Rav Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt, a’h

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

“Rosh Yeshiva, there is a Jewish fellow who wants to become a reform rabbi. Someone suggested that he attend a yeshiva first. Could he start coming to shiurim here?”

“Of course! What is the question?”

“Rosh Yeshiva, there is a Jewish fellow who is kind of involved with the mafia. He wants to start attending our Gemara shiurim. Is it OK if he comes and learns in the yeshiva?”

“Every neshamah that was at Har Sinai deserves to know of his birthright. Of course, he should come!”

Both of the above conversations took place within the confines of Yeshiva Kesser Torah of Queens close to three decades ago. I know, because I was the one who posed both of the questions.

Rav Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt, zt’l, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Kesser Torah of Queens, was a talmid of both Rav Aharon Kotler, zt’l, and Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt’l. He began learning at BMG in 1951, at the age of 18. At the age of 27, he went to learn under Rav Henoch and remained a talmid of both of them.

Rav Rosenblatt and, yblc’t, his eishes chayil, Rebbitzen Trani, were early pioneers of a unique brand of kiruv. They combined tremendous ahavas Yisrael with warmth, love, delicious meals, hartzige singing, and an in-depth Talmud study for ba’alei teshuvah and those who needed more personal instruction. The thousands of talmidim attest to their success.

As Rav Hershel Welcher, shlita, pointed out in his hesped at the levayah, Rav Rosenblatt, zt’l, and his rebbetzin embodied what Rav Chaim Volozhin’s son writes about his father in the preface to the Nefesh HaChaim:

“For this is all of man. He was not created for himself. Rather to do for others in all that he is capable of doing.”

And the two of them certainly did for others.

Rav Rosenblatt’s talmidim and their children and grandchildren number in the thousands. They have entered and contributed to many Jewish communities. They fill the rosters of yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs across the country and in Eretz Yisrael.

There have been Yeshiva Kesser Torah talmidim who have entered the portals of that remarkable yeshiva and have emerged as roshei yeshiva themselves. Some went on to other great yeshivos as well. A number received semichah from Rav Dovid Feinstein, shlita. Others have gone on to help lead mosdos of Torah in their own right.

What was it about this remarkable man that broke such barriers? What was it about this couple that gave them such clarity of purpose: That we are here to bring people tachas kanfei HaShechinah?

At the levayah, the rosh yeshiva’s brother, Rav Zev Rosenblatt, shlita, mentioned their upbringing in Brownsville, New York, where everyone around them was a survivor of the Holocaust. It was a time when no one had grandparents, and the parents who had come over to America were struggling to survive. Even as a young man, Reb Elyakim Getzel’s overriding concern was the spiritual growth of his peers. Ever the masmid, ever the ba’al mashpiah, he directed his peers and his younger brother to draw from the life-giving waters of the gedolei Torah who taught shiurim. Whether it was in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, Telshe, or Lakewood, he would encourage others to attend and make the most of it. They did, and today many of them stand as leading rabbinic personalities.

The influence of Rav Aharon Kotler, zt’l, on his thinking and learning was profound. He carried Rav Aharon’s shmuessen with him until the day he passed away. But perhaps more importantly, he was able to break down Rav Aharon’s incredible mussar insights into manageable and contemporary lessons for his talmidim. He did this for Rav Henoch’s shmuessen as well. Although one would never detect it from the way he carried himself, he was a master of the Slabodka-esque mussar shmuess. He would spend hours over Rav Leib Chasman’s Ohr Yahel, unfolding the subtle differences between the approach of Rav Chasman and that of Rav Aharon in a particular mussar inyan. His love of the Slabodka mehalech of shmuessen permeated his being.

At one point, Rav Rosenblatt decided that he must also learn by Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt’l, of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim. He learned there, too, and continued to drink of the well of his beloved Mussar.

Rav Rosenblatt also loved the in-depth unfolding of the steps of the Gemara that Rav Dovid Leibowitz, zt’l, and his son, Rav Henoch, were noted for teaching. What was the movement in the Gemara’s thinking at each point? What was the shift between the hava amina and the maskana? Are there words in the Rishonim that can prove one way or the other? He loved this method of study and taught it to his talmidim.

