13 Jan THE YANUKA: THE GENIUS WHO CAPTIVATES THE WORLD

One of the greatest
heavenly gifts
bestowed upon our
generation is the
emergence of an
extraordinary talmid
chacham who
possesses a comprehensive mastery of the
entire Torah—Tanach, Mishnah, Gemara
with all its commentaries, Rishonim and
Acharonim, halachah, Kabbalah, Chassidut,
and far beyond. In addition to his vast Torah
knowledge, he is proficient in music and
demonstrates broad worldly understanding
as well.
This remarkable and rare phenomenon has
become known as “the Yanuka.” The term
yanuka in Aramaic means “a child,” and it
echoes a concept already found in the
Gemara. Chazal speak of a yanuka as a
young child whose Torah insight is endowed
with a special clarity and heavenly assistance,
at times revealing depths that even seasoned
sages did not immediately perceive.
The name of the Yanuka is Rabbi Shlomo
Yehuda Be’eri. By now, he has already taken
the Jewish world by storm—not only because
of his vast and all-encompassing Torah
knowledge, but also due to his unparalleled
modesty and humility.
When one listens to him, the most striking
quality is the simplicity and clarity with
which he speaks. Profound ideas, spanning
the deepest realms of Nigleh and Nistar, are
conveyed with naturalness and calm, without
embellishment or self-display. There is no
sense of performance or grandeur; rather, his
words flow with sincerity, gentleness, and an
evident sense of responsibility toward those
who listen.
In addition, the Yanuka has become widely
known for the many miracles associated with
him. These are not mere rumors or
secondhand reports. Numerous accounts
have been documented on video, with
individuals openly testifying to what they
personally experienced. These recordings
are available for the entire world to see,
serving as direct testimony from those whose
lives were touched in extraordinary ways.
Yet, even in the face of such public attention
and awe, what perhaps defines him most is
his unwavering humility—his consistent
effort to deflect honor away from himself
and to direct hearts upward, toward emunah,
tefillah, and attachment to the Ribbono shel
Olam.
Another trait that the Yanuka possesses—
one that is exceedingly rare—is his boundless
love for every Jew. It makes no difference

who stands before him: religious or secular,
righteous or struggling. All are received with
the same warmth, patience, and respect.
There are countless accounts that illustrate
this quality. One can see a young secular girl
coming before him in tears, sharing that she
is being bullied at school. He listens
attentively, spends a long time comforting
her, strengthening her, and assuring her that
she is precious and never alone. He promises
to be there for her and, before she leaves,
quietly asks that a small gift be bought for
her—so that she departs uplifted not only in
spirit, but in heart.
In another instance, a man approached him
to apologize for having spoken disparagingly
about him in the past. The Yanuka responded
simply, saying that “the Yanuka does not
exist,” and that therefore there is no one
against whom to speak, nor any honor to
trample upon. He addressed the man with
such gentleness and sincerity that the man
left transformed—overwhelmed not by
shame, but by love.
These encounters reveal that beyond his
brilliance and spiritual stature, what truly
defines Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Be’eri is a
heart that embraces every Jew without
condition, reflecting a living embodiment of
“כמוך לרעך ואהבת “in its purest form.
Just as we find in this week’s parashah, when
Moshe Rabbeinu approached the Jewish
people and declared that he had been sent by
Hashem to redeem them, not everyone
immediately believed him. Although the
majority accepted his words, there were
those who were skeptical and doubtful.
So too in our time, there have emerged
individuals who speak ill of the Yanuka,
attempting to cast doubt upon him by
highlighting matters they claim are not
“kosher.” One example frequently cited is an
audio recording from nearly eighteen years
ago, in which the Yanuka—then only twenty
years old—expressed a desire for wealth.
Let us examine this claim honestly. Is the
desire for wealth inherently wrong? For
someone whose life mission is to learn Torah
and teach it to others, financial means can be
a necessary tool—that enables independence,
freedom from distraction, and the ability to
devote oneself fully to Torah study and
dissemination. Wealth, in such a context, is
not an end, but a means.
And even if one were to argue that such a
statement was ill-advised, it must be
remembered that this recording dates back to
his early years. People mature, perspectives
change, and life experience reshapes

priorities—especially after building a family
and carrying responsibility for others.
Moreover, Chazal teach that even if one were
to see a talmid chacham stumble at night,
one should not harbor doubts about him the
next morning, for he has certainly regretted
his actions and done teshuvah. How much
more so when we are dealing not with an
actual sin, but with a statement taken out of
its broader context.
Indeed, the Yanuka himself later explained
that at that time he was under tremendous
pressure and oppression from individuals
who were jealous of him and sought to make
his life difficult. His desire for financial
stability stemmed from a need to gain
independence—so that he could continue his
Torah mission without interference, fear, or
dependency.
Seen in this light, such claims not only lose
their force, but instead underscore the
resilience, sincerity, and clarity of purpose
that have accompanied him throughout his
journey.
Another claim raised is based on a class in
which they allege that he stated that “Yoshka
was a good man.” When I personally listened
to that shiur, I was surprised to discover that
barely a minute later he explicitly says that
Yoshka may have begun as a good man but
later became evil.
It appears that this crucial sentence was
either deliberately omitted or simply
ignored—perhaps because they were eager
to stop listening the moment they thought
they had finally “found something” against
the Yanuka. Read in its full context, his
words are clear and leave no room for the
distortion that has been circulated.
But the greatest testimony to his greatness is
the fact that, even after searching and
scrutinizing for anything negative about him,
they could not find anything substantial—
even when going back two decades. The rule
is always: if you want to understand the
measure of a person’s greatness, listen to his
opponents. If they cannot produce anything
real or meaningful, that in itself speaks
volumes about the purity and integrity of the
individual.
The reason some speakers are raising
concerns is obviously not because they
genuinely believe there is anything wrong
with the Yanuka, but rather out of jealousy.
He suddenly emerged onto the stage, and
with that, a new gadol arose—one who
naturally drew attention and admiration,
thereby diverting some of the spotlight from
those who were accustomed to it.

Conclusion: In every generation, when a
figure imbued with the true spirit of the
Torah emerges—one whose greatness is
joined with humility, love for every Jew, and
purity of intent—voices of doubt and
opposition inevitably arise. This is neither a
new phenomenon nor a sign of failure;
rather, it is part of the very process through
which truth is tested and refined.
The Yanuka does not seek followers, praise,
or defense. His words, his conduct, and his
lifelong devotion to Torah speak for
themselves. When Torah is taught with
humility, when every Jew is embraced, and
when personal honor is set aside for the sake
of Heaven, the truth shines on its own—
quietly, steadily, and enduringly.
May we all be zocheh—merited—to
encounter Torah leaders of such purity,
humility, and love, and to be inspired by their
example. May their wisdom guide our hearts,
strengthen our faith, and ignite in us a deeper
commitment to Torah, mitzvot, and love of
our fellow Jew. And may we merit to see
generations illuminated by Torah giants,
whose lives are a living testament to the
truth, beauty, and light of Hashem’s world.