“The Plank of a Ship”

100 years since the establishment of the Daf Yomi study program

Exactly one hundred years ago, Rabbi Meir Shapira astonished the entire world when his great idea was proposed at the Agudath Israel congress, the idea of learning the Daf Yomi (a page a day of Gemara) everywhere where Jews lived.

The idea, which was received with love and affection all over the world, has accompanied the Jewish People all over the world ever since. There is no known number of the “thousands of thousands of Jews” who have already completed the Shas (six orders of the Mishna) by following this study schedule. Even in the days of evil, when heartbroken Jews suffered under siege and in distress, they had a page of the Gemara as an answer to their souls and would meditate on it secretly day and night, out of true devotion that stemmed from the emotion of love of God and the Torah, sacred feelings that the revered rabbi from Lublin so increased among all the people, in the interwar years.

A hundred years have passed since the program was founded. In the meantime, historical transformations took place in the entire world. A new world has risen on the ruins of the old world, and the technology that reinvents itself every few years changes the face of humanity from one end to the other, and still, the good old Gemara page, pleasant and warm, gathers in its wings countless learners from all denominations and circles and from all age groups. The Gemara page that envelops the mind and heart with love and pleasantness. The Gemara page that raises the spirit and elevates the soul.

“A plank from the boat came to me, and I bent my head towards each wave that came towards me (Yevamot 121a) – This is the Daf Yomi!” – Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin

“Were not your Torah my occupation, then I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalms 119:92)

Before us is a story by a student of Chachmei Lublin yeshiva, Rabbi Yehoshua Boymel, may G-d avenge his blood.

It is a story with a special flavor that intertwines all the motifs that characterized the life of the rabbi from Lublin; His fatherly attitude to the students, to the yeshiva, to the Daf Yomi, to all Jews, and also his admiration for the beauty and wonders of creation.

An unforgettable experience

Cheshvan 7, 5695 (1934) – The first yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of the rabbi from Lublin, Rabbi Meir Shapira z”l

A full year has passed since the great disaster occurred. It was known right away, but only with the distance of time do we feel it more and more, how much it is impossible for us to fill the empty space that was created – because we have nothing to replace him with. But it is natural that his students, who are like sons, feel seven times the magnitude of the loss, because they have lost their great rabbi and teacher. After all, he treated each student with love, with fatherly devotion, not only spiritually, but also physically – he would take care of all their needs and give his opinion on every detail to benefit them. For him, it was considered the greatest pleasure when it occurred to him to bring contentment to a student. It almost never happened that he returned to a student empty, even if fulfilling the request involved multiple difficulties. In such cases he did not spare his trouble.

I will recount, in the following lines, several facts that illustrate his warm attitude towards his students. These facts reflect, by the way, the refreshing and the abundant energy of the rabbi that did not cease until his last day. A youthful power flowed from his personality, and further promised greatness in the future. His premature departure is, therefore, a sevenfold great loss for Torah Judaism, which expected many more great acts from him.

It was on a hot summer’s day, when the news spread to us – in the town of Kroscienko-Świnoujście – that the rabbi from Lublin had come to refresh himself and bathe in the nearby healing springs of Krynica. This became the talk of the day. For the first time, the rabbi was visiting the bathing springs of Western Galicia, and we have the opportunity to welcome him (I never dreamed then that the rabbi would also visit us). As a loving student, I wanted to go to Krynica that very day. The bus was about to leave only a few hours later and I couldn’t control my spirit and hold back: before my eyes floated the luminous image of my teacher and great rabbi. I therefore decided to immediately set out on foot. I was also joined by my elder brother Yosef Mordechai, called “Yasha”, who had since become one of the friends and admirers of the rabbi. We walked between mountain passes to Piwniczna (and from there took a train ride for an hour), we walked at an unusual speed until we were in Krynica within four hours.