Rav Elyakim Getzel became a lifelong talmid of Rav Henoch. Eventually, Rav Rosenblatt taught the mechinah shiur in the high school. Rav Dovid Harris, shlita, one of the two concurrent roshei yeshiva of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, said at the levaya that Rav Rosenblatt was his ninth-grade rebbe and made a strong impression upon him.

Eventually, Rav Rosenblatt went on to become a rav in the Corona section of Queens. There, he and his rebbetzin continued in their kiruv efforts, forming lifelong relationships. They hosted Shabbos meals replete with incredible food, incredible zemiros, and incredible shiurei Torah.

He looked at his talmidim as family, and they looked at him as a father. He catered the shiurim in the yeshiva toward anyone and everyone who had time to learn. The yeshiva was unique in that there were several hours of shiurim every day where people could pop in and learn Torah in depth. He would meet people in the streets of Kew Gardens Hills or Kew Gardens and remark, “We have a businessman’s special! Come to the yeshiva and learn at the early shiur and then go to work having your daily Gemara shiur!”

They did. The experience made them into bnei Torah. These businessmen talmidim eventually established Torahdik homes themselves and helped create a new generation of bnei Torah.

One talmid remarked, “I lived in KGH from about 2007 through 2012. In 2007, I was just back from yeshiva in Israel and starting law school at St. John’s University. I often found myself in Kesser Torah learning between my law school classes. I got married in 2010 and moved away in the summer of 2012.

“At this point, Rav Rosenblatt was older and had already survived his life-threatening medical incident. On a few occasions, Rabbi Rosenblatt invited me for Shabbos, yom tov, or a Chanukah seudah, and it was at his Shabbos table that I got to observe his ahavas Yisrael. He had the full range of Jews, from non-observant, partially observant, yeshiva bachurim, young marrieds, older singles. He had such a soft and gentle way about him.”

The impact of Rav Rosenblatt, zt’l, and, ybcl’t, his rebbetzin in terms of facts on the ground number in the several-thousands. In Maale Adumim, for example, just one of his talmidim has influenced thousands himself. What better revenge against the tragic desolation that the Nazis, y’s, inflicted upon Klal Yisrael?

Rav Rosenblatt was also a remarkable ba’al menagein. While Rav Rosenblatt was in BMG in Lakewood, Rav Aharon Kotler would enjoy his young talmid’s hartzige singing. The young Reb Elyakim Getzel would also compose his own niggunim. Rav Aharon had a special appreciation for zemiros and niggunim and encouraged his talmidim in that regard.

One day, a former talmid of Rav Aharon, who had initially gone out in the world to bring others tachas kanfei haShechinah, came back to BMG for a Shabbos. He joined the bachurim for the singing of zemiros and naturally wanted to assume his former position of being the ba’al menagein at the seudah. Rav Aharon shook his head, “No.” He then pointed to Rav Elyakim Getzel to lead it. The former ba’al menagein went on to make a major impact in the Jewish music world. Rav Rosenblatt took Rav Aharon Kotler’s approval and encouragement of his niggunim and singing as an inspiration to incorporate music and zemiros as part-and-parcel of the approach one should have to chinuch and kiruv. Eventually, Rav Rosenblatt put out two albums of his niggunim.

Rav Rosenblatt thought deeply about everything that he did. He decided, after much thought, that to best attract talmidim he would reconfigure the method of in-depth learning that was taught in his yeshiva. The new mehalech was to learn the halachah in the Rambam. Whether it would be in Shabbos or Berachos or one of the other sections of the Yad HaChazakah depended on what was being learned. Then, he and his talmidim would carefully learn the Gemaras that the halachah was based upon. He would then trace it through the Rambam, Rosh, Kitzur Piskei HaRosh (written by the Tur), Tur, Beis Yosef, and Shulchan Aruch.

To Rav Rosenblatt, the Shulchan Aruch was an amalgamation of the various thoughts of the Rishonim where Rav Karo incorporated their wording. He also loved the Frankel edition of the Rambam and loved exploring from where exactly the Rambam had derived his rulings. He would carefully learn through all of these sources and involved his talmidim. His clarity was remarkable and he was able to get his talmidim to provide their own in-depth and thought-provoking explanations. The talmidim responded beautifully. They were genuinely contributing to cutting-edge, deep Talmudic thought!

