Every night, R’ Yosef Pollack, a great tzaddik from Eretz Yisrael, would learn with a group of teens. The group found the classes very uplifting and inspiring. He understood the value of this shiur, and would make sure never to forgo a single night of learning. It was the highlight of his day.
One night, there was a snowstorm, a rare occurrence in Eretz Yisrael. Everyone from the shiur stayed home, and R’ Pollack found himself with no one to teach. He waited a bit to see if anyone would come, but no one showed up. He couldn’t just let the night go without learning, so he headed outside to find somebody to learn with.
His first stop was to the local grocery, as he figured that even in a snowstorm, people are always in need of groceries. But, he was wrong, as no one was in the store but the owner and some employees.
He continued searching up and down the streets, but he found no one out. On his search, behind some trees, he spotted a decrepit house. Being that most of the residents of the neighborhood were not religious, he figured that whoever lived in that house wouldn’t be someone who would participate in his shiur, yet out of desperation, R’ Pollack paid a visit to the house.
At the front door, to his surprise, he saw a mezuzah hanging on the doorpost. He was delighted; perhaps there was someone inside who would attend his shiur. He knocked on the door, and was greeted by an elderly fellow who clearly was not religious. Not only that, but R’ Pollack immediately detected that the man was very poor, was deep in depression, and seemed to have nothing left to live for.
Shocked at what he saw, R’ Pollack contemplated turning around and giving up, but since he was already there, he figured he would nonetheless ask him if he’d like to learn, however getting a positive response would be unlikely.
Before he could say anything, though, at the top of his lungs the man started screaming: “Who sent you here? What brings you to my door?”
Seeing his attitude, R’ Pollack started backing off. “I didn’t mean to bother you,” replied R’ Pollack. “I was just looking for people who wished to attend our Torah class.”
“No! No!” replied the man, with tears in his voice. “Don’t run away. I’m in shock. I’m not agitated. Come into my house, and I’ll tell you a story:
“I’m a Holocaust survivor. After surviving that terrible ordeal, I found life extremely challenging. I was left with no family and no one who cared for me. All my family members perished in the war. Years passed, and I didn’t manage to build a relationship with anyone here. I had no income and nothing to stay alive for.”
The man then pointed to the ceiling, and R’ Pollack looked up to find a rope hanging from it. “I hung this here to end my miserable life. Right before I was about to commit suicide, I turned to Hashem with one final request: ‘If, indeed You care that I do mitzvos, then please send the ability to my door. I don’t have any place to turn, and the only solution would be sending someone straight to me, enabling my return.’
“Moments after, I heard the mysterious knock at me door, and here you are, asking of me to partake in a shiur. That’s what moved me so. I haven’t had a single knock on this door in years. Everyone ignored the dilapidated house that I lived in, and now for the first time, I am being offered to learn. Yes, I’m in. I’m ready to learn.”
R’ Pollack brought him to their learning quarters, where they sat and learned for a long while. Building his interest in learning, the man continued learning and learning.
Time passed, and sadly, R’ Pollack was niftar. At the shivah, the old man came and relayed his story and the relationship he’d developed with the deceased. He concluded to the family that after encountering R’ Pollack, he has gotten the encouragement and reassurance to become a fully observant Jew.
There are many lessons that can be taken from this. One is the hashgachah that Hashem showed that man at that time; He turned over the world for him. But, on a different note, we can see how much Hashem cares for everyone’s mitzvos. This man hadn’t been observing Torah and mitzvos, yet Hashem orchestrated a long sequence of events all so that he could come back. He made a snow fall, causing R’ Pollack to personally pay a visit at his door, all so he could have a way of return. (Heard on Stories to Inspire, from R’ David Ashear)
