Message from Rav Aaron Leib Shteinman shlita on Draft

This speech was delivered on Motzei Shabos vayikra 5773/2013 at a gathering to yeshiva leit in Bnei brak.

It is a yom tzarah, a difficult day, for us. Each and every one of us knows what a tzarah gedolah, a great difficulty, it is. For many years now, Boruch HaShem, thank G-D, we have had the opportunity, and we were able to learn and to teach Torah to our children. There was growth, Boruch HaShem, thank G-D, and the Yeshivos, the schools are growing with bochurim, students learning Torah. Suddenly it has come upon us such a tzarah, a difficulty like this one, where they want, chas veshalom, Heaven forbid, to destroy Klal Yisroel, the Jewish people from Torah. Chas VeShalom! Heaven Forbid! HaShem Yerachem! Heaven have Mercy! A very great tzarah. We are asking for mercy from HaKadosh Boruch Hu, from G-D, that he grant us the gift of being able to continue to teach our children Torah for our whole entire lives, so that the Torah should not be amiss from our mouths or from the mouths of our children, forever. There is one point however, besides that we must increase our strength in Torah, for, the more we will increase our strength in Torah, then HaKadosh Boruch Hu will cast light upon us, and the merit of the Torah will stand for us, there is one other point, and that is, that whenever there are people who are pained by the potential of the tremendous Chillul HaShem, desecration of G-D's name, that can come out this, Chalilah veChas, Heaven forbid, if there were to be a decrease in Torah study among Klal Yisroel, the Jewish people, such a tremendous Chillul HaShem, if it pains him, so that the whole heart is pained, chas veshalom, that it should not come to be chalilah, G-D forbid, such a painful thing. HaKadosh Boruch Hu should help that we shall merit only good, and it should never come to be that Torah study be diminished, until the coming of Moshiach Tzidkenu, our true and righteous redeemer speedily in our days.