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The seventh of Cheshvan is the yahrtzeit of Mr. Joseph Rosenberger, shatznez pioneer in America. In his tzava’a he asked that people learn l’ilui nishmaso.
Thank You.
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It is interesting to note, that prior to ???? ?? ??? ???? Rosenberger essentially reinstating the widely neglected mitzvah of shatnes, through his innovative methods, the general public knew virtually nil of this requirement.
Compare that to nowadays, when an askan brings to the public’s attention a widely neglected mitzvah (either that should be done or something that should not be done) to try to change the incorrect behavior of the public, there is a small, but consistently loud, segment of people that will deride them for too many chumras, or to start implementing something that their grandpa’s in the ’40’s never did – so why is it suddenly necessary.
B”H they weren’t around to stop ???? ?? ??? ???? in his avodas hakodesh.
I just saw this in an article:
In under a year, Rosenberger developed a quick and inexpensive test for the presence of linen in a garment,[4] but he still had to overcome the hurdle of convincing the Orthodox Jewish community of the importance of checking for shatnes. Rosenberger was often booted out of synagogues and assembly halls with derision by the public who did not believe him to be genuine.
So I guess he did have the same problem askanim today have!
Reb Yosef Z’TL did this beautiful mitvzvah of Shatnez le shem mitzvah, and for no monetary gain. He charged $1 to check for shatnez. I remember going on an Erev Shabbos in the summer and he was just about to close. We were leaving NY early Sunday morning to go abroad and just bought my husband a suit. We knocked on the door and he did it straight away. Then a young man came (with long hair in a pony tail,) and he too asked Reb Yosef Z’TL to do his new sport jacket lichvod Shabbos Kodesh, as he did not have anything else to wear. He said he would and the young man said, “what happens if there is shatnez in it, I won’t have anything else to wear”. Reb Yosef said patiently, “I then will remove the shatnez and send you to the tailor up the road, and you will be able to wear something new for heiliger Shabbos”!
Years before Reb Yosef Z’TL told me how he came about doing shatnez. He was in the camps and realized he would not be able to survive and he made a vow to H’KBH that if He granted him life, he would publicize the neglected mitzvah of shatnez for the rest of his days. He even wanted to teach me shatnez (he taught other women from out of town), but in my community it would not be accepted, and I refused his wonderful offer. He gave me shatnez material to take home to show my students, which I still have.
May his heiliger neshama have an aliya and may he be a meilitz yashar for his only daughter and her family and Klall Yisrael.
Thanks for starting this, Tzippi.
I remember R’ Rosenberger making the rounds in the 70′, and he would visit our yeshiva to introduce the concept of shatnez checking. (Prior to that, it was based on whatever the garment’s label said).
If I recall, R’ Rosenberger left behind no children (R’L), so learning in his zechus is something we need to do.
Again, thanks
The Best Bubby mentioned he has a daughter who has a family.
Wanted to bump this. Today is the 7th of Cheshvan, the yahrzeit of the “Shatnez Man”. In his Will he said that since he was so busy publicizing the Mitzvah, he didn’t have so much time to learn, so he asked that people learn or say some Tehillim, Leilui Nishmaso. Whoever can, please do so. His name was Yosef Ben Moshe Halevi.
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