We did not find the rabbi z”l in his residence, as at that time he was traveling among the mountains and secluded, which he loved. At his home, we met his wife, the rebbetzin z”l, who told us clearly that his stay in Krynica was not an end in itself, but only a means, so that she would better take care of the health and well-being of his wife; he would live here and gain strength to continue his holy work for the benefit of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. We went out into the street and headed in the direction of the path leading to the mountains; indeed we only met him hours later on his return from the trip. The rabbi greeted us with a most heartfelt “shalom aleichem”. Then he added: “It’s good that you came, so the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva will be found here in minature form.” In his kindness, he invited us to join him for lunch: “A person owes his son’s food” – and every student of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva was beloved to him as a son…

Later, when he learned that we had walked most of the way to Krynica, the rabbi showed great interest and inquired and asked from us various details about the course of the trip. In the middle of the meal, he called out to the rest of the crowd, pointing to us: Look, these young people simply followed the words of the sages that “A man must greet his rabbi with by foot” – they came here by foot…

After we feasted our hearts out, I had the courage and asked him to visit us in Krosciensko. I offered to rent a special car for him. But to my great surprise, the rabbi z”l replied to me: “Yehoshua! Did you forget the saying? ‘A student who is exiled, his rabbi is exiled with him’ – I will follow the same path that you took to come here.“

[…] At 10 o’clock in the morning we got off the train at the platform of the Piwniczna station. From there, we set out on a long trip that lasted more than 20 kilometers. The road lead us between mountains, dense forests, and ravines. The rabbi z”l was fascinated to the depths fo his soul by the beauty of creation. From time to time, enthusiastic cries would erupt from his mouth: “Lift up your eyes and see who created these”, “How plentiful are your works, O L-rd…”

On the way we met different tourists. Their attention was drawn towards the imposing figure of the rabbi z”l. One of them addressed me in Hebrew and asks who the man with the most impressive appearance was. Upon hearing that this was “Rabbi Shapira from Lublin,” the tourist approached the rabbi with pleasure, hurriedly pulled out a Tractate Nedarim (in a small format) from his backpack, and excitedly shook his hands: “I am a doctor of philosophy, for several years I have felt a terrible emptiness in my soul, I tried to fill the empty space with all kinds of means, but In vain – until I heard about the “daf yomi” idea and liked it, I immediately felt that this was the redeeming means to satisfy the hunger of my soul…”

The rabbi replied to that young man with words of encouragement and strengthening, with the addition of best wishes and blessings, that thanks to his learning Torah, he will be able to return in completeness to the root of his “quarry,” to which his soul is so engrossed and drawn to… The current case served as a starting point for a deep conversation with wonderful content that the rabbi told us at the time. In the rest of the pleasant trip, he poured out from his mouth the words of the halachic discussion and Milei De’agadeta (book), wise sayings, and small talk, the amusing flashes that accompanied our hearts, until we were completely swept away in the stream of ideas and did not feel that we were not walking in the right direction. It was only when we were half way down and looked around, that it suddenly dawned on us that we were going the wrong way. For quite a long hour, we did not know which way to go. The rabbi z’l said that he was too tired. “Yasha,” the rabbi turned to my brother and said at that moment, “Get up and come back to me about a serious problem.” I was surprised at the closeness of the episodes: what does fatigue have to do with the question? But until it would calm down, we would not know his intention. And when he faced one of the most serious issues in the Tractate Kritot (page 17) that we studied in the same chapter, the rabbi was lost in thought. A few moments later, he started lecturing after giving him a number of “assumptions”, things full of poignancy and depth, until I was simply surprised and dumbfounded. “Probably I’m not as tired as I initially thought” – said the rabbi at the end of the chatter. It turns out that he wanted to test in this way the extent of his fatigue, what excuse he would be able to come up with now. From the excuse it was certainly evident that we were not tired at all…

We continued walking and looking for the right way. Suddenly we heard the sound of a waterfall rising from among the thickets of the forest. Based on the wishes of the rabbi z”l, we entered among the tall trees and searched for the origin of the spring. The water was incredibly sweet, soothing to the palate, and we sipped it to our heart’s content.

“Did you know why this water is so good and sweet?” – the rabbi said to us – “It is only because no human hand has touched it, this is a kosher gift straight from the hand of G-d…”

After further explorations, we found the road leading to the district we wanted. After hours of wandering, we arrived at the boundaries of the village of Jarborki near Świnoujście. The rabbi asked to be taken to a Jewish home, to freshen up, but when we arrived he firmly forbade us to enter the residence. To the astonishment of the rural Jew, who invited him to come under his roof, the rabbi said: “From the day I founded the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva, I almost never crossed the threshold of someone’s house in vain.” While talking, he told the man an incident that happened to Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl, who once forced a stingy rich man – from whom he did not allow any poor person to come near him – to donate a huge sum of 500 gold coins to charity, otherwise he would step on the threshold of his house. At the time of his death, the Holy Magid (stroyteller) of Chernobyl confessed and said: “I don’t have to go back for anything, except for that flaw, because I sold my consent to enter the rich man’s residence for such a cheap price…”. And you, my dear, is it not your wish – said the rabbi z”l quietly – that I take upon myself such an unbearably heavy iniquity?”…

