HIS YOUTH
Yehuda Meir Shapiro was born in 1887 in Shatz, Romania. He
descended from a line of renown Rebbes. a great-grandson of Reb
Pinchas of Koretz. His mother, Rebbetzin Margulya, was a
descendant of the famous Bach and the Taz. Reb Meir was not only
an illuy, but also a masmid. At 8 years old, he memorized much
of Shas with Tosafos.
RABBI OF GLINA
In 1906 he married the daughter of R. Breitman, a merchant from
Tarnapol. Shortly after, Reb Meir published his first sefer,
Imrei Daas, on Parsha. At age 23 Reb Meir became Rav of Glina, a
small town with 2,000 Jews. He established a cheder, Bnei Torah.
He innovated that rebbeim get a monthly salary and follow an
organized curriculum, revolutionary at that time. Reb Meir
insisted that the Cheder accept boys with limited religious
background, and personally paid for tutors and studied privately
with them
Reb Meir revamped the town’s spiritual life until Glina became a
center of Torah Yiddishkeit. Reb Meir’s projects came to an
abrupt halt during World War I. Reb Meir and his wife fled when
the Russian Army occupied Glina. The Russians set fire to his
home, destroyed his possessions, including a large private
library.
PIOTRKOV
In the spring of 1924, Reb Meir accepted the prestigious
position of Rav and Av Beis Din in Piotrkov where he established
a comprehensive educational system for the youth.
Reb Meir also represented Orthodox Jewry in the Polish
parliament. Jews throughout the world turned to Reb Meir
with the most difficult shailos. In 1925, Reb Meir compiled them
in a sefer, Ohr HaMeir. Although a famous figure, R. Meir never
lost his sense of humor & modesty. Reb Meir was once sitting
with politicians when a Jewish peddler, socks draped over his
arms, approached to sell his wares. Reb Meir handed the peddler
a sum of money, so the peddler took several pairs of stockings
and handed them to Reb Meir.
“We don’t need them,” retorted R. Meir, in his unassuming
manner. “We are in politics full of lies & falsehood. The Talmud
says ‘Sheker ein lo raglaim, ’ ‘Falsehood has no feet.’ Since
there are no feet, we have no use for socks.”
DAF YOMI
At Aguda’s first Knessia Gedola, Reb Meir introduced an
international daily study system of Gemara, uniting Jews
throughout the world. Even a simple working Jew could complete
the entire Shas in seven years.
YESHIVAS CHACHMEI LUBLIN
Reb Meir planned to build a prestigious building with a
dormitory to house outstanding Yeshiva students. He also invited
the great Rogatchover Gaon to head the Yeshiva (but that did not
materialize). On Lag B’Omer, 1924, the cornerstone was set, and
construction began. Reb Meir spent the next two years
traveling through Europe and America collecting funds to make
his dream a reality. June 24, 1930, was a veritable Yom
Tov for the Jews of Poland. The Lublin Yeshiva officially
opened. The night before, buses and taxis arrived with
bnei Torah. Every hour another train pulled in with hundreds of
rabbis. Lubartov Street was crammed with throngs of Jews
awaiting this historic event. At the ceremony, Reb Meir stood on
the balcony of the yeshiva with the Gerrer Rebbe and Tchortkover
Rebbe. Reb Meir proclaimed in Yiddish: “My Dear brethren. What
moved me to build this yeshiva? If you ever saw how yeshiva
bachurim are forced to sleep in the stores and shops while
working as night watchmen, or if you saw their poverty, then you
will understand why I built a yeshiva like this.” To be
admitted, a bachur had to memorize 200 pages of Gemara.
LAST DANCE
Reb Meir passed away on 7th of Cheshvan. A few hours before his
petira, unable to speak, Reb Meir wrote a note with shaking
hands to his wife. “Why are you crying?” he wrote. “Now we will
have the real joy.”
Reb Meir asked his talmidim to dress him in a new white shirt
and arrange his peyos. Signaling for a pencil, he wrote, “All of
you, drink a lechaim.”
Beverages and cake were brought. Brachos were made and then each
talmid, in turn, stood before Reb Meir and shook his hand. Reb
Meir warmly held each talmid and looked deeply into his eyes.
After each one had bid his rebbi farewell, Reb Meir formed the
words, “Becha botchu avoseinu,” “Our fathers trusted in You.”
The talmidim understood that Reb Meir wanted them to sing the
melody he composed.
As the talmidim sang, they began to dance as they had never
danced before. Tears rolled down their cheeks-their hearts were
breaking-but they continued to dance around their rebbi’s bed.
The talmidim realized that their rebbi would leave them a few
moments. Reb Meir detected the students’ muffled sobs, and
motioned for them to come closer. “Nor mit simcha,” “Only with
joy,” he whispered.
These were Reb Meir’s last words. , Rav Yehuda Meir Shapiro’s
soul then departed. He was 46 years old.
All over Poland, newspapers put out special editions with
detailed biographies of the Lubliner Rav. One newspaper
described him as “the Jewish king.”
Reb Meir’s ohel was the only grave left standing in the Lublin
cemetery after the Holocaust. In 1958, they brought his remains
to a final resting place in Yerushalayim.
Reb Meir had no children, he
considered his talmidim as his sons, and they loved him as their
father. All Torah friends are considered Reb Meir’s spiritual
heirs. May his memory be a blessing.
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