Rabbi Yagel – Obituary

With God’s help

From Petah Tikva

After the bed of Rabbi Yehoshua Yagel zt"l

On the 11th of March, a unique and special Jew passed away, Rabbi Yehoshua Yagel, the educational director (what is called in other places, the 'Rosh Yeshiva') of the 'Midrashit Noam' in Pardes Hanna, and he was 91 years old. He is remembered by his students and everyone who knew him as eternally young, although from a very young age he was called 'the old man' by many of his students. Add to this the many dichotomies in his personality, such as 'ultra-Zionist, open-conservative, scholar-autodidact, with initiatives in various educational directions together with yeshiva-Lithuanian conservatism, and you get a mosaic picture of an incredibly complex and interesting personality.

The short time that has passed since Rabbi Yagel's passing does not yet provide a perspective from which to summarize, analyze, understand, and delve deeper into his personality and his influence on religious society, and in particular on religious education in Israel. There are no results of biographical research here, nor results of historical-sociological, nor even Torah analysis. This is neither the place nor the time. In these pages I will attempt to describe a few lines of his character, as I saw them through the eyes of a student in the midrash, and in light of my long-standing relationship with Rabbi Yagel zt"l from then until recent years.

The midrash was an initial model for an institution that later received the name 'secondary yeshiva'. Following the guidance of the 'Chazon Ish', the midrash was not called a 'yeshiva'. Rabbi Yagel founded the No'em Midrash (=Mizrahi youth) together with the late Rabbi Yisrael Sadan while still young. The first cycle ended with the establishment of the state, and Rabbi Yagel was then about 33 years old.

Rabbi Yagel demonstrated autonomy, courage, and daring throughout his unique path. He encouraged his students at the midrash to break into the nearby Ein Shemer camp, where various activists, under the auspices of state institutions (and the 'party'), were engaged in the 're-education' of Yemenite children. As we heard at the funeral, he refused to hand over the Etzel members and because of this, he received threats from members of the Haganah that they would harm him personally and close the midrash.

Rabbi Yagel also dared to look inward, within the religious-Haredi world. He dared to develop a model institution that gave legitimacy to an integration that was not acceptable at the time (although it had distant precedents). He did this as someone who was, and also felt, part of the Haredi world, close to Torah luminaries with a Haredi slant (the Chazon Ish, zt"l, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, zt"l, and others). At the same time, he was also a law student. He studied in a fellowship with Rabbi Gedaliah Nadel (a fascinating figure in his own right, who passed away about two years ago), and every weekend they would go to the Chazon Ish to clarify their doubts with him and present the results of their studies to him. All of these guided him in his various moves, but he himself gave it the unique color of his path.

Many have explained the Rabbi Yagel phenomenon as an approach of Haredi patronage that attempts to save religious Zionist youth from the temptations of the secular world, and sees the structure of the high school yeshiva as a kind of servitude intended to be an alternative to regular high school education, and primarily a means of transferring youth to Haredi yeshivas. But I think this is too superficial a picture. Rabbi Yagel, at least as I knew him, saw value in all areas of knowledge and pursuits, despite his intense love of Torah (which will be described below).

Rabbi Yagel did not deal with ideologies, nor with definitions of one kind or another. Many wondered whether he was Haredi or Zionist, whether he was 'black' or 'white', whether he said Hallel on Independence Day or not. Some referred to him as a Zionist in the 'aron', and on the other hand, some referred to him as a Haredi whose quasi-Zionist appearance was nothing more than a tactic to influence students. I think these people also did not grasp the complexity of his character in all its depth.

