Sfas Emes Yeshiva
Encyclopedia
Sfas Emes Yeshiva is an Orthodox
Jewish
yeshiva
in Jerusalem, Israel
, serving the Gerrer
Hasidic
community. Founded in 1925 in the Mekor Baruch
neighborhood of Jerusalem, two blocks north of the Mahane Yehuda Market
, it was one of the few Hasidic yeshivas in Israel in the early twentieth century.
(Imrei Emes), the third Gerrer Rebbe
, and was named after the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, (Sfas Emes). With the Rebbe's approval, the head staff included Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
, Rabbi Yaakov Henich Sankevitz, and Rabbi Nechemiah Alter (the Rebbe's brother).
The yeshiva opened with 25 students, who were soon joined by other students from Poland. All the Admorim
in Israel sent their sons to it, as well. The yeshiva grew year by year.
In 1926, the Rebbe circulated a letter to his Hasidim on the day of his father's yahrzeit, expressing his support of the yeshiva:
The Rebbe visited the yeshiva for the first time on his third visit to Israel in 1927.
Europe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai established his residence in the Sfas Emes Yeshiva. He prayed with the yeshiva students but did not conduct a public tish
there. Within a short time of his arrival, hundreds of his Hasidim who had come to Israel before the war came to live in the neighborhood surrounding the yeshiva.
Following the United Nations
declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel on November 29, 1947, the Arab Legion
lay siege
to the city of Jerusalem, blocking the mountain road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and began shelling the capital city. The Rebbe, who had been ailing for several years and was unable to walk unaided, was moved for his safety from his residence in the upper stories of the yeshiva to living quarters in the basement. Some of the rooms of the yeshiva were also turned into a shelter for the students.
The Rebbe's condition worsened during the siege, and he was moved back to his upstairs room. A few days after a cease-fire went into effect, on the first day of Shavuot
, 3 June 1948, he died. At first some of his followers thought that they could bring him to burial on the Mount of Olives
with the help of the Red Cross
. Others believed that the Rebbe should be buried on the grounds of the yeshiva and his body transferred to a grave on the Mount of Olives after the war was over. The Rebbe's son and successor, Rabbi Yisrael Alter, gave the go-ahead to bury him in the yeshiva courtyard, where he lies until today.
The Imrei Emes was succeeded as Rebbe by his sons, Rabbi Yisrael Alter
(Beis Yisrael), Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter (Lev Simcha), and Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter
(Pnei Menachem), in that order. In 1996, after less than four years as Rebbe, the Pnei Menachem died suddenly. A decision was made to bury him beside his father, the Imrei Emes, in the yeshiva courtyard. The decision sparked opposition from the munipality, which claimed that the presence of a grave in the heart of the now-developed city would be a potential source of contamination for the residents, but the funeral went ahead. After the Pnei Menachem was laid to rest beside his father, a red-brick ohel
in the shape of a house was built over the two graves. Both graves are visited frequently by students in the yeshiva before and after their learning sessions.
The ohel includes both a section for men (in the same room as the graves) and a section for women behind a rear door. The ohel is equipped with sinks for the use of visitors after they visit the graves. A small garden lies to the side of the ohel, and the wall of the building in the adjoining lot was redesigned to resemble the façade of the original Ger yeshiva in Poland.
The addition of a partially open roof to the ohel after the burial of the Pnei Menachem solves the problem of tumas meis (impurity from the dead) for students who are kohanim
and who therefore cannot be in proximity to a gravesite. However, during the yahrzeits
of the two Rebbes, thousands of people crowd into the ohel, effectively blocking the opening and spreading tumas meis from the graves into the yeshiva building. The administration now posts a sign warning kohanim to stay out of the yeshiva building on the day of a yahrzeit.
(Beis Yisrael), the fourth Rebbe of Ger.
Today the yeshiva's student body numbers hundreds of students from Israel and abroad, under the direction of Rosh Yeshiva
Rabbi Shaul Alter, the second son of Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter, the sixth Gerrer Rebbe.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
in Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, serving the Gerrer
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
community. Founded in 1925 in the Mekor Baruch
Mekor Baruch
Mekor Baruch is a neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel.The neighborhood is bordered by Sarei Israel Street to the north, the Jerusalem Central Bus Station to the west, Jaffa Street to the south and the Zikhron Moshe neighborhood to the east....
neighborhood of Jerusalem, two blocks north of the Mahane Yehuda Market
Mahane Yehuda Market
Mahane Yehuda Market , often referred to as "The Shuk", is an outdoor marketplace in Jerusalem, Israel. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's more than 250 vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat and cheeses; nuts, seeds, and spices; wines and liquors;...
, it was one of the few Hasidic yeshivas in Israel in the early twentieth century.
History
The yeshiva was founded by the Hasidim of Grand Rabbi Avraham Mordechai AlterAvraham Mordechai Alter
Avraham Mordechai Alter , also known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored, was the third Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1905 until his death in 1948. He was one of the founders of the Agudas Israel in Poland and was influential in establishing a network of...
