By Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein
Everything among the animals that has a split hoof, which is completely separated into double hooves, and that brings up its cud — that one you may eat (11:3).
The Biala Rebbe sees in this verse an allusion to the way a Jew should conduct himself. The words that brings up its cud suggest that a person should “chew over” his every action in his mind. The words that has a split hoof suggest that he should proceed cautiously, with half steps, being exceedingly careful in how he behaves.
An Opportunity to Meet One of the Wealthiest Members of the Jewish Community
Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, the Ponovezher Rav, once went to London on a fundraising tour for his yeshivah, whose financial situation was critical at the time. During that visit, Rav Yaakov Rosenheim arranged a meeting for him with one of the wealthiest individuals in the London Jewish community.
This man had a very tight schedule, and he was scheduled to travel to a different city, but he agreed to meet with the Rav at the train station prior to his departure. The train was set to leave at 8 a.m., and the meeting was scheduled for 7:45.
The Ponovezher Rav planned to daven early, in a shul that was located near the train station, and go directly from there to the meeting. But that night, he became deeply engrossed in a sugya that he was learning, and he stayed up until the wee hours of the night learning. When he went to sleep, it was already almost morning. When he woke up, it was already late.
What is His Best Option?
If he would go to shul now, he realized, he would be late for the meeting. The Ponovezher Rav considered his options. On one hand, he wanted to daven with a minyan. On the other hand, he had to do what was best for the yeshivah. It did not take him long to decide that although he was trying to help the yeshivah, he could only make the type of efforts that were within the parameters of halachah. If meeting with a potential donor had to come at the expense of his prayer with a minyan, that was not the type of effort that was expected of him.
Having made his decision, he went to shul to daven. When davening was over, he looked at his watch and saw that it was already 9 o’clock. There did not seem to be any chance that the meeting could still take place, but he went to the train station anyway.
The Man Apologized for His Lateness
When he arrived at the train station, an hour and a quarter after the scheduled time of the meeting, lo and behold, the man he was supposed to meet was arriving at exactly the same time! After the two shook hands, the man apologized for his lateness and explained that he had been delayed. He then presented the Ponovezher Rav with a generous check that adequately provided for the yeshivah for a long time afterward.
When the Ponovezher Rav returned to the yeshivah, he described the above incident in a speech he gave to the bachurim. “Had I given up on davening with a minyan,” he said, “I would have been at the train station before 8 o’clock. Not only would I have lost the chance to daven with a minyan, but I would have also missed the meeting, for I would never have thought to wait until 9 o’clock for the person to arrive.”
Reprinted from the Parshas Shemini 5784 edition of At the ArtScroll Table. Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “Aleinu L’Shabei’ach.”