As mentioned, it seemed that Rabbi Yagel was not at all interested in these and other definitions. The only thing that interested him was Torah. He wanted to influence as many students as possible to study Torah seriously, and to be Bnei Torah wherever they were. He was very proud of his graduates who took different positions in society, but especially those who expressed devotion to Torah and the worship of God. As far as I was impressed (and as someone who was not afraid to speak up in his ears, since I was a Bnei Brak man and studied in the kollels there), the color of the kippah and clothing was meaningless to him. Rabbi Yagel did not deal with ideologies in his conversations with us as students, nor later as adults. To the best of my impression, he did not deal with it among himself either. He worked for the Torah and its dissemination in ways that seemed best to him, and beyond that, nothing else mattered to him. The yeshivahs to which he directed his students were the yeshivahs where he believed they would learn best. That was his only criterion, not any political ideology.

His love of Torah was famous. Two of my friends who were young rabbis in the midrashiya told me that Rabbi Yagel sat with them to prepare the lessons, the questions and the method of transmission, every week. One evening, after they finished studying late, Rabbi Yagel went home and they had already gone to bed, when suddenly there was a knock on the door of the apartment where they were studying. My friend opened it and saw Rabbi Yagel, who immediately opened it and said to him: "Regarding the Rashba, I found the explanation for the question." He understood that Rabbi Yagel had not at all taken into account the possibility that someone would go to sleep when the question had not yet dawned on him.

It is famous that when Rabbi Yagel was struggling with a question that he could not find an answer to, even in the middle of the night, he started the car and immediately drove to Bnei Brak to clarify the matter. He could not sleep until he had finished clarifying the question. When he heard that Rabbi Lichtenstein had arrived from the US to head the Har Etzion Hesder Yeshiva (and joined Rabbi Amital), he traveled there and attended his lessons as a student. As I understand it, it was not a matter of a few days, but rather a long period.

A famous story tells of Rabbi Yagel arriving at the Shacharit prayer in the Midrashiya with two ties: one thrown back and the other hanging in front. It turned out that Rabbi Yagel was sitting at his desk studying at night in his home, and while studying, he threw his tie back. As usual, he continued to engage in the subject until the wee hours of the night, and apparently fell asleep at the table. In the morning when he woke up, he saw that he did not have a tie, so he tied himself another tie and thus arrived at the prayer.

After my marriage (he performed the wedding, of course), he used to 'land' at our house in Bnei Brak, with or without notice (usually 5 minutes in advance), ask how things were going at home and how the children were doing, and would immediately sit down to study with me. He gave me the feeling that I was contributing to his studies, and that he wanted to work through the issues with me. After a while, I realized that this was part of the continuation of my educational process (and that he had done this with other graduates). We spent quite a few hours studying together, which was a real experience for me, and we even corresponded on educational topics. Although his many innovations were very dear to him, and his belief in them was definitely firm, this did not hide his willingness to listen patiently, and work through the various aspects of the issue together, and even accept other opinions. Margala in his own words: "And from my students more than anyone else."

Things got to the point where his love for Torah sometimes spoiled the order. He approached people and invited them to accept positions (sometimes very senior) in the midrash, just because he believed that they loved Torah, and studied it as they had studied it in the Lithuanian yeshivahs. Qualifications and suitability for the position were not necessarily his top priority. Torah overshadowed everything for him. When I was a student in the eighth grade, my instructor came up to me and told me that I was acting dishonestly, since I was counting on them not to do anything to me because I was going to go to yeshiva (after the eighth grade), and I was taking advantage of this to brag. To be honest, I was not aware of this, and the bragging was not done out of calculation, but there was a child in me, and from that moment I already understood that I was safe. Here, the love of Torah led to distortion (at least in the short term). This policy is an expression of that ardent love of Torah that sometimes spoiled the order.

His way of learning reflects a considerable degree of autodidacticism. He does not use the usual scholarly jargon (although his style is decidedly traditional-rabbinical), and sometimes I got the feeling that he was studying like a "homeboy." This is a result of the fact that his formal stay in yeshivot was quite short (one time at a very young age in Baranovichi with Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, another with his uncle the gaon Rabbi Shabtai Yagel in Slonim, and a longer period at the age of choice in Keltzek with Rabbi Aharon Kotler). My Maggid in Bnei Brak told me that it was mainly a question of translation, and indeed, to a large extent, that was true.

