In August 2009 when R' Shmuel Grossbard, the father of one of the mashgichim in Ponevezh Yeshiva, passed away, R' Chaim Kanievsky went to be menachem avel. His children were surprised, so R' Chaim explained, “I have a debt of gratitude to your father who was my commander in the army and helped me immensely.” Those present were astonished as they never heard that either R' Grossbard or R' Chaim had ever served in the army. R' Chaim smiled and recounted, “During the War of Independence in 1948, I was studying at the Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikvah. When the war started, everyone was drafted into the army without exception. Of course, we knew nothing, until one day a large vehicle arrived outside the yeshiva and they said that everyone must come to protect the country. Because none of us knew how to hold a gun, they gave us sticks and stones and assigned us to guard a large hill. Everyone was very scared; R' Berel Povarsky hid in a bathroom and avoided service. But R' Moshe Soloveitchik and I went. R' Moshe sat beside me the entire time reciting Tehillim while crying. Your father, R' Grossbard was appointed as commander because he was the oldest in the group. Because he was commander, he got the largest stick. When we arrived, I asked him what we should do. He told me, ‘You should go up the hill and sit and learn where they can’t see you, but take a stick and two stones so that if the Arabs come, you can scare them away.’ We stayed there for a long time, and after we left the place, we were told the Arabs had shot at that same place. Out of gratitude for then, I have come to be menachem avel.”
During Israel’s wars, R' Chaim Kanievsky did not alter his schedule and continued to learn at the same time as usual (with the exception of the aforementioned story). During the Six-Day War, he was heading to Kollel Chazon Ish through the nearly deserted streets of Bnei Brak when he met his cousin R' Reuven Fine. R' Reuven asked, “Aren’t the tanks in the street enough to scare you into changing your daily schedule?” R' Chaim replied, “When I saw tanks, I pondered whether they are obligated to have a mezuza and whether a tank can be mekabel tumah (become ritually impure).” R' Chaim then began listing the applicable Rambams in Taharos and different reasonings.
