Manuscript – Notebook with the Discourses of Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz – During the Time the Mir Yeshiva Escaped to ...

Manuscript – Notebook with the Discourses of Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz – During the Time the Mir Yeshiva Escaped to Keidan and Japan – 1940-1941
Manuscript, discourses in the handwriting of Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz head of the Mir Yeshiva, from the Holocaust period when the yeshiva escaped to Lithuanian villages and later to the Far East. 1940-1941.
Discourses on Tractates Nedarim, Gittin, Kiddushin, Bava Batra, Ketubot and Yevamot. the titles include the time of their preparation from 1937-1941, the place and time they were delivered in Keidan [Kėdainiai] (summer 1941) Krekenova (Elul 1940 and Tishrei 1941), Kriukai, Shat (Šėta), Ramygala and discourses delivered in Kobe, Japan in Nissan and summer of 1941. On the last leaf is a stamp in Hebrew and English: “Rabbi Ch. L. Shmuelowitz, dean of the Mirrer Yeshiva”.
On Leaf 17/a, after the discourse on Tractate Yevamot delivered in Krekenova during the winter of 1941, a Lithuanian stamp, of a cultural preservation office, appears with an authorization to permit taking the notebook over the Lithuanian border during the yeshiva's travels to Japan. On verso, on Leaf 17/b is the discourse delivered in Kobe, Japan during the week of Erev Pesach 1941 followed by more discourses on Tractate Yevamot delivered in Kobe during the summer of 1941.
In the autumn of 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, the Mir Yeshiva moved to the city of Vilna which at that time became the capital city of independent Lithuania. After the Russian occupation of Lithuania in the spring of 1940, the yeshiva moved to Keidan in Northern Lithuania and from there dispersed to four branches in the surrounding villages: Krekenova, Kriukai, Shat (Šėta) and Ramygala. Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz resided in Krekenova, but traveled among the four branches of the yeshiva to deliver discourses. As the German occupation progressed, the yeshiva was wondrously saved by their journey on the trans-Siberian train and by means of rickety ships to Kobe, Japan and from there to Shanghai, China. All that time, Rabbi Chaim headed the yeshiva, delivered discourses as usual and led the yeshiva together with the mashgiach, Rabbi Yechezkel Lowenstein.
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz (1902-1979), grandson of the Saba of Novardok and son-in-law of Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, head of the Mir Yeshiva was an outstanding Torah scholar, renowned for his diligence and his brilliant discourses which encompassed many Talmudic tractates. Rabbi Chaim began to deliver discourses in the Mir Yeshiva in 1936 and did not cease giving his shi'urim for more than 40 years, both during the time he led the yeshiva in its exile to Lithuanian outskirts, Japan and Shanghai and after he immigrated to Jerusalem and joined his father-in-law, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel who also rescued from the Holocaust by a different venue and established the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Chaim's discourses in the Mir Yeshiva in Lithuania, the Far East and Jerusalem always drew a large audience from all the Batei Midrash in the area. In spite of his genius and vibrant way of thinking, his thoughts were wonderfully systematic. All his conduct conveyed his inner order and tranquility. His discourses were structured and clear. Rabbi Chaim was always careful not to speak before any public audience without careful preparation of all details. Before every shiur, he would hang a note with a list of sources almost always structured the same way – six lines with equal words in each line (see Moach VaLev p. 82-87). the structure of the shiur itself also had a set pattern of four questions, with one basis that would explain the whole treatise and answer all questions. During the discourse, he would say "Up until now are the questions", and he would then review the four questions. then he would teach a clear basic thought and explain it, give a brief review and progress to the next stage until the whole treatise would become very clear (see Mo'ach VaLev p. 53). He learned this manner of teaching from his teacher who taught him never to repeat an old discourse but always to prepare a new novel shiur. Only after he had finished preparing his discourse, did he look in his notebooks of the previous classes he had delivered on the subject.
Flowing and premeditated writing characterized his notebooks, (without mistakes and corrections), in his attractive, slightly connected handwriting. He would use the whole sheet of paper and would fill it with his writing until the end of the margins but not one word would be squeezed in the end of the line, all is written in a uniform, deliberate writing. the titles too are uniform and even. Of course, the content is brief and orderly in its structure of the novellae and the order of their delivery.
the books Sha'arei Chaim – Rabbi Shmuelevitz' shiurim and mussar discourses were edited by his disciples and his sons. they also published the book Sefer HaZikaron L'HaGaon R' Chaim Shmuelevitz in his memory.
[1], 37; [1] 79; [1] 39; [1], 18; [1], 78; [1], 17; [1] 35, [1] leaves. 16.5 cm. Good-fair condition, wear and stains. Original worn binding.