Monday, December 26, 2022

a yeshiva built on arvus

I think R' Drukman's own words are the most fitting memorial for him.  


Why of all his children did Yaakov select Yehuda to send ahead to establish a yeshiva in Goshen?  R' Drukman quoted the Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk as explaining that it was Yehuda who in last week's parsha stepped up to guarantee the return of Binyamin (see this post).  The gemara (B"B 173) derives the principle of arvus from Yehudah's words אָֽנֹכִי֙ אֶֽעֶרְבֶ֔נּוּ (43:9):

אמר רב הונא, מניין לערב [קבלן] שמשתעבד, דכתיב אנכי אערבנו מידי תבקשנו

The bedrock upon which Yaakov wanted a yeshiva built is this concept of arvus, of accepting responsibility for others.  It's not enough to lock oneself away and learn Torah; one must also reach out to others, to engage them in learning, to connect them to Torah.   We have a responsibility for and to the klal.  I think that sums up R' Drukman's life mission perfectly.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you. Resharing. I found this https://www.sefaria.org/Tiferet_Shlomo%2C_on_Torah%2C_Miketz.16

    ReplyDelete