But there was something here beyond questions of style. The yeshiva definitions sound familiar to all of us, and precisely because of this, they sometimes cover up ambiguity in understanding things. All we need to do is raise a yeshiva division and all the problems are solved. Rabbi Yagel wanted to understand things with the ordinary human mind, and not just fit them into pre-prepared logical and terminological patterns.

I will give here two examples that I now recall (out of many others), of this way of learning:[1]

1. All dalim are greater. There are situations in which the halakha states that the dayanim do not intervene in a financial dispute, and tell the parties, "All dalim are greater," meaning you decide alone (and perhaps even to the extent of violence). In the yeshiva world, it is customary to investigate whether this is the dayanim's withdrawal, as if the matter were left without a legal decision, or whether there is a decision here. A central source on this matter is the Rosh in the chapter "Ownership of Houses," which states that if Reuven managed to seize the object, this is in itself evidence that the object is his, since the one who is right usually invests the most effort, and most likely he will be the one who will succeed.

Rabbi Yagel refused to accept a system that allows judges to withdraw from the law. He presented evidence that they have an obligation to decide in every case, even if it is for the sake of social order. He proved this precisely from the words of the Rosh himself, whose words in the Teshuva (where he speaks of withdrawal) seemingly contradict his words in the rulings. Rabbi Yagel presented evidence from this that even those who speak of withdrawal do not really intend such a thing in its simple meaning. There is a positive decision here, although it looks like withdrawal, but ultimately its concern is justice and the fulfillment of the judicial duty.

1. Relatives are disqualified. Relatives are disqualified from testifying and judging. And here it is already stated in the Gemara that the disqualification of relatives is not due to fear that they are lying, but rather from the 'scriptural decree', and therefore they are disqualified from testifying also to the obligation of their relative and not only to his benefit. This is also ruled in the Rambam and in the Shulchan Aruch. And here Rabbi Yagel is not satisfied with this, and he sets out to prove that the intention is not the scriptural decree, which has no basis, but rather the Torah teaches us that relatives tend to distort the view in contexts that have a kinship relationship with them, and therefore their testimony should not be relied upon. There is no intentional distortion here, for every person has the presumption of kashrut, and we have accepted that no person sins and does not. However, there is a distortion here that stems from the bias in the kinship, and therefore it can lead to both the relative's benefit and his liability.

These two are examples of banal yeshivah investigations, which Rabbi Yagel gave a formulation that seems to be "in my own home," but in fact expresses a desire to understand and deepen and see the reason and explanation in everything.

Several times he complained to me that yeshiva students were not working in an organized and constructive manner. He was willing to present to them everything that was known about yeshiva issues in an organized and structured manner, so that they could continue to progress from here on out, rather than each of them having to 'invent the wheel' every time.

I once heard from a relative of Rabbi Shulman zt"l (the Rosh Yeshiva of Slobodka, one of the greats of the previous generation) that he told her that the only true Rosh Yeshiva he knew of this generation was... Rabbi Yagel. When I asked him why, he said that his love and concern for his students, which was truly selfless, reminded him of 'mythical' Rosh Yeshiva heads from past generations. Every student who was in a yeshiva week was interested in whether he was doing well, and perhaps something could be improved, or transferred to another yeshiva. Rabbi Yagel was also interested in the situation of the graduates, and never missed a single wedding or bar mitzvah of a graduate, a graduate's son, or a grandson. With any problem in life, one could turn to Rabbi Yagel, and he was confident that he would mobilize several of the thousands of graduates to solve the problem.

His connections with the graduates were unrelated to each one's identity or occupation. He had connections with different graduates from different fields, although usually around Torah.

His educational leadership was also unique, and despite his outward roughness, it was sometimes very sophisticated. Through the eyes of an adult, I understood what I could not understand as a student. Today, it is clear to me that Rabbi Yagel advocated an educational method of double messages. On the one hand, he made us afraid when we engaged in various activities at the expense of our studies. On the other hand, he gave us all the feeling that we had a duty to devote ourselves to the society around us (and it was clear to us that this was also at the expense of our studies), and he was also very proud of our activities. Running away from the midrash for settlements was another forbidden-permitted act, from the same family.

