Yechezkel Sarna
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Yechezkel Sarna (1890–1969) was a disciple of Nosson Tzvi Finkel, (known as the "''Alter'' (elder) of Slabodka"), spiritual mentor of the Slabodka yeshiva. He was sent by Finkel to move the yeshiva from Europe to
Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...
in 1925, and following 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 i ...
, to Jerusalem. In 1934, he assumed the position of '' rosh yeshiva''. Over the years, he produced thousands of students, many of whom became prominent ''roshei yeshiva'' and rabbis in
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and abroad.


Early years

Sarna was born in Horodok,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, on 28
Shevat Shevat (Hebrew: שְׁבָט, Standard ''Šəvaṭ'', Tiberian ''Šeḇāṭ''; from Akkadian ''Šabātu'') is the fifth month of the civil year starting in Tishre (or Tishri) and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew cale ...
in 1890. His father, Yaakov Chaim, was the city's '' shochet'' and ''
melamed Melamed, ''Melammed'' ( he, מלמד, Teacher) in Biblical times denoted a religious teacher or instructor in general (e.g., in Psalm 119:99 and Proverbs 5:13), but which in the Talmudic period was applied especially to a teacher of children, and ...
'', and later its ''
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 '' ...
''. Sarna's mother, Aidel, was the daughter of Shlomo Zalman Buxenbaum, a ''
hassid Ḥasīd ( he, חסיד, "pious", "saintly", "godly man"; plural "Hasidim") is a Jewish honorific, frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. It denotes a person who is scrupulous in his observ ...
'' of the Chiddushei Harim, and author of ''Rechovos Ir'', a commentary on
Midrash Rabba Midrash Rabba or Midrash Rabbah can refer to part of or the collective whole of specific aggadic midrashim on the books of the Torah and the Five Megillot, generally having the term "Rabbah" (), meaning "great," as part of their name. These midra ...
. Sarna received his primary education from his father, as well as at the ''
cheder A ''cheder'' ( he, חדר, lit. "room"; Yiddish pronunciation ''kheyder'') is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language. History ''Cheders'' were widely found in Europe before the end of the 18th ...
'' in Horodok. When he was 11, he was sent to the Ohr Hachaim yeshiva in Slabodka, headed by Tzvi Levitan, a student of the
Simcha Zissel Ziv Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida ( he, שמחה זיסל זיו; 1824–1898), also known as Simhah Zissel Ziv or the ''Alter of Kelm'' (the Elder of Kelm), was one of the foremost students of Yisrael Salanter and one of the early leaders of the Musar m ...
, "the Alter of Kelm". During the year that he studied there, he was exposed to the '' musar'' teachings of the ''
mashgiach A mashgiach ( he, משגיח, "supervisor"; , ''mashgichim'') or mashgicha (pl. ''mashgichot'') is a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment. Mashgichim may supervise any type of food service establishment, including sl ...
'', Eliyahu Laicrovits. In 1902, he journeyed to Maltsch to study under Zalman Sender Kahana-Shapiro, who also presided as the Chief Rabbi of the city. Due to an internal conflict in the yeshiva, Kahana-Shapiro left Maltsch, and transferred to Kriniki, barely a year after Sarna had arrived. Without a mentor, Sarna left Maltsch. A year later, he returned to Slabodka to study under
Chaim Rabinowitz Chaim Shalom Tuvia Rabinowitz, also known as Reb Chaim Telzer, (1856 – 21 October 1931) was an Orthodox Lithuanian rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Telshe yeshiva. He developed a unique method of Talmudic analysis which became renowned throu ...
in ''Knesses Beis Yitzchok''. In 1904, Rabinowitz invited Sarna to join a group of select students he took along with him while being transferred to the
Telz Yeshiva Telshe Yeshiva (also spelled ''Telz'') is a yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio, formerly located in Telšiai, Lithuania. During World War II the yeshiva began relocating to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is now known as the Rabbinical College ...
. When the yeshiva temporarily closed in 1906, Sarna returned to Maltsch, studying under
Shimon Shkop Shimon Yehuda Shkop ( he, שמעון שקופ; 1860 – October 22, 1939) was a rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Yeshiva of Telshe and then of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah of Grodno, and a Talmid Chacham (Talmudic scholar). Early life Shkop was born in T ...
. One year later, he returned to ''Knesses Yisroel'' Yeshiva in Slabodka, where he became one of the yeshiva's best students. He drew attention of Ziv, who played a major role in his spiritual growth. Describing their special relationship, Sarna wrote, "Without the Alter, I would have been like a blind and a deaf person. He opened my eyes and my ears, and I acquired my entire approach to Torah study from him."


