HaRav Shimon Groner, z’tl – A Commemoration on the Occasion of His First Yahrtzeit

HaRav Shimon Groner, z’tl – A Commemoration on the Occasion of His First Yahrtzeit

By Eliakim Willner

It’s a paradox.

When an odom gadol is in our midst, it is our responsibility to carefully observe his comportment, and to closely study his actions, so that his person may serve as a role model, and his conduct, as a life lesson.

When an odom gadol departs our midst it is particularly important to relive our memories of him immediately, to reinforce those lessons, and to review them on occasion, to keep the memories and the lessons fresh. Otherwise, vivid though our recollections may be, they are bound to fade in time. This is one of the functions served by hespedim at a levaya, and one of the reasons we commemorate the niftar’s life on his Yahrtzeit.

But some rare and special individuals excel to an unusual degree in the middah of hatzneiah leches. Their lives are especially worthy of emulation, but it is especially difficult to learn by observation since their actions are carefully crafted to fly under our radar. Herein lies the paradox. The best role models led lives that were, to some extent, closed books, making it challenging to harvest the maximum benefit from studying their behavior.

HaRav Shimon Groner, Mashgiach Ruchni of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin for many years, whose first Yahrtzeit was observed this past week, was such a person. Indeed, for a Mashgiach at a major Yeshiva to have acquired the middah of hatzneiah leches to such an extent is a paradox within a paradox. After all, “Mashgiach” is a position very much in public view, and certainly within eyeshot of every member of the Yeshiva Chaim Berlin community. Indeed, even those who knew Rav Shimon only superficially realized that they were in the presence of greatness. But what they saw – in fact what almost everyone saw – was only the tip of the iceberg. Rav Shimon’s greatness extended far beyond what most people saw.

Our achrayus in remembering and learning from Rav Shimon’s life is thus all the greater, despite the greater effort required to pierce the veil Rav Shimon, in his anivus, employed, because of the treasures we are bound to uncover. L’fum tzaara igra – the effort will be well repaid by the rewards.

Last week, in one of the Yeshiva Chaim Berlin auditoriums, a group of Rav Shimon’s talmidim and yedidim gathered to undertake that effort.

Rav Reuven Nierenberg shlita opened his remarks with the posuk, “simeinu kachosum al libecha”, and spoke of the indelible impression Rav Shimon left on all who knew him. Rav Shimon exemplified “malchus”. Odom HaRishon’s very presence, Rav Nierenberg said, inspired reverence and respect. No special divine measures were required in order to instill fear of Odom in the animal kingdom. That fear was inherent in his presence; he exuded malchus, kingship. After the spiritual downfall following his sin the situation changed. When Noach left the taivo divine “adjustments” were necessary in order to protect him and his descendants from the animals. The imprimatur of kingship was gone. When we received the Torah, however, the missing “crown” was returned to klal yisroel. Those who wear the crown of Torah, such as Rav Shimon, whose hasmodo and bikiyus were legendary to those closest to him, indeed exude the aura of malchus even today.

Rav Shimon, continued Rav Nierenberg, viewed the chinuch of his children – and to him, all his talmidim were his children – as a supreme achrayus. He strove to teach them in word and by example, and they all strove to emulate him. The Rosh Yeshiva z’tl said that the Talmudic aphorism, “broh karah d’avuha”, a son is the “leg” of his father, means that fathers, and certainly Rebbeim, continue to accrue merit even after they depart this world through the actions of their children, and their students. They continue to “march forward” on the “borrowed” zechus-legs of those who follow in their ways. Rav Shimon is fortunate to merit it through his own children, and through his many talmidim.

Reb Yisroel Rapps, a close talmid of Rav Shimon, spoke of the deep impression Rav Shimon made on him when he first met him as a young bochur, and continued to make on him throughout the years. He related how he was awestruck at Rav Shimon’s Purim tisch, feeling that mechiyas Amalek was transpiring in front of his eyes, and how the sanctity of Shabbos during Rav Shimon’s Kiddush was palpable.

Rav Shimon was particular to give bochrim a sense of their chashivus, of their self-worth. He guided them subtly and with positive reinforcement, but his message, and his high standard, were clear and uncompromising. He urged his talmidim to view each day as a fresh start; if yesterday was less than a stellar success that was no reason to poison the atmosphere for today!

Reb Yisroel expressed his gratitude toward the Rebbetzin for her significant contribution to the welcoming atmosphere in the Groner home, as well as for her continual warm hospitality to all of Rav Shimon’s talmidim.

As a zechus for Rav Shimon – and as a reminder to all of the supreme value Rav Shimon attached to Torah study – Rav Shimon’s family and talmidim undertook to complete Shas to commemorate his Yahrtzeit. Reb Shneur Groner, Rav Shimon’s eldest son, was the mesayem.

Rav Shmuel Dishon shlita spoke of how the neshama gradually distances itself from the physical world during the year of aveilus, and how the commemoration of the first Yahrtzeit is, in a sense, a “farewell”, since the neshama’s connection to the world afterwards is tenuous. He explained that Kaddish is recited after a person’s departure from the world because each neshama is a component of the shem Hashem, of a letter of Hashem’s holy name. When a neshama departs the world there is, so to speak, a “diminution” in Hashem’s name. Kaddish is a prayer for this “defect”, as it were, to be repaired, and the glory of Hashem’s name to be restored. Our contribution to accomplishing this repair is by emulating the departed’s way of life. This causes the neshama to enter the world of eternity instead of becoming a distant memory, and reinstates the Kiddush Hashem that was present during the departed’s lifetime.

Rav Dishon spoke of several among the many noteworthy characteristics of Rav Shimon that are worthy of taking to heart and emulating. He spoke of Rav Shimon’s exemplary simchas haChaim and his extraordinary acceptance of whatever Hashem sent his way with joy. When things are going well it is relatively easy to maintain a happy demeanor. The true test of an eved Hashem is how that demeanor holds up in the face of adversity. Rav Shimon maintained both external and internal simcha during the most difficult and trying times of his illness, and was a source of chizuk to all around him.

He spoke of Rav Shimon’s powerful hisdavkus with his Rebbe, Rav Hutner, and mentioned that this koach hahiskashrus came “through his genes”. Rav Shimon’s grandfather frequently visited his own Rebbe – a three month trip, fraught with danger!

Reb Mordechai Yehuda Groner, younger son of Rav Shimon, encapsulated the qualities of his father that made the most indelible impressions on those who knew him. He spoke of Rav Shimon’s infectious love of life, his perpetual bitachon-based optimism and happiness, his acceptance of what life brought his way with joy and love of Hashem.

He spoke of Rav Shimon’s passionate love of Torah, a love that so overflowed that it bathed and permeated all who basked in his presence.

He spoke of Rav Shimon’s “lev tov”, of his love for every yid, of his appreciation of the potential of every yid.

May every yid who was privileged to know something of  Rav Shimon during his life, be privileged to appreciate at least some of the incredible additional depth that lay beneath Rav Shimon’s surface. May this appreciation be an inspiration to emulate and absorb more and more of Rav Shimon’s many lessons. And may this be a zechus for the neshama of Rav Shimon, and for his wife, children and talmidim, yibadlu l’chaim.