Over the years, some members of the group established a Bnei Akiva branch in Karkur (which had important social-spiritual value, beyond the regular branch in the city). Almost every week, over a fairly long period of time, we would 'carry' the instructor's bike, and escape from him on our own bike, in order to get to the branch for instruction. Sometimes this was done with the help of that instructor's wife. In those days, we were accompanied by a clear sense of great sages who managed to outwit the management every time. Today, as an adult, I understand that this was part of the same policy of double-message. It is clear that that instructor was not such a big fool who fell into the trap week after week without learning a lesson. This was a sophisticated way to increase our motivation to engage in positive activity in the environment, even though it was accompanied by threats and warnings that the framework must be maintained and that this should not be done at the expense of studies.

One of the most famous is that Rabbi Yagel was not willing to "kick" a student out of the midrash, and this is probably based on instructions he received from his rabbi, the author of the Chazon Ish. Indeed, in an article he wrote in the Niv Midrashiya (reprinted in the book "Bameshuk HaYovel," p. 56) on education according to the Shulchan Aruch, he speaks of the various considerations of concern for the individual versus the good of the whole, based on the assumption that every student is capable of correction. Although it is sometimes necessary to expel him (but only if he himself is not willing to act to correct him), in practice, as far as I know, this was not applied. He would resort to various and strange ways to avoid the need to expel a student from the midrashiya.

Rabbi Yagel sometimes behaved as if the midrash was the Volozhin yeshiva of our generation. This approach always seemed to us extremely naive. He insisted on not giving up a moment of Torah study, and spoke passionately about concepts such as 'abolition of Torah', even though he knew very well that most students do not really make the most of every hour (to put it mildly). I think this is also part of the same double message system: on the one hand, demands that seem disconnected from reality, and on the other hand, a sober awareness of reality as it is.

One day, childhood was thrown at me, and following an intervention with friends, I went up on stage in the Beit Midrash in the middle of the evening seder, amidst shouts from friends. I had to 'hold my ground' at the top for a full minute, with all the rabbis shouting and calling me to come down. This was done, of course, when Rabbi Yagel was not in the court, otherwise I would have been immediately rewarded with a taste of his arm. That night Rabbi Yagel called me to his house, and I will never forget our conversation then. He almost cried at the abrogation of the Torah that I had caused, and asked me how I dared to do it. I almost chuckled to myself (if I dared) when I thought about the fact that none of us had even considered studying there. He then asked if I understood the significance of the words, and advised me (but did not command me) to undertake a verbal fast for the next day and study Torah all day. Before the incident, the concept of 'abolishing the Torah' never even crossed my mind, as our approach was not that of a yeshiva, and studying the Seder 'was not really at the forefront of our minds.' After that conversation, I learned a lesson that I will never forget. Seemingly a detached approach, which talks to young people who are excited about concepts like 'abolishing the Torah by rabbis,' but in retrospect this approach leaves its mark for years on everyone who has encountered it.

Rabbi Yagel, and the Midrashiya in general, were ahead of their time in several areas. Together with the late Rabbi Yisrael Sadan, Rabbi Yagel insisted that the Midrashiya open its doors to youth from the periphery, and many of those youth owe their success in various fields to them. The development of secular studies was a topic that occupied Rabbi Yagel quite a bit, along with a constant concern for the fate of sacred studies. He never let the 'rating' sway him from his principles, and was very angry about these phenomena when they occurred in the Midrashiya, as well as in other institutions. More than once he complained to me that students go on vacation on Thursday, and not on Friday. "This is a cancellation of the Torah," he said. I tried to say that to the best of my knowledge, most students will not study much Torah, neither on Friday night nor in the morning, and especially before going on Shabbat vacation, and perhaps there is a place to allow them to freshen up and spend time at home with their families. But he was not prepared to accept such a 'cancellation of the Torah' in any way.

