'I Never Felt Threatened' - A student of Rabbi Matis Weinberg stands by his 'rebbe.'
by Phil Jacobs, Editor
Baltimore Jewish Times - May 1, 2003
Elly Oberstein, 25, first learned of Rabbi Matis Weinberg through his books and tape recordings. It was in his first year at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Pikesville that Mr. Oberstein, who is now studying at Ohio State University for his medical degree, met Rabbi Weinberg.
This started a close relationship that continues today,
some eight years later. Rabbi Weinberg officiated at Mr. Oberstein's wedding.
And there almost isn't a day when Mr. Oberstein doesn't listen to a tape
of a Rabbi Weinberg lecture.
"When I first met Rabbi Weinberg, I was instantly enveloped
by him in a great bear hug," said Mr. Oberstein. "I must admit that I had
not expected this reaction. I was not surprised by the nature of the contact
because there are other rabbis, especially in the more Chasidic-inspired
areas of Judaism, who have greeted me in a similar manner. Rather, I was
not expecting this response because Rabbi Weinberg was not part of that
culture.
"I was more attracted to the stricter learning and analysis
that is the hallmark of Ner Israel. And in that setting, physical shows of
emotion are frowned upon. As teenagers in yeshiva, we were not encourage
to explore our developing sexuality and we carefully glossed over the many
references to desire that appear in the Torah and the Talmud."
 |
| Rabbi Leonard Oberstein |
"During this time, I developed a very close relationship
with my rebbe, one that made me feel more like a son than a student," said
Mr. Oberstein. "But after seeing so many students of Rabbi Weinberg's emerge
with the same feeling, I suspect that perhaps this is what it means to be
a student of a rabbi who places such great value on relationships in addition
to study and knowledge. I certainly feel that I have a close personal connection
to Rabbi Weinberg and that he is someone I can turn to with my problems,
someone to offer a sympathetic hug or a blessing on a Friday night.
"But in all of those years, I never felt threatened
by this contact, nor did I feel that it ever affect my ability to have
relationships with other friends and teachers."
Mr. Oberstein added that since moving to Columbus,
Oh., there have been at least five occasions when after mentioning Rabbi
Weinberg's name, there have been others who have recalled their own meaningful
encounters with him
"I suspect that in my initial encounters with Rabbi
Weinberg and in many other people's encounters, we gained a perspective that
went beyond the subject at hand," Mr. Oberstein said. "Many people who I
speak to feel that in hearing Rav Weinberg teach Torah, they appreciated
some of the possibilities that the Jewish tradition offers. These are people
who have experienced a broad range of other fields, and they sense that Rabbi
Weinberg teaches honesty, that he seeks to find the Torah relevant to issues
that are at the forefront of the modern world. To me, it continues to be
a tragedy that anyone would try to stifle such a message."
Mr. Oberstein said that all along, it is his rebbe's
honesty that speaks to him. The rabbi, he said, encourages his students to
consider sources. "His influence on my thinking is pervasive," said Mr.
Oberstein.
For example, the story of Abraham smashing his father's
idols. "He didn't teach me to go around smashing idols. He believes, though,
that idols were projections and false beliefs, and he taught me to be wary
of someone injecting false information. Look at the context and trace it
to its source.
"In another way," he continued, "I felt that anything
part of our Judaism was part of our learning. In a yeshiva sense, you think
of learning Jewish law as the main thing we do as Jews. In the world I lived
in with him, every single element was just as important to be lived as a
Jew. We took time off to go to an orchard to pick essrogim. We baked matzohs
for Pesach. Learning from my rebbe was part of a journey about truth and
what God wants from us."
Mr. Oberstein said that the hugs he receive were unexpected
but they were "genuine. You sense when something is genuine. The hard part
of the issue is for everyone to know what's genuine."
He said Rabbi Weinberg never attempted any inappropriate
physical gesture in the years that he lived with him, Rabbi' Weinberg's wife,
Tzippora, and some members or all of their 10 children. An occasional kiss
on the forehead as part of a Shabbat blessing was all that he ever
experienced.
"Many people I met were students of his who spoke to
him and saw him in Israel," Mr. Oberstein said. "I knew he had a lot of students
who had a relationship of 20 years with him. But there was never any suggestions
that anything was wrong. But there were a couple of people in Baltimore,
when I came home for a holiday, who when they heard I was associated with
Rabbi Weinberg, they rolled their eyes."
Mr. Oberstein said that he looks to the Ethics of Our
Fathers and the teaching "judge someone for the benefit of good" when it
comes to a situation such as this.
"I am comfortable assuming good things," he said. "What
I saw in five years with he and his family was reality. What rankles me a
lot is that this all must be painful for him and his family. I've called
and told him that I loved him. I don't view that as a violation. I don't
view my relationship with him as a negative. I hope that people will still
be able to benefit from his teachings."
No comments:
Post a Comment