Community Magazine January 2019

TEVET - SHEVAT 5779 JANUARY 2019 59 S P E C I A L C OMM E MO R A T I V E I S S U E Sponsored by the Yedid family in loving memory of Hacham Shaul Kassin, zt"l Hacham Shaul with Rabbi Shmuel Choueka (L) and grandson Rabbi Saul J. Kassin at the Siyum Hashas at Metlife Stadium in 2012. Hacham Shaul with Hacham Yom Tov Yedid, zt”l. in need, who are to be given priority. Where did he learn the great value of collecting charity? His grandfather, for whom he is named, Hacham Shaul Kassin of Halab (Aleppo), once saw a young man crying in the synagogue. This boy, named Yosef Yedid Halevi, was crying because he wanted to study Talmud with the commentaries, but his father could not afford to pay for a teacher. Hacham Shaul told the young man that he would support him so he could learn. Hacham Yosef Yedid Halevi became one of the leading sages of Jerusalem, and he credited Hacham Shaul Kassin – the grandfather – with making it possible for him to learn. This is where our Hacham Shaul learned the importance of charity – from the “shalshelet,” the glorious chain of tradition. I recently read in the diary of Hacham Yaakov Kassin that once, as a young man, he fell ill, and was visited by somebody who told him of a dream he had the night before. In his dream, he saw Rav Shalom Sherabi, the famous “Rashash,” one of the greatest scholars of Kabbalah of all time, praying near a Torah scroll. The Rashash explained that he was praying for Hacham Yaakov Kassin. This is who Hacham Yaakov was – somebody for whom the Rashash offered a special prayer in the heavens. Hacham Yaakov wrote that from that day on, he began recovering from his condition. Hacham Shaul received his holiness from his great father. I was once in a meeting with Hacham Shaul and a woman whom we were trying to convince to stop doing things that were detrimental to the community. I spoke to the woman diplomatically, until Hacham Shaul jumped out of his chair with great passionand yir’at Shamayim (fear of Heaven), andexclaimed, “This is no time for diplomacy! This must end immediately!” The woman felt the Hacham’s yir’at Shamayim , and this story ended. It is not the diplomacy of the youth, but the yir’at Shamayim of the elders, that yields results. There was also something else Hacham Shaul learned from his ancestors. When the hacham’s grandfather lived in Halab, a wealthy man made a party next to his home, and non-Jewish music was played at the party. Hacham Shaul, the grandfather, strongly condemned the playing of non-Jewish music, asking, “How can you sing these songs? This is unacceptable! We have our own sacred songs!” The wealthy man was very angry, and went over to Hacham Shaul and tore off his galabiyyeh . “This does not bother me,” the Hacham said. “If this you made you feel better, then I’m very happy you got rid of your anger.” That man taunted Hacham Shaul relentlessly from that moment on, to the point where Hacham Shaul had to leave Halab, and he moved to Jerusalem. Our Hacham Shaul Kassin learned about the sanctity of pizmonim from his grandfather. I recall once being in Shaare Zion as a young man at a time when many members – including myself – were planning on attending a certain non-Jewish concert. Hacham Shaul banged on the bimah and exclaimed that this is absolutely forbidden. This was the “ shalshelet ” – the great chain to which he was passionately and uncompromisingly committed. His grandfather was chased out of Halab because of this very issue – and he, too, waged the same fight to defend the sanctity of religious music. Hacham Shaul also fought like a warrior to protect our community’s edict. Even in situations where the Rabbinical Council made exceptions, Hacham Shaul would not attend the wedding, out of respect for his father. This is the legacy of our great rabbi, and this is the lesson that we must all learn. Whenever decisions need to be made for the community, we must not ask what the modern-day rabbis want to do, but rather what the rabbis of previous generations would want us to do. The older rabbis are so much wiser. We need to understand that with age comes wisdom, and with age comes experience. Hacham Shaul had experience, having served Torah scholars both in Yerushalayim and here in America. We must follow his example and strive to live as close as we can to the “ shalshelet avot ” – the glorious chain of our tradition.