Hachnosas Sefer Torah L’Iylui Nishmas Rav Shimon Goldstein, z”tl

Hachnosas Sefer Torah L’Iylui Nishmas Rav Shimon Goldstein, z”tl

By Eli Willner

A hachnosas sefer Torah evokes a mixture of emotions in a Torah Jew. Joy. Excitement. Eager anticipation. As I held the sefer Torah written l’iylui nishmas our yedid and chaver Rav Shimon Goldstein, I reflected on the parallel between the events of that momentous day, and the daily events of Rav Shimon’s life. For us, a hachnosas sefer Torah is a rare occurrence. For Rav Shimon, it was his life’s work. Isn’t that what a successful Rebbe does, after all? He inculcates – is machnis – Torah, into the neshamos of his talmidim, and in a manner engendering joy, excitement and eager anticipation.

Rav Shimon was a Rebbe’s Rebbe. His talmidim loved and revered him and the love and reverence persisted for years; they did not dissipate as the talmidim developed into accomplished Torah scholars themselves. Of course, because their feelings were reflections of the abiding love and concern that Rav Shimon felt for them, and that love did not dissipate either.

In fact, as his talmidim matured in their own learning they realized that Rav Shimon’s stature was easily equal to the task of teaching much higher shiurim than the 8^th grade shiur he taught for several decades, but Rav Shimon derived deep satisfaction from being mechanech bochrim in that critical transitional year from elementary to high school, where a sure and deft hand was needed at the classroom helm.

Rav Shimon was a living example to his talmidim of what a person could achieve if he strove for excellence and would settle for nothing less. He demonstrated that natural gifts – which he had aplenty – were just a starting point. The important thing was what a person did with them.

Rav Shimon exemplified this first and foremost in his learning. His talmidim saw a glimmer of his hasmodo (though they probably did not realize the extent to which Rav Shimon burned the midnight oil with his learning). Those who kept up a shaychus with him were in awe of how he remembered a chiddush originally discussed years before, and hearing it from him again, were in awe, again, at the depth of insight that they probably did not appreciate when they were younger.

For those unable to grasp the lesson in those terms, Rav Shimon exemplified it in more mundane ways. His students have vivid memories of Rav Shimon taking on groups of them in simultaneous blindfold chess matches – and consistently winning. His older talmidim may remember him at the ping pong table at Camp Morris – taking on and defeating all comers, and doing so one-handed, while cradling a child with the other hand, to avoid boredom!

Rav Shimon’s wit and sense of humor were equally matter of fact – and equally legendary. One had to listen carefully because the puns were so quick and natural, and inserted into the conversation so casually, that they were often missed. His listeners would replay their conversations with Rav Shimon in their minds to savor the wit that whizzed by them the first time around.

Natural talent? Yes, in abundance, but this was all done with the greatest of diffidence, because it was clear that Rav Shimon believed, and wanted his students and peers to understand – that natural gifts were no big deal; they were, after all, just that – gifts of G-d and therefore nothing to glory in, because G-d gives each of us our own gifts. The task, in learning and in all areas, was to develop and hone those gifts until they shone to their fullest extent. This was Rav Shimon’s living lesson.

For several years Rav Shimon chaired the Yeshiva’s committee to support a number of Yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel. Those privileged to work with him saw yet another side of Rav Shimon – the organizer, creative thinker, project manager and diplomat. They saw the deftness with which Rav Shimon negotiated difficult issues of policy and personality, constantly following daas Torah, maintaining a diyun l’kav zechus for all sides of every debate, and avoiding any hint of loshon horah. He quickly won the respect of even the most jaded and cynical of the personalities he came across in this capacity.

It was plain that Rav Shimon could have and would have made his mark in whatever field he chose to pursue – yet he felt that the avodas hakodesh of chinuch was the pinnacle of areas in which he could apply his talents.

The mark of a truly great person is the ability to relate to people on all levels while not compromising his own stature. Rav Shimon was such a person. We loved Rav Shimon and will sorely miss him, but his life lesson remains indelibly engraved on all who came in contact with him.

What better way to commemorate the life of Rav Shimon – and to celebrate it – than by re-instantiating the Torah, just as he did many hundreds of times, in his many talmidim, and what better way to bring the commemoration to a climax than to escort this new Torah “instance” into the very bais medrash that was so central to Rav Shimon’s Torah dissemination. May his memory live on, and his legacy be perpetuated and blessed.