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Bitterly unhappy, a woman once came to Reb Aryeh Levine’s home. “Let me sit in your house,” she pleaded, “and cry and weep before you.” “You may surely sit,” he replied kindly, “and even cry and weep—but not before me. Direct your tears to the Holy, Blessed One who listens to weeping and hears the cries of His human beings.” Taking a seat, the woman simply began a lament without end, unable to stop. In between her tears she managed to sob out her story of woe, about her husband who was mortally sick. “Do not cry so,” said Reb Aryeh. “The Holy, Blessed One will surely have mercy and grant a cure.” But alas, a few days later the woman returned to tell him that her husband had passed away. And she wept anew with bitter tears. Reb Aryeh did his best to comfort her, seeking words that would touch her heart. Finally, with some spirit she answered, “Look: I will accept your solace and stop my lament—but only if you tell me what became of the thousands of tears I shed over the Tehillim, the Book of Psalms, when I said its words of prayer to the Master of the world, imploring Him to cure my husband when he lay ill. It Was all for nothing, wasn’t it?“ “I will tell you,” said Reb Aryeh gently, “When your life on earth ends and you come before the court of justice in heaven, you will find out how many severe and harsh decrees against the Jewish people were tom up, made null and void, because of those precious holy tears you shed for your husband. Not one teardrop goes to waste. The Holy, Blessed one counts them like pearls, and treasures them.” At that the woman burst into weeping again, but now with tears of happiness (that all her suffering and prayer were truly not in vain), Sometime later she came back: “Tell me again, dear rabbi, those beautiful words: What happened with those tears of mine that I wept?” (tefilla) (A Tzadik in Our Times)
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In the early stages of the war, the Brisker Rav fled together with most of his family from Warsaw to Vilna. For three days, their traveling party was in great danger. The Brisker Rav took upon himself to follow the advice of his ancestor Rav Chaim of Volozhin in Nefesh HaChaim (3:12). Rav Chaim Volozhiner writes that one should reflect constantly on the verse, “Ein od milevado (there is none besides Him),” in times of danger. No matter what was going on around them, the Brisker Rav thought only about this verse and its implications. When it came time for Minchah, the Brisker Rav asked that the wagons stop so that he could daven properly, as it was difficult for him to concentrate in a moving wagon. His fellow passengers, however, were up-in-arms over the idea of delaying their journey in light of the danger in which they found themselves. The Rav announced that he had no objections if they continued but for his part, he would daven where he was, and follow after the party later. Out of respect for him, his fellow passengers agreed to wait. When they reached the next City on their journey,’ they found the streets empty of Jews. The streets were ‘swarming ‘with German soldiers, and it was only through a miracle that they didn’t notice the Brisker Rav’s wagons. A gentile woman called out to the Brisker Rav’s party to flee the city immediately because the Germans had already gathered the city’s Jews and taken them away.’ The Brisker Rav’s fellow passengers all expressed their’ amazement at the Rav’s ruach ha-kodesh. But the Rav dismissed the suggestion that anything extraordinary had taken place. ,“What I did was perfectly logical,” he said. “I asked myself What reason is there to hurry? There we will be in danger, and here we are in danger; If so, there is no reason not to daven properly. Anyone who acts according to the halachah merits the fulfillment of the words of the Midrash (Devarim Rabbah 4:5), ‘No man who listens to Me will lose because of it.” (daven) (In Their Shadow Volume 1)
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Following the Yom Kippur War, the Gerrer Rebbe was besieged by visiting delegations from all over the world. He detested discussions on the political and military situation. To all queries he had one answer, ”We must pray.” Once a distinguished American Rabbi asked him, “What do you say about the current situation ?” Replied the Rebbe: “I say Tehillim.” (The Torah Personality) (tefilla)
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A local rabbi would give a mussar shmooze between michah and maanv daily. One day he began exhorting his congregants to greater devotions. “We need to be more focused on Hashem,” he began. “We need to think about Hashem. We need to bring Hashem into our lives. We need to concentrate on Hashem.” Losing patience, one of the old men in the back blurted out, “Come on, come on, forget about Hashem already. Let’s start davening.” (tefilla) (Impact Volume One)
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Reb Meir Pantel and R’ Yosef Friedenson were once talking with Rav Aharon Kotler about some important matter . suddenly Rav Aharon stood up and apologized for not being able to talk with them any longer. He explained that he had to immediately attend an urgent matter elsewhere. Rav Aharon was on edge. It was obvious that he was anxious and in a big rush. Then the Rebetzin reminded him that he won’t have time to daven mincha later and must pray now. Well that shemona esre look the rosh yeshiva 45 minutes.(daven) (The living Mishnas Reb Aharon, By Rabbi Yitzchak Dershowitz)
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An anecdote about the Brisker Rav’s arrival in Switzerland serves to illustrate his extraordinary ways: Normally, a person who arrives in a new country spends time looking around and taking in his new surroundings. All the more in a place like Switzerland which is famous for its spectacular mountain views. ‘ When The Brisker Rav first set foot on Swiss soil, however, he took a compass out from his pocket to ascertain which way was east, i.e., in which direction was Eretz Yisrael, in order to orient himself during prayers.“ Hashem’s presence was always foremost in The Brisker Rav’s mind. Wherever a Jew travels, his first step in a new place is not toward any worldly objective, but rather to do Hashem’s will. Anything not directly connected with this is of secondary importance. The Brisker Rav Volume Three, By R’ Shimon Yosef Meller, Published by Feldheim, page 422 (tefilla)
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The Brisker Rav usually took a T.W.A. flight back to Eretz Yisrael that stopped in Athens, Greece. On one of these stopovers, the plane needed to make an additional stop in Rome, Italy. It was time for Minchah, and The Brisker Rav looked around for a place where he could daven without distractions. One of the passengers on the flight was a Jew who knew the terminal well from previous trips, and he pointed out a side room where The Brisker Rav would have the privacy he needed. The Brisker Rav entered the room, but surprisingly, he walked out immediately and found a different place to daven. The man who had suggested the room as an appropriate place was curious to know what had been wrong with it; He went in to examine it and found it empty of people and perfectly suitable. Why had The Brisker Rav not wished to daven there? I He looked around some more and finally saw the image of a cross hidden between two pieces of furniture. It was clear that The Brisker Rav could not have seen the cross, but his pure heart had sensed there was something wrong in the room, and that it was not a proper place to daven.“ The Brisker Rav was still standing in prayer when the time came to get back on the plane. The captain and the crew were already in their places. The Brisker Rav’s traveling companions were at a loss — what should they do now? All their luggage was in the plane’s baggage compartment; what would they do if the plane would leave them and The Brisker Rav at the airport? The crew had no understanding of the laws of Jewish prayer and explanations were to no avail. It was time to take off. At that point help arrived from an unexpected source. Among the passengers was a priest. who approached the crew and told them that this was a holy man, and they should wait for him rather than disturb his prayers. They could not refuse the priest’s request, and the crew and passengers waited patiently while the Jewish rabbi completed his prayers. Only then did the plane continue on its way to the Holy Land.“ The Brisker Rav Volume Three, By R’ Shimon Yosef Meller, Published by Feldheim, page 472(tefilla)
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The Steipler once made a surprise appearance at a bar mitzvah seudah to which he had not been invited. He wished the father “Maze! tov,” then sat down next to the bar mitzvah boy, spoke with him for a very short while, and left. After the Steipler left, the bar mitzvah boy explained that several years earlier, the Steipler had seen him enter the Lederman’s Shul on Yom Kippur carrying a large sefer, which the Steipler assumed was a gemara. He told the boy, “Yinge’le (young boy), now we are to daven; learning is for later.” The boy then showed the Steipler that he was carrying not a gemara, but an oversized machzor. The mechilah (forgiveness) of a kattan (boy under bar mitzvah) is not valid, so the Steipler made sure to find out when and where the boy’s bar mitzvah celebration would be held, so that he could ask forgiveness at the first opportunity. (kavana) (forgiveness) (5 Great Lives)
