Teaneck—At 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, Rabbi Yaakov Werblowsky gave his first of five shiurim about Jewish monarchs in halacha as part of the annual Summer Kollel program at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun (CBY). CBY has run the kollel for 13 years, though this is the first year Rabbi Werblowsky has given this particular type of shiur, which delves into Tanach and halacha on a level that can be understood and enjoyed by everyone. Both men and women are invited to this series.
The Bnai Yeshurun Summer Kollel was established 12 years ago by veterans of the CBY community to give its members greater exposure to serious Torah learning. Rabbi Jason Finkelstein, who organizes the kollel, explained to The Jewish Link, “There are 11 men who are in the YU Kollel during the year, and YU basically shuts down at the end of June, so this [gives] them a place to learn and at the same time allows the community to benefit from them learning in Bnai Yeshurun.” The kollel is generously supported by the CBY community through its Beit Midrash Program.
Rabbi Werblowsky elaborated on the mechanics of the kollel, which is split into morning and afternoon sedarim: “The first seder is a unified one, everyone learning while Rabbi [Yaakov] Neuburger gives shiur four days a week. During the second seder, people learn Gemara on their own. And all the members come back to learn in the beit midrash [at night] and are available for chavrutas (learning one-on-one) with the people of the community.”
Rabbi Yaakov Werblowsky grew up in the Bnai Yeshurun area of Teaneck, went to Yeshiva University, received his rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (REITS) and is a graduate of REITS’ Wexner Kollel Elyon. He is currently a maggid shiur in YU and has been involved with YU’s Masmidim Honors Program. Rabbi Finkelstein referred to him as “a very accomplished talmid chacham who plays a big role in the YU Beit Midrash.” He lives in Passaic with his wife, Tova, and children.
The summer kollel itself is small, but it plays an important role in the greater CBY community. “The people that have come and learned with the kollel benefitted in a very strong way, and for some people it’s the highlight of their year; they’re able to have these chavrutas that come from the yeshiva, and it’s open for all to take advantage,” said Rabbi Finkelstein. Rabbi Werblowsky added: “[The kollel members] are here to strengthen the community in general and specifically to be available for chavrutas in the evenings. Every day they’re in the beit midrash learning, and it creates a presence in the community.”
Rabbi Werblowsky’s first Wedensday night shiur began with a question: What is the role of a Jewish king in halacha? Rabbi Werblowsky introduced the Tanach sources in sefer Devarim and sefer Shmuel, which are ambiguous about whether having a Jewish king is ideal or not. He then presented the Rambam, who describes the dual role of the king as both the enforcer of Torah law and the commander-in-chief of the Jewish army, though Rabbi Werblowsky noted that not all the commentaries agree with Rambam that the role of military leader is ideal for a king. Rabbi Werblowsky concluded the shiur by saying that, according to Rambam, a good Jewish king’s heart embodies all of Israel.
Rabbi Werblowsky chose to give the shiur series about Jewish kings because the topic has different aspects that appeal to different types of people. “I thought this was broad enough to pique people’s interests,” he said. “It has different angles: the Tanach angle, the general social angle, the halachic angles; these are important sugyas [topics].”
Rabbi Finkelstein viewed the shiur in a similar vein. “The shiur covers a lot of the areas of Tanach, halacha and hashkafa, so it can reach a broad audience,” he said. “People who are interested in many different things can benefit from that shiur.”
The turnout of over 20 people was a pleasant surprise for Rabbi Werblowsky, who didn’t know how many people to expect and did not even print out enough source sheets.
Rabbi Werblowsky will continue to give shiurim on the topic of “Melachim: The Torah’s View on Kings in Tanach, Halacha and Hashkafa” on Wednesday evenings at Bnai Yeshurun through the month of July. He also gives a weekly parsha shiur at 11:00 a.m. on Fridays. For more information about the kollel, contact Rabbi Finkelstein at [email protected].
By Tani Greengart
Tani Greengart is a rising senior at TABC and editor-in-chief of Kol Torah. He is currently a summer intern at The Jewish Link.
