Posted on 08/28/16
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 28, 2016 - After an absence on the s’farim market for nearly fifty years, the Torah masterpiece Toras Michoel has been re-issued. It was reprinted in Eretz Yisrael and is currently selling in Sfarim stores there and should be available in Chutz La’aretz within a few weeks.
Toras Michoel is a collection of sixty four Torah Novellae collected from the nearly fifty bound volumes of handwritten manuscripts, which the ‘Gaon of the Gaonim’ Rav Michoel Forshlager, ZTvK”L, left behind after his P’tirah. He wrote all of these volumes in his home, working tirelessly for several hours a day during the last ten to fifteen years of his life. All of these manuscripts were written and bound here in Baltimore, and this is why this is an especially great Simcha of which the entire community should be proud.
The original volume was published by the Yad HaRav Herzog in Jerusalem, who hired several major Torah geniuses to accomplish the task. The volumes had to be deciphered and written out, itself a difficult job since as many people (some in Baltimore as well) have appreciated, the difficulty in reading the originals. Next, the selection process began, picking passages and subjects, which would be relevant and appreciated by the Torah world. At that time, this world was relatively small consisting of several Roshei Yeshivah and their top students as well as parts of the Chasidische world, which was also in a phase of re-building.
The editor, chosen for the task, HaGaon Rav Berel Kreuzer, ZT”L, who later served as the Rosh Yeshiva of Skver, said that his amazement with this Gaon grows with each successive day. He wrote this to the head of Yad HaRav Herzog, who hired him, HaRav Yehoshua Hutner, Z”L, cousin of the famed Rav Yitzchok Hutner, ZT”L, Rosh Yeshiva of Chaim Berlin. Rav Kreuzer would conclude his comments saying: “Before us are the writings of a Gaon Olam (a genius of international and intergenerational proportions). When considering the sharpness, the depth and the breadth of his knowledge, he compares favorably to the legendary Gaon of Rogetchov (HaRav Yosef Rosen), ZT”L.” When challenged about this statement, Rav Kreuzer refused to retract even a single word! In fact, when the sefer was first published, it created a major stir in the Torah world, particularly in Eretz Yisrael, where many of the G’dolim were saying that they didn’t believe that such a great Gaon existed.
HaRav Benzion Bergman, Shlit”a, decided that after the major success of two printings of his sefer Michoel B’Achas, which dealt with the life story and letters of HaGaon Rav Michoel Forshlager, ZTvK”L, and the fact that many wrote or asked about the sefer Toras Michoel, that the time was right for its re-issue. Over the last year plus, Rav Bergman worked tirelessly during every spare moment reworking the original made available to us by Yad HaRav Herzog. The font was changed, errors checked against the original and then corrected, abbreviations expanded particularly when the meaning was unclear or ambiguous, as well as other cosmetic changes. However, and even more important, two indices were provided, an index by subjects addressed, and one which lists and elaborates on the sources referenced.
The main funding was provided by HaRav Yitzchok Menachem Karfunkel, Shlit”a, who also helped with Michoel B’Achas. He has also provided advanced funding for the Chidushim of HaRav Forshlager Al HaTorah, which should be published IY”H sometime next year. It is our hope that the frum community of Baltimore will share in this project by at least purchasing the sefer from your bookstores. Although it is a sefer that will only be appreciated by top Talmidei Chachomim, just having the sefer will show support and pride that such elevated Torah was written in this city. Also, it is a sefer which G-d willing will be appreciated by your future generations.