Ohr Shimshon

This website is dedicated to the everlasting memory of Hagaon Hagadol Harav Shimshon Dovid Pincus Z”L.

The objective of this blog, is to contribute vignettes from Rav Shimshon’s Divrei Torah, Hashkafa, stories and Mussar on a variety of topics. These postings are intended to share the beautiful and enlightened world of Rav Shimshon, in the hopes of enabling its readers to learn from and emulate his ways. The postings will not be limited to Rav Shimshon’s Torah and will include vignettes from many other sources as well.

I would like to mention, that all of the contributions of Rav Shimshons’ Torah on this blog, are not of his own specific wording or copied verbatim from any of his writings. Rather, I have attempted to transcribe for our readers with my own pen, the beauty of Rav Shimshons’ Torah. However, I have faithfully made every attempt to stay true to his actual wording as I originally heard it (or read it) from him, as well as to do justice to his message and the inimitable styling which he employed in its conveyance.

A Labor Of Love

I created this website as a labor of love Lilui Nishmas Harav Shimshon Pincus Zatzal

If Rav Pincus ZL accomplished more in his 56 years than most people do in a lifetime, his accomplishments and influence after his petirah has been even greater.

As of the creation of this website in December 2009 and almost 9 years after his petirah, there have been countless seforim and english books published of Rav Shimshon’s Torah, Mussar and Hashkafa, covering a wide spectrum of Tanach. There are currently more seforim and books in print and waiting for publication.

What is it about this Gadol and his message that continues to captivate the masses and in even greater measure after his death?

There are many explanations. Chazal teach us that wicked people are considered to be dead even when they are alive, while righteous Tzadikim live on for eternity even when their physical bodies are no longer with us. Indeed, Chazal teach us that “Sifsoseihem Dovevos Bikivreihem” – “Their lips are moving in their graves”. This is to say that Tzadikim continue to live vicariously through those of us who study their works and grow from their teachings.

Still, I believe there is an additional and specific component to Rav Shimshons greatness which has served to catapult him to ever greater heights and prominence as a teacher of our people even after his petirah and until the coming of Mashiach.

Chazal teach us that we are living in a period called “Ikvesah Dimeshicha”, which literally means the “heels” of the Galus, as a metaphor for the end of time before the coming of Mashiach.

The Mashgiach, Rav Dan Segal Shlita, explains the significance of this interesting expression. Just like the heels of our feet have no feeling or sensation, (so to) we are living in a time where people are devoid of any feeling. The feelings and emotions which once tugged at the heartstrings of a Jew and which were always considered the hallmark of our people, have been dulled by the surrounding winds and pervasive influence of our times.

Today in our modern world, we are constantly bombarded with the surrounding filth of excess, indifference and immorality. Our souls have become caked with the grime of our indulgences and we can no longer “feel” the sensations of lofty and spiritual pursuits.

We look to our leaders for direction and guidance during these difficult times.

Moshe Rabbeinu, was the greatest leader of Am Yisrael that there ever was and ever will be. Yet, the Torah teaches us (Chazal) that Moshe Rabbeinu was a “kvad peh”, he spoke with a speech impediment.

When thinking about a great leader of people, one would conjure up an image of a dynamic and charismatic individual. A leader would be someone who has the ability to influence the people by the sheer force of his brilliant oratory skills etc.

To be sure, those are all good qualities to be an effective “public speaker“. However, to be a true leader, requires much more than effective public speaking. In fact, sometimes exceptional oratorical skills and flourishes can become a liability, when it serves to diminish the quality of the actual message which gets lost in the rhetoric. In addition, you will also find great speakers who deliver soaring speeches, albeit with a subpar message.

Chazal are teaching us that Hakadosh Baruch Hu purposefully made Moshe Rabbeinu a kvad peh, so that people would not confuse and attribute his tremendous leadership qualities and influence to the superficial strength of his oratory skills. Rather, it would be obvious that his gifts and unrivaled influence stemmed from the content of the rhetoric and from the power of the actual message itself.

Herein (and similarly) exists what I believe is the almost singular gift in many respects, which Hakadosh Baruch Hu has bestowed upon our generation, in Harav Shimshon Pincus Z”L.

Rav Shimshon would often quip in his self deprecating way, that he was neither proficient in the Hebrew or English language.

Born and raised in America, Rav Shimshon had no formal english education. He left to learn in Eretz Yisroel at a relatively young age and he never came back. He thus felt that he was never able to master the English language, while at the same time, he never fully developed his Hebrew language skills.

How then was he able to communicate so effectively with Jews from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds (American, Israeli, etc.)?

The answer was in the message itself.

 Rav Shimshon had the ability to reach directly inside the heart and soul of every Jew. His fiery and impassioned words tumbled out of his mouth in their haste to find way into the Jewish heart.

In a world and culture of increasing indifference and lack of feeling, Rav Shimshon entered the breach and filled the void with his unrivaled and unrelenting love for Hashem. Rav Shimshon’s unbridaled love for our Father in heaven, was evident in his every word and action. He taught us what it means to reach out and embrace Hakadosh Baruch Hu like a child to a father… He was so simplistic, yet so deep at the same time.

He taught us that the only salvation for Am Yisrael in this dark period of Ikvesa Dimeshicha, is to call out to Hashem from the depths, to plainly reach out to Him and to tell him that we cannot survive without him.

He taught us that in our generation, it’s not a question anymore of pursuing saintliness and exalted levels of perfection, but rather creating and cultivating a simple connection and relationship with our creator.

He explained how the very fact that (in the history of our creation) there has never been a more base and immoral culture, is actually the catalyst of our salvation…that our very merit in being the final frontier before the redemption, is due to our unprecedented ability in our generation to reach out to Hashem from the depths of our lowliness.

He explained how without attaining perfection of character, we could forge a relationship with Hashem by abstaining from and resisting the pervasive societal culture which surrounds us.

In short, his message was and continues to be perfect for our times.

In an ever expanding culture which lusts after immorality, indifference, fun, games and entertainment, Rav Shimshon’s message is like a soothing balm to open our hardened hearts and minds.

It is truly the message that carries the day and once you tap into it, it is completely infectious. Rav shimshons taped lectures and discourses, have the ability to make you sing, laugh and cry. It provides a spiritual nourishment without any external trappings of self aggrandizement and soaring rhetoric. There is no facade and no shtick, just simple and meaningful yearning for a connection to Borei Olam, whose love for us knows no boundaries.

His timeless and timely message is unrivaled in its ability to transform our lives, as anyone who has listened to Rav Shimshon’s tapes or learned from his Seforim can attest.

It is my fervent hope that the vignettes presented here, will serve as the impetus for all of our readers to tap into the wellsprings of soul food offered by this Tzaddik, whose influence will only continue to grow until the coming of Moshiach!

“Shmu Usechi Nafshechem”!

Y. Levi (a.k.a. “ylevi”)

Chanuka 2009

E-mail:  Dmaven@live.com

Permission to copy Torah from this blog for personal use is granted and we only ask that you kindly provide us with proper attribution in your reference(s).