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The Alter of Slabodka taught by example as much as by word. Once, during the Russian civil war, in the 1920’s they were davening in a room in the midst of an artillery bombardment by the White Army. While they were reciting Shemoneh Esrei, a large chandelier came crashing down from the ceiling. After finishing his prayers, the Alter saw the chandelier on the floor and turned to R’ Yaakov to ask how it had come to be there. (kavana) (5 Great Lives)
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Listening to Reb Elyah Lopian davening was truly a lesson in tefillah with kuz/anah. He would pronounce each word aloud, though not so loud as to disturb anyone else who was davening. Hearing the words of his tefillos, one could feel the holiness and grasp the depths of their meanings. He felt Hashem’s presence so clearly before him that his prayers often took the form of intimate conversation with his Creator. After having davened Minchah in the yeshivah, a visitor to the yeshivah was asked to describe his impressions of the experience. He replied, “The decorum that characterized the davening, and the strict devotion of all the talmidim as they were swaying! was unbelievable. Everyone there was davening with tremendous kavanah, except for one old man in the front of the heis hamedrash, who spent the whole time talking!” (Reb Elya) (kavanah)
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As R‘ Avrahom Dovid Sauer stood at the entrance of Baltimore’s Kosher Bite Restaurant, he was overcome with a feeling of relief and joy. Before him stood Rabbi Ervin Preis. Rabbi of Suburban Orthodox Congregation, appearing healthy and in good spirits. Rabbi Preis had been in failing health with a terminal illness, so R’ Avrahom Dovid couldn’t believe Rabbi Preis was actually out and about as if everything were perfectly fine. Although R‘ Avrahom Dovid was neither a congregant in Rabbi Preis’ shul nor a personal acquaintance, he, along with the entire Baltimore community, was davening for Rabbi Preis’ recovery. Hesitantly. R‘ Avrahom Dovid approached Rabbi Preis to wish him Shalom Aleichem. Rabbi Preis shook his hand warmly, and R’ Avrahom Dovid asked Rabbi Preis how he was feeling. With his characteristically congenial style, Rabbi Preis answered. “Baruch Hashem, l am doing much better.” Apologeti- cally, he added, “Please forgive me: you look familiar, but l can- not remember your name.” R’ Avrahom Dovid told Rabbi Preis his name and, without missing a beat, Rabbi Preis continued, “Of course, l should have recognized you! You are Avrahom Dovid, the son of Channah Machlah. How is the rest of your family: your father, Moshe the son of Adele, your mother, Channah Machlah the daughter of Sorah Miriam, and your five siblings?” With incredible accuracy, Rabbi Preis mentioned each of R‘ Avrahom Dovid‘s siblings by name. “How do you know the Hebrew names of all the members of my family? You even know all of my grandparents’ names!” exclaimed R‘ Avrahom Dovid in amazement. “Yes, l actually do know your entire family by name, but probably not by face. There’s an easy explanation for this. About thirteen years ago, l called your father, the owner of Security Unlimited, to install an alarm system in our home. Your father spent many hours installing the system. When he was ready to leave late at night, he handed me the bill, which was clearly far lower than l knew it should have been. When l questioned him, your father’s response was that he was giving me a discount because l am a Rabbi. l told him l felt uncomfort- able receiving this discount. Your father replied, ‘Well, then, l’ll make a deal with you. In return for this discount, I ask that you have my family in mind in your tefillos. Please ask Hashem to watch over us.’ “l accepted your father’s condition,” continued Rabbi Preis. “Every day for the past thirteen years, l have remembered each member of your family in my prayers. l am just keeping my end of the bargain.” Unfortunately, only a few months later, Rabbi Preis was nif- tar. This conversation remains etched clearly in R’ Avrahom Dovid’s mind. When doing business himself, R’ Avrahom Dovid remembers the lesson Rabbi Preis taught him about keeping one’s end of a deal. Without a doubt, Rabbi Preis is still appeal- ing to the Kisei Hakauod for the welfare of the Sauer family and, indeed, the entire Jewish nation. After all. a deal is a deal (For Goodness’ Sake) (rav daven, pay what owe, honesty)
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After living in Yerushalayim for about a year’s time, the Satmar Rebbe, Harav Yoel Teitelbaum, decided to relocate to America. One day, a guest came knocking on his door — Rav Osher Zelig Margulius, one of the most prominent Torah sages of the city. He had heard about the Rebbe’s impending move, and he came personally to dissuade him from going through with his decision. “Our Rebbe, our leader,” he addressed the Satmar Rebbe, “in whose care will you be leaving us, should you move to America? lf G-d forbid someone will face a misfortune, whom will he have to turn to?” he asked. “Let me give you some practical advice,” the Rebbe said pensively. “lf anyone will be seeking a blessing that will have an impact in Heaven, all he has to do is go to a shul and keep his eyes open during Shacharis. When the congregants roll up their sleeves to place the tefillin on their forearms, watch for a person displaying a tattooed number engraved into his flesh. “That is the person to whom you should turn, for after having gone through that purgatory, he was so totally cleansed and purified that his blessing surely has great weight in the Heavenly court.” (Noble Lives Noble Deeds 1) (tzadik daven)
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The regular daily minchah minyan organized for the Chazon Ish at his home was at 12:30. One day it was delayed until 12:45. Rav Shmuel Greineman approached the Chazon Ish with a dillemma. “I invited someone for a one o’clock appointment. If I daven minchnh now, I‘l1 be late. If I leave. there won’t be a minyan. What should I do?” Replied the Chazon Ish: “For anyone connected to the midduh of emes, this isn’t even a question. Cancel the minyan, but don’t move one iota from speaking emes.” (emes, minyan) (Impact Volume Two)
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Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach left home fifteen minutes before shul started in order to get to minchah, even though it was a two-minute walk. When asked by a family member why he allowed so much time for the walk, Reb Shlomo Zalman replied, “If you had a meeting with the President of the United States you wouldn’t take any chances on being late. You would make absolutely certain that you would be there on time. I don’t want to take any chances on being late to my meeting with the Ribbono shel Olam.” (tefilla) (Impact Volume One)
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A chassid in the Imrei Emes’s shtiebel was visibly upset before davening because he didn’t have a gartel. “Here, use mine,” said the Imrei Emes, and he began taking it off. “But, Rebbe, what about you? ” protested the chassid. “Wearing a gartel is only a minhmg,” said the Rebbe, “whereas doing chesed is a mizzvah d ‘Oral’sa. You do the minhag and I’ll do the deoraisa (chesed)
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Why do we fast on erev rosh hashanah?” a bachur asked Rav Yosef Tendler. “It makes it very · hard to learn.” “Do you fast on Yom Kippur? “Yes, but davening is different, it’s not like learning.” “If your davening is not like your learning, then it’s not a davening, either,” Rebbi responded. I Am Your Servant, By Rabbi Akiva Tendler, Published By Artscroll Mesorah page 353 (daven)
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An elderly wealthy man had a son who was an outright ignoramus. The father knew that when in a number of years his son would inherit all of his silver and gold, he would foolishly squander his entire fortune. He therefore took a large box and placed in it several letters containing words of approbation and pleas for help, customarily carried by individuals collecting charity. He then placed all of his money on top of the letter. “At least,” thought the elderly man, “my son will be able to take these letters and request some donations to sustain himself after he fritters away the inheritance…” Hashem, said the Dubno Maggid, established a Beis Hamikdash and a sacrificial rite for the Jewish Nation. Yet it was revealed before Him that the Beis Hamikdash would one day be destroyed. He therefore placed the thought into the heart of David HaMeIech and the Sages to establish prayers for us, so that we would be left with a means capable of giving life to our souls. (tefilla, beis hamikdash) (Jewish Parables- A Mashal for Every Occasion)
