This past weekend, a special meeting was held at the residence of Rav Shmuel Yaakov Borenstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Kiryas Melech, following the convening of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah headed by Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman which featured the participation of Maran Sar Hatorah Rav Chaim Kanievsky.

At the meeting at the home of Rav Borenstein, the gedolim expressed the need to strengthen the Degel HaTorah party and expressed opposition to voting or supporting for other independent parties that have sprung up and that could compromise the influence of Degel Hatorah, the party founded by Maran Harav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l and led by the gedolei hador since.

The gedolim issued sharp words of condemnation against those who have had the audacity to diminish the respect shown for gedolei Torah and against those who have founded parties to challenge Degel Hatorah in the Torah community.

At the meeting, Rav Shlomo Kanievsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Kiryas Melech, spoke on behalf of his father, Maran Rav Chaim, and said, “B’reshus Moronon Verabonon, I am not worthy to stand before the great roshei yeshivos, but a shliach must carry out his mission. These remarks will be a bit harsh, but I will share what I heard.

“I asked [my father] what I should say here. My father told me: ‘Tell them that it is written in the Gemara that those who demean the greatest leaders of the generation have no portion in Olam haba.'”

Rav Shlomo added that his father, with uncharacteristic sharpness, said, “Hamevazeh gedolei hador chayov sekilah – Those who denigrate the gedolei hador are deserving of stoning.”

When Rav Shlomo asked his father about the fact that this is not written explicitly anywhere in Chazal, Rav Chaim replied that “we are talking about chillul Sheim Shomayim and this is worse than one who desecrates the Shabbos, even though it is not written explicitly.”

“When I asked him,” added Rav Shlomo, “that they will say that they have different gedolim, he said to me, ‘You can say that I saw how the Chazon Ish accompanied him to the door. There is no more to say and it is not respectful to say more.”

Ad kan devorov hakedoshim.

{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}