World War I

With the outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the entire Slabodka yeshiva fled to
Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
. Like all of the yeshiva's students, Sarna secured forged affidavits in order to avoid the
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
. However, he was caught and imprisoned. He managed to escape from prison and flee to the home of a relative, Yehoshua Zimbalist. Soon after, he escaped to Smilowitz where the
Chofetz Chaim The '' Sefer'' ''Chafetz Chaim'' (or ''Chofetz Chaim'' or ''Hafetz Hayim'') ( he, חָפֵץ חַיִּים, trans. "Desirer of Life") is a book by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, who is also called "the Chofetz Chaim" after it. The book deals wit ...
and his students had taken refuge. Shortly after the Slabodka yeshiva had arrived in Minsk, which was near the battlefront, it was forced to flee to a safer city,
Kremenchuk Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro River. The city serves as the administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (district) in Poltava Oblast (pr ...
. However, Sarna chose not to join the yeshiva, but remained in Smilowitz, studying for a year and a half in an inn with the students of the
Raduń Yeshiva The Radin Yeshiva, originally located in Radun, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now in Belarus), was established by Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (known as the ''Chofetz Chaim'' after the title of his well-known '' sefer'') in 1869. Because of its fo ...
. During this period, he developed close relationships with the Chofetz Chaim and Raduń's ''rosh yeshiva'',
Naftoli Trop Naftoli Trop (1871 – September 24, 1928) was a renowned Talmudist and Talmid Chacham. He served as ''rosh yeshiva'' of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Radun, Poland. Early years Naftoli Trop was born in Grodno, where he studied with his father, Rab ...
, and later referenced this brief period as one of the most beautiful in his life. After the
revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
, Sarna returned to the Knesses Yisroel yeshiva in Kremenchuk. Two years later, he married Pesha Miriam Epstein, the daughter of
Moshe Mordechai Epstein Moshe Mordechai Epstein (1866–1933) was rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Knesseth Yisrael in Slabodka, Lithuania and is recognized as having been one of the leading Talmudists of the twentieth century. He is also one of the founders of the city of Had ...
, one of the yeshiva heads. Shortly after World War I, the yeshiva managed to leave Russia and to return to Slabodka, which, after the war, was re-annexed to Lithuania. At one point, Ziv asked Sarna to deliver '' shiurim'' (lectures) in the yeshiva, but he declined the offer, explaining that he preferred to devote the early years of his life to Torah study. Although Sarna held no official position in the yeshiva, his influence there was keenly felt.


Palestine

In 1924, following the edict requiring enlistment in the military or supplementary secular studies in the yeshiva, the decision was made to transfer the yeshiva to Eretz Yisroel. Sarna was sent to Eretz Yisroel to choose a site for the yeshiva and to coordinate its establishment there. After evaluating various options he chose the city of
Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...
. Consequently, ''Knesses Yisroel'' became the first Lithuanian yeshiva to transfer to Eretz Yisroel. At that period, Sarna assumed a significant role in the yeshiva's leadership, delivering ''shiurim'' (lectures) and coordinating study schedules. In the beginning of 1927, the ''Alter'' fell seriously ill, and Sarna began to deliver '' musar'' discourses in the yeshiva. In the course of 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 i ...
, 24 of the yeshiva's students had been killed and many were injured. Sarna succeeded in reestablishing the yeshiva in Jerusalem. He renamed it "Hebron", in memory of those who were massacred in that city. While Leib Chasman, the yeshiva's ''mashgiach'', dedicated himself to encouraging the students, Sarna took the task of fund raising for the yeshiva, traveling extensively, even making several trips to the United States. In a letter to Isaac Sher of Slabodka, he wrote, "The first weeks were very difficult, since the students were both destitute and despondent. But by the 15th 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 ...
, they returned to themselves, and by
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 (, , " ...
, the yeshiva began to function in full force." When his father-in-law, Moshe Mordechai, died in 1933, four years after the Hebron Massacre, Rav Yechezkel was officially appointed ''rosh yeshiva'' of Hebron.


