Description
Leshem: A Selection of Hashkofic Teachings From the Leshem Shevo v’Achlamah, Volume 2 (Leshem: A Selection of Hashkofic Teachings From the Leshem Shevo v’Achlamah Translated into English)
The introduction to Volume 1 has a short biography of the Leshem. But for those who may not have seen it, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv was born in 1841 in Šiauliai, Lithuania, and later moved to Eretz Yisroel in 1922 with the help of his former student, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, who was Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem at the time. That is where the Leshem spent his final four years of life, dying at the age of 85 in 1926.
He was an illui—Torah genius—and tzaddik from a very young age, and only became more so with time. His greatest contribution to Torah are his seforim on Kabbalah, of which there are several, and which are being reset and republished today. This has given more people access to his writings.
Aside from the Leshem’s unfathomable breadth and depth of all of Torah, he possessed a remarkable ability to clearly explain the deepest and most profound aspects of Torah learning. His great sense of awe for the secrets of Torah come through to the reader by what he says, and how he says it.
It may appear in many places as if the Leshem has repeated himself, reiterating information he has just mentioned. Sometimes it is more pronounced because it has been translated into English, and though it is perfectly normal to speak like this in Hebrew, it seems less so in English. However, wanting to stay as close to the original text as possible, the material has been translated as it is in Hebrew.
Other times the Leshem has just been thorough, as he always was, whereas sometimes the “repetition” is to emphasize an idea the Leshem wanted to be better appreciated because of what follows. It may not always be clear what the reason was, but what is clear is that the Leshem had tremendous grasp of everything he said and what he wanted to say, which makes it very difficult to edit out what the author put in.
As mentioned in Volume 1, every translation is an interpretation, which means that the meaning of the original material can be misconstrued and misrepresented. All such errors are mine, and I ask, in advance, forgiveness from the Leshem, his family, and anyone who learns this sefer.
Again, I wish to express my extreme gratitude once again to Rav Michoel Boruch for his crucial assistance in editing this work. He remains to be one in millions, possessing knowledge of Hebrew, English, and of course, Kabbalah. May he only know blessing for his share in this work.
As a statement of fact, I have never believed myself even slightly worthy of learning the Leshem or of sharing his teachings with others. With extreme and enduring gratitude I thank HaKodesh Boruch Hu for the opportunity to do both. To quote the Gemora, “It is revealed and known to You that I did this not for my own honor, and not for the honor of the house of my father, but rather it was for Your honor that I did this, so that discord not increase among the Jewish people” (Megillah 3a).
Pinchas Winston
Telzstone, 5783