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A king had a son for whom he provided fully. If the son was ever in need of anything, he would simply place a request with his father, who would lovingly give him whatever he needed. One day, the son transgressed the will of his father. The king was furious and reprimanded his son, but it was to no avail — the son’s disobedience persisted. The king summoned one of his closest officers and said to him, “Generously provide my son with his each and every need.” The officer was absolutely bewildered by the king’s instructions and asked, “Your Highness, why are you providing your son with his every need if he is does not travel the upright path?” ”You have not fully grasped my intentions,” answered the king. “You see, as long as my son was acting properly, I wished to see him every single day. Therefore, whenever he required something, he would come to me; I would be happy to receive him and fulfill his requests. But now that he has veered from the proper path, even though I still love him, I do not wish to see him at all! I am therefore instructing you to provide him with all of his needs so that he will no longer come before me.” Hashem, in His great love for us, granted us the privilege to pray before Him three times a day and, at any moment that we choose, to ask Him to provide us with all of our needs, even when we have strayed from the proper path. In His abundant mercy, He fulfills the verse, “You open Your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Tehillim 145). (tefilla) (Jewish Parables- A Mashal for Every Occasion)
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Born in Germany on Chol l-lamoed Pesach 5677 (1917), Rabbi Godlewsky began his chinuclz in Rabbi B1-euer’s Yeshiva in Frankfurt-am Main. At 18, he traveled to the Telshe Yeshiva in Lithuania. At that young age, his lritachon and tzidkus were already outstanding. Visas to travel from one country to another were not merely a legal necessity in those days. Punishment for letting a visa lapse was very severe. While learning in Telshe, Reb Yehoshua once neglect- ed to renew his visa and was sentenced to three days in prison. The prison was actually a vast pit in a field. The other prisoners were coarse murderers and thieves, who were quite amused at the sight of the pale, thin Yeshiva bachur. Reb Yehoshua took his assigned straw mattress, yet did not go to sleep that night for fear of what the other inmates might do to him. At the crack of dawn, Reb Yehoshua put on his tallis and tefillin and started davening, while the criminals were all still snoring. One by one, they awoke with their curses and lewd shouts. One of them walked over stealthily to see what the ”]ew boy” was doing. At the sight of Reb Yehoshua davening, the hood- lum became overwhelmed. He turned to the group and hushed them up until Reb Yehoshua finished davening. After that they treated Reb Yehoshua with the utmost respect, and even refused to let him move his mattress, returning it to the pile for him. When the prison guard came down, they heatedly began telling him something. Being from Germany, Rabbi Godlewsky did not understand what they were saying. I t was obvious it was about him, however, because he was pointed out to the guard. Shortly thereafter, another ojficiizl came down and freed the _|/eshivn bachur. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon eulogized Reb Yehoshua saying: “One could be aroused to teshuva not only by hearing Rabbi Godlewsky daven on Yom Kippur, but by witnessing am ordinary Mincha of his…/’ In that pit in Telshe, his Shacharis softened the hearts of hardened criminals and affected his release. (Torah Leaders) (tefilla, kidush Hashem)
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It was a terribly sad day in the year 1827. The wife of Rav Yeshaya Bardaki and mother of his two small children had just passed away after a sudden illness. The young boy and his older sister felt a deep void in their lives, and nothing Rav Yeshaya did could alleviate their pain or mitigate their sadness. After much deliberation, he decided that the best thing to do was to start anew. He would take his two children and leave Pinsk, to go to Eretz Yisrael. There, he hoped, he would be able to rebuild his life and give his children the chance to experience the joy they had shared in the past. Rav Yeshaya was a gadol b’Torah and a pillar of the Pinsk community. The news of his planned departure was met with a mix of sadness and joy: sadness that they would be losing a great Torah giant, but joy that he and his two children would have a chance to begin their lives anew. Shortly after Pesach, the big day arrived; the family packed up their meager belongings and prepared for the long journey. They traveled from town to town, staying in inns or in people‘s homes. as they slowly made their way toward their final destination. Rav Yeshaya would put his children to sleep every night by telling them stories about the heavenly city of Yerushalayim. Finally, after a few months. they were about to begin the final leg of their journey. They had reached the city of Beirut, Lebanon, just north of Eretz Yisrael. They were ready to take a boat from there to the port city of Acco, where they hoped to arrive right before Succos. As Rav Yeshaya reached the port, he saw a group of men loading a ship with wood to take to Acco in order to build a house for a wealthy gentleman who lived there. Rav Yeshaya was anxious to board that boat, but the gruff men were not interested in taking along any extra passengers and baggage. Rav Yeshaya reached down into his pocket, pulled out the last of his money, and gave it to the men in the hope that it was enough to convince them to change their minds. It was. And so, they boarded the ship destined for Acco, eagerly anticipating their arrival in the Holy Land. The trip was not supposed to be a long one. But as soon as they set sail, the sky darkened, the winds picked up, and a storm began to rock the ship. Rav Yeshaya davened that everything should turn out well. The sailors were quite concerned, but then, just as quickly as the storm had begun, it disappeared. All in the boat were grateful, especially Rav Yeshaya, who thanked Hashem for allowing them all to continue safely. His children, who had endured so much adversity in their young lives, handled the tough conditions with the maturity of those many years their senior. The ship was now scheduled to reach its destination a few days later than originally planned, so it was obvious that they would still be on board when Succos began. The men on the ship graciously offered Rav Yeshaya some of the wood they were carrying so that he could build a temporary succah. This generosity on the part of the rough sailors made Rav Yeshaya realize that although he had not yet arrived in Eretz Yisrael, the Hand of Hashem was guiding and protecting him. The next day, the winds picked up once again and the ship tossed and turned, hurling them from one side of the deck to the other. The sky grew dark; the storm that was brewing seemed to be much more treacherous than the first one. The thunder cracked and bursts of lightning lit up the sky. The sails fluttered wildly in the air, as the ship struggled to stay afloat. Suddenly, someone screamed, “Land! Land!” The land, though visible, was still a few thousand feet away. The enormous waves carried the boat high in the air, and then came crashing down violently, flooding the deck. Rav Yeshaya held onto his two small children, davening that they had not come this far for naught. Some of the sailors jumped into the sea, hoping they could swim for it, but Rav Yeshaya was unable to do so with his two small children. There was no way they would be able to make it. Then all of a sudden, a tremendous noise ripped through the air; the ship had broken in two! Rav Yeshaya fell into the ocean, holding onto his children with all of his strength. The ferocious, violent waves threatened to drown them. He tried his utmost to hold onto them, but his grasp was slipping. He looked at his children, each one holding onto one of his arms as their heads kept dipping under the water Try as he might, he could not prevail. He felt himself being pulled down. He wanted, more than anything he had ever wanted, not to let go. But he couldn’t! “Please! Hashem, help me!” And then there was darkness and silence The sun beat down on him and he squinted to block it from view. When he finally managed to open his eyes, Rav Yeshaya looked around and reality set in. He had made it. He was alive! But what about the children?! He looked down along the shore and saw his son’s body lying there. He picked him up; after a few frightening moments, the little boy coughed up some water and opened his eyes. He was alive! Rav Yeshaya then thought about his daughter and began to cry bitterly. All of a sudden, he noticed a form lying farther down the shore. He ran over there and saw that it was his daughter’s lifeless body. With a feeling of dread he bent down to pick her up, a sickening feeling rising up from his stomach. But just as had happened with his son, she began to cough! She too was alive! lt was a miracle! A short while later she explained what had happened. The two children had somehow managed to grab hold of one of the pieces of wood from the succah on the ship, and had floated on it to the shore. Rav Yeshaya held onto both of his children and looked up to Shamayirn. How could he ever thank Hashem?! He made his way to the center of town where the townspeople welcomed him and helped him get settled. Soon after, he traveled to Yerushalayim, settled there, and became one of their most prestigious rabbanim. He was zocheh to live there with his children and grandchildren for the rest of his life. Reflecting on this incredible episode, Rav Yeshaya Bardaki saw in it a lesson of great significance. He compared it to times when people feel that they are drowning, when life has overwhelmed them and they feel that they can’t hold on, or perhaps don’t deserve to continue because they have failed the Al-mighty. That is when they must cry out, “Hashem, please don ’t let go of me. ” And He will never let go. He is our Father, of course, and the compassion He has for each and every one of us supersedes what we may deserve. When He sees our fear and the need we have to hold onto Him, He will not let go of us. Not today Not tomorrow Not ever (succah, gam zu letovah, tefilla) (A Touch Of Warmth)