Community involvement and leadership

With the start of World War II and the Holocaust, Sarna expanded the scope of his activities: he was among the founders of the ''Vaad Yeshivos'', and was also active in the ''
Vaad Hatzalah Vaad Hatzalah (the Rescue Committee or Committee for Rescuing) was an organization to rescue Jews in Europe from the Holocaust, which was founded in November 1939 by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada (''Agudath Harabb ...
''. After the founding of the State of Israel, Sarna served as one of the leaders 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 cul ...
Torah School Network. Although he shunned direct political involvement, Rabbi Sarna had a strong affinity for
Agudas Yisroel Agudas Israel may refer to: * Agudas Israel (Latvia), a political party in Latvia during the 1920s and 1930s * World Agudath Israel, the political arm of Ashkenazi Haredi Judaism *Agudat Yisrael, a political party representing the ultra-Orthodox pop ...
, and he was an active member of its Council of Torah Sages. Despite the involvement in community and Jewish projects, the Hebron yeshiva and its students remained his lifework. He delivered shiurim in ''
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 comman ...
'' and ''musar'' every week at the yeshiva and in his own home. For seven years, he also delivered discourses on the laws and meaning of Shabbat. In 1936, with the passing of the yeshiva's ''mashgiach'', Yehuda Leib Chasman, Sarna assumed that role himself. As ''rosh yeshiva'' and ''mashgiach'', he acted warmly toward his students. This attitude is apparent in one of his letters, in which he wrote, "Yesterday, I entered the yeshiva close to midnight, and found thirty students studying with exceptional fervor. At that time, I thought, 'Fortunate is the generation which has merited such young people. May
Hashem HaShem ( Hebrew: ''hšm'', literally "''the name''"; often abbreviated to 'h′'' is a title used in Judaism to refer to God. It is also a given name and surname. Religious usage * In Judaism, '' HaShem'' (lit. 'the Name') is used to refer ...
protect them and bless them.'" Over time, his brothers-in-law, Rabbis Aaron Cohen and Moshe Chevroni, were appointed ''roshei yeshiva'' of Hebron, while Meir Chadash was appointed ''mashgiach''. Later, Rabbis Hillel Paley, Simcha Zissel Broide and Avrohom Farbstein were also invited to become ''roshei yeshiva'' there.


Final days

In his last months, Sarna kept '' davening'' at the yeshiva and delivering ''shiurim''. In 1969, he was taken to
Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital Hadassah Medical Center ( he, הָמֶרְכָּז הָרְפוּאִי הֲדַסָּה) is an Israeli medical organization established in 1934 that operates two university hospitals in Jerusalem – one in Ein Karem and one in Mount Scopus –, ...
for intensive treatment. Two days before his death, he was reported to have said, "It is
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 ...
and the students are surely studying with added ''hasmada''. My illness won't disturb their Elul mood." He died on 6 Elul and was buried beside his father-in-law, Moshe Mordechai Epstein, 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 ...
.


Family

Sarna and his wife Pesha Miriam had one son, Chaim.Hebrew Wikipedia article: . The Hebrew Wiki article about the father mentions that the son wrote about his father after the latter's death. A second Hebrew wiki article is about the son. Their daughter Chana (married name Farbstein) was born 1923.


Works

* ''Rearrangement of the
Kuzari The ''Kuzari'', full title ''Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion'' ( ar, كتاب الحجة والدليل في نصرة الدين الذليل: ''Kitâb al-ḥujja wa'l-dalîl fi naṣr al-dîn al-dhalîl''), also k ...
'' by Rav. Sarna, Transl. Rabbi Avraham Davis; Metsudah 1986 * ''Iyunim'' on ''Mesilat Yesharim'' available at http://hebrewbooks.org/41769 * ''Daliot Yechezkel''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarna, Yechezkel 1890 births 1969 deaths Israeli Rosh yeshivas Haredi rabbis in Europe Haredi rabbis in Israel Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives he:חיים סרנא