(Imrei Emes), the third Gerrer Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
, and was named after the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, (Sfas Emes). With the Rebbe's approval, the head staff included Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
Menachem Mendel Kasher
Menachem Mendel Kasher was a Polish-born Israeli rabbi and prolific author who authored an encyclopedic work on the Torah entitled Torah Sheleimah.-Early life:...
, Rabbi Yaakov Henich Sankevitz, and Rabbi Nechemiah Alter (the Rebbe's brother).
The yeshiva opened with 25 students, who were soon joined by other students from Poland. All the Admorim
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
in Israel sent their sons to it, as well. The yeshiva grew year by year.
In 1926, the Rebbe circulated a letter to his Hasidim on the day of his father's yahrzeit, expressing his support of the yeshiva:
In the holy city of Jerusalem a junior yeshiva has now been founded, in memory of my saintly father. It fills a need for the young students who live there, since the existing yeshivos cannot cater to all the applicants. Besides, the program of study followed by them is not in harmony with the spirit of learning prevalent in Poland.
The Rebbe visited the yeshiva for the first time on his third visit to Israel in 1927.
Home for the Rebbe
In 1940, after his escape from NaziNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Europe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai established his residence in the Sfas Emes Yeshiva. He prayed with the yeshiva students but did not conduct a public tish
Tish (Hasidic celebration)
A tish , also spelled tisch, is a gathering of Hasidim around their Rebbe. It may consist of speeches on Torah subjects, singing of melodies known as niggunim and zemirot , with refreshments being served. Hasidim see it as a moment of great holiness...
there. Within a short time of his arrival, hundreds of his Hasidim who had come to Israel before the war came to live in the neighborhood surrounding the yeshiva.
Following the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel on November 29, 1947, the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
lay siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
to the city of Jerusalem, blocking the mountain road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and began shelling the capital city. The Rebbe, who had been ailing for several years and was unable to walk unaided, was moved for his safety from his residence in the upper stories of the yeshiva to living quarters in the basement. Some of the rooms of the yeshiva were also turned into a shelter for the students.
The Rebbe's condition worsened during the siege, and he was moved back to his upstairs room. A few days after a cease-fire went into effect, on the first day of Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
, 3 June 1948, he died. At first some of his followers thought that they could bring him to burial on the Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
with the help of the Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
. Others believed that the Rebbe should be buried on the grounds of the yeshiva and his body transferred to a grave on the Mount of Olives after the war was over. The Rebbe's son and successor, Rabbi Yisrael Alter, gave the go-ahead to bury him in the yeshiva courtyard, where he lies until today.
The ohel
Yisrael Alter
Yisrael Alter, , also known as the Beis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977....
(Beis Yisrael), Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter (Lev Simcha), and Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter
Pinchas Menachem Alter
Pinchas Menachem Alter, , also known as the Pnei Menachem after the works he authored, was the sixth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1992 until his death in 1996.-Early years:...
(Pnei Menachem), in that order. In 1996, after less than four years as Rebbe, the Pnei Menachem died suddenly. A decision was made to bury him beside his father, the Imrei Emes, in the yeshiva courtyard. The decision sparked opposition from the munipality, which claimed that the presence of a grave in the heart of the now-developed city would be a potential source of contamination for the residents, but the funeral went ahead. After the Pnei Menachem was laid to rest beside his father, a red-brick ohel
Ohel
Ohel is a structure built over a Jewish grave as a sign of prominence of the person buried within. Ohalim range from small wooden, brick, or plaster structures to large buildings which include one or more graves and area for visitors to sit and meditate....
in the shape of a house was built over the two graves. Both graves are visited frequently by students in the yeshiva before and after their learning sessions.
The ohel includes both a section for men (in the same room as the graves) and a section for women behind a rear door. The ohel is equipped with sinks for the use of visitors after they visit the graves. A small garden lies to the side of the ohel, and the wall of the building in the adjoining lot was redesigned to resemble the façade of the original Ger yeshiva in Poland.
The addition of a partially open roof to the ohel after the burial of the Pnei Menachem solves the problem of tumas meis (impurity from the dead) for students who are kohanim
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
and who therefore cannot be in proximity to a gravesite. However, during the yahrzeits
Bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and rabbinic texts...
of the two Rebbes, thousands of people crowd into the ohel, effectively blocking the opening and spreading tumas meis from the graves into the yeshiva building. The administration now posts a sign warning kohanim to stay out of the yeshiva building on the day of a yahrzeit.
Expansion
After Rabbi Avraham Mordechai's death, the yeshiva was expanded by his Rebbe's son and successor, Grand Rabbi Yisrael AlterYisrael Alter
Yisrael Alter, , also known as the Beis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977....
(Beis Yisrael), the fourth Rebbe of Ger.
Today the yeshiva's student body numbers hundreds of students from Israel and abroad, under the direction of Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
Rabbi Shaul Alter, the second son of Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter, the sixth Gerrer Rebbe.