In his last years, when his condition no longer allowed him to participate actively in the management of the Midrashiya, and even in the meetings of the management and its committees, he did not spare his strength, and worked with incredible vigor in recruiting supporters for his positions in the various debates that were on the agenda, tirelessly and with a persistence that ultimately usually brought about the desired result for him. It was difficult to stand against him, beyond his special status as the majority of the participants in the discussions. I did not always agree with his positions, but I always greatly appreciated the fact that in a situation and at an age when other people are mainly concerned with "krekatzen" and taking care of themselves, this elderly Jew, this eternal old-young man, is engaged with the Midrashiya, its conduct and its students, with the utmost vigor and energy. We all remember him there fighting for his positions like a hound protecting her puppies.

Even after particularly bitter arguments, he would come up to me after the meeting and ask how my wife and children (by name) were doing. These things were not said out of obligation, and certainly not just to lighten the mood, but out of genuine interest, and while going into detail about each child, where and what they were studying, where my wife worked, how she was doing, and so on.

I received quite a few phone calls from him, with requests to intervene and examine and handle various things, to be more involved, and certainly to come to meetings to vote on one or another 'critical' and 'serious' issue (almost everything was like that in his eyes). I know for sure that I wasn't the only one. Things were on his mind, and so he usually managed to convey his positions.

Rebbetzin Yocheved Tvdla told me during my visit last week at the Laniado Hospital that a doctor from Beilinson Hospital came to see him and said that although the situation was very difficult (all of his body's systems had already collapsed), he saw in him a vitality that gave room for hope, even at his advanced age. And indeed, vitality was one of Rabbi Yagel's most prominent characteristics. Who doesn't remember him racing all over the country on a motorcycle, especially in Pardes Hanna, and later in his car. Chasing students at night. Treating students in the midrashiya and outside (in yeshivahs, on escapes, in settlements, and more). Takes an interest in and helps graduates (he would go as far as the Suez Canal to visit graduates. At the funeral, we heard that when Rabbi Yagel heard that one of his students was shaving with a razor while in reserve on the banks of the canal following the 1945-46 war, he immediately drove to the canal with his car and a razor). Seeks out and recruits teachers. Recruits and trains the teachers, and makes sure that their lessons are prepared and conducted properly. Participates in the activities of the board of directors and its various committees. And above all, studies and teaches Torah in depth and with dedication day and night, wherever he is. A small part of the result of this tremendous effort is found in the two volumes of 'Netivot Yehoshua' that are available in most yeshiva libraries.

The Sages teach us that whoever teaches his friend's son Torah is elevated by the Scripture as if he were his own son. Rabbi Yagel demonstrated to us the profound meaning of this proverb. After seeing it, there is no need for Rashi's commentary. His thousands of students, their sons and grandsons, were all his sons, and I assume that most of them felt it. Their attitude towards him expresses it in the most beautiful way. It is famous that the students of the midrashiya throughout their generations feel a special brotherhood towards each other. It seems that a significant part of this stems from our common 'father'.

It is usually said of a great man who has passed away, "Who will give us his reward?" But Rabbi Yagel taught us not to wait for someone to lead us, or to be a replacement and a substitute. He expected us to know how to stand on our own two feet, and to continue what he tried to instill in us, each in his own way. I am convinced that something of him is found in each of us. This is his reward, this is his replacement, and with all this he is now returning and standing before his Creator with full hands, in the sense of "returning to the Lord on a mission." Like that man of old who returns to the High Priest after sending the goat on Yom Kippur, and says to him: "My High Priest, I have fulfilled your mission."

We are blessed to have had the privilege of meeting, learning from, and being inspired by this unique personality. May his memory be blessed.

[1] I have seen them before in printed stencils he gave me, and even from conversations we had on both subjects. The first example appears in both of his books on the subject of all male dalim in Pg 3 Dvb. I did not find the second one there (in a cursory search).