The Pivotal Letter: How Young Nosson Tzvi Finkel from Chicago Became a Leader and Rosh Yeshiva to Thousands!
There isn’t a Jew who hasn’t heard of this giant among men, whose name and memory stir the soul, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel of blessed memory. He was head of the Mir Yeshiva, an extraordinary genius in Torah, ethics, and leadership, a loving figure who was devoted with all his heart to the holy Torah, literally until all his strength was exhausted.
However, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi wasn’t born wearing the crown of "Reb Nosson Tzvi". He grew up as a typical American boy in materialistic Chicago, and studied in a religious high school that combined religious and secular studies, where most students went on to academic institutions or entered the workforce.
Young Nosson Tzvi, who loved Torah from a young age, wished to fulfill the saying of our Sages, "Be exiled to a place of Torah" and wanted to travel to study in Eretz Yisrael. However, his parents had doubts: On one hand – it wasn’t advisable due to his young age and the tense security situation in Israel (it was before the Sinai War, and there were frequent terror attacks by Fedayeen groups). On the other hand, there wasn’t a suitable place of Torah study for him in the USA.
Their relative, the gaon Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, head of the Mir Yeshiva (uncle of his father R’ Meir), heard about young Nosson Tzvi and his character and felt that he could grow to become a great Jewish leader. He therefore appealed to his parents and worked hard to convince them to agree to send him to study for a period of time in Eretz Yisrael, to be able to breathe the elevated air of the holy yeshivas, so lacking in the golden land of America.
This is the authentic letter that Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda sent to Rabbi Nosson Tzvi’s parents, in which he manages to soften their hearts and get them to agree to send him to study in Eretz Yisrael. He sent the letter for Rabbi Nosson Tzvi’s Bar Mitzvah celebration, writing to them: "The matter is not beyond repair, and it is proper to do so even now, to send your lovely son for a few years, to be educated in the atmosphere of Eretz Yisrael."
Indeed, not long after, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi and his parents traveled for a visit to Eretz Yisrael, and after they visited Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda and he took him under his wing, his parents agreed that he should study in Eretz Yisrael. Over the years, young Nosson Tzvi grew to become one of the Torah giants and leading Rosh Yeshivas of recent generations!
Thus we find that this present letter is the one that merited all of Klal Yisrael with this esteemed figure, a man who was all Torah and who became known as: "Reb Nosson Tzvi"
Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, of blessed memory (1943-2011), was a clear symbol of tremendous Torah love through self-sacrifice, from his youth when he traveled alone to study in Eretz Yisrael, until his old age when he gave lectures and talks with tremendous strength, beyond human capability, despite the severe muscle disease he suffered from for a long period.
For decades he served as head of the Mir Yeshiva, one of the largest yeshivas in the entire world. He raised generations of students and over 100,000 people attended his funeral. He left behind an extensive rabbinic family and tens of thousands of loving students across the globe.
Sent from Jerusalem to Chicago, Shevat 1956. Printed letter with writing and signature of Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda. Size: 21 x 27 cm. Condition: Good; professional reinforcement at fold marks, slight creases.
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In his letter, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda blesses young Nosson Tzvi with warm blessings, which of course over time all came true:
"May you derive much nachas from him, from this day that he becomes a man. May he rise higher and higher in Torah and Yiras Shamayim, and may he become a great tree adorning the entire family, for greatness and glory among the Jewish people!"
