A number of years ago Rav Zelig Epstein, ZT"L, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaar Ha Torah, was relating to a group of his students the story of how the Mir Yeshiva escaped from Vilna to Shanghai. At the time Vilna was under the control of the Russians, and the Russians did not look favorably on anyone who wanted to leaver the Communist "paradise." In particular the Hanhala of the Mir and also of other yeshivas were opposed to the idea of leaving Vilna fearing that the Russians would arrest anyone who tried to leave.
However, a number of the Mirer bochrim felt it was imperative for the yeshiva to leave Lithuania and refused to listen to the Hanhala. In fact, one of the top bochrim in the Mir at this time, Aryeh Leib Malin, said, "I will get a gun and shoot anyone who tries to stop us from leaving." (I had this statement verified for me by Reb Zalman Alpert, who served for many years as a librarian at YU and heard from two old former Mirer yeshiva students.
When one of the bochrim heard this, he immediately asked, "But what about Daas Torah?" Reb Zelig replied, "This was before Daas Torah was invented!" I do not know if he said it in jest or in seriousness, but he did say it.
Yitzchok Levine
