By Rabbi Yoni Schwartz
In his biography, Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, ZT”L, founder of Artscroll, talks about the various difficulties he faced in his personal life. He explains how he was overweight since a young boy, how he got divorced, and how his life was just falling apart in every single way. He felt like one of those people that somebody might look at him and think, “Oy, Nebach.” One day, he had an appointment to speak with his Rebbe, Rav Moshe Feinstein, ZT”L. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Rav Moshe was unable to meet because he had a Din Torah to attend to.
The following day, there was a huge blizzard and everybody was snowed into their homes. At the time, Rabbi Zlotowitz was sole caretaker of his three children. At end of that day, after spending hours running after them while bearing all the financial burdens on his shoulders and much emotional baggage, he felt completely wiped. One could see exhaustion in his eyes and feel his pain in his frown. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. His heavy frown became a little lighter as he saw Rav Moshe!
Rav Moshe walked a tremendous distance in the snow storm just to meet with him. He helped settle the energetic children, tuck them into bed and say the bedtime Shema with them. Afterwards, he sat with Rabbi Zlotowitz and listened to him pour out his heart. Rav Moshe, feeling every ounce of his pain, encouraged and supported him, and never stopped believing in him. Rav Moshe’s empathy and support was one of the reasons why Rabbi Zlotowitz was able to turn his life around and become a person who transformed the America Torah scene through his publishing house.
Reprinted from the Parshas Behar 5784 email of Torah Sweets.
