…שׁמע בּני מוסר אביך – Mishlei 1:8
Orthodox Jewry stands in a time of great confusion. There are more people learning Torah, more Mosdos filled with the song of children learning Torah. The internet is filled with shiurim, seforim, live stream asifos, Daf Yomi shiurim that reach tens of thousands of people a day.
Yet, we find ourselves fighting for our very existence, it feels like, all the time. Our Rabbanim work tirelessly and without thanks, to give chizuk and hadracha, and it seems every day, we see more and more issues with Emunah, Bitachon, Achrayus, the basic foundations for Knesses Yisroel.
Patrick Henry in 1799 said “United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions…” Winston Churchill in 1941 says something similar, “United we stand. Divided we fall. Divided the dark ages return. United we can save and guide the world.“
They’re speaking about Achdus, but to obtain achdus, we have to look back to the מוסר אביך.
This is why I started the Early American Rabbis project. Judaism doesn’t change, but our environs do. The United States isn’t Europe, it isn’t Eretz Yisroel. It’s a creation unlike anything the world has ever seen. So who do we look to?
Orthodoxy in America didn’t start after the Holocaust. There were Torah observant Jews in the United States since its inception. The Rabbanim that answered the call were Gedolei Yisroel. Talmidim of the Netziv, the Meshech Chochma, the Cheishek Shlomo, the Rogatchover… Chasidim of the Admorim of yesteryear we tell stories to our kids and sprinkle our divrei Torah about. All but forgotten in the history of a shul, a lone dusty shelf, or in bits and pieces on the Internet, with a picture of their kevarim.
But that had Torah, beautiful Torah. Baruch Hashem for projects like HebrewBooks.org, InternetArchive.com, and numerous second-hand booksellers that lovingly handle, ship, and pray that those seforim are learned.
It says in Maseches Bechoros:
Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav, “What is meant by the verse ‘May I dwell in Your tent in the worlds’? Is it really possible to live at the same time in both this world and in the World-to-Come? King David prays in this verse that his words of Torah will be repeated in his name after his death. This is because when the teachings of a departed Torah scholar are repeated in his name, his lips move in the grave.”
By remembering these giants, learning their Torah, we can begin to understand how to navigate this world we live in. Their seforim speak to us and can help guide us. They may have departed, but they are not gone. Nor should we forget them.
Where applicable, I will be adding as much information as possible on these Tzaddikim, including links to their seforim. (I am also working on reprinting them for the general public as well, updates coming soon!)
Find one of these Rabbanim, learn about them, if they have a sefer on their page, download it and learn it. There’s no reason to repeat history when the Early American Rabbis have laid out a path to success for those looking.
-Simon Springer
EARLY AMERICAN RABBONIM 