This respect for his talmidim not only emerged from his shiurim; it was part of his daily interaction with others. He would call a talmid “Rabbeinu.” This was because he meant it; such was his anivus.

Rav Rosenblatt believed in people. This was another trait that was unique about him. The encouragement and trust that he placed in people was essential to their growth. A talmid would think, “Wow! The rosh yeshiva places such trust in me!” And the talmid would strive to live up to it. Invariably, that talmid did. Rav Rosenblatt had an understanding of the importance of building self-esteem in others that was most profound and essential in his success.

Once, one of his talmidim was killed in a horrific tragedy. The incident affected him deeply and he spent much time on the phone with the talmid’s mother comforting her, as this talmid was her only child. His talmidim were family.

In his divrei Torah, he would always focus on pshat. But he also explored other areas of thought. One talmid recalled how he loved creative approaches to Torah and having genuine fun with Torah. Another one of Rav Rosenblatt’s trademarks was, “This is the simple pshat. The chassidishe Torah’leich say …”

And then there were the parashah sheets. When I was first hired as the mashgiach and a rebbe at Yeshiva Kesser Torah, I was enamored at both the ease of accessibility of the depth of the Mussar shmuessen. How lucky were the talmidim of Yeshiva Kesser Torah! Here was a clear and depth-filled exposition of both Rav Aharon Kotler’s and Rav Henoch Leibowitz’s approaches to a Mussar inyan, including other gedolei haMussar. It was kind of like the first Schottenstein ArtScroll Gemara for Mussar. I suggested to Rav Rosenblatt that the shmuessen be written up and distributed in shuls and yeshivos. He took up the suggestion, and for the next number of years, many hours were spent each week editing, re-editing, and editing further.

The printed Mussar shmuessen became a huge success. Each week, dozens of shuls and yeshivos requested to be added to the distribution network. Distributors were hired. Letters of appreciation came in. Letters arguing points came in. Eventually, they were put into sefer form.

Rav Rosenblatt, zt’l, would sometimes throw convention to the wind in his ardor to bring out a point. Rav Rosenblatt wanted certain ideas emphasized in the written word as well that can be emphasized in the spoken word through voice modulation. But how to do that in the written word? Rav Rosenblatt decided to use the bold function of the computer liberally.

“But Rosh Yeshiva, this is not done.”

“But why not?” he would respond. “If it can help bring across a point of Torah thought, then let us throw convention to the wind.”

For many years later, he would show me other sefarim in lashon ha’kodesh in which a particular page would have five or six lines of bold font.

Eventually, the printed shmuessen would regularly incorporate one phrase that would convey a question that the gedolei Mussar would ask on that week’s parashah.

“This is mystifying” would invariably appear in each sheet. It became a catchphrase, like product branding or a trademark. It eventually brought one struggling former talmid back to yeshiva and the Torah way of life.

Oh, and what ever happened to the two people mentioned at the beginning of this appreciation? One went on to build a beautiful Torahdik mishpachah and became a pillar in his community. The other, the wealthy “connected” person, learned for several years at the yeshiva and looked upon Rav Rosenblatt as his own rosh yeshiva. He devoted his life to helping other mosdos of Torah. That talmid was so taken by the story of the Mirrer Yeshiva’s salvation through Shanghai, China, that he once approached Rav Kalmanovitch, zt’l, about the possibility of making a movie about it. Rav Kalmanovitch, zt’l, responded in the negative, because he knew that in order to make a movie popular, there would have to be scenes in it that are incompatible with what Torah is all about. The talmid dropped the project.

There is no question that the world is a different place without Rav Rosenblatt. As a consolation, his shmuessen can still be heard on TorahAnytime.com. They can be read in Yeshiva Kesser Torah’s parashah sheets. His niggunim can be heard on Shaar HaNeginah tapes and CDs. But there is no replacement of this remarkable individual who impacted such a large section of Klal Yisrael.

Rabbi Hoffman can be reached at Yairhoffman2@gmail.com.

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