How Rabbi Moshe Lichtman from Beit Shemesh Changed My Life

The Chafetz Chaim and His Seforim

The Chafetz Chaim is known for the many seforim that he wrote. Through his various seforim, the Chafetz Chaim made an incredible impact on all of Klal Yisroel. I don't even need to tell you how widespread the Chafetz Chaim and the Mishna Berura are today. These seforim are accepted universally and can be found in every shul, even though they are less than 100 years old!

Many of his seforim aren't well known. Many of these seforim were written for certain segments of the Jewish population. For example, he wrote "Machaneh Yisrael" for Jewish soldiers who were conscripted into the Russian army. In the Chafetz Chaim's days, young kids were often taken by the Russians to serve in the army and they were not released until adulthood. The Chafetz Chaim wrote "Machaneh Yisrael" for these Jewish soldiers so that they would have direction in how to live Jewishly despite not being in the best of circumstances. Similarily, he wrote "Nidchei Yisroel" to provide guidance for Jews living in populations where there were not a lot of other Jews.

Moshe Lichtman's Seforim Have Changed My Life

Each of the Chafetz Chaim's seforim were written with a certain goal in mind and each sefer has changed Klal Yisroel in a certain way. For example, Sefer Chafetz Chaim is about the gravity of speaking "lashon hara" and has been instrumental in the decrease of Lashon Hara that is spoke today.

Most of Moshe Lichtman's seforim have one goal in mind: teach Klal Yisroel the importance and beauty of Eretz Yisroel as a key part of the Torah (as Rabbi Lichtman quotes in the back of one of his seform, Reb Yaakov Emden says: Eretz Yisroel is the peg that the entire Torah hangs on).

Eim Habanim Semeicha

Lets start with Rabbi Lichtman's translation of Eim Habanim Semeicha. This book was written by Rabbi Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal. Rabbi Teichtal was in the Jewish ghetto during world war II without seforim. Nonetheless, he someone wrote this extensive book filled with sources that clearly shows how it is mandatory for every Jew to move to Israel. Its entirely based on sources from pesukim, gemaras, and midrashim.

Earlier this year, I made a trip to Eretz Yisroel with my wife. I have always loved Eretz Yisroel and felt an emotional connection to it and I have always contemplated moving back there (it has been 6 years since I left). The trip was very inspiring for me and we had an incredible tour guide ever from Chavaya Israelit who brought out the religious beauty of each place that we visited.

On this trip, I decided to learn Rav Lichtman's translation of Eim Habanim Semeicha while we traveled on the tour bus from location to location. By reading Eim Habanim Semeicha, I got a true Torah perspective of Eretz Yisroel. It was something I never heard before and was incredible. Reading this book that brought me to conclude that I MUST move to Eretz Yisroel.

Interestingly enough, I mentioned to a colleague who used to live in Baltimore and has since made aliyah to Modiin (Elliot Cahan) that I was planning on making aliyah, especially after having reading "Eim Habanim Semeicha". He related that he was once in a chabura in Baltimore that learned that sefer for an entire year. EVERY SINGLE PERSON FROM THAT CHABURA WAS SO INSPIRTED THAT THEY ALL MADE ALIYAH. Goel Jasper from Arutz Sheva's Aliyah Revolution is another person from that chabura who made aliyah.

Eretz Yisroel in the Parasha

Its been hard to keep the excitement of inspiration of Eretz Yisroel in chutz l'aretz since I returned. I am not in Israel, and hence, I am less connected to it. All I really have is the memories I have of Eretz Yisroel, the ideas that it is important and crucial to live there, and.....Moshe Lichtman's newer book "Eretz Yisroel in the Parasha."

When I was in yeshiva in Israel, I used to always think it was ridiculous when I would go to certain homes that all the divrei torah were about Eretz Yisroel. However, I realized that:
a)the families were saying those divrei torah because I was there and they wanted to provide me with inspiration and
b) they were truly inspired by Eretz Yisroel and hence, that came out in what they found inspiring in Chumash.
I found the latter reason to reasonate in me as well after my return to CHUL. When I came back from my trip, every parasha somehow had a message for me about how special and beloved Eretz Yisroel is.

"Eretz Yisroel in the Parasha" has divrei torah for every parasha on how great and important Eretz Yisroel is. It has been crucial for me to keep the momentum up and the ispiration to return to Eretz Yisroel. All I keep saying is, for hundreds of years, clal yisroel has begged for the time that they could live in Israel again. We daven about how incredible Eretz Yisroel is every day and every parasha talks about how important Israel is. Now its accesible to us in our generation like no other generation. I feel that I am idiot if I don't move there.

Me'afar Kumi

I was told recently that Rabbi Lichtman is now translating another book called "Me'afar Kumi." I have never heard of it and don't know the author of the sefer's name. However, I was told that this book shows how crucial and important Yishuv Eretz Yisroel is like no other book (thats is a big claim since Eim Habanim Semeicha is so compelling).

I can't wait for the book to be finished and to come out.

I truly wish that Hashem could grant Rabbi Lichtman only berachos of the highest caliber so that he can continue with his holy work.