A NOBLE CONCESSION THAT BROUGHT LONG LIFE

Together with his fervent desire for the position of rav of Yekatrinoslav, Rabbi Bunin was a man with a very refined and exemplary character who recognized the greatness of Rabbi Schneersohn. He knew that he himself was more of an orator, while Rabbi Schneersohn was more outstanding for his deeds. Thus, he felt that if the community would choose their rav based on the sermon he gave, they would likely choose him and not the one who was better suited for the job. Rabbi Bunin was faced with a difficult internal struggle, and he eventually decided to withdraw his consideration of this lofty post, choosing instead to use his connections on behalf of Rabbi Schneersohn’s election. His decision was made with a heavy heart, but also with absolute determination…

Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

Last month, we publicized in this column an amazing miracle of how the Rebbe hinted through a pasuk in T’hillim to a Belzer Chassid from B’nei Brak, Rabbi Elimelech Fried, how many more years he would live in this world. The story aroused many enthusiastic responses. One of them was from the mashpia, Rabbi Bentzion Grossman of Migdal HaEmek, who asked if he could share another amazing miracle story with our readers that he heard about forty years ago. While he had kept the story to himself since then, he now knew by Divine Providence that the time had come to publicize it on a wide scale.

He personally heard the story from Rabbi Michel Piekarski of Crown Heights, who regularly sat in the first row behind the Rebbe in Beis Chayeinu. Rabbi Grossman, who was still a young bachur/avreich at the time, maintained good friendly relations with Rabbi Piekarski. This eventually introduced him to Rabbi Piekarski’s uncle, the famed Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin, an outstanding rabbinical figure of the previous generation in the Soviet Union and the United States, and a tremendous scholar in Torah and Halacha. While he didn’t identify himself as a Chabad Chassid, he had great love and affection for the Rebbe and Chabad Chassidus.

Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin, of blessed memory, returned his soul to its Maker in 5742 at the age of one hundred and ten in Yerushalayim, where he was living at the time. When he was one hundred and seven years old, he was the oldest living American citizen, earning him a visit from the American ambassador and a delegation from the State Department in Eretz Yisroel. They presented him with a special letter from the President of the United States.

In whose merit did he live so many good, long, and healthy years? It was exactly this story that Rabbi Bunin told one year to his nephew, Rabbi Michel Piekarski, who shared it with his friend and acquaintance, Rabbi Bentzion Grossman.

AN AMAZING CONCESSION

“Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin was already friendly with Lubavitch back in the early Yud’im (fifties),” said Rabbi Grossman. “Anyone who reads the diaries written by those present at the Rebbe Rayatz’s levaya can see an entry on a distinguished looking Jew who read together with the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach from the same Seifer T’hillim. This was none other than Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin, who was already seventy-five years old by Yud Shvat 5710.

“Before Rabbi Bunin immigrated to the United States, he was already renowned as a giant in Talmud study, a Halachic authority who maintained correspondence with all the leading Torah scholars of the previous generation. He was born in 5632 in the city of Molev, near Haditch, to a family of Trisker Chassidim, a branch of the illustrious Chernobyl Chassidim.

“When he was still a young boy, he had already achieved much distinction in his Torah study. His diligence became known far and wide, and scholars everywhere spoke highly of the pearls of wisdom that emerged from his Torah classes and discourses. His greatness was a combination of his amazing knowledge alongside his ability to explain profound Torah subjects to common people.

“Even before his wedding, he received his ordination from leading rabbinical figures in Russia of over a century ago, and he served with tremendous brilliance as a rav in prominent Jewish communities. A recently sold archive included hundreds of letters he received from leading Torah giants of that generation, including the Chafetz Chaim. He also received a siddur from the Rebbe Rayatz with a personal dedication and correspondences with very unique titles not often bestowed upon men of Torah and Yiras Shamayim.

“The following story relates to an offer he received to serve in the rabbinate of the city of Yekatrinoslav.

“There were two candidates for this coveted post: Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin and the father of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn. Yekatrinoslav was a prestigious city with numerous synagogues and a large and respected Jewish community. For Rabbi Bunin, an appointment to serve as the rav of this city would be a great honor. In those days, a rabbi who wanted to be accepted for a rabbinical post had to give a sermon, and there would be others rabbanim like him competing for the position. Community members would then vote for their preferred candidate.