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Rav Eliyahu Dushnitzer had a son who moved from Eretz Yisrael to America. Wishing to provide his father with some form of income, he gave him an orange grove in Ramat Hasharon. Shortly thereafter, however, the citrus industry went into an economic crisis and many growers were forced into bankruptcy. Not only did the grove not produce income, it incurred large deficits. Rav Eliyahu was utterly distressed, constantly worrying that if his time should come to depart from this world, he will have left over debts. This prospect troubled him greatly, since the Sages term a deadbeat debtor a rasha, a wicked man. What then could be the solution to his grave problem? To Rav Eliyahu, the answer was simple enough: Turn to Father and ask him to resolve his predicament. And that’s exactly what he did. He pleaded to Hashem, our Father in heaven. ln addition, whoever came in contact with him was asked to pray on his behalf. One of his students, upon leaving his studies at the kollel, entered the field of real estate. Aware of Rav Eliyahu’s problem, the student found the ideal buyer for the grove, a well-to-do American who had expressed great interest in buying some agricultural property in Erelz Yisrael. He arranged a meeting between the prospective buyer and Rav Eliyahu, and all three took a bus from Petach Tikvah to Ramat Hasharon to inspect the orchard. No sooner had they started the trip than Rav Eliyahu turned to the American with a solemn expression and said, “l wish to perform the great mitzuah of irm:N nu Wm um N51, not to deceive a customer. l therefore want to inform you of the orchard’s various shortcomings. Several trees have become insect infested. Others dried up or have rotted away. Also, in some places, the soil has developed ditches and pits due to neglect. In short, from an economic standpoint, the grove at present is truly problematic.” Rav Eliyahu then proceeded to coach the man in what he understood to be good business sense. “lf your objective is to buy the property for investment purposes and return overseas, l must share with you what our Sages have advised: ‘If one wishes to lose his money he should hire workers and not be with them.’ ln short, absentee management is a prescription for financial disaster. So if your plan is to return to America and to manage it from afar, it is not a wise investment.” The prospective buyer listened attentively but did not seem overly concerned, continuing to show interest in the orchard. When they finally arrived at the site, Rav Eliyahu again turned to the man and said: “Our Sages have said that there is no comparison between actually seeing something to having merely heard about it. Now that we are here, l wish to take you on a guided tour and point out every decayed tree, all of the insect-infested trees, as well as the pits and ditches.” Surprisingly, despite having seen all the negative aspects of the grove, the prospective buyer still did not seem to be dissuaded from the sale. During the conversation, the man took some pills and a small container of water out of his pocket and gulped down the pills. He explained that he suffered from a heart problem and must take medication regularly. The man barely had a chance to conclude his sentence when Rav Eliyahu declared in no uncertain terms that he was retracting his offer. He was adamant that under no circumstances was he ready to sell the property to him. The man was shocked, not comprehending the sudden change of heart on the part of Rav Eliyahu. “Kindly explain this to me,” he asked Rav Eliyahu in a state of disbelief. “l heard everything you had to say, including all the drawbacks of the property, and yet l am interested. Why then the sudden retraction?” “l am truly sorry for all the bother and inconvenience l caused you in traveling here in vain,” Rav Eliyahu said apologetically. “However, l just realized that the Torah does not allow me to proceed with the sale. Let me explain. As soon as l became aware that you have a heart problem, l realized that you are not fit for the laborious, backbreaking work of agriculture. You will therefore have to employ farmhands to assist you, and your primary function will be management. The fact is that the grove is much too small to support a full-time manager, and the result will be absentee management. This l cannot allow under any circumstances, as our Sages have ruled that it is a sure way to lose one’s money.” As expected, the deal did not go through. The American returned to the United States and Rav Eliyahu returned to continued losses from his orange grove. Several days passed and Rav Eliyahu happened to meet one of his favorite former students, the venerable Maggid of Yerushalayim, Harav Sholom Shwadron. “l have a special request for you, dear Reb Sholom,” he said. “Were you not someone very close to me, l would feel uncomfortable asking it of you. You‘re surely aware of all the aggravation l’ve been having from my orange grove in Ramat Hasharon, and the great deficits it is incurring. May l ask that when you return to Yerushalayim you visit a certain friend of yours who studied alongside you at the yeshivah in Petach Tikvah? “This friend has established a Talmud Torah in Yerushalayim. Some time ago l met him and poured out my heart to him in regard to this grove. l asked him to recite several chapters of Tehillim in my behalf with the schoolchildren every day after their studies.” Reb Sholom noticed that at this point his rebbe began speaking haltingly, not ready to express his true feelings. Seemingly, Rav Eliyahu wished to say something about the founder of the Talmud Torah, but could not find the appropriate words, as he did not want to infer even the faintest expression of disappointment. At last, Rav Eliyahu did find the correct words. “You know, Reb Sholom, your friend is such a busy person — carrying the responsibility for both the educational and budgetary needs of his Talmud Torah — as well as his myriad chased activities. lt is no surprise that he overlooked my request regarding reciting Tehillim with the children. Please, Rav Sholom, when you arrive in Yerushalayim, kindly approach him and encourage him on my behalf.” “l beg the rebbe’s forgiveness, Rav Sholom said, “but how are you so sure that my friend actually forgot about the Tehillim?” “That’s obvious,” Rav Eliyahu replied with absolute conviction. “The fact is that thus far l have been unsuccessful in finding the proper buyer for the property. Llnquestionably, the only factor missing is the sincere prayers of the tinokos she! beis rabban, the precious Talmud Torah children.” Immediately upon arriving in Yerushalayim, Rav Sholom rushed to the Talmud Torah and met his friend just as he was hurrying from the school. Rav Sholom related his encounter with their rebbe and the conversation that ensued. His friend apologetically admitted that he did indeed forget about Rav Eliyahu and his orange grove and had not implemented the request for Tehillim. Although he was late for an appointment, he immediately turned back, gathered the children and recited several chapters of Tehillim with them. ln less than a week, Rav Eliyahu successfully sold the property to a skilled farmer who found all the orange grove’s problems to be minor and easily correctable. He paid full market price for it, enabling Rav Eliyahu to repay all his outstanding obligations. This good fortune did not surprise Rav Eliyahu at all. He had never doubted the power of Tehillim from the mouths of the holy children of Yerushalayim. (Noble Lives Noble Deeds 1) (onas mamon, tefilla)
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The question of whether and how tefillos are answered is often raised. People frequently complain that although they daven fervently, their prayers do not seem to bear fruit. When presented with such observations, the Rebbetzin would answer with a dvar Torah: “We see in Parashas Vaeschanan that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted so much to go to Eretz Yisrael. He davened so many times, yet Hashem didn’t allow him to enter Eretz Yisrael. It is brought down that had Moshe Rabbeinu davened just once more for his heart’s desire, Hashem would have acquiesced and Moshe would have gained entry? “This shows us that every single tefilla counts, and one never knows which tefillah will be answered and when it will be answered. ”I asked my husband the Rav what to tell people who say that their prayers have not yet been answered. He said, ‘if someone sees that he prayed and was not answered, he should pray again, as it says (Tehillim 27:14): Hope to Hashem, strengthen yourself and He will give you courage, and hope to Hashem.’” (tefilla) (Rebetzin Kanievsky)
