Rabbi Reveals Late Brother's Letter Criticizing His Eulogy
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Rabbi Itzik Amity revealed a letter from his late brother, Z'abo Erlich, criticizing a eulogy Amity gave for their rabbi. The letter, written 14 years ago, argued Amity misrepresented their family home as lacking Torah study. Amity discovered the letter after his brother's death and publicly apologized, detailing his family's strong Torah background to correct his past remarks. He is seeking forgiveness from his brother and parents.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Rabbi Itzik Amity revealed a letter from his late brother, Z'abo Erlich, criticizing a eulogy.
- The letter claimed Amity misrepresented their family home in the eulogy for Rabbi Beni Eisner.
- Z'abo Erlich felt the eulogy hurt their parents' honor and misrepresented their home's Torah observance.
- Amity discovered the letter after his brother's death and publicly apologized.
- He detailed his family's deep roots in Torah scholarship to correct his remarks.
On the anniversary of his brother Ze'ev Enoch (Z'abo) Erlich's death, Rabbi Itzik Amity has revealed a poignant letter his brother wrote but never sent. The letter, discovered while organizing his late brother's writings, contains sharp criticism of a eulogy Amity delivered for his rabbi, Rabbi Beni Eisner. Z'abo Erlich felt the eulogy misrepresented their family home and hurt their parents' honor.
In the eulogy, delivered 14 years prior, Rabbi Amity described Rabbi Eisner's home as a place of Torah study, contrasting it with his own upbringing in Tel Aviv, which he characterized as having a more conventional living room. He implied that Rabbi Eisner's home was the first time he truly experienced a "home of Torah." This description, published in a religious newsletter, apparently deeply upset his brother.
Z'abo Erlich's letter, written shortly after the eulogy, expresses his dismay. He recounts growing up in the same Tel Aviv home, which also contained a large study filled with books alongside a living room with sofas and armchairs. He argues that their parents' home, and even their grandparents' homes, were also places of Torah study, and questions why Amity only recognized this in Rabbi Eisner's home. Erlich suggests Amity's perspective might have been clouded by his own experiences and perhaps a reluctance to fully embrace Torah study within his own family environment.
Rabbi Amity, who discovered the letter only after his brother's death in Lebanon, expresses deep regret for not having had the chance to acknowledge his brother's critique and apologize. He laments causing his brother pain, especially given their close bond and the validity of Z'abo's points. He now seeks public forgiveness from his brother, parents, and grandparents.
To rectify the situation, Rabbi Amity details the profound Torah scholarship and dedication present in his own family, citing his father's extensive writings on Hasidic rebbes and Jewish history, his grandfather Yehuda Erlich's work on Rabbi Aryeh Tzvi Fromer, and his grandfather Yechiel Shraga Ginsburg's commitment to Torah education. He emphasizes that their family roots were deeply embedded in Torah observance and scholarship, urging younger generations not to overlook or devalue their heritage while embracing their studies in yeshivas.