“From the very outset of the race, it seemed clear that those in power in Yekatrinoslav’s Jewish community preferred Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin. During the preceding years, people had been made aware of the reputation of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn as an outstanding and fearless Jewish leader who would scrupulously follow the path of Torah and mitzvos without compromise. However, there were many community leaders who were deeply troubled by this. In those days, the Zionist movement was taking root in Yekatrinoslav, and this generated much concern over the candidacy of Rabbi Schneersohn.

“Together with his fervent desire for the position, Rabbi Bunin was a man with a very refined and exemplary character who recognized the greatness of Rabbi Schneersohn. He knew that he was more of an orator, while Rabbi Schneersohn was more outstanding for his deeds. Thus, he felt that if the community would choose their rav based on the sermon he gave, they would likely choose him and not the one who was better suited for the job. Rabbi Bunin was faced with a difficult internal struggle, and he eventually decided to withdraw his consideration of this lofty post, choosing instead to use his connections on behalf of Rabbi Schneersohn’s election. His decision was made with a heavy heart, but also with absolute determination.

“Eventually, after much consideration, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn was chosen as rav of the Jewish community of Yekatrinoslav. Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin continued on his own path and he was privileged to serve as the rav of Jewish communities in other cities. After the Holocaust, he managed to reach the Western Hemisphere, and he stayed in continuous touch with the Rebbe Rayatz and his successor, the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. In addition, he had close contact with the Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, known as the “Shefa Chaim,” who was then living in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg section.”

IN YECHIDUS WITH THE REBBE

“During one of the early years after the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach assumed the Chabad-Lubavitch leadership, Rabbi Bunin casually mentioned to his nephew, Rabbi Michel Piekarski, about his decision to give up the rabbinate in Yekatrinoslav in favor of the Rebbe’s father. As is known, the Rebbe MH”M always wanted to hear about his father from people who knew him, and Rabbi Piekarski urged Rabbi Bunin to go in for yechidus with the Rebbe and tell about his acquaintance with the Rebbe’s father, including this story. Rabbi Bunin agreed.

“Rabbi Bunin, who had already passed the age of eighty by this time, told the Rebbe in yechidus about the events of those times. According to Rabbi Bunin, the Rebbe’s face shone with great pleasure and satisfaction, and the Rebbe blessed him with a long and happy life. This is exactly what happened.

“At the age of ninety, Rabbi Bunin moved to Yerushalayim, establishing his residence in Yerushalayim’s Shikun Sanz neighborhood.

“To illustrate how fully the Rebbe MH”M’s bracha to Rabbi Bunin was realized, there are those who live long lives yet they become a heavy burden upon their families’ shoulders. However, Rabbi Bunin retained his strength, and to the amazement of everyone, he regularly lifted the Torah scroll up until a few years before his passing at the age of one hundred and five.

“Although he had already passed the age of one hundred, he would go regularly to the Mea Sh’arim neighborhood to deal with his banking matters. Afterward, he would go into the local battei midrash and study Torah in great depth.”

THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES TAKE AN INTEREST

“In conclusion, here’s an interesting addendum: One day, the telephone rang in the home of the Spitzer family in Yerushalayim, where Rabbi Yitzchak Bunin was living. On the line were representatives of the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv. A clerk in the Treasury Department had recently discovered that there was someone listed as a pension recipient, aged one hundred and seven. Concerned that this might a swindle, the matter was investigated to determine if someone was possibly using the person’s name for fraudulent purposes.

“When officials called his sons in the United States, they were surprised to hear that their father was indeed still alive. They eventually came to the Spitzers’ house in Yerushalayim to see for themselves. When Rabbi Bunin heard that the embassy officials wished to see him, he happily agreed. One day, a delegation arrived carrying a flower wreath and a decorative tray of fruit. They sat with him for a while, totally amazed that his intellectual acumen and clarity at his age remained fully intact.

“This is the great value of a bracha from the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, who was most grateful to Rabbi Bunin for the kindness he showed towards his father,” Rabbi Bentzion Grossman said as he concluded his story. In his words, Rabbi Bunin had been a well-known personality in Chassidic communities outside of Lubavitch, and for some reason, this episode had never been made public before. “I was privileged that when Rabbi Bunin was ninety-four years old and already living in the Holy City of Yerushalayim, he honored me with his presence at the bris of my first-born son. He even gave a very deep D’var Torah, and as always, he knew how to captivate an audience.”