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The following incident made a profound an impression on Reb Baruch Ber. When he was a very little boy he prayed at home and was crying during his prayers. His mother heard and asked his father “why is he crying”? Maybe need something that we haven’t given him maybe something is bothering him that we don’t know about it. his father answered her “I imagine he’s run across something in his learning he doesn’t understand. Reb Baruch Ber was just a child at the time but after hearing that exchange between his parents he realized that as far as his father was concerned if something was disturbing his little boy to the point that he was crying about it can only be one thing something in his learning was not clear to him. from his father’s response Reb Baruch Ber understood how much his father loved the Torah. Indeed his father’s words have been so natural so matter of fact what else could be bothering him? Having heard those words he prayed more intensely that God grant him understanding and have him grow steadily and succeed in Torah (torah, tefilla) (Reb Baruch Ber by Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Rosenthal)
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The Baal Shem Tov related that a very harsh heaven» ly decree had been issued, which many tzaddikim were unable to overturn, even with their most feruent prayers. “What we were unable to do, ” the Baal Shem Tov said, “was accomplished by a pious woman, who, upon hear- ing the tearful prayers of the congregation, addressed G-d: ‘Master of the Universe! How can You not accept the sup- plications of Your children? I am only a human being, and my mercies are limited. Yet when any of my children cry, it breaks my heart, and‘! would do anything to stop their tears. But You are infinite and Your mercies are infinite. Listen how all Your children are crying. Surely You do not have a heart of stone. You must help them and relieve their suffering!’ “It was this simple but fervent prayer that caused G-d to annul the harsh decree. ” (Not Just Stories By Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twersky) (prayer)
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Rav Aharon Kotler said: It is well known that whoever saw the Gaon daven, just once, was so inspired that he davened better for at least two years. He then related that he heard from the Rav of Mir, Reb Elya Boruch Kamai ‘;”3t that his grandfather had personally seen the Vilna Gaon daven one time and for the rest of his life he davened differently. (The Legacy of Maran Rav Aharon Kotler) (tefilla)
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Kabbalos were treated as nothing less than vows. Once in the middle of davening, the Alter suddenly got up from his place, went to the back of the beis medrash to look into a siddur (prayerbook), and then returned to his place. Only later did his talmidim realize what had happened. One of the Alter’s kabbalos that year was to daven out of Siddur. A word had become torn in his own siddur, and rather than recite that word by heart, he had picked up another siddur to read the missing word.“ Rav Dessler, By Rabbi Yonason Rosenblum, Published by Artscroll Mesorah, page 62 (kavana in davening)
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During the late 1700’s the Russian authorities followed the orders of the Czar to enter towns and grab a certain quota of children to become “cantonists,” soldiers in the army of the Czar. The scene was terribly heartrending as young children, some only 5 or 6 years old. were ripped away from their mothers’ arms and taken away in wagons. never to see their parents again. The children were brought to an undisclosed location in the frozen tundra of Siberia. ln most cases, within a few short months, they had forgotten nearly everything from their previous lives. The Russian officers brainwashed them into believing that the Czar was their father and that he would provide them with all they needed. During the first few weeks after his abduction, little Naftali, a 5-year-old boy, was very quiet and withdrawn. The memory of his mother’s anguish as he was ripped away from her arms had left an indelible impression on his soul. But over the next few months, his emotions became as cold as the weather outside. The boys gathered together every night in their quarters when they were ready to go to sleep. A 7-year-old named Binyamin became the leader of the younger boys. He tried to remember everything his rebbi had taught him, and repeated what he could to his younger friends. Before they had left, the boys had been learning together in cheder about the upcoming Yamim Tovim. Their rebbi had taught them about the importance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. He had told them how Hashem accepts our tefillos as long as they come from the heart. One night, Binyamin sat down with the boys and told them that that night was Rosh Hashanah. He spoke to them about the importance of the day and how it was the time when everything was decided for the coming year. There was some soft crying in the room as many of the boys became homesick, perhaps remembering what it was like to be home, with their loving parents, getting ready for Yom Tov. Finally, as Binyamin finished his “derashah,” he asked if anyone in the room remembered the tefillos, for he could not remember the words himself. When there was no response, he asked if one of the boys remembered any of the words of Tehillim by heart. Suddenly, Naftali began to speak. “I don’t remember any of the words of Tehillim, but l do remember this.” Slowly, softly, he began to sing the tune used for the chanting of Tehillim. As he walked to the front of the room, he sang, “Na na na na na nu na na na na na na na na And the rest of the children, who also knew this tune, sang along with him. As these little angels “davened,” they were not constrained by their lack of words. The stirring melody took them higher and higher. Tears flowed as the boys continued to sing, with little Naftali as the chazzan and the rest of the children as his tzibbur. A short time later, somehow, word of this incident became known and reached the ears of the great guardian and advocate for Klal Yisrael, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. When he heard the story, he, too, began to cry. He then revealed that he had been granted a vision of a terrible tragedy that had been decreed upon the Jewish people. A great fire came, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not extinguish the flames. Suddenly, a powerful stream appeared. The fire raged until it reached the stream. And then, suddenly, it was extinguished. “That stream was formed from the tears of those children. They accomplished what no one else could.” As lost as they were, with no hope in sight, they had found a glimmering spark. And that spark unleashed a river of tears, which, according to Rav Levi Yitzchak, caused the terrible decree to be annulled. A Yid is never really lost. (tefilla) (Touched By Their Tears)
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An individual was in desperate need of a favor from a friend of his. His friend enjoyed close ties with the government, and he needed him to speak favorably on his behalf. He therefore expended the effort to travel to his home, and he waited for nearly an hour until his friend returned from his business. When the friend arrived, he pleaded with him to fulfill his request, and reiterated several times just how important this matter was to him. When the friend finally conceded to the request, the man offered him heartfelt thanks and departed. The friend carried out what had been requested of him, performing the favor for his longtime friend. One day, he was walking in the street and met a different man who was an old acquaintance of his. “Please do me a favor,” requested the man, “and speak to the government on my behalf regarding a certain issue.” The man agreed to perform the favor, but this time, he forgot the matter entirely and did not fulfill the request. The difference between the first instance and the second, noted the Dubno Maggid, is as follows: The first individual traveled a great distance and spared no effort to journey to his friend. Additionally, when he discovered that his friend was not home, he waited for him to arrive. The second individual, however, happened to encounter the man by chance and did not appear to have exerted any effort whatsoever to arrange an audience with him. This is why the man with the close ties to the kingdom likewise did not put forth any effort. Our prayers are altogether different, noted the Dubno Maggid, when they are invested with effort and not simply uttered by way of habit. (kavana) (Jewish Parables- A Mashal for Every Occasion)
