Rav Ezra Attiah, zt”l
Rav Yechiel Spero related that Rav Ezra Attiah, zt”l, was the Rosh Yeshivah at Yeshivas Porat Yosef in Yerushalayim. One day, a young student named Ovadiah sadly informed the Rosh Yeshivah that he would not be returning to the Yeshivah. His father owned a grocery store, he explained, and he was needed to help stock the shelves. Times were hard and there simply was not enough money to hire a worker.
Rav Ezra was very distraught at this news. Ovadiah was one of the Yeshivah’s top students. He had a brilliant mind and was extremely diligent. Most importantly, he truly loved learning Torah. Rav Ezra went to visit Ovadiah’s father and did his best to persuade him to change his mind. He explained the importance of learning Torah and he described Ovadiah’s tremendous potential to grow in learning.
Although Ovadiah’s father was moved, he insisted that he needed his son’s help in the grocery store. There was just no alternative at this time. Rav Ezra understood that he could not persuade the father, and wished him a good day and left.
Early the following morning, when Ovadiah’s father came to open his grocery store, he saw Rav Ezra standing near the door. Rav Ezra said to Ovadiah’s father, “I have good news for you! I know someone who is willing to work for you for free, just so long as you allow your son to return to Yeshivah.”
Ovadiah’s father couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He asked incredulously, “Who would be willing to do such a thing?”
Rav Ezra said, “I would.” He took an apron that was hanging on a nail on the wall, and he put it on. As he tied the apron strings, he said, “Just show me what to do.”
Ovadiah’s father was taken aback. Now he truly understood just how important it was to the Rosh Yeshivah that Ovadiah return to his learning. He promised Rav Ezra that he would find some way to allow his son to return to Yeshivah. Young Ovadiah went to learn, and he grew up to become the great Talmud Chacham, Rav Ovadiah Yosef!
Reprinted from the Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim 5785 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
