250th Anniversary: Standing Up for Torah | Rabbi Moshe Taub

At this time, our country is celebrating and commemorating the 250th anniversary of this great country, with all of its challenges. The amazing ability that it gives us to grow spiritually to grow in Torah and holiness. We have so much gratitude. I recently published a book on the history of the Yidden of New York, of the Americas, of the New World, and there are so many stories that I wish to share. Most of us think that Torah began with R’ Moshe and R’ Aharon and R’ Ruderman, and in many ways it did. But there were Torah giants here even before them, planting the seeds, so that R’ Moshe and R’ Aharon could build what they built in this country. But I chose to focus on one individual. In 1654 was when the first group of Yidden arrived in what we know today as New York, what used to be called New Amsterdam. The director general at the time was a man you may have heard of by the name of Peter Stuyvesant, a rabid, rabid anti-Semite. He, in fact, jailed the group of Jews, over 20 of them, right when they got off the ship. One of those Jews, who arrived that early in 1654, was a man from Vilna by the name of Asher Levy. We know this, because he wrote letters back to the Dutch complaining about the mistreatment of Jews. For instance, Peter Stuyvesant told him: You could slaughter animals. I will give you permission for kosher slaughter. However, you also have to slaughter swine, pig. When he decided that the Lower East Side, what we know today as the Lower East Side, needed protection, he created what's called a Vahlshtraht, a Wall Street. But the Jews were not allowed to protect it physically, to be one of the Legionnaires, rather they had to pay the tax to build it. So Asher Levy said: This is not fair. And he wrote back to the Dutch company that was running this colony and said: What type of colony do you want? Do you want a colony where Jews are mistreated, where we can't practice our own religion, where I can't slaughter a cow unless I slaughter for a Christian a pig? And they famously wrote back that in this colony, whatever will be with New York, it will be a place that all men will be treated equally under the law. Jew or Christian. Nationality, religion or creed. And this was kept. He had to bite his lip, but Peter Stuyvesant had to keep it. And then when the British came in, they kept it. And today, in the Lower East Side of New York, there's a park, the Asser Levy Park. There's a public school, the Asher Levy Public School. Few people know who he was, but now you do. It took one Jew from Vilna, a frum Yid, who decided it was time to speak out for the protection of Yidden, who needed a Minyan, who needed a cemetery, who needed kosher meat on Yom Tov, who planted the seed for Lakewood and all the Yeshivos and all the Daf Hayomis and all the shuls and all the acts of kindness and all the visiting of the sick. It started with one Yid who said, I need to stand up for Torah and what's right for our current state in exile. What we could do, each and every individual, we may not see the fruit in our day, but maybe in 250 years from now, in 400 years from now, someone will be recording a story about us. But we hope that's not necessary. That with our individual labor, diligence and work, we will bring our righteous Mashiach, that should come speedily in our days, Amen.