Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein Urges Bnei Torah: ‘Even When Insulted, Forgive, Stay Silent, and Make a Kiddush Hashem’

Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein Urges Bnei Torah: ‘Even When Insulted, Forgive, Stay Silent, and Make a Kiddush Hashem’

Against the backdrop of increasing incitement against the Torah world and bnei yeshivah, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein delivered a stirring message of chizuk and guidance to avreichim, urging them to conduct themselves with dignity, refinement, and restraint during bein hazmanim, especially when confronted by those hostile to the chareidi community. The remarks were delivered at the bais medrash of Kollel Beis Dovid in Cholon, where Rav Zilberstein, Rav of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak, addressed dozens of avreichim learning in the kollel. In anticipation of bein hazmanim, he focused on several practical areas of hanhagah, including how a ben Torah should respond when encountering anti-chareidi hostility. Opening his remarks, Rav Zilberstein said: “What should we speak about before bein hazmanim? What do we need to strengthen ourselves in? Listen, my dear ones… A ben Torah who learns here is recognizable when he walks down the street. The first thing is his refinement of character. Someone who learns here, baruch Hashem—and what is ‘here’? This is Slabodka. In Slabodka, we are taught and trained to speak with exceptional derech eretz. We don’t shout in the streets. It should never be seen or found that a ben yeshivah shouts like a donkey… We don’t shout.” Rav Zilberstein continued by describing the proper response when a ben Torah is insulted or criticized. “The second thing is that our tradition, as bnei yeshivah, is that when someone insults us, we forgive him immediately and say, ‘Thank you very much for your comment. I’ll take it to heart.’ That is how they taught us in Slabodka. That is how a ben yeshivah behaves.” He stressed that every ben Torah serves as a public representative of the Torah world, particularly during bein hazmanim, when many are away from their regular learning schedule. “When we go out into the streets during bein hazmanim, everyone who sees us should recognize that this is the seed whom Hashem has blessed. How? First of all, we don’t shout. We don’t eat in the street. We don’t eat ice cream or lick it… By licking, you spoil things… That too is not appropriate.” Rav Zilberstein concluded with an impassioned appeal for bnei Torah to respond to provocation with humility and grace, emphasizing that such conduct creates the greatest possible Kiddush Hashem. “And above all, if someone insults us, we respond by saying, ‘Please forgive me. Perhaps you’re right. We’ll try to do better next time.’ That is what is called a Kiddush Hashem—a truly extraordinary Kiddush Hashem.” {Matzav.com}