Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch - Al Kiddush Hashem

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch - Al Kiddush Hashem Yahrzeit - 20 Tammuz Resting place - Telz The entire community of Telz, led by its Rav and Rosh Yeshiva, the great Gaon, tzadik, and educator Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch, was shot by the Nazi beasts in a mass grave not far from the town of Telz. Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch not only taught his talmidim how to live in Kiddush Hashem, but also taught them how to die in Kiddush Hashem. Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch, the last Telzer Rov, led the Telz Yeshiva during its golden age. Under his leadership, the yeshiva became one of the largest and most influential strongholds of Torah in pre-war Europe. His unique, profound shiurim had a powerful influence on the community. Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch took over leadership of the yeshiva and the community of Telz on 7 Cheshvan 5790 (late 1929) after the passing of his father, Rav Yosef Leib Bloch, who himself had assumed the position of Rav in 1910, upon the passing of his father-in-law, Rav Eliezer Gordon. Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch was not the eldest son of Rav Yosef Leib, but his elder brother, Rav Zalman Bloch, declared that he was relinquishing his right to lead the yeshiva in favor of his younger brother. The assembled crowd was moved by Rav Zalman's complete self-sacrifice, that of a holy Gaon. Rav Zalman became the dayan of the town, as well as the Menahel Ruchani of the yeshiva. Despite his relatively young age (he was under 40 when he took over the yeshiva), he immediately became known for his brilliant mind, sharpness, and truly phenomenal diligence. Even as a young bochur, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch was known as an astonishing ilui, combining lightning-quick grasp with deep analytical thinking. As a teenager he made a siyum on the entire Shas and delivered a hadran (the drasha given by one who completes the Shas) that lasted three full days! He once said: "I derive such pleasure from learning that I don't know how one can learn Torah lishma." Al Kiddush Hashem On 25 Sivan 1941, the German army captured Telz and drove out the Communists. They immediately began carrying out their plan to destroy the Jews. A few days later, on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, local antisemitic gentiles, realizing that no one would stop them, beat and wounded the Jews of Telz, stealing and looting their property. The next day, the Telzer Rov looked out the window and saw German soldiers rounding up a huge crowd of Jews and driving them toward the neighboring village of Rainiai. The Germans seized everyone they found in the streets, including Rav Eliezer's son, and brought them to the police station. After carefully recording their names, they took them out of town toward Rainiai. Seeing this procession, the Rav was shaken to his core. He immediately organized a delegation to appeal to the local bishop for help for the prisoners. All his efforts were in vain. That night, the Rav's house was dark, with only the light of a single candle casting a veil of light over his inner room. Pain and anguish would not let him learn. To concentrate, he asked his daughter to read to him from the Gemara. The next day, on Erev Shabbat, SS men came to the Rav's house. They brought Rav Avraham and his family to the main market square in Telz, where most of the community had already been lined up. The Nazis placed the rabbis in the front row and began to mock and abuse them. The Rav did not react. Despite the loaded rifles aimed at the rabbis, their thoughts were focused on purifying themselves in order to die making Al Kiddush Hashem. The Rav turned to the crowd of Jews. Fully composed, with calmness of spirit, he addressed them. He called on them to do complete teshuva and to prepare to give their lives Al Kiddush Hashem. Then the entire town recited Vidui word by word together with their beloved Rav. The power of the Rav's strength and calmness of spirit shook even the hardened Nazis, and they stopped laughing. They had encountered the eternal truth of the Jewish people. Shortly before Shabbat began, the Germans informed the Rav that they wished to "test their ammunition." The Rav returned to his community with these words: "We are in terrible danger. Let us return to our Heavenly Father. Our only hope is teshuva, tefillah, and tzedakah. Let us all, young and old, take upon ourselves that if we are worthy of life, we will observe Shabbat, kashrut, and family purity." The entire community, even those who had strayed from observance under Communist influence, raised their hands to Heaven as one and declared: "We accept the mitzvot upon ourselves." It seemed to everyone present as though they were standing before Har Sinai, proclaiming "Naaseh v'Nishma." Then the Rav began to lead Mincha, and the entire assembly joined him. When the sun set, the Rav instructed everyone to accept Shabbat with joy. After Kabbalat Shabbat, the Rav instructed them to recite Tehillim. The cries during the recitation of Tehillim pierced the Heavens. Everyone, young and old, prayed a sincere, pure Maariv, feeling a closeness to Hashem they had never felt before. Then the Nazis ordered the women to return to their homes. They also permitted the Rav to go home. He refused: "I will stay with my people," he declared simply and resolutely. He knew this might be the last time he would see his family, but as he parted from them, his whole heart was focused on his flock, giving them strength and support to face the trial that lay ahead. For three weeks, the Rav, together with the other men of the community, was forced into hard labor in the neighboring town of Rainiai. The Rav himself did not stop learning. Even at such a time, when "the sword hung over his neck," his learning did not diminish. As always, he wrote down his chiddushei Torah. On 19 Tammuz, a Gestapo officer arrived with a sword in hand and coldly informed everyone that this was their last day on earth. The men were lined up in rows and the Germans began beating them. They were forced to run and fall, run and fall without stopping, while being mercilessly beaten with clubs. The Rav and his brother, Rav Zalman, though weak themselves, tried to support their elderly father-in-law's relative, Rav Eliyahu Meir Bloch's father-in-law, Rav Aryeh Moshe Kaplan, and carried him in their arms. At the end of this agonizing, humiliating ordeal, the Rav, covered in mud and utterly exhausted, entered his tent and raised his hands to Heaven, saying: "Your deeds are righteous and just." In this exalted moment, the Rov, too weak to look into his own strength, asked his daughter (Rebbetzin Ausband) to read to him from the laws of the Rambam concerning Kiddush Hashem, and so, as they prepared for Kiddush Hashem, his daughter read one halacha after another. 20 Tammuz was his last day on earth, the last day of the entire community of Telz. At 5 o'clock in the morning, four Nazi officers approached the Rav's tent and ordered him and all the other men to gather "for work." Indeed, he was ready for avodah, for true and eternal avodat Hashem, for Kiddush Hashem. When his family tried to give him a bit of food, he refused, asking only for water to wash his hands. A few minutes later, terrifying gunshots rang out from the forest. From the mass grave came the Rav's mighty voice: "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad!" Less than a month later, on 7 Elul, the women of Telz were also murdered in the neighboring village. Telz, Lithuania, ceased to exist. The streets of Telz, once teeming with talmidei chachamim, stood deserted. The fields around Telz, once walked by bochurim "discussing their learning," lay abandoned, soaked in the blood of martyrs. The geographical town of Telz no longer exists. Yet the spiritual legacy of Telz lives on. May the merit of this great tzadik protect Am Yisrael!