JTF.ORG Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tzvi Ben Roshel1 on March 13, 2008, 06:52:24 PM
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Doron: Story of a True Tzaddik
Doron Mahareta (left) of blessed and saintly memory HY"D was one of the eight Yeshiva students that were massacred last week in Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav in Jerusalem.
Last night, I paid a shiva (condolence) call to Doron's family. Every single type of Jew was sitting together, from Ethiopians to Polish Chassidim, from knit kippot to Yerushalmi white kippot, from jeans and sandals to long black frocks. Too bad that it takes a martyr of Doron's magnitude to unite everyone.
One of the rabbis from Mercaz HaRav told me the most amazing story you'll ever hear about Doron's dedication to learning Torah, a story that competes with the Gemara's account of Hillel's near freezing on the roof of Shmaya and Avtalion's Yeshiva (see tractate Yoma, 35b).
Doron wanted to learn Torah in Mercaz HaRav, one of the best of Israel's yeshivas. But, since his early schooling was in Ethiopia, he lacked a strong background in Gemara. The Yeshiva rejected him. He wasn't discouraged. He asked, "If you won't let me learn Torah, will you let me wash the dishes in the mess hall?" For a year and a half, Doron washed dishes. But, he spent every spare minute in the study hall. He inquired what the yeshiva boys were learning, and spent most of the nights and all of his Shabbatot with his head in the Gemara learning what they learned. One day, the "dish washer" asked the Rosh Yeshiva to test him. The Rosh Yeshiva politely smiled and tried to gently dismiss Doron, but Doron wouldn't budge. He forced the Rosh Yeshiva into a Torah discussion; the next day, he was no longer a dish washer but a full-fledged "yeshiva bachur".
On weekends, when Doron would come home to visit his family in Ashdod, he'd spend the entire Shabbat either in the Melitzer Shul or the neighboring Gerrer shtiebel learning Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries. Three weeks ago, he finished the entire Shulchan Aruch and principle commentaries. Doron achieved in his tender 26 years what others don't attain in 88 years. He truly was an unblemished sacrifice, who gave his life for all of us.
The next time you want to close the Gemara to watch TV, think of Doron. The next time your son doesn't want to do his Torah homework, tell him about the price that tzaddikim like Hillel the Elder and Doron Mahareta paid to learn Torah. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Doron wasn't a reincarnation of Hillel. May his holy soul beg mercy for the grieving nation he left behind, amen.
http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2008/03/doron-story-of.html (Pic included).
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WOW WOW!!! Thank you Tzvi for sharing that, what a pure tzaddik we lost, may his memory be immortalized. This Shabbos I will be sharing that story with all my hosts, and I hope everyone else will take the opportunity to spread this story to their friends so that Doron's life may inspire us to learn and grow.
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WOW WOW!!! Thank you Tzvi for sharing that, what a pure tzaddik we lost, may his memory be immortalized. This Shabbos I will be sharing that story with all my hosts, and I hope everyone else will take the opportunity to spread this story to their friends so that Doron's life may inspire us to learn and grow.
Amen.
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Wow that is a touching story and he is a saint. I feel so bad that the yeshiva rejected someone intitially like that simply because he lacked the gemara skills. I find that to be disgusting. All this saintly jew wanted to do is learn and to put him in a situation where he had to clean dishes to accomplish that is plain disgusting. I think this is the reason that so many jews leave judaism and become non relgious. I wish yeshivas would be more welcoming.
Reading that story really sends chills up my spine and it shows how noble and wonderful this person was. I hope in his honor, Israel is restored to its full honor and no jew has to be murdered in this way ever again.
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Wow that is a touching story and he is a saint. I feel so bad that the yeshiva rejected someone intitially like that simply because he lacked the gemara skills. I find that to be disgusting. All this saintly jew wanted to do is learn and to put him in a situation where he had to clean dishes to accomplish that is plain disgusting. I think this is the reason that so many jews leave judaism and become non relgious. I wish yeshivas would be more welcoming.
Reading that story really sends chills up my spine and it shows how noble and wonderful this person was. I hope in his honor, Israel is restored to its full honor and no jew has to be murdered in this way ever again.
Bro, this is one of the most prestigious yeshivot in Israel. I heard that something like 300 applied and only 75 got in. He didn't have the qualifications; it's nothing personal. It attests to his perseverence that he was eventually able to get in by working so hard to overcome a different type of education than most of the students at this yeshiva get as younger children. It was also a blessing that they agreed to have him along in another job to still be at the yeshiva and to eventually grant him a spot once he proved how hard he had worked and how far he had come. This shouldn't make you sick, and if it does, I think you have problems.
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Wow that is a touching story and he is a saint. I feel so bad that the yeshiva rejected someone intitially like that simply because he lacked the gemara skills. I find that to be disgusting. All this saintly jew wanted to do is learn and to put him in a situation where he had to clean dishes to accomplish that is plain disgusting. I think this is the reason that so many jews leave judaism and become non relgious. I wish yeshivas would be more welcoming.
Reading that story really sends chills up my spine and it shows how noble and wonderful this person was. I hope in his honor, Israel is restored to its full honor and no jew has to be murdered in this way ever again.
Bro, this is one of the most prestigious yeshivot in Israel. I heard that something like 300 applied and only 75 got in. He didn't have the qualifications; it's nothing personal. It attests to his perseverence that he was eventually able to get in by working so hard to overcome a different type of education than most of the students at this yeshiva get as younger children. It was also a blessing that they agreed to have him along in another job to still be at the yeshiva and to eventually grant him a spot once he proved how hard he had worked and how far he had come. This shouldn't make you sick, and if it does, I think you have problems.
600 apply, and only 80 were accepted last year, this is perphaps the most elite yeshiva in the world only the best of the best get in. There are many yeshivot for those whose skills are weaker though.
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Oh I see, thanks for the clarification. Downwithislam, maybe you have some misconceptions about yeshivot.
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What a shame to have someone with such immense talent, drive and devotion to suffer this fate. All of these boys were some of the best and brightest Israel has to offer.