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All the people of the land obviously recognize their king. But when the king goes out to war, he is accustomed to disguising himself so as to not be recognized by anyone. Even at such a time, the ministers and close company of the king who are constantly in his presence are familiar with his every movement, and even if he should change his attire, they will nevertheless recognize him with ease. There is one way, though, that even the general populace can figure out where the king is located. Let them simply observe where there is the highest concentration of security -— that is where the king can be found! When an individual prepares himself to pray, said R’ Yisrael Ba’al Shem Tov, the yetzer hara immediately intervenes in an attempt to disturb his kavanah and break his concentration. A person must know, however, that the obstacle that he faces clearly indicates that this is where the King is found! The fact that kavana is so hard shows that “security” is heaviest there Hashem is close to all who call upon Him sincerely isee Tehillim 145118). It is incumbent upon one who prays to try with all his might to overcome the obstacle and reach the King. (kavana) (Jewish Parables- A Mashal for Every Occasion)
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A wealthy man had a dedicated servant who was at his service whenever he was needed. On one occasion, the employer had to take a journey in order to tend to his many business matters, and he would be compelled to leave his home for several weeks. He summoned his servant, gave him a long list of instmctions, and said, “Please read this list each and every day, so that you do not forget to perform a single task from all that l have written here.” The servant nodded his head in order to indicate that he understood. The employer boarded the luxurious coach that was waiting outside tor him and set off on his journey. When he returned, he summoned his servant and asked him if he had followed his instructions. “Yes, sir,” answered the servant. “Each day, I read over the list that you wrote several times…” “You fool!” shouted the employer in a voice that stung of rebuke. “Did I ask you only to read the list? My whole intention was that you would read the list and remember to fulfill that which l commanded you! Reading it alone is absolutely useless!” The same thing applies to prayer, noted the Chofetz Chaim. if an individual picks up a siddur and reads it without any kavanah, he is similar to the foolish servant… (kavana) (Jewish Parables- A Mashal for Every Occasion)
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Three years before his passing, R’ Shlomo Zalman remarked that’ a day on which he was able to concentrate properly (by his standards) on the words of the three daily Shemoneh Esres was to him “like a yom tov.” (kavana) (5 Great Lives)
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Reb David Moshe of Chortkov told the story of a difficult moment in the life of his grandfather. “When my grandfather Reb Shalom of Probisht was once at the home of his father-in-law Reb Nachum of Chernobyl,” he said, “it so happened that while Reb Nachum was leading his congregation in the last Minchah service of the outgoing year with his accustomed ecstasy, my grandfather sensed that he himself and suddenly slipped from the lofty levels of divine service to which he had raised himself over the years. He found it quite impossible to worship in the way that a tzaddik commonly worships. He was sorely grieved. Why should this have befallen him at a moment like this, when every other Jew was now praying with his highest degree of devoutness? He made every effort to recapture his accustomed fervor, but in vain. Finally, after prodigious exertion, he succeeded somehow in making his way through the prayers with nothing more ambitious than a consistent attentiveness to the meaning of the words he was uttering – just like every ordinary worshiper does. ‘.’As soon as he reached the end of his prayers Reb Nachum approached him and exclaimed: ‘My son! What eloquent reverberations you set up in the heavens just now with your afternoon prayers! Do you know that thousands of erring souls were elevated through your words?'” (kavana) A Treasury of Chassic Tales on the Festivals, By Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, Published By Artscroll Mesorah page 29
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Aged and weak, Rel; Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta lay in bed. By his side sat Reh Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, and near them sat Reb Naftali of Ropshitz, still a young man. “Rabbi of Ropshitz !” said the bedridden tzaddik, who is commonly called the Ohev Yisrael (“‘the lover of his fellow Jew”). “What do you say to the language of the Shemoneh Esreh prayer on the eve of Yom Kippur this year ?”The rabbi of Ropshitz smiled. Now the shammes who attended Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov was no simpleton. He approached Reb Naftali and asked him to explain what lay behind this little exchange. He did not quite dare to ask his own rebbe, nor would he be so bold as to ask the tzaddik of Apta. Reb Naftali obliged, and explained that on the eve of that Day of Judgment a grievous decree had hovered over the House of Israel, threatening the lives of women, especially those that were with child. A simple villager was making his fervent requests at the afternoon Minchah prayer just before the fast-day began. As he was stumbling .his unlettered way -through the Shemoneh Esreh _ prayer he came to the words Uvarech sheloseinu kashanim hatovos, “Bless our year like the good years.’; In his ignorance the good man had transposed a few letters here and there: Barech neshoseinu kanashim hatovos “Bless our wives like the good women … .” And on he went, until he arrived at the conclusion of that paragraph, which reads: “Blessed art Thou, O’ Lord, Who blesses the years.” Here too, with his urgent plea still foremost in his mind, he had earnestly read: baruch atah hashem, mevarech hanashim – “Who blesses the womenfolk … .”His innocent prayer, surging forth from the deepest recesses of his heart, had risen to the highest heavens – and the decree was annulled. And that was why the tzaddikim had exchanged a smile. A Treasury of Chassic Tales on the Festivals, By Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, Published By Artscroll Mesorah page 100
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Since the laws of the Torah were the foundation stone of the Brisker Rav’s life, nothing in the world could move him the slightest degree from what he saw as his mission. His entire system of decision-making revolved around this one central point that a man stands commanded every moment of his life. Beyond this, anything going on in the world around him was simply an external condition that meant nothing. All circumstances served only as tools for the observance of mitzvos. During World War H, The Brisker Rav and his son, R. Yosef Dov, were fleeing from the war zone in the direction of Vilna. They came to a border crossing that was open for only one hour a day. They waited there for hours, until late afternoon, when Minchah time came around. _ “I cannot daven properly in this place,” The Brisker Rav announced. Those present tried to convince him that he should daven there anyway, saying that if he left the spot for even a few minutes, he might miss his chance, and who knows — it being wartime whether there would be another. But The Brisker Rav stood firm, staunch in his opinion— which he stated dozens of times in similar situations in his life— that one never loses by performing a mitzvah properly, and therefore he headed back to a nearby village where he would be able to daven with proper concentration. As it were, the fears of the people there turned out to be valid. When he returned to the border crossing, he discovered that the gate had opened in their absence and had then closed again. But then, strangely enough, the border guards opened the gate again especially for The Brisker Rav, upon the request of a number of people who had begged them to break their normal routine and let The Brisker Rav and his son through. The Brisker Rav Volume Two, By R’ Shimon Yosef Meller, Published by Feldheim, page 436 (kavana)
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As any old-timer will tell you, Pinsk and Karlin are so near each other that they can almost be regarded as one town. During the period that Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was rav of Pinsk and the surrounding regions, there lived in the neighboring town Reb Shlomo of told Karlin, who died the death of a martyr in 1792. One day Reb Levi Yitzchak asked that Reb Shlomo be called to him. Reb Shlomo duly arrived, and for a few hours they sat together, their faces ablaze with holy fire. Not a word did they exchange. After a long time they both broke out in uproarious laughter, and Reb Shlomo returned soon after to his home in Karlin. This whole strange scene was witnessed by Reb Levi Yitzchak’s attendant, who was so puzzled by it that he asked the rebbe to explain. “All the Jews of our entire region,” said the tzaddik, “were under the threat of a fearful verdict that was being considered in the Heavenly Court. The local gentile aristocracy had been consulting on the imminent expulsion of the Jews. They had therefore decided to call a meeting at which they would all sign a proclamation which would bring this into effect. I prayed with all my might that the evil decree be rescinded; I received no answer. One day I implored with all the intensity of mesirus nefesh, and I was told from Above that Shlomo the son of Yuta would be able to help out in this case, because Eliyahu the Prophet visits him frequently. I therefore asked to have him come here at the exact hour for which that fateful meeting had been called. “Reb Shlomo arrived, and it was then that we saw that every single nobleman there was giving his assent to the proposed decree! We were so seized by terror that we could not utter a word. “Now according to their procedure, any single one of them can veto a proposal. At this point, then, we saw Eliyahu the Prophet walk in and join their meeting in the guise of an elderly squire. He took his seat among them, and when the document reached him for his signature, he insisted loudly that he would never agree to such an edict’. In fact, he would withhold his signature. This shattered their unanimity, and in the fracas that followed between their rivaling factions the document itself was torn to shreds. “This was such a hilarious sight that we broke out in laughter. Imagine: a whole assemblage of fools allowing an utter stranger to upset their plans!” (tefilla) A Treasury of Chassic Tales on the Festivals, By Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, Published By Artscroll Mesorah page 308
