10 Things You Didn't Know About the 'Saba of Slabodka', Rabbi Nathan Tzvi Finkel

Tonight, on the eve of the 29th of Shvat, marks the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Nathan Tzvi Finkel, affectionately known as the 'Saba of Slabodka'. Here are 10 facts about his life and the moral philosophy he instilled at his yeshiva.

1. Rabbi Nathan Tzvi Finkel was a leading figure in the Musar movement in Eastern Europe, the father of the Slabodka school within the Musar movement, and one of the greatest yeshiva leaders in Lithuania and Israel.

2. Rabbi Nathan Tzvi was born in the city of Raseiniai, Lithuania, in 1849. He was orphaned at a very young age and raised in his uncle's home in Vilna. At 15, he married the granddaughter of Rabbi Eliezer Gutman, the rabbi of Kelm.

3. In 1882, he began establishing the great "Knesset Israel" yeshiva in the town of Slabodka. There he devoted all his talents, shaping his educational and philosophical character, and served for 45 years.

4. In 1924, the Slabodka Yeshiva faced the threat of closure: Lithuanian law dictated that any yeshiva not teaching secular studies would not be recognized by the government, and its students would be conscripted into the army. While other yeshivas accepted this new law, Rabbi Nathan Tzvi strongly refused, and after some of his students received draft notices, he decided to move the yeshiva to Israel.

5. During 1924-1925, all the students and rabbis of the Slabodka Yeshiva immigrated to Israel, led by Rabbi Nathan Tzvi. The yeshiva settled in Hebron, where it remained until the riots of 1929. It then moved to Bnei Brak, where it still exists today.

6. The method of Slabodka draws its spirit from the school of Kelm. However, while Kelm was known for its strict discipline, Slabodka promoted a more relaxed atmosphere of discipline, emphasizing the continuous development of intellectual and emotional awareness.

7. During its time, the Musar movement in Lithuania operated with two parallel approaches: the Slabodka method and the Novardok method. The educational philosophy of Novardok was to educate students to disregard public opinion and act according to halacha and ethics, while Slabodka emphasized fostering character traits through deepening self-respect.

8. Rabbi Nathan Tzvi also differed with Kelm on the gradual nature of education. While Kelm advocated for gradual and prolonged education, Rabbi Nathan Tzvi believed that from the onset of education, the highest and maximal aspirations should be set before the student, arguing that only by having the peak of aspirations in sight does a student find the motivation to reach them.

9. Rabbi Nathan Tzvi maintained that instead of highlighting a person's humility towards the Creator, the importance of a person chosen to serve Hashem should be emphasized. This approach became well-known as "Human Greatness". In Slabodka, it was taught that a person is the crown of creation chosen to fulfill Hashem's will, and thus should conduct themselves as someone standing before a king.

10. This is why modern and meticulous dress was emphasized in Slabodka, and the yeshiva students were known for appearing clean-shaven, dressed in light suits, straw hats, and carrying walking sticks, similar to the attire of students at that time.

Rabbi Hertzel Choder explains how the "Human Greatness" method helps individuals overcome personal biases and face life's challenges: