By Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn
In May of 1973 Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner had to travel from Brooklyn to the Bronx to attend the berit milah of a son of one of his students. Rabbi Shimon Goldstein, who was then learning in the Bet Midrash of Yeshivah Rabbi Chaim Berlin, arranged for a taxi to take the Rosh Yeshivah, and together they traveled to the berit milah.
When both Rabbi Hutner and Rabbi Goldstein noticed the driver’s identity plate which had his name, Sol Yanofsky, in bold letters, they understood that he was Jewish. Meanwhile, in the front seat, the cab driver realized that one of his passengers was a prominent Rabbi. Without saying a word, he reached over to the right, picked up a cap and, as an act of respect, covered his bare head.
Rabbi Hutner turned to R’ Shimon and said to him in Hebrew so that the driver would not understand, “Who knows how much Olam Haba (merit in the World to Come) he will get for this act.”
R’ Shimon was surprised by the Rosh Yeshivah’s comment, for he didn’t think that putting on a cap in the presence of the Rosh Yeshivah was an act of such great significance. “Does it merit Olam Haba?” R’ Shimon asked.
“Let me tell you a story,” the Rosh Yeshivah replied. “The Hidushei Harim, Rabbi Yitzchak Mayer Alter, used to got to the mikveh every day. However, he never took the shortest route to the mikveh. Instead, every day he would take a long, roundabout way to reach his destination. For a while his attendant did not inquire about it until finally one day he became so curious that he did indeed ask the Rebbe why he purposely seemed to go the long way to get to the mikveh.
‘I’ll tell you, said the Hidushei Harim. ‘When we go this way, we pass the station where Jewish porters unload the heavy packages for travelers. These porters are very simple, non-religious people. They do not pray, nor do they learn Torah. However, when they see me, they stop what they are doing, straighten up and call to each other, “Reb Itcha Myer is coming! The Rebbe, Reb Itcha Myer is coming!”
‘As I pass by, they nod their heads respectfully and acknowledge my presence. For this (their display of kabod Hatorah) they will get Olam Haba. I know they have no other way of earning it, so I walk this way every day to give them that opportunity.’”
We must not underestimate the small acts we do, nor the seemingly simple acts that others do. But aside from that, is not the Hidushei Harim’s love of fellow Jews remarkable in that he gave Jews (even non-observant ones) the opportunity to gain Olam Haba? (Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “In the Footsteps of the Maggid”)
Reprinted from the Parshas Shemini 5785 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace.