From the village of Jaborki, we went by carriage (“drozshka”) to Świnoujście. The unexpected appearance of the rabbi z”l turned into a sensation there […] According to the plan, the rabbi was going to return to Krynica that same day. In the meantime, we went for a short walk near the mine. Several rabbis of his acquaintances, when they noticed him, approached the rabbi and were surprised: “Rabbi from Lublin, why so suddenly? Without any advertisement?”. But he replied: “When it comes to the needs of the yeshiva, publicity is needed, for my friend there is no difference…”

We travelled to Kroscienko. In the middle of the way, we stopped near the “Feininot” (according to the chassidim: “precious corner”) these are towering mountains, giants of stature, between which the Donets River flows in its course. The wide channel and its sharp waters paved a way for themselves, at the foot of the thick touching mountains, leaving a very narrow bank. Above it, human technology created narrow but quite comfortable paths for tired and weak people, who come here to refresh their physical strength and inhale the perfumed air into their lungs. This precious corner is one of the most beautiful natural treasures that Poland is blessed with. As the rabbi z”l arrived at the “Feininot” he opened up with great admiration to the song (and prayer) “There is none like our G-d” (Ein Kelokeinu) in the tune that was played every day in the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. My father (Kroscienko’s rabbi) and other rabbis who witnessed the spectacle, were overjoyed and had tears in theri eyes as a result of the excitement that engulfed their souls upon hearing the rabbi’s heartfelt and percussive music, as he poured out his whole soul in holy fervor with supreme enthusiasm.

For close to half an hour, the rabbi z”l lingered at the “Feininot”. Nearby was the Czech border. His companions were told to retrace their steps when they noticed the boundary line.

“It’s a rule I always follow, that I go as close as I can to the border” he told them.

The rabbi z”l continued walking until he encountered the border guard. “Is it permitted to pass?” asked the guards. “Do you have a passport with you?” asked the guards. “No, not with us.” “Well” – repeated the border guard and warned – “it is forbidden to cross.” Now the rabbi turned to his companions and said: “Now we must return”…

Upon the rabbi’s arrival, several chassidic rebbes, rabbis, and many distinguished people, who gathered from all corners of the town to welcome him, gathered at our home. A large feast was held in his honour. He went on and on in his conversations with the guests, about Torah, halacha (Jewish law), and agada (legends) until he had to agree to our request that he stay the night in Kroscienko. The rabbi went out for a short walk across the town. On this occasion he visited one of the dignitaries whose son was studying at the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva.

The town today

Now the rabbi z”l decided to organize his return to Krynica the following morning in a similar way to our coming there: traveling by carriage to the village of Jaborki, continuing on foot to Piwniczna, and from there – by train to Krynica.

The next day, upon awakening, the rabbi z”l ordered me to hire a carriage and a Jewish coachman who could drive us to the village of Jaborki. In the town, there was a Jewish coachman, a very original type, who is one of a kind. The rabbi entered into a conversation with him and greatly enjoyed the small talk of this innocent and simple Jew. When the carriage passed inside the town, a Jew ran after us and asked to stop. I look at him, he was one of the clear opponents of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. The rabbi ordered the horses to be halted, the Jew approached the carriage and hands the rabbi, with his heart and compassion, a new book that he edited and brought to print. At the same time he mentioned himself, by name and his mother’s name, for the blessing… Finally he apologized with great humility, the he did not come last night for the farewell blessing…

Later on in the journey we came to a lot of land strewn with sharp stones. To make it easier for the horses, we had to get off the carriage. The Jewish coachman said that the esteemed rabbi was allowed to remain seated because of his fatigue. However, the rabbi z”l refused to enjoy the “privilege” and got off the carriage. “It is possible,” he said, “that in the future, if I come to justice, I will come out righteous; A higher court may rule that a weak and tired rabbi is not obligated to get off the carriage in order to relieve the horses.” “But”, here he smiled broadly, “who would want to administer Torah law with horses.”