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One of Rav Scheinberg’s talmidim, who was also a rosh yeshivah, came to Rav Scheinberg for a berachah for one of his talmidim, who was struggling and in need of a yeshuah. Rav Scheinberg listened carefully; ‘the pained expression on his face revealed how much he cared. Then he asked his talmid for the boy’s name and the name of his mother, so he could daven for him. But the talmid admitted that he did not know the boy’s mother’s name. Rav Scheinberg gave his disciple a look of disappointment. “How could a rebbi not know the name of his talmid’s mother? Don’t you daven for him?” And then Rav Scheinberg rattled ofi the full name of the talmid he ‘ was speaking to, along with his mother’s name. “About 17 years ago, ” he explained, ”you came to me with an issue that was bothering you. I began davening for you then, and l haven’t stopped for the last 17 years!” (Rav Scheinberg) (tzadik daven)
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A woman once came to Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobel, pleading fora blessing to havea child. To the amazement of the bystanders, the Rabbi, who was ex- ceptionally kind and benevolent, said brusquely to her, “l’m sorry, I cannot help you.” The woman left the room tearful and broken hearted. Noting the bewilderment of his chassidim, Rabbi Mordechai said, “Just wait a few moments, then go find the woman and bring her back here. ” The chassidim did as they were told, and when the woman came back, the Rabbi asked her, “What did you do when you left here?” »_The woman replied, “I turned my eyes to heaven and I said, ‘Dear G-d, the Rabbi refuses to help me. Now You are my only hope. Bless me that I have a child. ”’ Rabbi Mordechai said to the chassidim, “This woman believed that I had magical powers, and she was trusting in me rather than in G-d. When I refused her request, she placed her trust in G-d where it belongs. She will now be blessed r with a child. ” (Not Just Stories By Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twersky) (tzadik pray)
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ln the time of the Ksav Sofer there lived a noble couple in Pressburg who operated a successful business. They led a Torah-true life and donated substantial sums to charity. The couple would often bring sizeable donations to the renowned yeshivah, with one minor stipulation — that the yeshivah designate an individual to say Kaddish in memory of all those who have no one to say Kaddish for them. Following the man’s death, his wife continued managing the business, and maintained her donations to the yeshivah, with the aforementioned provision. To her great dismay, the business began to falter. At first it seemed to be a temporary setback; however, with the passage of time it became clear that there was no alternative but to shutter its gates forever. Her savings dwindled until they were totally depleted and she was faced with the realization that she was a destitute widow with two daughters of marriageable age and without any means of support. As a woman of valor, she stood up to the challenge stoically. She was ready to compromise in all areas of her family’s needs. One thing, though, that she was not ready to compromise on was the Kaddish for forlorn souls. When the annual payment date arrived, she visited the yeshivah and beseeched the administrators to continue the Kaddish gratis, with the promise that if and when her financial condition improved, she would recompense them for the services rendered, the recitation of “her” Kaddish. The administrators of the yeshivah were overwhelmed with the woman’s benevolence and enthusiastically agreed to her request. She left the yeshivah in a state of euphoria, full of inner strength, knowing that the yearnings of so many neshamos would be fulfilled by that sanctified Kaddish and that her own desperate situation paled by comparison. As she walked out on the street, a distinguished looking elderly man with a glowing white beard greeted her. Before she could even ponder his identity, the man engaged her in a conversation, inquiring about her situation now that her husband had died and she had lost her business. He obviously gained her trust and she poured out her heart to him, specifically, the dire circumstances of her two daughters. “Regarding your daughters, what would you estimate to be the amount necessary to cover the marriage expenses for them?” he asked. She instinctively specified a sum. The man pulled out a pen and pad and wrote a note to the local bank director, instructing him to grant the bearer of the note the specified sum. To make sure that his signature would be honored, he suggested that he sign the document in the presence of two valid witnesses. “That should not be a problem,” the woman commented. “The yeshivah is right here and we can fetch two students who will bear witness to your endorsement.” The transaction was completed with the delivery of the signed note to the woman. Before she could ask him for his identity and for his motivation in this outstanding act of magnanimity, the man hurried on his way and she soon lost sight of him. For long moments she just gazed into the horizon, unable to fathom precisely what had taken place. The following day she stopped at the bank in a state of anxiety, fully cognizant that she might be evicted as a charlatan, or, at best, as a disturbed woman with a vivid imagination. She handed the note to a teller who advised that she first clear the note for approval with the director. The woman had barely placed the note in his hands, when suddenly, unexpectedly, he fell to the ground in a faint. The entire staff went into a whirl. Security guards immediately detained the woman as the prime suspect in what appeared to be a robbery attempt. Some tense moments passed when, finally, the bank manager was revived. He asked that the woman be brought into his office. He now studied the note carefully and questioned her as to when and how she received it. “Just yesterday,” she replied straightforwardly. “A distinguished looking elderly man gave it to me and signed it in the presence of two students at the yeshivah.” “Could you make a positive identification of the man if l showed you a photograph?” he asked. “Most definitely,” she said. “l’m certain that the two witnesses would also easily identify his photograph,” she said emphatically. The manager asked an attendant to bring in a picture of his deceased father. “This is definitely the man,” she asserted. Without further delay, he handed the entire sum to the baffled woman. He then related his side of the story, which shed light on his intense and shocking reaction. “The man who gave the note to the woman is none other than my deceased father who passed away some ten years earlier. Last night he appeared to me in a dream and said: ‘From the time you deviated from the Torah path, married a gentile, and stopped reciting Kaddish on my yahrzeit, my soul does not find rest. Thanks to an anonymous woman who has made arrangements to recite Kaddish at the yeshivah, matters have improved for my neshamah and for countless others who have no one to observe their yahrzeils. Please note, my son, that she will appear at your bank tomorrow with a note for a specified sum to cover the marriage expenses of her two daughters.’ “ln the morning l was distraught, not as much from the dream itself as from the vividness of it. l mentioned it to my wife who made naught of it. The woman, however, did appear at the bank today, as all of you are witnesses, authenticating the dream to its minutest detail.” One of the witnesses to the deceased man’s signature was Harav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, who later served as Rav of Yerushalayim. His associate was of equal stature, Harav Yehudah Grunwald, Rabbi of Satmar [immediately before Harav Yoel Teitlebaum], brother of the Arugas Habosern. (Noble Lives Noble Deeds 3) (saying kadish)
