Not long after the passing of Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l almost five years ago, a treasure was found. Rav Binyamin, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of South Shore, was known for his delightful oratory that matched every one of life’s occasions with a vort on the parsha or a homiletic thought, along with the extraordinary love he had for all yidden.
The family thought that most of his drashos were lost to the ages, but they were wrong. After his passing, they found boxes and boxes filled with notes of Torah thoughts, ideas and drashos that Rav Binyamin had jotted down either after he spoke or in preparation for a drasha.
After four years of arduous work, these handwritten drashos and chiddushim have been published by his grandson, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky of Yeshiva of South Shore, in a magnificent two-volume set, “Chelkas Binyamin.”
Last week, Rabbi Kamenetzky, brought the culmination of his efforts to his great-uncle, HaRav Shmuel Kamenetzky shlit”a, with whom he shares his namesake.
In humble fashion for which the Rosh Yeshiva is particularly known, Rav Shmuel Kamenetzky shlit”a, zkan Roshei Yeshivos in America, became emotional when presented with the newly published sefer of his late older brother, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky zt”l “He had tremendous yedios.” Rav Shmuel commented, “and he had a geshmak to help Yidden.”
The young Rabbi Kamenetzky explained that Rav Shmuel shlit”a was beaming that now, the project has come full circle.
“Right after my grandfather’s petira, I found hundreds of pages of his notes, containing chidushim and drashos on a wide array of inyanim, and was deciding if I should spend the time working on them,” he explained. “I came to speak to Rav Shmuel shlit”a, who encouraged me to put in the effort.
“It was a long process, and a labor of love. After realizing that taking over 600 written pages of divrei Torah and transforming it into a beautiful, readable sefer was no easy feat, I invited Rabbi Shimon Szimanowitz of Machon Aleh Zayis, a well-known expert in the field of Torah publishing, to guide me and direct the project. He and his team were a tremendous resource in the editing and research involved.
“Boruch Hashem, four years, and hundreds of hours of work later, I presented Rav Shmuel the peiros of his bracha”.
Rav Shmuel marveled at the two-volume sefer, smiling as he gleaned through the 1,200 pages, pausing to read a chiddush from that week’s parsha.
He reminisced about his brother Rav Binyamin zt”l, with whom he learned together in Vilkomir, Lithuania, and traveled by boat to Canada together with their mother, brothers, and sisters to join their father Rav Yaakov zt”l, who had arrived in America earlier and had since become the Rav in Toronto, where he was alone. Rav Binyamin immediately traveled to Williamsburg to learn under Hagaon Rav Dovid Lebowitz zt”l, while Rav Shmuel remained in Toronto.
Eventually, they united again in yeshiva – this time in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, where they both learned under Rav Yaakov’s cousin, Rav Ruderman zt”l.
Rav Shmuel eventually left for Lakewood to learn under Rav Ahron Kotler zt”l, and Rav Binyamin settled in East New York, shortly after his marriage to the daughter of the Ostrov Kalushiner Rebb of the Bronx, HaRov Pinchos Eliyahu Speigel zt”l.
Rav Binyamin began his hashpa’ah on klall yisroel in East New York, where he served as a Rav and a rebbe in Yeshiva Toras Chaim, the prominent yeshiva led by Rav Yitzchok Schmidman zt”l which produced some of our generation’s gedolim such as Rav Shlomo Freifeld zt”l and the Novominsker Rebbe zt”l.
In 1956, with the encouragement of his father Rav Yaakov, Rav Binyamin moved out of the comforts of the prominent Jewish Community of East New York, to lead a new kehilla in the remote Long Island town of Woodmere, one of the “Five Towns”. There, he founded Yeshiva of South Shore, TAG girls school, and Cong. Eitz Chaim (which became Young Israel of Woodmere) and was instrumental in the building of tens of other mosdos of Torah and tefillah during his life.
Today, the Five Towns boast thousands of frum families with an ever-growing kehilla, and Yeshiva of South Shore, the yeshiva he founded is still bursting at the seams with over 700 talmidim. Mesivta Ateres Yaakov and Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns, offshoots of his efforts, germinated from the seeds that he planted, are flourishing as well.
Over his 60 years in the Five Towns, Rav Binyamin influenced thousands of yidden, bringing them closer to Torah, and introducing them to the mesorah of Torah and chinuch of his Rabbeim from Europe.
“He was able to influence a lot of people and be koneh them with his ehrlichkeit.” Rav Shmuel explained. Rav Binyamin zt”l was known for his golden heart, his warmth, and his vision – building Torah on Long Island, but during his lifetime, he hid his gadlus in yedios haTotah. Now, almost five years after his petirah, Sefer Chalkas Binyamin reveals it all.
The sefer contains divrei Torah and divrei chizuk on the Parsha, moadim, and many topics including bris, bar mitzvah, and sheva brachos, mostly from his own notes. Throughout his life, Rav Binyamin darshened all over the country, canvassing shuls, yeshivos, and simchos of his talmidim and supporters of his mosdos. With wisdom and wit, and hartz, he wove chiddushim from gedolei olam with remazim and derush, and always culminating with practical divrei chizzuk tailored to his listeners.
He often quoted his Rabbim from his time in yeshiva in Europe and America, many chidushim “mipi hashemua,” as well as from his Rabbiem in America. He was also proficient in Toras hachassidus, an obvious influence from his revered father-in-law, and his great yichus leading back to the Chozeh of Lublin.
After admiring the main contents of the sefer, a warehouse of derush and machshava, Rav Shmuel turned to the back, to admire the biography section with color pictures. He glowed reminiscently as he recognized a picture of his old childhood friends from Europe.
”Ah… The London brothers!” he said. (But when saw the rare picture of his cheder class in Tzitivyan, he admitted that he did not remember the boys’ names!) “One of the most important goals of publishing this sefer is to ensure that my zaide’s influence on yidden will remain forever.” Rabbi Kamenetzky explained. “I believe that one who learns this sefer will be inspired and will grow – in the same way that those who knew Rav Binyamin did.”
Rav Shmuel shlit”a strengthened that thought. As his nephew took leave, he assured him with a smile, and noted – “Yidden will be mekabel his ehrlichkeit from this sefer.”
Sefer Chelkas Binyamin will inspire you and uplift you.
It is available now at all seforim stores, and available to order at chelkas.com with free shipping.