My father and many other people accompanied him to the entrances of the village of Jaborki. They wanted to continue to escort him, but the rabbi z”l told them not to bothered too much and said: I don’t need it, there are people standing guard from my own army, here are “tzurba mirabanan” (fire of the Torah students) (and here he pointed to the author of the lines)…

The people bid farewell to him very cordially and returned home. The rabbi z”l set out on foot for the long road. I remained, therefore, his only companion – excluding the local farmer who was our “guide”. In our walk together, the rabbi z”l spoke with me about various problems related to the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. In particular, he expanded the talk about the order of studies that he wished to lead in the yeshiva. He also told me about his intention to hold a big public celebration soon, in honour of the distribution of the certificates with the title “tzurba mirabanan”. He derived satisfaction and pleasure from the successful idea of the “tzurba mirabanan” learning method, and hoped that it would have positive influences and deep meaning in Torah life, that it would increase the love of the Torah and increase the zealousness of the students. After that, his conversation went to another topic. The rabbi z”l moved on to the question of the financial budget and spoke with great bitterness. Suddenly his face lit up and he said: “My heart will prophesize, that this coming winter we will pay off all our obligations and devote ourselves completely to the study of the Torah, but not just any study, because if we really study – there will be good days for the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva”…

Rabbi Boymel was born to Yoel Moshe and Slova nee Auerbach, on Shushan Purim in the year 5673 (1913) in Buchach. He was a child prodigy, fond of gaiety and joy, with a developed sense of imagination that marveled at every new discovery. With his father’s appointment as rabbi of the town of Kroscienko in 5688 (1928), his family moved from Lvov. Until the age of 15, he studied Torah from his father, and relished the Gemara with the melody of devotion and longing. By nature, he was a great perseverant, yet he found leisure in listening to other people’s troubles. He felt close to the rebbes and rabbis who came to rest in Świnoujście. He joined Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Meizlish’s yeshiva for young people o in Neimark (Novi-Targ) in Western Galicia, and became close to the Rebbe of Bobov, Rabbi Bentzion Halberstam, may G-d avenge his blood. With the opening of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva in 5689 (199), he was tested orally on 200 pages and was accepted as one of the yeshiva’s first students. Rabbi Boymel merged Torah and chasidism with diligence and sharpness, with proficiency and a multitude of Torah thoughts. Under the influence of his great rabbi, Rabbi Shapira, who was a Czortkow chassid, he contacted the rebbes Rabbi Israel and his son Rabbi Nachum of Czortkow. His rabbi liked him very much, and directed him to be an expert in the knowledge of the Shas (6 orders of the Mishna), the ability to discuss with and teach students, to make rulings and give instructions in halacha (Jewish law). So he learned from his rabbi the wisdom of speech that conquers hearts with words that come from the heart and enter the heart. After the sudden death of his rabbi, he devoted himself with some of his friends to saving the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva from financial collapse, and traveled from city to city to deliver speeches with supreme grace for the honor of the Torah and its students. He was also one of the founders of the “Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva Graduates’ Union” and worked with dedication to stabilize the yeshiva’s financial situation and save it from its hardships. During this period, he published articles about Rabbi Shapira z”l in newspapers, and crowds of Jews were greatly moved when they read his words. On the eve of World War II, he married Chana, the daughter of the Opoczno Rebbe, and was elected rabbi of the community. In this position he worked with dedication to regulate kashrut in the city and in education. Educating the youth was his life’s calling. The synagogues were filled on Shabbat when the public came to hear his sermons delivered in rich language. His ideas were brilliant and full of sources from one genre to another. He would welcome visitors to his home with beautiful welcome and joy, and his home was open to everyone.

During the Holocaust, Rabbi Yehoshua Boymel devoted himself to comforting the oppressed and easing the burden of terrible suffering, helping with all his ability those dying of hunger and being sent to camps, and teaching about the sancitification of G-d’s name. He increased his zeal for the Torah and the work of G-d and planned to move the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva to the town of Krosciensko, thinking that there they could continue to study in peace until the horrors passed. On the 18th of Chesvan 5702 (Nov. 8, 1941) he was killed with the members of his congregation. May G-d avenge their blood

(Source: Toratecha Lo Shachachti, Or HaMeir)