The Goal of Kollel Imrei Kohain:
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Founded in memory of Uri Meir Kahanow,  |
Moron Hagaon Hagodol Harav Elazar HaKohain Kahanow,,
Who was the Rosh Yeshivah at Mesifta Torah Vodaath for over 60 years, the son and Talmid Muvhok of the
great gaon and tzaddik Rav Uri Meir with his son,Harav Eliyahu HaKohain Kahanow Shlita, the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Gevoha Imrei Kohain, and grandson of Harav Uri Meir. |
The Alter of Slobodka established a Kollel in Kovno. The standard and intensity of the learning there was exceptional. Among the members were great Torah scholars, some who had served as rabbonim and disseminators of Torah, such as the Divrei Yechezkel and Harav Dovid Rappaport, a Maggid Shiur in Baranovitch. Harav Rappaport’s second sefer, Mikdash Dovid which earned him great praise was written in the setting of this kollel.
When Hagaon Harav Meir Chodash the mashgiach of Chevron Yeshivah,
paid a visit to this Kollel in his youth and witnessed the fire and vigor of the
learning there he was troubled by a question which he put to the Alter a number
of times. There was full application to learning, lomdus and pilpul, but where
was mussar? You have opened a kollel for Mussar, yet though one sees gedolei
yisroel there, one doesn’t witness toil in mussar, all one sees is greatness
in Torah.
And the Alter would reply cryptically, “Can’t you see it?”
repeating these words several times. Harav Meir Chodosh
would say that at
first he did not understand what the Alter was telling him but that after a
time, he realized what his answer was. Mussar was intended to transform its
students and in so doing, it also transformed their progress in Torah. The Alter
was telling him that mussar’s highest goal was to transform man into a talmid
chochom, into a repository for Torah. Toiling, laboring in Torah was the very
embodiment of mussar.
Kollel Gevoha Imrei Kohain was formed with this goal in mind. To have a
Kollel for avreichim in the Brooklyn, New York area, where the intensity of the
learning is exceptional, and one can see the fire and vigor of the learning
there. To produce Torah scholars with great knowledge in Torah and spiritual
strength, that enable them to lift and influence Klal Yisroel to live a genuine
life of Torah. As was Hagaon Harav Yisroel Salanter known to say that a Rav
B’Yisroel must be one that when he is confronted with a difficult Halacha
question, he can revert back to the source of the halacha in the Talmud, to
arrive at the psak din.
