days later, Rabbi Krohn said he missed his guest so much that he decided to greet him when his boat docked in Israel. He and his wife quickly arranged passports and flew to Israel two days before Schwadron arrived. After giving the Rabbi Schwadron family their own time for a reunion, the Krohns appeared with their own welcome.
Rabbi Krohn was diagnosed with a terminal illness after this event, and died a year later. Six months after that, the family received a letter from Rabbi Schwadron saying that he was coming to America again. Rabbi Schwadron became a surrogate father to Krohn's seven orphans. He showed great sensitivity towards Rabbi Krohn's widow, remembering his own mother's struggles to raise her orphaned children.
With Rabbi Schwadron's encouragement and active input, Rabbi Paysach Krohn penned the first of his popular ''"Maggid"'' books, ''The Maggid Speaks'', published in 1987. Subsequent titles (''Along the Maggid's Journey'', ''In the Footsteps of the Maggid'') memorialized Schwadron's influence on the overall project. After Schwadron died, Krohn's titles reflected that fact, too (''Echoes of the Maggid'', ''Reflections of the Maggid'').
Personal vignettes
R. Shalom was known for his personal piety. During the entire month of Elul, R. Shalom would undertake a ''Taanis Dibur '', refraining from talking except for Divray Torah and mussar.
Published works
Rabbi Schwadron wrote, annotated and edited more than 25
sefarim
''Sifrei Kodesh'' ( he, ספרי קודש, , Holy books), commonly referred to as ''sefarim'' ( he, ספרים, , books), or in its singular form, ''sefer'', are books of Jewish religious literature and are viewed by religious Jews as sacred. T ...
, mainly those penned by his grandfather, the ''Maharsham''.
These include:
*''She'eilot U'teshuvot Maharsham''
*''Oholei Shem''
*''Daas Torah Maharsham''
He also edited and published two famous mussar texts composed by his teachers — ''Ohr Yahel'' by Rabbi Leib Chasman and ''Lev Eliyahu'' by Rabbi
Elyah Lopian
Eliyahu Lopian (1876 – 21 September 1970), known as Reb Elyah, was a leading rabbi of the Mussar Movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strictness with respect to order and self-control.
Biography
Elya L ...
.
Later years
Schwadron's mother, Freida, died in 1962. His wife, Leah, died in 1977.
Rabbi Schwadron died on December 21, 1997 (22
Kislev
Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew: כִּסְלֵו, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), also 'Chisleu' in the King James (authorized English) Bible, is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Heb ...
5758).
He was buried in the Jewish cemetery on the
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
.
References
Sources
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External links
''Voice of Truth'', Chapter 9Excerpt from ''Around the Maggid's Table'' by Rabbi Paysach Krohn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwadron, Sholom
Haredi rabbis in Israel
20th-century rabbis in Jerusalem
Hazzans
Haredi rabbis in Mandatory Palestine
Kohanim writers of Rabbinic literature
Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives
1912 births
1997 deaths
20th-century Israeli male singers