Rav Elyakim Shlomo Shapira of Hordona zt"l
הרב אליקים שלמה בן חיים שפירא זצ"ל
Av 11 , 0
Rav Elyakim Shlomo Shapira of Hordona zt"l
As a Rav and posek in several Lithuanian cities: Horodok, Ivnitz, Eyshishok (Eišišķes), Hordona (Grodno). Known as a child prodigy he was born in Lubcha (Belarus) 5586 to his father Chaim Shapira, who served as the Rav of Lubcha. He studied under his relative Rav Aryeh Leib Shapira of Kovno and under Rav Reuven HaLevi under who he earned semichah. He married the daughter of Rav Leib Zalmans of Grodno (Hordona). When the heads of the kehillah saw that their beloved Rav had grown too old to serve as Rav alone, the Rosh kehillah approached him, asking who to appoint as assistant Rav? Rav Leib Zalmans asked them to appoint his young and relatively unknown son in law, who was then serving as Rav in Eyshishok. Trusting his judgment they agreed. And so it was that he took over the position as assistant Rav in his father in law's life-time and later succeeded him.
He was known as worldly and highly respected, for example he knew the local language and was involved in world and communal affairs.
He later moved to Yerushalayim. He was laid to rest on Har HaZaisim near the Maharil Diskin.
He was a staunch anti-zionist who opposed a secular state: How can I bear that something be called 'the State of Israel' without the Torah and the commandments (heaven forbid)?" "Let him be abstinent in the land and beware of any transgression, for if he sins there, he will be punished most severely. For Hashem watches over the land and supervises its inhabitants [see Devarim. 11:12]. He who rebels against the kingdom from within the king's palace is not the same as he who rebels outside it. This is the meaning of 'a land that consumes its inhabitants' [Bamidbar 13:32]. As for those who go there and think they can get away with levity and reckless behavior, I would invoke the verses, 'But you came and defiled My land' [Yermiah. 2:7] and 'Who asked of you to trample My courts?' [Yishayah 1:12]."
Stories of Rav Elyakim Shlomo Shapira of Hordona zt"l
It was the second night of the Seder and a splendid coach pulled up to the house of Rav Elyakim Shapira of Hordona. Out came none other than pułkownik Loryonow! The feared and hated Colonel whom the Jews despised! Yet he was smiling as he entered the home of the Rav, soon news spread that in fact he had been invited as the Rav's seder guest and he had in fact come to partake of the Rebitzen's delicious cooking and sample the wine and matzos. How such a strange turn of events unfolded is almost unbelievable!
No doubt about it, if there was one man that the Jews of Grodno (Hordona) feared and loathed it was pułkownik Loryonow. The Colonel had the nickname the wicked Haman foisted upon him by all the local Jewish mothers, as his custom was to be extra harsh on all the Jewish soldiers conscripted into the army. He demanded soldiers to stand at full attention, be dressed in impeccably clean and ironed uniforms free of wrinkles and stains and with shiny polished brass buttons. Woe be it to the soldier who was caught with a stain or wrinkle or a dull button! And even worse was a soldier whose boots were not properly laced up or shined and polished!
If it was bad enough for the average soldier it was worse for the Jews. No one knew why, but pułkownik Loryonow had it in for them. It was therefore no surprise, but with extra regret and pain that they learned that this year all Pesach leave was cancelled for all the Jewish soldiers without any explanation given whatsoever at all!
The shtadlanim had given up all hope. All but one, Rav Elyakim reasoned that it could not hurt if he was perfrom shtadlanus and meet with the fearsome Haman pułkownik Loryonow. What can the Colonel do to me? Call me names and shame me publicly? He already hates the Jews, treats them badly and cancelled their leave, worst case scenario some tamei arel will shame me, nu, so what?
And so saying he went off to see and reason with the dreaded Colonel. To everyone's pleasant surprise the news was that the Rav had somehow succeeded! Pesach leave was granted both on the first two Seder nights and also on the last two final days of Yom Tov. Additionally no Jewish soldier was forced to eat chametz all Pesach long and all were free to eat matzo!
The pułkownik Loryonow was now here as promised on the second seder night his magnificent coach drawn by two powerful stallions arrived and after drinking four cups and partaking of the matzos he secreted himself alone with Rav. Periodically he would arrive smiling, bestow great honor and privilege and visit the Rav. His secret visits remained a mystery, no one, not the Rebitzen, nor any household members divulged what the two spoke of or why the pułkownik Loryonow came to visit again and again.
One day pułkownik Loryonow arrived in a splendid new uniform clearly displaying his new higher rank and declared, honorable Rav I have been promoted to brigadier general of Sobolki and I am moving there. I will miss you and I wished to thank you for your kindness and honorable friendship. And so ended the mysterious relationship. Rumor has it that pułkownik Loryonow was really a Jew, snatched as a child and conscripted whom the Rav Elyakim Shapira transformed into a Baal Teshuvah. The Rav revealed and warmed the Jewish heart of the Colonel turned General and pułkownik Loryonow's visits were secret instructions on how to keep the articles of the Jewish faith under disguise and hidden away.
After the Rebitzen Shapira, Rav Leib Zalman's daughter passed away Rav Shapira left Hordona for Jerusalem and he is buried near the Maharil Diskin on Har HaZaisim. Zechuso Yagen Aleinu.