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The Chazon Ish highly valued those who undertook to serve the Torah community. An incident at the outset of my public career showed me just how highly, though. I traveled to Bournemouth, England, for Rosh Hashanah of 5713 (1952) to collect money for Chazon Yechezkel Youth Village, which Zeirei Agudas Yisrael had established. In those days, many well-to-do people spent Yom Tov at resort hotels in the area. Prior to Ma’a’riv on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, I was invited to speak in the shul of one of these hotels. Those gathered responded to my speech with generous pledges. But when it came time for davening, I could not help but notice that the mechitza was very questionable. Rather than with the congregational opted for the seclusion of my room in the hotel. In addition to missing tefillah B’tzibulr, I failed to say Kaddish for my father, whose yahrtzeit falls on the first night of Rosh Hashanah. By the next morning, I had located a more suitable minyan. But because I had not recited Kaddish the night before, I forgot to recite it in the morning davening as well. In fact, the entire yahrtzeit of my father passed without my reciting Kaddish once. When I remembered my failure to recite Kaddish for my father, I was overcome with remorse. And I blamed my public activities, which had brought me to Bournemouth, for my failure to say Kaddish. In my despondent state I took my failure to say Kaddish for father as {sign from Heaven that I should abandon my My resolve on that point was firm. Upon returning to Eretz Yisrael, I went to the Chazon Ish to inform him of my decision to abandon public affairs and the reason for it. I told him that I intended to return to the beis midrash from which I had been drafted for public service. After hearing my explanation for my decision, the Chazon Ish astonished me. “I do not accept what you said,” he told me. “You did recite Kaddish!” I assumed that he had misunderstood me I once again repeated the story of what had happened to me in England, and added for emphasis, “I did not say Kaddish.” It then became clear that the Chazon Ish had heard me clearly. For he said, “You are mistaken. You did recite Kaddish. What do you think is the purpose of reciting Kaddish on at parents yahrtzeit? When a son sanctifies the name of Hashem in public he is causing pleasure and bringing honor to his parent’s soul What more pleasure to your father than what you did — forgoing your own personal comfort to travel to a foreign country, where you had to daven without a minyan on Rosh Hashanah as part of a mission on behalf of the public? There is no greater Kaddish than that!” Upon hearing those words from the Chazon Ish, my resolve to retire from public life dissolved entirely. That retirement would not take place, as it turned out, for another thirty-three years. (kadish) (In Their Shadow Volume 1)
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Following the Arab riots in eretz Yisrael in 5689/1929, Agudas Yisrael announced a special campaign to raise funds for the victims. Rav Elya Meir Bloch was asked to make the appeal in the town of Ponevezh, an undertaking which at that time involved a train journey of twelve hours from Telz. Arriving at Ponevezh when it was time for Minchah, Rav Bloch asked to serve as shaliach tzibbur, since he was observing his mother’s yahrzeit that day. The local Jews asked him in surprise, “If the rash yeshivah has yahrzeit for his mother today, how could he travel on the train all day, without any opportunity to say kaddish?” (The train had left before the time for Shacharis.) The rosh yeshivah replied, “What, in your view, would my mother a”h prefer—that I say yisgadal v’yiskadash shemei Rabbah (may Hashem’s great Name be great and sanctified) or that I act in a way that actually causes Hashem’s great Name to become great sanctified? I am sure that my mother has much greater satisfaction from my collecting money for the victims of the pogrom, for this is more important to her than saying kaddish.” His disciples relate that upon his return to Telz he repeated this to them, because he wanted them to absorb a correct scale of values; (See Volume I, pp. 38-39, where I mention that the Chazon Ish told “me the same thing in a similar case.) (kadish) (In Their Shadow Volume 2)
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Rabbi Dessler was prepared to give up his long-established hanhagos (ways of conducting himself) for the benefit of others. To further a shidduch, for instance, he once sacrificed a practice that was very dear to him. Every year, he stayed in Gateshead the week of his father ’s yuhrtzeii so that he could spend the week immersed in learning and lead the dzwening in the Kollel. One year, however, on the very evening of his father’s yarzhrtzeit, he asked Rabbi Waltner to accompany him to the train stationl There were no cabs available, and they had to walk all the way to the Newcastle train station. Rabbi Dessler absolutely refused to permit his younger friend to carry his bag despite the very long walk. On the steps of the train, Rabbi Dessler explained why he was departing precisely at the moment when he should be davening at the amud. He told Rabbi Waltner that the had received a call from a rosh yeshiva in London that a shidduch between a girl in Gateshead Seminary and a yeshivu bachur in London had run into difficulties, and that Rabbi Dessler might be able to save it. “I thought to my- self,” said Rabbi Dessler, “what better Kaddish can I send father than to help establish a house of Torah?”” Rav Dessler, By Rabbi Yonason Rosenblum, Published by Artscroll Mesorah, page 228‘ (kadish, married)
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CANTOR LOUIS HERMAN was a young Jew who lived in Canada during World War Il. After hearing about the terrible things that were happening to the Jews in Europe, he decided to enlist in the army to fight against the Germans. When he finished his training, young Louis was transferred to Italy. As a sergeant in the army, he was assigned to the front, in the midst of heavy fighting. Throughout the difficult months of the war, Louis kept as many mitzvos as he possibly could. On the day of his mother‘s Yahrzeit, despite being many miles away from any shul, Louis wanted to say Kaddish for her. This prayer, however, would require a minyan, and finding ten Jews in the middle of a battlefield in ltaly was not going to be easy. Louis knew of only five other Jewish soldiers in his unit. Louis approached the army chaplain, who was a priest, and explained his predicament. Louis asked the chaplain if he knew of any other Jewish soldiers in the area. To Louis’s surprise. the chaplain not only knew where he could find other Jewish soldiers, but he also understood the meaning of a minyan. “See that area over there?” The chaplain pointed to a tall observation tower. “That is where our soldiers guard our unit and watch for advancing German soldiers. When they see any activity, they radio the information back to the artillery unit to help us aim our bombs more precisely. There are four Jews who occupy positions in the observation tower. lf you’d like, l can put in a call to them and ask that they come over to our area for your minyan.” Louis was overjoyed. He would have exactly the ten men re- quired to make up a minyan. And to his great relief, the soldiers were happy to oblige. Louis was able to say Kaddish on his mother’s Yahrzeit with a minyan. After they finished davening. Louis thanked everyone for joining him and enabling him to fulfill this meaningful personal obligation. As the four soldiers turned to walk back to the observation tower, they suddenly heard a loud explosion and saw a most startling sight. The entire tower and its contents had been blown up. Only the tour Jewish soldiers, who had just “happened” to be busy doing a very important mitzvah, had escaped annihila- tion. The Talmud tells us (Pesachim 8b) that “Shluchei mitzvah einan nizokin.” messengers who go to do a mitzvah are saved from harm. Not only do acts of chessed help others, but those very acts can also save us from harm. (For Goodness’ Sake) (minyan)
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The story is told about a person who came to shul on time every morning to daven with a minyan. One day he didn’t arrive. When asked what happened, he replied, “A hungry person needed food, so I had to feed him!” What hungry person goes out before Shacharis seeking food? The man explained that his baby was hungry, and his wife wasn’t available to feed him. The baby was a “hungry person,” and his father did the correct thing by staying home and caring for him. I Am Your Servant, By Rabbi Akiva Tendler, Published By Artscroll Mesorah page 348 (minyan)
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Rav Shimon Sofer was the Rav in a town in Hungary. the Hungarian emperor planned a visit to the town. Rav Sofer planned to say the bracha on the king. He wrote the bracha in a piece of paper in order to say it properly, which id the halacha if it is not a bracha that you are familiar with. When he approached the king an began saying the bracha, he was so nervous, that he dropped the paper. He said the bracha by heart. That night in shul by marriv Rav sofer began crying. He was asked why he was crying. Rav Sofer said I am crying because I did not drop my siddur. I dropped the paper speaking to a human king, why didn’t I drop my siddur when speaking to Hashem. (Heard from Rav Halpern) (Brachos, king, tefilla)
tizku lemitzvos, this is a beautiful collection!