A while ago I had a brief conversation with a choshuve מרביץ תורה (disseminator of Torah) of Litvishe stock. I don't recall the entire (brief) encounter, but at some point he remarked to me along the following lines - 'I agree with you that the Litvishe way (Litvak דרך - way of Yiddishkeit) is the correct way, but it is harder. I have been breaking my head lately over some שווערע Rambams (to understand some difficult passages of רמב"ם). It is hard. It is a lot easier to be a Chasid.'
My response - Rav Moshe Feinstein זצ"ל famously used to say (along the lines of) that the saying 'Es iz shver tzu zein a Yid' (it is difficult, hard to be a Jew') did in a generation of Jewish youth. They would hear their father's, although keeping the tradition, sighing, groaning, about the difficulty involved. The children then, when given the opportunity to live a life that seemed (on the surface) easier, sans the same observance, unsurprisingly grabbed it (the then extremely influential Yiddish theater also had a hand in propagating that dangerous outlook). No, he counseled, admonished, we need to be very careful about what message we are sending - not 'עס איז שווער צו זיין א איד', rather 'עס איז גוט צו זיין א איד'' (it is good, great, enjoyable to be a Jew)!
I believe the same lesson applies to our topic. No, not 'עס איז שווער צו זיין א ליטוואק' (it is hard to be a Litvak), but rather 'עס איז גוט צו זיין א ליטוואק' (it is good to be a Litvak)! If we give off via vocalization or otherwise), a message that it is difficult, arduous, hard to be a Litvak (a Jew of any background following the Litvishe approach to Yiddishkeit), in this age of freedom and fluidity, we may look behind us and discover youth having deserted is, having taken flight for other camps. Rather it is good, special, delicious to be a Litvak! :)
The Essence of Being a Litvak, a Litvishe Yid
While we are at it, the idea that 'breaking one's head' over a shvere Rambam, and the like, is the essence of being a Litvak, is a stereotype or a caricature that is unfortunately held by some people. For a better idea of what the essence of Litvishe Torah life is, a fine book published a few years ago, The Legacy: Teachings for Life from the Great Lithuanian Rabbis, is a good place to start. Check out the sample pages available for viewing for starters.
Learning Torah and love of knowledge is at the heart of the Litvak identity/ethos. But it is not a one size fits all prescription of learning shvere Rambams for everyone all the time. Trying to make all Litvaks into Brisker clones is neither historically correct, nor wise.
May we be zoche to enjoy and revel in the great spiritual heritage of Lita, and share it with גאנץ כלל ישראל, all of our people.
א פרייליכען חודש
